[PF] Need Help Making a Halfling Slinger

[Dancing Owlbear]

I've requested a Rise of the Runelords game in the Play by Post section of the forum. To try and spare you the details, I'm very new to RPGs but I'm super interested in playing. I have access to most of the books and paizo's reference document, but I just haven't had a lot of time to go through them in search of everything that might be useful to my concept.

Basically, I would really like to make a Halfling character who uses a sling. The Pathfinder setting implies that they are very good at it, so it just seemed like a natural thing to go with. Again, however, I just don't know the system and the rules as well as I'd like, so I'm coming to you fine folks for some help. Any advice or information that you can provide is very much appreciated.

[Malroth]

Deadly Aim, and Clustered shot , A dip in either Alchemist or Synthesist summoner for more arms then grab multiweapon fighting and rapidshot,

Edit: Grab the Warslinger alternate racial trait, and pick up sneak attack via Rogue levels or Vivisectionist alchemist.

[Ryulin18]

I'll throw my hat in on this. I'll warn you that even as a specialist in the subject of slinging (Warslinger halfling), you'll still get attacks of opportunity for reloading. That's a huge downside and I'll try and find you a loop hole.

Start as a halfling with the warslinger alternative racial trait and your first level in fighter, pick up a sling staff (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/sling-staff-halfling), point blank shot and arc slinger (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/arc-slinger-combat). You are now good at slinging, getting +1 to attack and damage withing 80ft!

Still, every reload is an attack of opportunity.

As the feats flow, you'll be wanting to get feats to improve these. Stuff like precise shot at 2nd, halfling slinger (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/halfling-slinger-combat), weapon focus, weapon expertise, deadly aim (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/deadly-aim-combat) to bump damage and clustered shots (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/clustered-shots-combat) to overcome DR.

You should be pretty lethal now.

[Dancing Owlbear]

What about Abilities wise? I know Halflings get a nice bonus to Dexterity which helps with hitting with the slings, but they also take a penalty to Strength which apparently is what you use to determine sling damage. Assuming that we're doing traits with the 20 point buy thing, what sort of array should I go for?

[Ryulin18]

Do you want to be min max or well rounded?

Min max stats for a fighter at range is this, including point buy cost and after racial mod.

STR = 12 (5)
DEX = 19 (13)
CON = 14 (5)
INT = 7 (-4)
WIS = 14 (5)
CHA =9 (-4)

[Occasional Sage]

Also, there's a feat (the name escapes me at the moment) that lets you use a loaded sling as a melee weapon. That should help get things out of your personal space and allow you to start slinging again without AoOs.

[Ryulin18]

Also, there's a feat (the name escapes me at the moment) that lets you use a loaded sling as a melee weapon. That should help get things out of your personal space and allow you to start slinging again without AoOs.

Halfling sling staff can be used as a club of it's size. So 1d6 ranged, 1d4 club.

[grarrrg]

Whenever discussing Non-Caster Halfling builds, ALWAYS consider the Halfling Opportunist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/halfling-opportunist) PrC.
It is (almost) strictly better than taking Rogue levels.
And the capstone ability is quite nice, when making an AoO you ALWAYS add your Sneak Attack damage. Granted, a Sling is more typically a Ranged weapon, but it is still a VERY nice bonus, and there are enough ways to use a Sling as a Melee weapon (and/or the Snap Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/snap-shot-combat) line of feats).



Large Target (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/large-target-combat) gets you bonus damage based on how big your target is.


What about Abilities wise? I know Halflings get a nice bonus to Dexterity which helps with hitting with the slings, but they also take a penalty to Strength which apparently is what you use to determine sling damage.

No, Slings are Ranged Weapons, by default they use DEX to-hit, and STR for nothing.
The Halfling Sling Staff has a special bonus that lets you add STR to damage.
Basically:
Sling = Bow
Halfing Sling Staff = Composite Bow
Just that the Sling Staff doesn't require a 'STR rating', so the more the merrier!


you'll still get attacks of opportunity for reloading.

Ammo Drop (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/ammo-drop-combat). It 'should' combine with Warslinger to get you Free Action, No AoO reloads, if your DM rules otherwise, then you'll also need Juggle Load (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/juggle-load-combat).

[Dancing Owlbear]

I'd rather not 'min max' on my character. I don't want him to be unlikable and stupid. :smallfrown:


No, Slings are Ranged Weapons, by default they use DEX to-hit, and STR for nothing.

Actually, the regular Sling does use Strength for damage. Its even written under the Sling's description in the Core Rulebook.

[Giegue]

If you don't want to min-max may I suggest rogue over fighter? The reason I say this is the strength hit halflings get. If you go fighter, you WILL need that strength. However, if you go as a rogue instead you can safely dumb strength to 10 and use sneak attack for extra damage. This is how most rogues operate anyway, forgetting strength all together, taking weapons finesse to use dex for + to hit and using sneak attack rather then strength to boost your damage. With a halfling's already high dex rogue would be my obvious choice for this character. You don't even have to worry about taking weapons finesse(which most rogues use) since your already focused on a ranged weapon. Also, playing as a rogue means charisma and intelligence, which you said you didn't want to dump, are more useful to you.

If you do go this route here are several stat layouts you could use...

If you don't care about making will saves in the early levels, use this..

Str: 10
Dex: 18
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 9
Cha: 14

If you don't like auto-losing most will saves in the early levels, use this instead..

Str: 10
Dex: 18
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 10
Cha: 13

Since you are a ranged character you can freely swap Int with Con on both these layouts if you want more skills as oppose to more HP. If you where going to be a melee-oriented rogue I'd say no to this, but since you plan on staying at range you can take slightly less HP if you REALLY want more skills.

As I said, if you go rogue, don't worry at all about strength to damage. Just focus on sneak attack as your main way of pumping damage and you'll do fine.


If you don't like the idea of a rogue, then the Vivisectionist Alchemist archetype also provides sneak attack. I suggest you take a look at both the alchemist and rogue and see which you like better.

[Dancing Owlbear]

Using the Sling effectively seems to require a lot of feats, so I think I'd rather go with Fighter.

[grarrrg]

Using the Sling effectively seems to require a lot of feats, so I think I'd rather go with Fighter.

Agreed.
Mostly.

Rogue Talents happen every 2 levels, and can be spent on Feats. The catch is that you can only take any given Talent once.

Combat Trick (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/rogue-talents/paizo---rogue-talents/combat-trick) lets you take any Combat Feat you qualify for.
If you think you'll be in Melee Range often, then Finesse Rogue (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/rogue-talents/paizo---rogue-talents/finesse-rogue) nets you Weapon Finesse.
Weapon Training (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/rogue-talents/paizo---rogue-talents/weapon-training) grants Weapon Focus.
And while it's not a 'feat', you can take any Ninja Trick in place of a Talent, recommend Deadly Range (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/alternate-classes/ninja#TOC-Ninja-Tricks) to add +10ft. to the range you can Sneak Attack at.

Finally, the Swashbuckler (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/archetypes/paizo---rogue-archetypes/swashbuckler) Rogue Archetype trades away Trapfinding, but you can take the Combat Trick talent twice.
So 8 levels of Rogue can net you 3 or 4 feats, very close to what you'd get from Fighter, and you get all the Skill Points/Evasion/Uncanny Dodge/etc... that comes with it.