Ability Scores
Strength: A secondary score. This helps your damage, but not much else. A 12-14 is fine to put here, don’t go below 10.
Dexterity: Yes, you get Zen Archery. But make no mistake, this is still boosting AC, reflex, initiative, and skills, and helping you get by the first 2 levels. Don’t go overboard, but again, a 12-14 is nice to have starting. Several build-critical feats (Precise Shot, Deadly Aim, etc...) require Dex 13. You can use bonus feats on some, but not all of those.
Constitution: Don’t neglect this, but between being in the back and having good base fortitude…you can survive without this very high. No lower than 10, though.
Intelligence: Your base allotment of 4 skill points is probably enough, you don’t need this above 10, 12 at most.
Wisdom: I cannot emphasize how crucial this stat is! Bonus to all types of AC and CMD, attack bonus, skills, ki points… You want at least a 16 here, try to get it to 18 after racial, more if possible!
Charisma: Your only total dump stat, make it a 7 for extra point buy.
Race Selection
I won’t list every possible choice, only those in the CR and specific choices from Bestiary I and II that would be well suited to follow the way of the bow.
Core Races:
Dwarf: “Dwarf” may not mesh in your head with “archer” or “monk,” but these are bar none the best race in core for ZAM! Bonus to Wis and Con, penalty to your uber dump stat, darkvision, a slew of awesome racial features of actual use... Very good race to choose.
Half-Orc: Darkvision is nice, most of the other racial features are a waste, though there are some good swaps in APG.
Half-Elf: Better than human, but barely. Helps if you plan to multiclass a bit. Option to get an exotic weapon proficiency is nice if the 3E Greatbow is available.
Human: I don’t like human for a ZAM, honestly. You aren’t very starved for skill points OR feats (unless 3E stuff is allowed), I’d prefer getting two ability bonuses and an unnoticeable penalty, and human has no special vision, either.
Elf: The Dex and Con penalties negate each other, Int is pretty useless, as are the proficiencies and racial features. Low-light vision is something, I guess.
Gnome: Small size and -2 Str hurts damage far too much, and the racial stuff is wildly unhelpful to you.
Halfling: Exactly like gnome, except the save bonus is nice. Not enough, though.
Bestiary Races:
Oread (BII): The only true challenger to dwarf. I like +2 Str better than +2 Con and you still have darkvision plus immunity to person spells (in PF, both Reduce and Enlarge Person screw over archers hardcore). Is it worth losing the saves, stability, etc.. of dwarf, though?
Vanara (BIII): +2 Wis and Dex and -2 to Cha is a good spread. A climb speed, some good skill bonuses, and low-light vision are welcome. Most interesting feature is the tail, though as a monk and an archer, you'll seldom need a "third hand." See if the DM would let you hang from a tree with your tail to have both hands for shooting the bow.
Tengu (BI): +2 Wis and Dex is nice, -2 Con can be managed. Some good skill bonuses, low-light, gifted linguist and sword-trained are interesting…
Duergar (BI): Uglier dwarves (I didn’t know it was possible, either). Have double darkvsion range, some random immunities, and invisibility and enlarge (self-only) 1/day each, but lose some dwarf features and have -1 to hit in bright light.
Merfolk (BI): No Wis bonus, but stupidly good bonuses (+2 Dex/Con/Cha, no penalties), low-light, and +2 natural armor. Between your fast movement and near immobility in combat, their 5 ft base speed can actually be overcome.
Undine (BII): +2 Wis, the Dex bonus and Str penalty is mostly a wash, darkvision, and immunity to person spells.
