D&D 3E/3.5 Whats a good 3.5E Archer (Level 10+) build?

D

Diazepam

First Post

• Aug 26, 2008

• #1

Hi Guys,

I'm currently thinking about my new character in an ongoing campaign. It has to be a hard hitting, stealthy Level 10 Archer Character.

I thought about a

• Scout
• Deepwood Sniper
• Fighter

combination.

Does anyone of you have a good progression/feat recommendation?

Kind Regards,
Diazepam

 

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Vorput

First Post

• Aug 26, 2008

• #2

I'd suggest not scout. I like them as a class, but by the time you have multiple attacks per round- being able to make only one attack (after moving 10 feet), even with skirmish damage, isn't as great as multiple attacks. Although if skirmish damage applies to manyshot (i don't think it does though)- it'd be more viable.

Straight fighter could work well- especially with some of the feat chains in PHB2 (ranged weapon mastery and weapon supremacy).

I was always partial to the arcane archer prestige class- but that's more for flavor reasons than power.

Vorp

 

blargney the second

blargney the minute's son

• Aug 26, 2008

• #3

A scout/ranger with swift hunter, improved skirmish, and greater manyshot can be devastating. Boatloads of skill points to boot.

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Aug 27, 2008

• #4

I like PsiWar/OotBI. You take the psionic Feat tree that lets you resolve ranged attacks as touch attacks and you can really make your shots count.

I also like Ranger/Soulknife/Soulbow...because I liked the D&D cartoon series.

 

Jack Simth

First Post

• Aug 27, 2008

• #5

Elven Cleric, Trickery domain (for Hide), with Zen Archery and Silent Spell (so you can cast spells while in a Silence spell of your own devising).

Cloistered Cleric if you need skillmonkey abilities.

Clerical buffs make up for the lost BAB (in some cases, completely and then some) and add damage. Plus, as a Full Caster, you don't get left behind as the levels get up towards 20th.

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Aug 27, 2008

• #6

Paladin5/Kensai5+

Take the appropriate archery Feats. Don't worry that your PC might not be the best archer out there in terms of total feats...

When you start taking levels of Kensai, make the Bow your weapon of choice and just keep enhancing it. You will definitely hit hard.

To the equation add this: PCs can use bows that are ranked for massive strength even if they aren't that strong, for a -2 Hit penalty. The PC only gets whatever bonus he qualifies for. IOW, a 15 Str PC can use a bow designed for someone with an 18 Str, but will only get +2 to his damage.

That in mind, when your PC takes his first level of Kensai, have his bow built with a rating of 8 higher than his current Str. The reason is that Kensai have a power that lets them get +8Str for 1rd/Kensai level, which is reusable if they make a Will roll.

If an arrow from a 17 Str archer hurts, imagine what it feels like to get hit by something launched by a 25 Str bow.

Sure, you'll take a -2 hit penalty a lot of the time...but when you use all of your Kensai abilities together, that penalty will dissapear into the noise.

IOW: Look out!

 

hornedturtle

First Post

• Aug 27, 2008

• #7

The same massive stregth bow also works well for a barbarrian for when he rages.

 

G

green slime

First Post

• Aug 27, 2008

• #8

I went the Fighter (1) /Wizard (6) /Eldritch Knight route.

That way, you can improve your bow as you like. You can also cast greater magic weapon, and flame arrow as desired, so you can concentrate on adding the wierd damage stuff (acid, sonic) to your bow. Consider also haste, together with Rapid Shot or Multishot.

As an archer, the build peaks in efficiency around level 10-14, which may be what you are looking for. Beyond that, the spell casting sort of takes over, and the build sort of collapses as an archer (but you still can do it in a pinch), its just that the higher level spells do even more damage

 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator

Staff member

Supporter

• Aug 27, 2008

• #9

The Kensai build can potentially have the all the weird stuff- simultaneously- all the time.

Just sayin'.

As I recall, it also has more HP.

 

G

green slime

First Post

• Aug 27, 2008

• #10

Dannyalcatraz said:

The Kensai build can potentially have the all the weird stuff- simultaneously- all the time.

Just sayin'.

As I recall, it also has more HP.

Click to expand...

Only up to his allowed alotment of discretionary points. So, yes, when he can imbue the bow to a +3 equivalent, he can have a +1 Acidic Sonic bow. But this is only (roughly) equivalent to what the character at the level would have anyway.

The Eldritch Knight, can have his +1 Acidic Sonic bow, and then cast greater magic weapon and flame arrow, and has instead +3 Acidic Sonic bow & flaming arrows.