Help me build a Demon Hunter [PF]

[Drakoun]

So our group just finished playing the first part of the adventure path "Carrion Crown" and we're having lots of fun and I loved it so far, but I came to notice that my character is lacking a lot in combat.
I wanted to build a demon hunter á la Diablo 3, dualwielding handcrossbows and everything but i am dealing terrible damage and am hitting little. Normally I wouldnt care much, but since dealing damage is almost all the character is meant to do, I feel useless, mostly because even our bard is dealing more damage than I do. In meele. With 10 STR.
So far I haven't thought much about my character, at least build wise, and ended up with Rouge(Sniper) II/Ranger I/ Inquisitor I, mostly because I thought sneak attack would be a nice source of damage and because my character is quite religious.
I am not set about the classes, and we all agreed that no one would specialize in dealing with undead (so basically no strong casters, palas, etc.) and i would like to keep any Inquisitor levels to a minimum, though 1 feels nice for fluff.
That said, does the playground have any ideas for me to be at least a little usefull? Or what feats and classes to look out for? I never really looked deep into ranged combat. Since my gm allowed for repeating handcrossbows* to be reloaded by one hand, I took up two weapon fighting, but I also like the idea of haveing a heavy crossbow (repeating) loaded with my strong bolts for long ranged combat/ heavy hitting. *(which can be used with handcrossbow proficiency, thanks to my DM again)
Is it worth taking a level of rouge(/inquisitor) to safe a feat for handcrossbow proficiency, or the sneak attack? Since I am ranged I can only reliably SA in the first round of combat, or when I can hide (which isnt something my character/our group would do much)
Are there any prestige classes I should consider? (Does a handcrossbow count as a light onehanded piercing weapon for a duelist to use?)
I am aware of the huge cost of using three weapons but through a little error on part of our dm, we ended up with a lot of money and I have enough for 2 mwrk repeating handxbows and a mwrk repeating heavyxbow.

hope you've got ideas I havent though about yet and I can finally be as usefull as my character feels cool to play :D
So long, and have a nice day!

[avr]

"For many of the class features of the duelist, a requirement is to be using a light or one-handed piercing weapon. This must also be a melee weapon; a duelist cannot use such class abilities with a ranged-only weapon or thrown-only weapon." - so duelist won't help.

In PF you want to stay single classed if possible. A ranger (guide archetype) or a ninja with vanishing trick is probably the easiest way to do ranged damage with a couple of hand xbows. If you need proficiency the heirloom weapon trait lets you get it without having to dip a level in another class.

[marcielle]

How much are you looking for?
If you want optimal advice on what to do from now on, a list of feats, abilities, gold and gear will be required.
Ranger will probably be your best bet. The archery tree gives slightly better options, the only feat the crossbow tree really has over it is Xbow mastery, which you can easily pick up yourself.
2 levels of Fighter aren't bad either, since if you want both the TWF AND archery feat trees, you will need a buttload of feats.
STAY THE HALIBUT AWAY FROM SNEAK ATTACKS. They simply don't play well with ranged weapons anymore. Ask if you can use the retrainng rules from UCam to turn your rogue levels to Ranger or fighter.
INVEST IN SPECIAL MATERIAL BOLTS - As with any character relying on tons of attacks, DR screws you thoroughly. Unlike melees, you can totally overcome these weaknesses for a few hundred gold.
Remember you can stack effects( but not bonuses) from crossbows and their bolts. Keep a few enchanted bolts if you suddenly need to up your arsenal.
Hope this helps.

[Baroncognito]

Also, get a ruling from your GM about how abundant ammunition works with a repeating crossbow.

[Platymus Pus]

Buy a heavy masterwork 2h crossbow like is Diablo 3.
Enchant it for more daka, get feats for more daka.

Make sure the starting stats match a demon hunter at level 1 in Diablo 3.
Get Ranger.

[StreamOfTheSky]

It won't come online till level 9, but the best demon hunter you can possibly make is a Horizon Walker (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/horizon-walker).


