Here is the situation
Character is a Warpriest with a 1st level dip into Swash (Dex to damage level 1)
If I delay my extra feats by one level (human preferred class trait) I can take Critical Focus on level 8. I can easily do this by taking a hit point or skill point instead of the +1/6 feat
Other feats have or planed (4 feats to get Dex to damage on Sword). WF Wushu Darts (warpriest), Quick Draw, Aldori Dueling Mastery
3 undecided
Catch is, that if I don't do it I will have to wait till level 10 for it, however it will make every sixth level (starting at 7) 2 feat instead of 1.
My plan, which I should have done due diligence on and did not was to use fervor to boost the hit points (I thought there was a feat for extra uses a day, I was wrong). I can defiantly fit Toughness in as I have a metric crap load of feats coming (more than a Fighter).
Eh, fervor can be used to heal (innately) or even cast healing spells (though I'm not sure if there's ever a situation where you'd want to use fervor to cast the spell instead of taking the available healing).
While 10 con isn't ideal, I think a waprirest can manage it better than most.
I guess my real question is, if you're investing in dex to damage through swashbuckler, you don't need strength. So you need dex and wisdom, what are you doing with the rest of your ability score points?
I think starting with an 18 dex (after racial bonus), 14 wis, 14 con is a viable build. That's a 20 point buy. If you can find a good dex/wis race you can start at 10 str, 18 dex, 14 con, 10 int, 16 wis, 10 cha.
Between all the self buffing you can do you wont really need to start at 20 dex IMO.
You could also raise your strength to 12 and con to 12, and avoid the typical problem that dex characters have of not having enough carrying capacity at low levels. Whether or not that's a problem for you will likely depend on how much your GM enforces encumbrance.
Had first session last friday, so nothing can be changed. Furthermore the Con 10 is a feature, not a defect. I want him to be a bit sickly...
Here is the link to the background with character sheet https://paizo.com/threads/rzs437gu?Background-help
Ability scores are
Str 9, Dex 19, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 13, Chr 14
Obviously will be raising Wis as he levels (after dex at 4)
However, back on target: Thoughts on delaying my whole (3rd system of) feat progression one level to get Critical Focus faster. Basically instead of 3 feats on level 7, 13, 19 I would get 2 feats plus one on 8, 14, 20
It wouldn't necessarily be faster, but it might be easier.
What I mean is that you could retrain the last feat you got after you level up and can select it.
You would need to know how your GM feels about retraining and if the benefit of getting the feat earlier justifies the expense of retraining.
But you aren't held to only selecting things you could have at that level when you retrain, so it is rules legal.
No on retraining rules (except for where the class rules say so, ie Sorcerer spells, fighter bonus feats, etc...)
So yeah, it's probably worth it.
I mean you're delaying getting a new feat by one level, so you can take a better feat earlier.
I think it's worth it.