oy oy
Here are my thoughts:
1. I'd rather start with 14 CON. Anything lower may be a bit too low. Slayers aren't a class with primo AC, so having HP padding is valuable. Perhaps keep 14 DEX to get 14 CON? Eventually you'll get a mithral o-yoroi and a +6 belt of physical perfection, so the 20 DEX you'll have will fit perfectly with the +5 max DEX on the mithral o-yoroi.
2. If you are gonna focus on Intimidation and UMD, I don't see the reason why not to swap the 13 WIS for 13 CHA. +1 or +2 to Will saves is not gonna matter if you don't spend more resources on Will, like Iron Will or Indomitable Faith.
3. Skill Focus (intimidate) is not particularly great value, particularly early game when Intimidating Prowess gives you more bang for the buck.
4. Cleave is one of the worst feats out there because of how fast it becomes useless. Considering you like Intimidation, why not pick up Mien of Despair here?
5. Rather than Step Up, which is less exciting for a switch hitter like you, what about getting Focused Target? As it improves both your ability to deal damage with two types of weapons, it should be more appealing.
6. Accomplished Sneak Attacker should be here somewhere.
7. If you get Obscuring Blow as a Slayer Talent > Rogue Talent, you can get Blinding Strike as an Advanced Talent > Advanced Rogue Talent, saving you a feat slot and getting obscuring blow which isn't that bad, particularly since you have ability DC boosts from Studied Target.
8. Getting that last Ranger Combat Style feat on Improved Precise Shot can't hurt and it's a pretty valuable tool.
9. Rather than Imp Critical, which you can get as an enhancement for your weapon, you could use that feat slot to improve your weapon damage with both types of weapons. For example getting something like Blind-Fight and so on.
10. I personally find it very hard to justify not getting an archetype. Sniper is so painless and good to get, Spirit-Slayer gets you a lot of fun things to do with your talents, etc.
thesemight be better stats
con: 14 int: 10 wis:14 cha:8
You already have plenty of skills, and losing the cha only lowers intimidte and UMD by 1, but gives 1 to will saves (I see the will save as more likely to get you into trouble).
Str and dex are fine as planned. You are a switch hitter, after all.
My main thought is that you can pickup Point Blank Master at level 6 through the Ranger Combat Style talent, so you should really consider just building a straight-up archer rather than a switch hitter.
Claxon is right. As switch hitting is not worth it with point blank master at such early levels.
But if you really want to switch hit might I point you to the Lantern Bearer PrC. Full of elf flavor and gives great boosts. Get access to a elven curved blade. Have fun tearing things up. It's a decent PrC and good grab after level 7.
I agree with the others, in that switch-hitting isn't worth it for a Slayer who can get Point Blank Master relatively soon (6th level, to be exact), and all you need is Weapon Focus (which is definitely worth it, since you'll be incurring massive penalties to your attacks, so spending a feat to mitigate it is worthwhile).
Your attributes are all over the place, and really need some readjustments; too many odd numbers for no reason (even if you use your level ups to bump them, it's not worth subtracting your Strength for). I propose the following adjustments:
Strength 18 (16 + 2)
Dexterity 15
Constitution 12
Intelligence 12
Wisdom 12
Charisma 10
(I'd rather you choose to dump Charisma, but I imagine it's for RP reasons or something.)
From here, you can put your +1 into Dexterity (which isn't a bad thing to do, since it gives you +1 to attack, AC, Reflexes, and Initiative), and then sink the rest of your +1's into Strength.
I'd even recommend switching your Dexterity and Strength around, since archery does impose a lot of penalties (-2 Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim penalties, and so on), and having more hits is really the best thing you can ask for, but if you're really concerned about damage (which is all Strength will do for you, by the way), then having the higher Strength is fine.
For going ranged, the Sniper Slayer archetype will be useful, especially if you initiate combat, as adding your level as a damage bonus to the first attack you make is huge. It also effectively increases the optimal range of your attacks, meaning if an enemy tries to run, you'll be less likely to miss them from far distances. The only tradeoff is that you lose the Track bonus, which is negligible if you're sinking ranks into it.
For racial traits, getting Darkvision in exchange for the dual favored classes is huge. What's even better is substituting your Skill Focus feat for a +2 to All Will Saves, which is basically an Iron Will that isn't actually Iron Will (and therefore would stack with it). Since you have the worse Will Save progression, shoring that up will be a big priority for you.
For feats, I suggest the following:
2. Precise Shot
3. Rapid Shot
4. Weapon Focus (Longbow)
5. Deadly Aim
6. Point Blank Master
7. Manyshot
8. Clustered Shots
9. Snap Shot
10. Improved Precise Shot
11. Improved Snap Shot
12+. ???
The downside with going Half-elf instead of Human is lacking the 1st level Precise Shot, which means you'll be better off going into melee once your allies engage them. This is fixed by 2nd level with your combat style feat.
Third level, you get Rapid Shot. Fourth level, you'll want to acquire your Weapon Training talent, which gives you Weapon Focus as a feat, as you'll need it for Point Blank Master at 6th.
