D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Archer Build - comments?

Knowledge Sinkhole

First Post

• Jan 7, 2008

• #1

My DM has just announced a new campaign with characters starting at 10th level. I played an archer back during 3.0 that I was rather fond of, so I've decided to tread those waters now for the first time in 3.5. I am, however, unaware of a lot of the material out there that might fit for such a character. My DM has most of the books, so if there's a prestige class/feat/etc that would particularly apt, please let me know so I can look it up.

As it is, I've decided to go straight fighter. I looked through Complete Warrior, and though I like some of the feats, the only archer prestige class (Order of the Bow Initiate) seemed pretty lackluster. Here's my build as it stands now:

------------------------------------
Attribute distribution (from highest to lowest)
Dex, Str, Con, Int, Wis, Cha.
I've got an 18 to stick into Dex, and I plan on increasing it at both 4th and 8th level. Hence, at 10th level, I'll have a dex of 20.

Race: Human.

Feat picks:

Code:

Level 1: Human: Point Blank Shot
Level 1: Fighter: Weapon Focus: Longbow
Level 1: Level: Precise Shot
Level 2: Fighter: Far Shot
Level 3: Level: Rapid Shot
Level 4: Fighter: Weapon Specialization: Longbow
Level 6: Fighter: Manyshot
Level 6: Level: Improved Rapid Shot
Level 8: Fighter: Improved Critical: Longbow
Level 9: Level: Greater Weapon Focus: Longbow
Level 10: Fighter: Sharpshooter? (I'm somewhat torn here- 
sharpshooter reduces a penalty that will be eliminated by 
Improved Precise Shot in two levels)

And, after play begins:

Code:

Level 12: Improved Precise Shot, Greater Weapon Specialization: Longbow

Equipment:

Code:

Item Name - Cost		
+1 Exit Wound Composite Longbow - 18000		
Lesser Bracers of Archery - 5000		
Slippers of Spider Climbing - 4800		
Eyes of the Eagle - 2500		
Efficient Quiver - 1800		
Cloak of Resistance +2 - 4000		
Gloves of Dexterity +2 - 4000		
Brooch of Shielding - 1500		
+2 Mithral Chain Shirt - 5100		
10 adamantine arrows - 600		
20 silver arrows - 40		
25 Cold Iron Arrows - 25		

Total: 47365
Remaining: 1635

Skills: I'm a fighter, so.. mostly irrelevant?

------

So, there you have it. Pretty vanilla. I'd really appreciate any PrC/Feat suggestions anyone might have. I'm not looking to be a munchkin, but some additional flavor would be nice.

 

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Nifft

Penguin Herder

• Jan 8, 2008

• #2

Six levels of Ranger will get you a ton of skill points, and only one less feat (well actually two more feats, but not feats you care about particularly). 6th level Archery path gives you Rapid Shot and Manyshot.

If you have access to PHB-II, you should really take Ranged Weapon Mastery instead of either your eighth or ninth level feat.

Cheers, -- N

 

szilard

First Post

• Jan 8, 2008

• #3

I was going to suggest taking your first two levels in Ranger. You essentially trade a couple of hit points for a TON of skill points, favored enemy, track, wild empathy, and a better reflex save.

-Stuart

 

Unkabear

First Post

• Jan 8, 2008

• #4

Now if you are looking to be mobile & put out one single powerful shot consider Scout going into Order of the Bow Initiate.

 

L

Legildur

First Post

• Jan 8, 2008

• #5

Nifft said:

If you have access to PHB-II, you should really take Ranged Weapon Mastery instead of either your eighth or ninth level feat.

Click to expand...

Agreed.

And levels of Ranger also help boost saving throws.

 

Nifft

Penguin Herder

• Jan 8, 2008

• #6

Ooo, let me also recommend the 4th level alternate class feature (in place of an animal companion) found in the PHB-II. Every opponent you damage with a ranged or melee attack is considered flanked against one attack by an ally. If you have a Rogue in your party, you're his new best friend. If you have TWO Rogues...

Cheers, -- N

 

Darklone

Registered User

• Jan 8, 2008

• #7

Are you stuck with Fighter? A rogue/ranger with Swift Hunter will be lots more fun, especially since I think you can already pick Greater Manyshot and will be shooting 3 arrows plus 3 times skirmish damage in just two more levels at BAB +11... and you'll have three favored enemies that cannot be immune to your skirmish damage anymore.

Otherwise, 4 levels of fighter and heading for Ranged Weapon Mastery won't hurt either. But I wouldn't take more fighter levels for this build.

 

Knowledge Sinkhole

First Post

• Jan 8, 2008

• #8

Thanks for all the suggestions! Ranged Weapon Mastery is *definitely* the kind of thing I was hoping for. Same with the two levels of ranger; that's flat out better than what I had been planning.

As for the skirmisher idea; I really like the concept, but given that the DM has hinted we're going to be spending most of the campaign fighting undead, that option holds less appeal.

I also had figured that, given the awesomeness of rapid shot and manyshot, and that one of the principal benefits of ranged attackers being their ability to take full attack actions most of the time, that I would focus on tactics favoring multiple attacks rather than one large one. Hence, Order of the Bow Initiate isn't the best fit for this character.

Thanks again, everyone!

 

R

Rackhir

Explorer

• Jan 8, 2008

• #9

There's an enchantment for missile weapons in one of the complete books called "Blow Through" or something like that (I think it's only a +1 enhancement). Where your shots go through the target and keep going, IIRC adding +4 to the AC for each target it passes through. Now here's the interesting part, since a natural 20 is an automatic hit, technically on a natural 20 it should keep going until it hits a wall! There's also a feat that does something similar with a different mechanics I think in PHB II.

There are feats to let you use favored enemy bonuses against undead, but there are probably better uses for a feat.

 

Darklone

Registered User

• Jan 8, 2008

• #10

Knowledge Sinkhole said:

As for the skirmisher idea; I really like the concept, but given that the DM has hinted we're going to be spending most of the campaign fighting undead, that option holds less appeal.

Click to expand...

That screams for skirmisher: Go Swift Hunter with scout3/rangerX and pick as your main favored enemy undead. At level 11 given you have Improved Skirmish and Greater Manyshot, you'll do 6+5d6 points of extra damage with each of your three fired arrows per standard action while enjoying a high AC and moving away from the bad bad undead.

3d8+18+15d6+ 3*(str mod+bow enhancement) with a standard action sounds good to me. And don't worry too much about hitting, I can hardly remember the last time our Swift hunter missed something.