| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
The fighter is billed as a master of weapons in the Playtest. Someone who can perform impossible feats with weapons that are matched by no other. Athletics and feats allow for several interesting melee fighter actions. There are several melee options to use the Open -> Press and Enhancement systems. While the power of any of this is arguable, they are still far more interesting than what is on offer for a ranged weapon specialist.
Other systems, including PF 1e, allow for daring feats of Archery. Archer PF1 Fighters can choose one trick shot to Sunder, Feint or Disarm at third level. After 11th, they can bull rush, trip or grapple too. 5e Battlemasters can push, trip, intimidate enemies or command allies while shooting.
What do PF2nd Ranged Weapon Fighters get?
Baseline- Only three really useful actions. Stride, Strike and reload if using a crossbow or sling. Most battlemats tend to be within 50 feet, so Longbows are at quite the disadvantage. Should have a backup melee weapon, even though we want to be using our favoured ranged weapon. Can't use our crowning baseline feature Attack of Opportunity.
1st level- Point-Blank Shot: Only feat useful for a ranged weapon user. An Open and Stance attack for those systems. Removes the volley penalty for Longbows or gives +2 damage to other weapons. An interesting feat if we use the Open-Press or Stance systems. Feels like a feat tax otherwise.
2nd level- Assisting Shot: Only feat useful for a ranged weapon user. Using Assist at weapon range. Opens up another action for tactical usage. Fairly interesting.
4th level- Double Shot: Reload fighters don't get anything at this level. Might as well multi-class. Bow users, declare Strike on two targets for better bonuses. Doesn't apply multi penalty so third declared strike is at -5. If you weren't bored of declaring Strike for four levels, you can now use a different name. The new Ranger action is more interesting. Boring.
6th level- Exotic Weapon Training: Want to throw Shuriken or use a Halfling Sling? Go ahead.
Improved Bravery: If something fears you out at range, you can be less scared. Boring but might be useful.
Triple Shot: Using a Crossbow? Might as well ignore this tier too. Thought Double shot was boring? Add to it by declaring Strike three times under a different name. More powerful than three strikes? Yes. More interesting? Nope!
8th level- Incredible Aim: More interesting than Double and Triple Shot. Add another action to Strike to ignore concealed/screened/cover by 2 or add 2 if they don't have those conditions. Not amazingly interesting but better.
Slippery Shooter- Another Stance means we can start weaving between them each turn. It's another Opener but we have no Press yet. You don't trigger AoO or reactions triggered by ranged attacks. You can now use AoOs but they are within 5 feet. Rather boring still. If you want to disrupt spellcasting or shoot at a marked area, you still need to use two actions to Ready a reaction.
10th level- Agile Grace: You're much better at Blowdarts, Darts and Shurikens. Woe betide you if you grabbed those Double or Triple Shots as a Shuriken thrower.
Blindfight: It's only to adjacent targets.
Combat Reflexes: If you took Slippery Shooter, you can AoO twice in melee range with a ranged weapon. Fun /s
Debilitating Shot: After 10 levels, you can now interact with the Open-Press system! Follow-up shot that can cause Slowed 1 or Flat-footed for a turn. Neat! Might be able to help out a sneak-attack user or capitalize with the next Strike. Rather interesting.
Disruptive: Would be great if we could AoO at range. We can't.
Unyielding Fortitude: Useful if you face a ton of fortitude saves at range.
12th level- Desperate Finisher- You know that Press attack we just got? We can use a bonus Debilitating Shot nearly every round since we don't have much use for our AoOs. Depressing that this feat is so useful because we don't have much use for one huge mechanic of our class.
Incredible Follow-up: Another Press attack. It's a basic strike that ignores concealed, screen or cover. /yawn
14th level- Determination: Likely going to have plenty of spells slung our way. Interesting enough.
Stance Savant: We can start each fight in Slippery Shooter, I guess.
16th level- Multishot Paragon: Remember those boring Double and Triple Strikes? They are better now. You can even use Stance Savant to enter this. Doubling down on Double Shot.
18th level- Impossible Volley: Longbow only. Not bored of 18 levels of saying "I use Strike on two of the mooks"? Now you can say "I use Strike on ALL of the mooks! (within 10 feet of each other)"
Savage Critical: Crit success on 19-20. Took 18 levels but now rolling dice is slightly more interesting. 5e Champions get this at level 3.
20th level- Weapon Supremacy: Not bored of Strike? Now you can always Strike an additional time in combat. Fun?
As you can see, almost nothing here comes close to the narratively interesting things you can do in other games including PF1. No hitting their weapon to disarm them, no pinning their clothing to a wall, no knocking them off the bridge with a well-placed shot. I do hope those extra pages in the final PF2 edition have some more interesting ranged options or an Archer archtype. Dedicated masters of the Bow are going to have some pretty boring times in PF2 otherwise.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Would definitely like to see some more fun options for ranged fighty folk.
Crit aren't frequent enough for PCs to have major abilities rely on them. You should be able to try maneuvers like this independent of a lucky attack.
Quite frankly, I think that the crit spec effects should just happen without needing training. It works ok in Starfinder.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Remember that this is still just a playtest. They won't bring out all the toys here.
Plus, you know, the whole 'selling more books' thing. Ultimate Archer anyone... ;)
I don't see how its any different then being a bow fighter in Pathfinder 1, without all the added books.
Exactly, I didn't find Fighter Archer fun until they released the Mobile Fighter archetype, and even then I still think the most entertaining archer class was Monk with Zen Archer. The only disappointments I have so far with archery is that it seems very difficult to make any class other than Fighter or Ranger any good at it. But that's more a symptom of previously generally available feats being locked behind specific classes now.
Well. There's not much to add. Fighter Archers are boring right now. That's going to change as more material is added. The only thing that hasn't been brought up are the cool new magical arrows.
For example...
Item: Vine Arrow; Level 3; Common
Traits: Conjuration
Consumable
Magical
Price: 6 gp
Ammunition: arrow
Activation: Command Activation (Action)
Leafy stalks protrude from the shaft of this rustic arrow. When an activated vine arrow hits a creature, the arrow’s shaft
splits and grows, wrapping the target in vines. The creature is entangled for 2d4 rounds, or until it breaks free with a
successful DC 17 Athletics check.
And another example...
Item: Viper Arrow; Level 4; Common
Traits: Conjuration
Consumable
Magical
Price: 12 gp
Ammunition: arrow
Activation: Command Activation (Action)
The shaft of this arrow is covered in fine green scales, and its iron head comes to a pair of points almost like fangs. When
an activated viper arrow hits a creature, the arrow transforms into a viper. The arrow deals its normal damage, and the
target is affected by the viper’s poison, as if it had been bitten. The viper then lands in an open space adjacent to the
target.
The viper has the summoned trait and acts at the end of your turn, even though you didn’t use the Concentrate on a Spell
action. It is under the GM’s control, but it generally attacks the creature the arrow struck. The viper vanishes after 1 minute
or when slain.
Craft Requirements: Supply a casting of summon monster.