At 3rd level, a horizon walker learns total dominance over one terrain he has already selected for terrain mastery. When dealing with creatures native to that terrain, the horizon walker treats his favored terrain bonus for that terrain as a favored enemy bonus (as the ranger class feature) against those creatures. This bonus overlaps (does not stack with) bonuses gained when fighting a favored enemy.

So, you pick "The Abyss"* as an aligned plane, you gain your favored terrain bonus as a favored enemy bonus against all natives of that plane. Which includes basically ALL demons. Now, that may not sound like a big deal at first. "So what? trade one potential +2 for another." But...just look at all the bonus increases to favored terrain HW gets! Add in the boots of friendly terrain (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/wondrous-items/a-b/boots-of-friendly-terrain) and the fact that with as little as a 2 level rogue dip you can start spamming Extra Rogue Talent as your feat selections to pick up the Terrain Mastery (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/rogue/rogue-talents/paizo---rogue-talents/terrain-mastery-ex) Rogue talent (it has nothing to do w/ HW's terrain mastery, it's actually a favored terrain feature, just...poorly named) over and over again... It's not absurd at all to end up with a +30 bonus to attack and damage.

Of course, this can lead to horrifically crippling overspecialization. :smallwink:
At later levels, this can be solved partially by purchasing a wand of the Instant Enemy spell and being sure to dip Ranger (3 levels gives you a favored terrain and Endurance so it's a good idea, anyway) so you actually get a regular favored enemy. The trick is, Instant Enemy makes the target count as one of your favored enemies for all purposes. Which includes native habitat. Match up your FE selection with one of your terrain dominances (ideally, the pimped out one), and you can turn any boss / major foe into a pincushion. Of course, the wand is too expensive to waste on mooks, so you become a master assassin or duelist of sorts; against anything other than demons, you're death incarnate to one worthy foe, but suck like hell against hordes of weaklings.

*I assume PF still has the same planar cosmology as 3E, at least.

[Drakoun]

"For many of the class features of the duelist, a requirement is to be using a light or one-handed piercing weapon. This must also be a melee weapon; a duelist cannot use such class abilities with a ranged-only weapon or thrown-only weapon." - so duelist won't help.

awwww... was only looking in the prd, not the d20pfsrd


How much are you looking for?
If you want optimal advice on what to do from now on, a list of feats, abilities, gold and gear will be required.
Ranger will probably be your best bet. The archery tree gives slightly better options, the only feat the crossbow tree really has over it is Xbow mastery, which you can easily pick up yourself.
2 levels of Fighter aren't bad either, since if you want both the TWF AND archery feat trees, you will need a buttload of feats.
STAY THE HALIBUT AWAY FROM SNEAK ATTACKS. They simply don't play well with ranged weapons anymore. Ask if you can use the retrainng rules from UCam to turn your rogue levels to Ranger or fighter.
INVEST IN SPECIAL MATERIAL BOLTS - As with any character relying on tons of attacks, DR screws you thoroughly. Unlike melees, you can totally overcome these weaknesses for a few hundred gold.
Remember you can stack effects( but not bonuses) from crossbows and their bolts. Keep a few enchanted bolts if you suddenly need to up your arsenal.
Hope this helps.
feats are not set, my GM is not so strict with keeping everything set in stone, especially with such delicate builds.
I don't think I'll go the SA route, though I'll probably stick with my two levels of rogue for the terrain mastery.
Didn't know that enchantments can "stack" like that, but it makes sense I guess. Will get some situational ammo then!


Also, get a ruling from your GM about how abundant ammunition works with a repeating crossbow.
I actually didn't know that I wouldn't be able to use any bolts in a repeating xbow... I don't think that's a problem :D


It won't come online till level 9, but the best demon hunter you can possibly make is a Horizon Walker (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/e-h/horizon-walker).

[...]

*I assume PF still has the same planar cosmology as 3E, at least.

This is just so perfect! I always liked the Horizen Walker but seem to have never noticed the FTerrain to FEnemy bonus...
Yeah, PFs planes are mostly the same, rules wise at least.

Well, thank you guys a lot, I guess I can keep going like I do if I have something to look forward to!