Fifth level, you'll finally get Deadly Aim; as your to-hit (and Studied Target) gets stronger, you can afford to reliably hit with penalties being incurred. Sixth, you get Point Blank Master with your second style feat, which means if an enemy is in melee with you, it doesn't matter, he's going to get pelted in the face with arrows.
Seventh level and Eighth level can be interchanged, since both are equally important, it just depends on what you value most. Manyshot lets the first of your full attacks deal more damage. Clustered Shots greatly reduce the amount of impact DR has on your full attack routine. If the GM is throwing a lot of DR-based enemies at you, Clustered Shots should be taken first. If not, Manyshot will give you more bang for your buck. Either way, you will want both.
Ninth level, Snap Shot will make you more of a menace in melee combat, in that if enemies charge you, realize it's not a good idea, and decide to go for someone else, they'll pay for it. It's also a feat tax for something later down the road, so I'd get it now while it's there.
Tenth level, your final combat style feat should be Improved Precise Shot, meaning enemies do not benefit from Soft Cover, Cover, and Concealment when you fire at them. This is huge, especially if you plan to apply Sneak Attack benefits.
Eleventh level, Improved Snap Shot will double the range you threaten with your bow, meaning you threaten just as much as if you had a Reach weapon (without any of the drawbacks of a Reach weapon).
From there, you can spend your feats on whatever you like. Combat Reflexes works great with the Snap Snot feats. Improved Initiative, Iron Will, and other bonus-adding feats are worthwhile to have.
For traits, Armor Expert is useful, since it lets you wear a Mithril Breastplate without issue. Indomitable Faith for the Will Save boost is nice. The Half-Elf race trait which gives +2 Initiative is also great.
For equipment, as I suggested above, Mithril Breastplate is nice to have. I'd also look into getting a Living Steel Buckler to further boost your AC, as Buckler usage does not interfere with making bow attacks, and vice-versa (bows don't screw up bucklers). Also, if an enemy rolls a 1, they can severely damage their weapons.
For skills, Acrobatics, Perception, and Stealth will be your most important things to maximize. From there, other good options are Disable Device (if your party needs a skill monkey, consider taking the Trapfinder talent in place of one of the bonus feats you get for talents), Escape Artist (being grappled sucks), and a couple Knowledges.
Favored Class can be whatever you like. Skill Points gives you more out-of-combat usage, while Hit Points gives you more in-combat survivability. You're well-rounded here, so whatever you choose is fine.
I disagree with everyone that switch-hitting isn't worth it.
Melee engaging is not replaceable by Point-Blank Master. PBM doesn't allow you to choke points with attacks of opportunity, or to nettle casters.
Personally I feel you are falling into the trap of building a 20th level character from scratch without even playing. If I were you I would focus more on the first 5 levels and decide where you want to take them as you play. I understand you want to play a switch hitter and I say go for it but part of the reason you play a switch hitter is to have versatility which you are only taking away if you decide right now what your character will look like at level 20.
My main thought is that you can pickup Point Blank Master at level 6 through the Ranger Combat Style talent, so you should really consider just building a straight-up archer rather than a switch hitter.No. I already have a full ranged character and don't want to play a second one. I ha d the character concept already and I want to play it.
That's fine, as long as you understand that it's not as good as just playing a dedicated archer.
You provided no context in your original post, as to why you wanted to play a switch-hitter.
You also have mentioned the party composition?
Switch hitters are only particularly useful if there is no one else to engage the enemy at range on the first round.
Don't invest heavily in archery at all, because you'll only use your bow for about 1 round each combat.
Cleave is terrible.
Focusing on intimidate is terrible unless you're going to pickup feats to allow you to do it as something as a standard action. Personally, I recommend using Cornugon Smash.
Overall, your proposed build is very unfocused and doesn't have a clear goal.
@Secret Wizard: I feel the same about constitution as you do. I typically find that 14 is a good number for almost any character I decide to play. I have 13 listed thus far mostly due to level progression and the chance to get 20, 16, 14, 12, 14, 10 by max level before magic items which in my opinion is respectable.
The reason my bonus is in will over cha mostly because ive just played so many characters that...
Are you really challenging the word of The I Am A Secret Wizard using "an app" and, *mini-puke* d20pfsrd?
Have you lost your mind, boy?
@Darksol the Painbringer as stated above, I want to play a switch hitter, so im sorry you wasted so much of your time typing feat progression and etc telling me not to play what I want to. I hate the idea of losing the skill focus bonus for a +2 to will but I might just need to grit my teeth and do it if I am going to refuse to take iron will. Ill consider it. Yes I know my stats are a little odd but the stat suggestion you gave me leaves me lacking points out of my 25 point buy. Id rather have +5, +3 +2 +1 +2 +0 in my stats by max level than reducing those plus 2s to 1s just to get plus 1 to hit and damage. I can accomplish the same thing with a masterwork weapon so its kind of a weak argument. Ranged does have a decent amount of detriments but they arent a problem if im not shooting into melee combatants, deadly aim imposes the biggest problem but I have full BAB. In my experience, you can do this well without having maxed dex. I will consider the Sniper slayer for sure though, it does seem very beneficial. Ill think about armor expert but Im not too keen on it over the traits I already have. It doesnt add enough to the table.
