Avalancher Slayer Archetype Viability

[Hathdren]

What it says in the title, is there any way to make the Avalancher archetype for the Slayer from Ultimate Wilderness viable? What's weird is I've seen absolutely no discussion around this archetype, so why not try and brew around it now? Pathfinder Society legality isn't really an issue for me, but all the better if it is.

Best I've been able to figure, we can use Dragonfly Style from the Martial Arts Handbook, essentially making anyone we attack from next to a wall a Studied Target Plus. Going further down the chain around 14th level, we can use Dragonfly Flight to glide about 60 feet (assuming we get a 10 foot vertical leap, which may take work) and use Fall-By-Attack from Avalancher to get a full attack while we fall/charge. I'll post what I have of my Gorum-worshiping Greatsword Slayer build here, but a throwing build with Ricochet Toss might be better, still working that out.

1st. Slayer 1. Feat (Improved Unarmed Strike)
2nd. Slayer 2. Slayer Talent (Rogue Talant (Combat Trick (Dragonfly Style)))
3rd. Slayer 3. Feat (?)
4th. Slayer 4. Slayer Talent (Ranger Combat Style (Faithful (Gorum)) (Power Attack))
5th. Slayer 5. Feat (Dragonfly Wings)
6th. Slayer 6. Slayer Talent (Ranger Combat Style (Faithful (Gorum)) (Vital Strike))
7th. Slayer 7. Feat (Divine Fighting Technique (Gorum))
8th. Slayer 8. Slayer Talent (?)
9th. Slayer 9. Feat (Lunge)
10th. Slayer 10. Slayer Talent (Ranger Combat Style (Gorum) (Improved Vital Strike))
11th. Slayer 11. Feat (Dragonfly Flight)
Can stop at Slayer 14 if you want.

If anyone has other thoughts about this archetype and how to make it work, I'd love to know.

[juantamad]

There might be a reason you haven't heard about it.

...I'm sorry man but Falling Strike is so much weaker mechanically than Studied Target and is completely dependent on campaign, map, items, and party. Completely urban (big big big city) campaign seems to have the best shot.

You do have the right idea though. Since you're constantly wasting your movement actions climbing or getting to higher ground to plunge, Vital Striking with Dragonfly Style makes sense. Add the Death from Above feat and you'll rarely miss.

Also you want a climb and fly speed, preferably both. Pick up Slippers of Scampering ASAP. Upgrade to Slippers of Spider Climbing. Consider the Flight Item Mastery Feat, or the Flickering Step feat even. Wands of Levitate. Anything to make this archetype worthwhile.

...Idk but going vanilla Slayer is so much better imo. Less work for a constant benefit in Studied Target, not dependent on campaign/maps/item availabilty/party buffs on you.

[Derklord]

Hathdren wrote:

Best I've been able to figure, we can use Dragonfly Style from the Martial Arts Handbook, essentially making anyone we attack from next to a wall a Studied Target Plus.

Sadly, Dragonfly Style only gives a bonus "as if you were on higher ground" - you need Dragonflight Flight to actually trigger Falling Strike. Quite frankly, that alone kills the build.

Fall-By Attack is extremely terrain dependent (you need to end up on a lower surface than you started), and everything else is just a strict downgrade. Seriously, there's just about no situation where normal Slayer wouldn't be better. Studied Target is a swift action before you can reliably trigger Falling Strike.

Oh, and Gorum's Swordmanship only works for Vital Strike, not the improved or greater version, which means you can't even use them together with Dragonflight Fligh's charge (or Death From Above).