So, I'm looking at trying to get the Trapfinding class feature for my ninja character, since without it he'll eventually be pretty useless against traps once they start being magical. Some perusing of similar threads out there suggested that a level-dip in a non-Rogue archetype is the only way to manage that. The Ranger
Trapper archetype seems to be the least impactful option (only requires one level).
I'm definitely holding off on that until Ru's third level, since I don't want to delay access to his Ki pool if I can avoid it. At 3rd, though, I'm hoping to mix archetypes to minimize his accumulating class features he won't get as much use out of. Wild Empathy is the big one, though I'd like to take a more adaptable version of Favored Enemy while I'm at it.
There are only really three archetypes that trade off Wild Empathy. Falconer gives him an animal companion that will never get stronger. Similarly, Nirmathi Irregular gives him a bonus that won't grow enough to actually ever be a bonus.
That leaves
Trophy Hunter. I think the ability is useful, and while not a big foresty type, a spy/infiltrator like Ru could logically find use in being able to assess opponents before he's actually caught sight of them, so I think it meshes decently with his current flavor. There are, however, two wrinkles with it.
First, later-level features of the archetype involve grit / firearms. I'm only planning a 1 level dip, so Ru wouldn't even have to worry about replacing those, but I could see someone making an argument that allowing the archetype at all could make a mess if someone else comes along wanting to take multiple levels and says "but he got to do it!"
Secondly, the 4th level ability for Trophy Hunter trades out Hunter's Bond. I'd been looking at
Guide or
Freebooter (a ninja pirate? heck yes!

). At 1st level, there's no overlap, but both of
those archetypes also have a hunter's bond swap at 4th level. As with the firearms stuff, I wasn't sure how problematic it would be to allow the overlap for the level dip since the intersection would never take place.
The second question may be moot based on responses to the first, but decided to be optimistic and throw it all in there.