Fair enough.
If that's the case then I'd suggest you specialize in a weapon that can be used as both a melee and a thrown weapon, due to how awkward projectile weapon transitioning can be. Perhaps spending a feat for proficiency (which can be done by substituting your Skill Focus feat) and utilizing a Heavy Throwing Shield will be your best bet; granted, the range on it isn't the greatest, the Sniper Slayer archetype does mitigate your to-hit losses from the reduced range.
The only problem with this is that you can't really make more than one ranged attack per round unless you get a specific magic item (Blinkback Belt) or an unaccessible feat (Ricochet Toss).
However, between dealing with this and the awkwardness of switching out weapons all the time, this is the lesser of two evils in my honest opinion. Taking the Weapon and Shield style would be the most favorable, since getting Shield Master at 6th level is extremely powerful, and the only real ranged feat you'll need is Precise Shot (which can be acquired without too much issue).
or an unaccessible feat (Ricochet Toss).
or an unaccessible feat (Ricochet Toss).You are also wrong.
Good.
I feel with switch hitter "builds" that they very quickly in play stop being switch hitters. When your str is 18 and dex is "14" having +2 accuracy with melee weapon and doing more damage it gets hard to justify using a bow, cause you need 2 feats to kinda get the bow going and it becomes not worth the hassle to pull out bow and shoot and then pull out sword as you move and attack over just moving and readying/attacking r1.
Or if archery is better and you take all the archery feats taking a 5ft step back and doing a full archery attack is the better option over pulling out a sword and getting an attack.
This is why people say don't switch hit. ALL my experience has had people quickly give up one or the other after a little play, but after they've used some feats on the unused style.
so good luck, for switch hitting you need power attack and all the archery feats and quickdraw.
@Secret Wizard: I feel the same about constitution as you do. I typically find that 14 is a good number for almost any character I decide to play. I have 13 listed thus far mostly due to level progression and the chance to get 20, 16, 14, 12, 14, 10 by max level before magic items which in my opinion is respectable.
The reason my bonus is in will over cha mostly because ive just played so many characters that...Are you really challenging the word of The I Am A Secret Wizard using "an app" and, *mini-puke* d20pfsrd?
Have you lost your mind, boy?
"Rogue Talent (Advanced Class Guide pg. 53 (Amazon)): A slayer can select one of the following rogue talents in place of a slayer talent: bleeding attack*, camouflageAPG, combat trick, demand attentionCAC, fast stealth, finesse rogue, firearm trainingUC, gritUC, hard to foolAPG, lasting poisonAPG, powerful sneakAPG, rogue crawl, slow reactions*, snap shotAPG, sniper’s eyeAPG, surprise attack, swift poisonAPG, terrain masteryUC, trap spotter, unwitting allyUC, weapon training, Any talent effects based on rogue level use the slayer’s class level. If the rogue talent has a prerequisite, the slayer must fulfill the prerequisite before taking that rogue talent. This talent can be selected multiple times; each time, it grants the slayer a new rogue talent."
http://archivesofnethys.com/SlayerTalents.aspx
Gee look at that, I still cant get get Obscuring Blow. Dont be a dick about it next time and you wont look as stupid. Also, not a boy.
I mean... (bolded for ease of reading)
Oh and this is from the ACTUAL PAIZO SITE. "Rogue Talent: A slayer can select one of...
My bet is that the blood of the shadows says that these options are available to be picked by slayers too. Thus the online site displaying it as they do. I don't own blood of shadows to double check that, but that's my guess as to what's happening.
I see, I don't own that book. I'll admit apparently I'm wrong. Being a dick was a good way to point me there though apparently.
Thank you. I'm glad that my innate dickishness serves a purpose.
Oh and this is from the ACTUAL PAIZO SITE. "Rogue Talent: A slayer can select one of...My bet is that the blood of the shadows says that these options are available to be picked by slayers too. Thus the online site displaying it as they do. I don't own blood of shadows to double check that, but that's my guess as to what's happening.
Yeah I posted the link in my post up there.
Are the Blood of Shadows rogue talents listed anywhere?
Archives of Nethys.
You should take improved precise shot as your 6th level talent. The BAB requirement is +11 and getting at level 6 is why the archery combat style is so strong. Really helps the archer and you can get Manyshot at 7 as it only has a BAB of +6.
Well the switch hitter would be wasting the Quick Draw feat if he picked that up and the urge to never put down the bow would then be too strong.
Tho the only switch hitter I've liked that I played was a Halfling Slingstaff user. Not optimal but only a single weapon you have to enchant, It's a throwing weapon so you do not need Adaptive. Warpriest, Slayer, Ranger, and Fighter work really well with the weapon. My guy went with Warpriest and rocked faces off like a mini turret. He would waddle out in his Glamored Full plate that looks like leather. Make himself an easy to get too target and start flinging rocks. When someone thought oh I'm gonna kill the lightly armored halfling they get their skulls bashed in with the slingstaff in 2 hands. All the feats like weapon focus and specialization cross over and cover both ranged and melee.