Looking for opinions to decide on a class.

[Ecliptic]

Friend who is new to pathfinder wants to play a ranged class... so I'm looking for recommendations for the class that can do the most (interact in social/to situations, have decent damage, some utility?, overall fun to play and not difficult to figure out - he's joining a campaign that's been going for a year and a half so he's starting at level 15 as a newbie)

- Zen archer monk?
-oath of vengeance pally?
-eldritch archer magus?
-divine hunter pally?
-pistolero gunslinger?
-bolt ace gunslinger?

Something else?

Current group consists of:
a buffer/debuffer wizard
A mithral current/scarlet throne/silver crane warlord
A crowd control/dps sorcerer
A dex-based fighter
A slayer
A life Oracle
A witch
A ranger
A ninja


(Plenty of melee dps, thus the desire to go ranged)

Ps. Our DM would prefer not to have any additional initiator classes at this time (he wants to get more familiar with esp material), so, although we have a warlord, suggestions that include ranged disciplines won't really work.

Thanks!

[Jack_Simth]

Perhaps a Blackened Flame Oracle?

[Ellrin]

It's not the best archer in the game, but the Nature Fang druid archetype, possibly combined with the Eagle domain, makes for a competent ranged fighter that can also throw down 9th level spells.

Inquisitors and Sohei archetype monks make great archers, too. Inquisitors get great access to a ton of social stuff, too, and can key most of it to their primary casting stat (Wis) with the right traits or inquisitions.

[Snowbluff]

Technically the strongest answer is an archery focused samsaran cleric (tactics and feather domains for a flying pet/mount, perception and initiative bonuses), using Greater named bullet with unguents of timelessness or duplicated with abundant ammunition, and litany of righteousness (only clerics and Paladins benefit, iirc) and saddle surge (take the animal domain). It can easily hit 1k DPR. Great support abilities as well.


Eldritch Archer might be more legit, though. Zen archer, archer paladin, and gunslingers will seem relatively boring, but will be easier to play if he's new.

[Corlindale]

I've always wanted to play an archery-focused Archaeologist Bard.

You have a ton of skills, you have a good amount of support spells and thanks to Luck you have a decent way to buff your ranged damage. A very versatile character that's still quite simple to play.

Make sure you get Lingering Performance to stretch out that Luck, though. To compensate for this spent feat, use your first Rogue talent to gain an extra combat feat for more archery goodness.

With Dex as your main stat, naturally good Reflex saves, Luck and Heroism to buff saves and Evasion on top you'll laugh at AoE attacks. Your other saves will be pretty decent too.

Do take the Fate's Favored trait if it's available, it will make a huge difference.

[grarrrg]

Friend who is new to pathfinder wants to play a ranged class... overall fun to play and not difficult to figure out

I suggest something more advanced and complicated, likely running some degree of cheesiness and/or loophole abuse
Really!? Let's try reading the WHOLE post first.


- Zen archer monk?
-oath of vengeance pally?
-eldritch archer magus?
-divine hunter pally?
-pistolero gunslinger?
-bolt ace gunslinger?

None of the classes above are really known for Skills/out of combat utility you said you wanted. Ranger and Inquisitor both have solid skills and make solid archers, any reason they were left out?

The monk doesn't get going until at least level three (before that he still needs DEX which defeats the point somewhat), damage-wise it's solid after that. And he can still punch as a backup option.
Divine Hunter Paladin looks better than it is, I'd scratch off that one.
Pistolero is solid, but if guns don't already exist in world, then skip it.

[Hackulator]

Zen Archer/Inquisitor

The level 20 goal is Zen Archer 8/Inquisitor 12

For level 15 he'll want at least 4 levels of Zen archer, rest Inquisitor.

It's not the most optimized build but it can do a lot of damage, has a lot of skills, and has some spells and interesting other abilities.

[Kurald Galain]

None of the classes above are really known for Skills/out of combat utility you said you wanted. Ranger and Inquisitor both have solid skills and make solid archers, any reason they were left out?
Except the Eldritch Archer. The Magus has a wide range of out-of-combat spells, can get more from the wizard list when he wants to, and has solid skills due to being an int-based class.

[Ellrin]

Really!? Let's try reading the WHOLE post first.

None of the classes above are really known for Skills/out of combat utility you said you wanted. Ranger and Inquisitor both have solid skills and make solid archers, any reason they were left out?

The monk doesn't get going until at least level three (before that he still needs DEX which defeats the point somewhat), damage-wise it's solid after that. And he can still punch as a backup option.
Divine Hunter Paladin looks better than it is, I'd scratch off that one.
Pistolero is solid, but if guns don't already exist in world, then skip it.

I suggested the Inquisitor and pointed out his skills, though; and OP said they were starting at level 15, so I don't think the first two levels of Zen Archer monk are going to be particularly odious.

Did you read the whole thread before posting?

And I think the only "complex" build suggested so far was the cleric (insofar as it required some specific, listed, build choices). Everything else has basically been "class" plus "archetype," and many of the classes suggested have been no more complicated than some in the OP's list.

[GrayDeath]

If you`re open to third party: the avowed offers good (and variable) ranged options and a buckload of flavour/out of combat Utility Clauses.

But then again, I always liked the warlock as well....^^

[Psyren]

Ranged Inquisitor is my suggestion. Great social skills, great ranged attacks, very simple to play, and more difficult to mess up than the ranger. Bane is a lot easier to make universally relevant than Favored Enemy, and spontaneous spellcasting means less bookkeeping.

[Crake]

ignoring the level 20 character builds, since his first game isn't likel to span from 1-20, the simple old ranger is actually a really nice choice in pathfinder. Being able to get improved precise shot at level 6, a full 5 levels before everyone else is actually a really huge deal if you ask me, as it removes all the pesky penalties for firing through allies and into melee, as well as ignoring cover when people ar hiding around a corner, or miss chances due to low light or foggy conditions. It just makes archery so much nicer.

As a Human, at level 1 he could easily have point blank and precise shot, picking up rapid shot at level 2, deadly aim at level 3, his choice at level 5, improved precise shot at level 6 and clustered shots at level 7. Remember to recommend he have a decent strength score, as a decent chunk of damage will come from the strength rating of his composite longbow.

Of course, if you generally ignore many of the penalties of ranged combat as I have seen some tables do, then improved precise shot generally becomes a useless feat, and ranger's viability drops like a brick.

[zook1shoe]

If the player is new to the d20 system, avoid a caster.

Bolt Ace is solid for an easier type of build.

[Psyren]

If the player is new to the d20 system, avoid a caster.

Bolt Ace is solid for an easier type of build.

But if you must go with a caster, spontaneous is very easy - hence my Inquisitor suggestion. New players love having spontaneous healing.

[Ellrin]

If the player is new to the d20 system, avoid a caster.

Bolt Ace is solid for an easier type of build.

Depends on the player. Some people love diving into fiddly mechanics with an overwhelming sea of choices.

I'll agree with Psyren that spontaneous casters are definitely much easier to start with than prepared casters (and much less likely to hold up the game with an inexperienced player at the helm).

[NomGarret]

+1 to ranged Inquisitor. Steer the spell casting choices to utility niches that will free up the wizard and witch to do other things. It's a big party, so you're going to have overlap, but it's more about keeping the archery and spell mechanics separate rather than trying to combine them at one time.

[Ecliptic]

Thanks everyone.

Think he's going with a wood-specialized Ravener Hunter inquisitor.