Slayer Must-Have Options

[Castilliano]

If a Slayer playtest option feels like a must-have, perhaps it should be integrated into the class chassis or is too powerful. I suppose one might put "could do without" chassis abilities to contrast. Question is whether there are any or not.

I'll suggest Bloodseeking Blade, when Reinforced, falls in the must-have category. It's what satisfies the basic math for a Slayer's offense. Arguably Warded Mail contends if mathing toward defense, yet that puts taking both (in time) into must-have territory IMO. (Even if the other Tools are simply poor, you still kinda need this math.)

Sudden Pounce feels like a must-have if only to augment Relentless actions.

If one wants Quarry abilities to actually work, Instant Enmity & Endless Enmity feel required. It's dissatisfying to ignore a signature aspect of one's class.

I could do without Tip of the Tongue, that only works on peons. (Heck, Monster Lore is iffy too.)

Additions? Subtractions?

[John R.]

Castilliano wrote:

I'll suggest Bloodseeking Blade, when Reinforced, falls in the must-have category. It's what satisfies the basic math for a Slayer's offense. Arguably Warded Mail contends if mathing toward defense, yet that puts taking both (in time) into must-have territory IMO. (Even if the other Tools are simply poor, you still kinda need this math.)

I was thinking this myself. The class has no innate damage or accuracy advantage but just an unreliable quickened condition.

I think Warded Mail still is more of a niche though I could see it and Bloodseeking Blade being an either/or at 1st level and then one of the other two chosen at 1st level as well. Maybe not even give any more signature tools beyond that but still limit them to a single strong tool (Blade or Mail) and a weaker tool (Vials or Panoply). I still think Consecrated Panoply needs a buff though.

[exequiel759]

I feel bloodseeking blade has IMO the same problems as weapon ikons in the exemplar, though in the case of the exemplar it isn't as bad since you can actually choose 3 ikons at 1st level and one of those its almost guaranteed to be a weapon ikon. Still, in both cases I think their damage steroid should be an innate part of the class and not something that's situational (in the slayer's case is way worse than the exemplar though).

[Teridax]

Survey Wildlife in my opinion is a hidden must-have, because it's one of the few ways a Slayer can spontaneously identify upcoming creatures for Mark Quarry.

As for Bloodseeking Blade, I agree that it feels like a must-have in the sense that it's pretty much the only way for the Slayer to currently boost their damage consistently at early level (though the Chymist's Vials help just as well in my opinion when you get past 7th level). I do, however, also think the bonus damage it offers is crap, and the Slayer in general suffers from not being actually that good at slaying.

I also agree with exequiel759: so long as a specific subclass option is the only viable starting option to deal some measure of damage, then everyone will just keep picking the Bloodseeking Blade, or the Warded Mail if they want to be a tank. I'd much rather give the Slayer some innate measure of killing power, and then have their tools let them diversify into utility, AoE, durability, or perhaps even a bit more single-target damage.

[kaid]

exequiel759 wrote:

I feel bloodseeking blade has IMO the same problems as weapon ikons in the exemplar, though in the case of the exemplar it isn't as bad since you can actually choose 3 ikons at 1st level and one of those its almost guaranteed to be a weapon ikon. Still, in both cases I think their damage steroid should be an innate part of the class and not something that's situational (in the slayer's case is way worse than the exemplar though).

Heck in the exemplar description of ikons it flat tells you that you should pick at least one weapon ikon.

I sort of suspect that the blood seeking blade should be default to all slayers and then the other options be what they select between.

[BigHatMarisa]

IMO Instant Enmity and Pack Slayer shouldn't be missable feats. They fall into the same category that Expansive Spellstrike did before it was changed, where compared to the other level 2 feats these two just bring so much quality-of-life into the mix that your class is gonna feel a lot different with them than without.

Instant Enmity reduces the issue of the "Well we didn't meet my Quarry so my non-reinforced tool benefit didn't exist today" situation for notable fights. You won't always be fighting against your Quarry when you're against a Moderate+ encounter. I would take this feat literally every time if given the option.

Pack Slayer is the second-best option by far, since it vastly increases your chances to accrue trophies and means that a known upcoming horde battle goes from "useless to you" to "everything in it is my quarry now". If Instant Enmity didn't exist and this did, I would take IT every time.

The other level 2 feats aren't even all that bad, either. A little niche, sure, but still very usable within those niches. But Instant Enmity and Pack Slayer are just so far and away the best utility at that slot that I'd even consider skipping a level 4 feat to pick up both.

[rainzax]

Playtested/ing with 3 groups, one as GM, two as player.

All Slayers have taken Bloodseeking Blade.

In one game, all 3 Slayers took it, so, I "defected" and am trying out Chymist.

But since we don't know the Essential Questions that the Playtest has been designed around, they may already have chosen a threshold to signify exactly what you are suggesting... we won't ever know!

=)