I have looked long at the eldritch archer, and came up with an investigator/witch build, gaining EA at lvl6. My question, is this a viable build? Anything to improve? Or maybe use another starting class/dedication and build e.g., as ranger/wizard? Any suggestion is welcome.
Ancestry: Elf (Ancient Elf)
Background: Martial Disciple (trained in Acrobatics and Warfare Lore)(Cat Fall) (I guess Feral Child is not available in PFS)
Class: Investigator
Initial Ability Scores: STR: 14; DEX:16 ; CON:10 ; INT:18 ; WIS:10 ; CHA:10
Initial Feats: Cat Fall, Know Weakness, Dedication: Witch, Ancestry: Nimble elf
2nd: Class feat: Share stratagem
3rd: General Feat: Cantrip expansion
4th: Class Feat: Basic Witch Spellcasting
5th: Ability Boosts: STR, DEX, CON, INT; Ancestry Feat: Elf instincts;
6th: Class Feat: Eldritch Archer Dedication
7th: General Feat: Swift sneak;
8th: Skill Feat: Unmistakable Lore; Class Feat: Basic Eldritch Archer Spellcasting
9th: Ancestry Feat: Elf Step
10th: Ability Boosts: STR, DEX, CON, INT; Skill Feat: Swift Sneak; Class Feat:
Enchanting Arrow
11th: General Feat: Kip Up
12th: Class Feat: Expert Eldritch Archer Spellcasting
13th: Ancestry Feat: Avenge Ally
14th: Class Feat: Seeker Arrow
15th: Ability Boosts: DEX, CON, INT, WIS; General Feat: Legendary Sneak;
16th: Class Feat: Phase Arrow
17th: Ancestry Feat: Magic Rider
18th: Class Feat: Master Eldritch Archer Spellcasting
19th: General Feat: Cloud Jump
20th: Ability Boosts: CON, INT, WIS, CHA; Class Feat: Arrow of Death
Cantrips: Acid Splash, Electric Arc, Produce Flame, Ray of Frost, Tanglefoot
Level 1: Hydraulic Push, Ray of Enfeeblement
Level 2: Acid Arrow. Tellekinetic Maneuver (Arcane and Occult)
Level 6: Disintegrate
Level 8: Polar Ray
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You can't gain Cantrip Extension as a general feat, so you have to push back your second dedication to 8.
As far as I'm aware, there is no caster dedication that allows you to gain two class feats before 6.
I am curious why did you choose investigator? Eldritch Shot doesn't have synergy with devise a stratagem. If you want to use all the other fun arrows then it could be good. I know a lot of people like Eldritch Shot though.
Also your build is ignoring the dedication rule. Witch dedication and pretty much all archetypes have "Special You can't select another dedication feat until you have gained two other feats from the witch archetype."
So you will definitely have to change around the class feats quite a bit to be a valid character. Here are your options...
-Taking a dedication at level 2 (unless ancient elf) then you have to take 2 feats for that dedication at level 4/6 then you can take Eldritch Archer at 8.
-If you want to take Eldritch Archer Dedication at 6 you have to skip the dedication at 2 and can't be an Ancient Elf.
Other than that I would say PF2E is a very flexible game and you can pretty much go anyway with your character. Some main classes with obvious synergy are...
-Fighter: The +2 to hit is hard to pass up, it is tough to skip this class if you plan on taking 90% eldritch archer feats.
-Champion: Can combine fire ray with Eldritch Shot
-Ranger: Has some nice bow feats.
Idea for investigator was to use stratagem to know when a shot is going to hit.
But looking again at all the feats delaying isn't so good, so it might be best to start not as an ancient elf.
So, fighter then arcane spell list for eldritch archer?
Since stratagem normally requires an action I don't think you can really combo eldritch shot+stratagem unless there are ways to make stratagem a free action. In general you can really pick anything but the basic builds are below...
