Pathfinder Character Build

[DirtyMcR]

I'm getting ready to create my first Pathfinder Society character. For those of you that can help, I'd be very thankful. The character build is a 20 point buy. I'm wanting a bounty hunter type. I was thinking of rogue or ranger or mix it up when I begin leveling. I haven't decided if the character will be an archer or TWFer. Race is still open as well.

[Arutema]

I haven't decided if the character will be an archer or TWFer. Race is still open as well.

Consider the two-handed ranger combat style from the Advanced Players Guide. Gets you free feats in what is still possibly the best combat style in the game.

Also, consider dipping at least one level of Rogue to pick up Disable Device as a class skill. Almost every PFS game I have played in the party has been short on someone who can deal with locks and traps.

[McSmack]

I'm AFB right now but I remember there was also an alternate ranger build I really liked that dropped spellcasting in return for combat tricks that allowed you to do things like trip/knockback opponents, often with ranged weapons. It might work well thematically for a bounty hunter, if you're not into that whole 'one with nature' thing.

[gorfnab]

Inquisitors (Pathfinder APG) can make decent bounty hunters as well. Also their spellcasting is very nice.

[true_shinken]

20 point buy? That sucks.

[subject42]

With that low of a point buy, I would suggest rogue. They generally pull ahead relative to other classes with available points being that low.

If you use the sniper ACF from the APG and some of the sneak attack talents, you can be fairly effective at taking out single targets, especially with a high stealth modifier.

I played a one-shot as a 10th level stealth sniper that used crippling strike and rapid shot to consistently deal 4 - 6 strength damage to a flat footed target per round, on top of normal damage. After one or two rounds, most enemies couldn't even carry their gear.

[DirtyMcR]

20 point buy is not as bad as it sounds. All stats start at 10 instead of 8, plus you're able to reduce your stats for extra points for others as long as it doesn't go below 7 before racial modifiers.

[subject42]

20 point buy is not as bad as it sounds. All stats start at 10 instead of 8, plus you're able to reduce your stats for extra points for others as long as it doesn't go below 7 before racial modifiers.

With the human (or half-orc) floating +2, it could look like this:

STR: 10
DEX: 18
CON: 16
INT: 10
WIS: 10
CHA: 10


or this


STR: 14
DEX: 16
CON: 14
INT: 14
WIS: 10
CHA: 10


or this


STR: 14
DEX: 14
CON: 14
INT: 14
WIS: 14
CHA: 8

[balistafreak]

20 point buy? That sucks.

In Pathfinder that's ~28 of 3.5 PB. Not "great", for those of us used to 32 PB as a minimum, but hardly "sucks".

I'm a fan of the Switch Hitter PF Ranger build. You use the Ranger levels to take archery feats, bypassing tons of stupid prerequisite feats, and use your normal by-level feats to concentrate on THF, since you need very few feats to be good at that. You can do both melee and archery.

[DirtyMcR]

Looking at the options, I'm thinking that an inquisitor with some rogue tossed into the mix would make for an effective character.

[DirtyMcR]

Okay, looking at it, I'm thinking of making an optimistic "half-human" (half-orc), primarily for dark vision, bounty hunter (rogue) with just taking the tracking feat in order to effectively pursue a mark.
Since a half orc gets the +2 to anything, what should that go towards?