A Proof of concept for an alternate Slayer

[Teridax]

After posting my playtest notes for the Slayer, and before doing the same for the Daredevil, I thought I'd share a proof of concept for how I'd like the class to change. You can find my thoughts on the class in greater detail in the thread I linked, but here are the broad lines of my issues with the Slayer:

* The class's core features are largely derivative of the Ranger and Thaumaturge, which is a shame given how the class has some pretty original feats.

* The class has a lot of feature bloat, in large part because they have to present this entire monster parts system that's both complicated and limited in application. This is also a shame, because monster trophies are a mechanic that could benefit many more characters besides the Slayer, even if the latter should still find great uses for trophies.

* The class has a lot of arbitrary limitations that make it feel like less than the sum of its many parts, and its components don't gel very well together.

* Despite being called the Slayer, the class is actually pretty bad at slaying creatures. Its only starting option that gives the class more than a bare minimum of martial Striking power is the bloodseeking blade signature tool, and the added damage it offers is mediocre.

After giving these problems a bit more thought, I've put them down in a bit of homebrew that showcases how I think the class could change to address the above issues. Here are the broad lines of this proof of concept:

* I'd like trophies to be made into a mechanic separate from the Slayer, with items that plug into this mechanic. The Slayer would still be the best user of trophies, however, thanks to their tools.

* I'd like most of the restrictions on the Slayer's abilities to be done away with, so that the class plays more smoothly. This includes letting the slayer Mark Quarry in combat, expanding Monster Lore to humanoids and creature identification, giving Survey Wildlife to the class for free so that they can identify creatures ahead of time more easily, and making On the Hunt's quickening always-on instead of having it constantly eat up the class's reaction. Because Reinforce Arsenal would be usable at will during exploration, the Slayer would be able to Reinforce their tools much more easily.

* I'd like the Slayer to be able to execute their quarry when it's on low enough Hit Points, giving the class more baseline killing power and a unique, appropriate slaying ability that doesn't yet exist in PF2e.

* I'd like the Slayer's signature tools to instead be made into feats, with the class getting bonus feats to pick up more tools at 1st level and as they level up.

The general aim of these changes is to make the Slayer altogether more functional and more distinct from both the Ranger and Thaumaturge, shining through major amounts of agency, utility, and their ability to execute their quarry. If the class were to change as above, I think their features would work better together, and their core gameplay loop of identifying quarry, Marking them, Reinforcing their Arsenal to adapt to them, then hunting them and Claiming a Trophy from their kill ought to flow a lot more consistently. As with any creative work, this is but one out of many valid takes on how to implement the Slayer, so this isn't me trying to impose my worldview on Paizo, so much as suggesting a few concrete ideas for how to adjust the class based on my experience playtesting them.