Any Martial/Any Dedication
Level 2: Take a any dedication or any feat if you are ancient elf.
Level 4: Basic Spellcasting/Feat from dedication
Level 6: Basic Spellcasting/Feat from dedication
Level 8: Eldritch Archer Dedication
Any Martial/Eldritch Archer
Level 2: Martial feat
Level 4: Martial feat
Level 6: Eldritch Archer Dedication
Fighter would just be my default choice since most the feats I would be taking are from other dedications I feel the +2 to hit is just great. There are definitely benefits of other classes too though.
That is what I love about PF2E it just seems so flexible. At quick glance I see two ways to use Eldritch Archer
-Focus 100% on eldritch shot and getting as many spells as possible.
-Focus mostly on all the other cool arrow and make spellcasting be a minor part of it.
Personally they both seem so fun I just don't know which one I would choose.
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I am curious why did you choose investigator? Eldritch Shot doesn't have synergy with devise a stratagem. If you want to use all the other fun arrows then it could be good. I know a lot of people like Eldritch Shot though.
Enchanting Arrow works just fine with fine with devise a stratagem so you can build for that and use your spells for utility/buffs. Enchanting Arrow [+2d6-4d6 mental damage] + Strategic Strike [1d6-5d6 precision damage] + weapon [1d8] + fundamental rune [+1d8-4d8] + and Property that add a [+1d6] elemental damage + str/int modifier. It's not too shabby for an every round attack.
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I've been racking my mind too to see how it could be made to work. There's several variants that I can see:
Go ancient elf
- You won't get into Eldritch Archer until level 8.
- At level 10 you have to make a painful choice between Enchanted Arrow and Suspect of Opportunity.
+ Your spellcasting stat for EA will be Intelligence because you already have a casting style.
+ You have a plan B (spellcasting) right from level 1 for when your Devise Stratagem roll is poor and there aren't alternative enemies.
+ Very good ancestry ability modifiers.
Go wellspring gnome
+ Go into EA right at level 6.
+ Take Enchanted Arrow at 8 and Suspect of Opportunity at 10 so you always have a workable plan.
- Tricky to get both a Dex and Int bonus from ancestry so your stat array won't be optimal.
+ You can take both a primal with the fey magic feat and a divine cantrip with your heritage, so Holy Lance and maybe Produce Flame. Holy Lance probably outperforms all other cantrips for triggering weaknesses and dodging resistances.
- You end up with few different cantrips.
+/- Your EA casting will be charisma based, but so are your cantrips so you're not spread super thin.
+ Works well if you're taking the Interrogation methodology to more often get a Lead on enemies. Just try to get every boss into a monologue.
Human(ish)
+ Go into EA right at level 6.
+ Take Enchanted Arrow at 8 and Suspect of Opportunity at 10 so you always have a workable plan.
+ At level 9, take Multitalented to get a multiclass going while not being done with EA yet.
- Since you got into EA before picking up spellcasting, your EA casting will be Charisma based.
+/- Okay ancestry ability modifiers.
Halfling
+ Builds mostly as human using the Cultural Adaptability feat so you can take Multitalented later on.
+/- Okay ability modifiers (Wisdom is good for Perception after all.)
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Yeah I'm personally planning to go into Ancient Elf, but using the wizard because I don't see the familiar really panning out if I don't fully invest in it.
I don't view myself as "the" spellcaster of the group (we'll have a sorcerer and witch) so that frees me up to use magic more as a booster to my other stuff. Still, the choice between suspect of opportunity and enchanted arrow hurts.
Looking at EA again, so many good feats, from 3x spellcasting, Enchanting arrow, Arrow of Death to Phase Arrow and Seeker Arrow. No space to enhance multitalent going human and witch, as there is not even space for basic spellcasting, and it would only give me one cantrip.
Considering a charisma based fighter now, elf, aasimar (to gain flight), and maybe intimidation route.
But thanks, it helped to get a better idea.