Link to Samurai Sheepdog's Gnoll Race that I'm using.
Link to Slayer Class
Link to Bounty Hunter Slayer Archetype
So my DM is considering taking a break on our main story and having us do a side adventure with side characters, and he REALLY like my idea of being a Gnoll that by day sells tapestries that may or may not be a good way to smuggle illegal goods and contraband to those who can afford it, and at night he is an assassin can stalk prey for weeks before striking at their weakest.
This version of the Gnoll has good stats and racial feats for that, currently thinking about dropping Beast Tamer for the Merchant buffs to Craft and Appraise and the base Weapon Familiarity with the one that gives me more weapons that feel like they fit the theme of a bounty hunter.
The build I'm looking for is stealthing and ambushing so that as long as I haven't entered combat yet I'm getting as much as possible on a single target, with the ability to potentially stealth again and fade into the dunes or whipping sands to strike again. We don't roll to confirm crits: our DM has it that rolling the first Nat 20 is enough, and my stat options are 18, 16, 15, 14, 12 and 11.
I assume I will be leaning towards Dex, but I figure I will also need a decent strength for when I do attack since Pathfinder doesn't let you use Dex for Damage without stacking feats. I'm not sure what stat would be tied to feinting an opponent, but I also find that do be useful.
I have no information on whether or not we start with items or what level we would start at.
I appreciate any and all support and advice, and if the archetype I'm looking at doesn't match up with the build I want or there is a better choice, feel free to suggest it! My last Slayer sacrificed a lot to have an Animal Companion and I ended up using feats for Teamwork feats when I learned I should have just played a Hunter, so I have much to learn and am open to suggestion.
We don't roll to confirm crits: our DM has it that rolling the first Nat 20 is enough
Do you confirm on 15+ critical threats?
We don't roll to confirm crits: our DM has it that rolling the first Nat 20 is enoughDo you confirm on 15+ critical threats?
So thus far in the group, no one crits on anything but a Nat 20, and no one in the group has brought up interest in building the kind of character that crits on lower rolls. Many of the players are used to 5e where the best you can get is Champion Fighter critting on a 19, not knowing you can build to crit on I think as low as a 13 with the right build.
I think in this case the DM would still rule on not confirming crits because of the specific build and feat investment needed to accomplish making it so low with consistently good damage, but who knows.
The Vigilante class is an excellent base for the concept. Stalker specialization for hidden strike damage. RAW this doesn't count as sneak attack for feats, but may be able to convince your GM to allow it to qualify for sap adept/master for when you need to take that bounty alive.
If you decide to go with DEX, there is also talent (lethal grace) that gives weapon finesse and adds half level to damage on top of STR.
It's a d8, 3/4 BAB class, but your tactics are targeting flat-footed AC.
While there is some really cool stuff here, I'm not sure Vigilante fits the campaign nor the character.
Vigilante really feels like playing Batman in Pathfinder, which the idea that half the character is supposed to have the proper skills in intense social settings, and the other half is for sneaky combat.
This character isn't faking who he is and doesn't have to live in heavily-differing social spheres: he's just a really good salesmen who does some illegal stuff occasionally but then also stalks and kills people in the desert based on whether or not that are worth killing by his morals and claiming the bounty for them, hence me choosing Bounty Hunter Slayer.
I'll give Vigilante a but more of a look when I have some time, and hopefully I can get some more feedback from others by then.
I think in this case the DM would still rule on not confirming crits because of the specific build and feat investment needed to accomplish making it so low with consistently good damage, but who knows.
it only takes one feat and the right weapon to be critting on 15's....
and with 3-5 attacks per round, it pretty much would guarantee one every round.
We don't confirm on 20's, but we do confirm on all the rest.
Just out of curiosity, what's the rest of the group playing?