Bloodborne - Steel Hound (Viable?)

[Dunmuir]

Heya, I've been looking into BB a lot lately, and like the idea of the main character. I was wondering if there was a viable way to make a switch hitting Steel Hound Investigator?

20 pt. buy
Any paizo
Core races only

If steel hound doesnt work, the theme I'd like to go with is as follows:
- Potions (Consistant and active use of them)
- Melee Weapon
- Firearm
- Doesnt need to have them out at the same time, just the option to use them effectively

The firearm and melee weapon may be whatever works best for this scenario.

[avr]

How good is viable to you? Would the character need to hit green numbers on Derklord's bench-pressing spreadsheet (probably doable) or more than that, or some other criteria?

[Dunmuir]

I'd just need to know regardless of whether my melee or gun is out, I can do sufficient damage equivalent to my level. Sufficient is arbitrary, so I'll go with not as ham as a barbarian, but enough to get a job done if put on the spot. If one weapon isnt as effective as the other in a dire situation, I'll use an extract to bolster me as necessary.

[avr]

Right, but that tells me precisely nothing. Your question is not answerable without numbers.

[Dunmuir]

I'm not the kind of guy who does statistical analysis before playing a game. I just pick an idea, see if it works, and run with it. That's how my friends have done it for years, and we focus on having fun over tons of numbers and who can do the most damage.

I apologize that I have no idea what ballpark of damage I should be aiming for.

[MrCharisma]

Rather than actually looking at the numbers (which avr linked above if you want to check them), the idea behind Derklord's table is:

Viable Characters wrote:

(A) The character should be good (neither merely passable, nor necessarily excellent) in their primary combat tactic. 

(B) The character should have no defensive measure that fails more than half of the time. 
(C) The character should have a secondary combat strategy at a passable level of efficacy for when their primary will be ineffectual (ie, immunity to mind-affecting vs. an enchanter character, swarm traits vs. weapon damage characters) and/or a method of ensuring that their primary strategy works even in those unusual circumstances (such as a swarmbane clasp). 
(D) The character should serve some function for the party when not in combat, preferably more than one.

So when attacking with a weapon (for example) you want to be able to hit on a 7+ with your first attack. This means you're hitting twice as often as you miss. If you hit less often than that but have high damage then that's fine too. If you do low damage but have a higher chance to hit, or have multiple attacks at full BAB (natural attacks or archery for example) then that works too. The benchmark used is that you can kill a CR appropriate enemy in 4 rounds.

If your GM is less likely to kill the party (which is what it sounds like in your group) then you can probably tone this down accordingly.

To help others help you: How long (in rounds) do combats usually last? How often are characters reduced to 0hp? How many players do you play with? Just some details will help others work out what advice to give.

[avr]

Then yeah, a steel hound might (or might not) work for you. Make the character and see I guess.

Going for fencing grace and a dex-mutagen along with studied combat might be enough in melee. A dragoon musket or pistol (so reloading isn't a constant problem), deadly aim and the same bonuses might be enough at range.

They're not among the best damage dealers, but nor is either a havocker witch. Whether that's enough is not something an outsider can answer for you.

[fearcypher]

You may want to look into going gunslinger instead, if only for the ability to grab Gruesome Parry

Gruesome Parry:

Gruesome Parry (Ex): Some gunslingers wield guns and blades in concert, readying a shot to unbalance attackers and then eviscerating their assailants. At 7th level, the gunslinger can spend 1 grit point when she readies an action to make a ranged attack with a firearm against a creature that declares a melee attack against her. If she does, the readied ranged attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If this readied attack hits, she gains a +4 dodge bonus to AC against the triggering attack, and she can make a single melee attack with a slashing or piercing weapon against the creature that attacked her; if this melee attack hits, it is considered to be a critical threat. This deed replaces the dead shot deed and one other 7th-level deed.