Post Your Build - June 21, 2020

Bloodborne Hunter [1e, 25 PB]

This one's a bit of a multiclass abomination. Theoretically you could play them at an earlier level if you re-arranged the order of their classes, but I'd prefer to just start a campaign with them at Level 10 or higher.

It's pretty feat intensive. Group I'm playing with uses EitR feat tax rules, but if you're not playing with that you could remove Airy Step and Wings of Air for Power Attack. Probably change race while you're at it---there are better races for this concept than Sylph; a Demon-spawn Tiefling or Angelborn Aasimar would be good as well, and of course a plain ol' human. I just chose Stormsoul Sylph because the flavor of Stormsoul Sylph was kickass and just what the doctor ordered, and it gives me access to at-will flight via two feats, a much-needed utility for martial classes.

Stormsoul Sylph Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger 7 / Vivisectionist Alchemist 2 / Swashbuckler X -- Take at least one level of Savage Technologist Barbarian when possible, and the Extra Rage feat.

Race: Stormsoul Sylph

Deity: Norgorber

Traits: Highlander, Rivethun Adherent, Poisonous Slayer, [Infamous]

Feats: Iron Will, Deadly Aim [EitR], Power Attack [EitR], Combat Expertise [EitR], Gunsmithing [B], Quick Draw, Rapid Reload [B], Combat Reflexes, Airy Step, Wings of Air, Brew Potion [B], Throw Anything [B]

Alchemist Discovery: Extra Arm

Weapons (explained below): Heavy War Pick (highest numerical enhancement you can afford), Pistol-Dagger (+1 Lucky Pistol / +1 Answering Dagger)

Str 16 Dex 16 (+2) Con 12 Int 12 Wis 9 (-2) Cha 16 (+2)

You're going to take the variant Deed of Renown "Gruesome Parry" by replacing Dead Shot and either Startling Shot or Targeting. This is critical, it's the reason we dipped seven entire levels into Gunslinger (and didn't even get Dex to damage on guns, thanks Mysterious Stranger).

This makes for a very unique character that plays like neither a typical gunslinger nor swashbuckler. Your main gimmick is to stack as many attack bonuses as you possibly can, and be as lightly armored as you possibly can. You're lightly armored, and frail, a terrible combo for a martial. Easy pickings for the enemy. And that... is the intention. You want to look like as much of a target as you possibly can.

Side note, you need Quick Draw for this build. Strange, I know, you're not a throwing setup but otherwise it's a move action to take a single weapon out, and you need both weapons out at all times. Make good use of Gunslinger and Swashbuckler Initiative.

Your signature move is to ready an action to use Gruesome Parry, i.e., fire your pistol-dagger at the enemy when they declare a melee attack against you. It's a readied action, so it interrupts their action. You fire your gun targeting touch AC, which will most surely hit. If it's a Nat1, use the weapon's Lucky enchantment to reroll. If it hits, you get to make an attack with your heavy pick. If that hits, it's automatically considered a critical threat. Remember stacking attack bonuses? This is where it's critical. Like Bloodborne, you're kinda screwed if you miss here. You hit the enemy, you crit (take Critical Focus at later levels, where possible), and now they took some 90-120 damage depending on how many buffs you have active, which will probably kill them straight-up. You get 1 panache/grit back for confirming a crit, and another for killing the enemy; a net gain.

When you're attacked by someone and you don't have your Gruesome Parry ready, you're going to use opportune parry and riposte (only after the first iterative) with your +1 Answering dagger(-pistol). You'll have to use some judgement on when to use this; you have a large pool of panache to do this, but not infinite. If you don't parry, you're going to get hit. You should have some Rake's Friend on you just in case you run completely out of panache, so you can use your Gruesome Parry and start getting panache back. When you get Signature Deed (Gruesome Parry), you can parry far more often, but that might be sooner or later depending on if you take 2 more levels of Alchemist--you already paid the -1 BAB cost, so 2 more levels is +2 BAB, another discovery, mutagen lasts 2x as long, and you get access to Alchemical Allocation extract. On the other hand, it means further delaying swashbuckler benefits. Charmed Life is great for your still-shitty Will save.

You should be a Desert Coffee addict (don't talk to me until I've had my coffee). It's a very light drug, but being addicted and/or taking Wis damage from it daily means you activate Rivethun Adherent's +2 Will, which is much-needed. Your utility for dealing with invisible enemies is Starspore. The downsides are heavy, but when you need to see invisible enemies, you really need to see invisible enemies. Besides that, keep some other drugs and alchemical remedies handy. You never know when they'll be useful.

I'm building this character as an Antihero. They hate everything, and the world for putting them in the situation they're in. They're accused of high murder, of serial killings, and they are to be arrested on sight. They weren't originally so spiteful towards the world, but now, they figure if they're already going to be accused of crimes and villainy anyways, they might as well live up to them, get some benefit out of those accusations---thus they use the black market frequently, and use the public's fear of them to intimidate those who get in their way.

EDIT: I forgot to mention this, but your off-hand dagger-pistol should always be poisoned with something. It doesn't matter what, but the wording of Poisonous Slayer trait gives +1 attack when wielding a poisoned weapon, not specifically when using the poisoned weapon. You shouldn't ever be using that poison, though (although a sane DM would require you renew the poison now and again, probably at least daily).

/r/Pathfinder_RPG Thread