My friend wants his Archer build improved...

Sekhmet

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #21

You definitely need to fold Ranged Weapon Mastery into your feat list, definitely pick up Woodland Archer (Races of the Wild) and Deadly Aim (if you allow Pathfinder stuff and are not planning on going Peerless Archer or getting an Energy Bow). You'll want Imp. Crit as well.
I'd pull out Imp. Rapid and Greater Manyshot.
I also recommend getting Far Shot by around level 5 if you can.
If you plan to take Peerless Archer, you'll need to smack Quick Draw in there somewhere.
Push off Greatbow proficiency/spec until at least 3 and 6, since they cost so much you won't be able to acquire one earlier than that. This also lets you pick up Precise Shot earlier.

 

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Omegaxicor

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #22

Sorry? Ranged Weapon Mastery, Yes, Woodland Archer, never heard of it, Deadly Aim, Pathfinder Unavailable, Peerless Archer, never heard of it, Improved Critical, Yes, Far Shot seems pointless since he can shoot what 24 tiles without it he won't need more than that until later dungeons will probably be small. Why dump Greater Manyshot and Improved Rapid Shot? GMS gives you the ability to target several different enemies and IRS eliminates the penalty to hit (maybe not great but not terrible)

but Greatbows are 150gp and our DM worked out that a Great-Bladed Bow should be 200Gp (the price of a Composite Greatbow same as the others) so he can get it at level 1

EDIT: I don't know what he will think of Woodland Archer, I will discuss it with him. Peerless Archer is that it or is there somewhere else? (my DM probably won't go for Homebrew) I will ask about deadly aim as well as Energy Bow

 

Last edited: Aug 14, 2012

Dandu

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #23

... I included a link to Woodland Archer in my first post.

 

Sekhmet

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #24

[MENTION=95351]Omegaxicor[/MENTION] Peerless Archer is in Silver Marches. It is available here Peerless Archer 3.5 in D&D Homebrew Forum in it's entirety.
You need Far Shot for Peerless Archer, which is among the best archer PrC in all of 3.5.
You don't need Deadly Aim if you have Peerless Archer (level 3).

Remember that Composites cost more per bonus, and you're likely to have more than +1 to start out.

Greater Manyshot isn't a good option. Hitting multiple targets one or two times isn't effective at later levels, when Greater Manyshot becomes available. It is much better to take out the major targets while you let your party deal with trash.
Regarding your -2 Rapid Shot, you'll be using Manyshot almost every round anyway.

 

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Omegaxicor

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #25

[MENTION=85158]Dandu[/MENTION] yea I'm sorry, when I looked for it I realised I had seen it before...

[MENTION=97602]Sekhmet[/MENTION] I see what you mean about that and having a high strength score means he needs to spend 3-400 on extra +s

I kinda see what you mean but for two points, 1) If you hit and kill one mob with two arrows your third+ can injure another and 2) if you miss with your first arrow you have other attempts with Greater but with Manyshot you have one chance for better or worse (besides if he gets Ranged Sneak attack from Peerless Archer then it only affects one arrow with Manyshot not all of them with Greater)

as for Peerless Archer (did anyone else notice that in the bonus feats are the feats required for the class, why take Far Shot as a bonus feat when you HAVE to have it to take levels in the class) besides Ranged Sneak Attack, which is just a gimped level 7 Rogue ability (gimped because it is over ten levels and uses a specific type of weapon, the bow, where the rogue can use almost any weapon), and Power Shot, which is pretty good if you don't have Deadly Aim, why go that PrC?

 

Last edited: Aug 14, 2012

Sekhmet

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #26

Power Shot is strictly better than Deadly Aim.
Deadly Aim gives you +2 damage for -1 Hit, and (at BAB 20) a maximum of +10 damage and -5 hit.
Power Shot can use any number, up to your maximum BAB, in exchange for damage.

Honestly, you go Peerless Archer for Power Shot. If your DM doesn't allow Energy Bow (because it's not in a book, to my knowledge), then it is the only way to get Power Attack with a bow.
The archer's primary weakness is dealing a sufficient amount of damage with each hit, not in actually hitting.

 

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Omegaxicor

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #27

Energy Bow kinda sucks later because it is only a "+2 Longbow +?" it never gets beyond +2 and it can't have any enchantments on it, I know most enchants go on the arrow from Bane to Exit Wounds but what about Splitting (I would also say Force but that's covered) although it does do +2d6 Force damage as opposed to +1d8 Piercing damage. so it is a good mid level bow but later you will need better...

I don't know if 3 levels to gain Power Attack with a bow (especially only a 1:1 ratio upto BAB) is something he will see as worth it but Fighter 20 looks like it runs out of steam about 12 so PrCs are needed

 

Sekhmet

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #28

[MENTION=95351]Omegaxicor[/MENTION] No rules state that you can't add enchantments to an Energy Bow. While it may only be a +2 Comp. Longbow, it accommodates any strength score and fires force arrows at 2d6 damage, so we know it is a large longbow. The arrows are force effects, which has a few benefits as well such as overcoming DR altogether and having no miss chance against incorporeal creatures. The low enhancement bonus can be covered with Greater Magic Weapon.

Also, consider what you're doing with your bow each round. 4 Manyshot hits, 1 Rapid Shot hit, 1 Haste hit, with 6 Splitting hits is 12 attacks a round. Add in that Peerless Archer can threaten a 10' space around him to deliver AoO's with his bow, and you can start stacking on additional Splitting hits.
Even if you only give up 5 to hit (for +5 damage), you're dealing an additional 55 damage per round.

So, ask yourself if three levels is worth that much additional damage, considering Archers usually have a massive bonus to hit that can be reduced five or ten points without worrying too much about it.

 

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Omegaxicor

First Post

• Aug 14, 2012

• #29

you know when you put it like that it doesn't seem so bad...I will discuss it with him and see what he says

Thanks everyone

 

K

kingius

First Post

• Aug 15, 2012

• #30

One quick additional point:

"Greater Manyshot isn't a good option. Hitting multiple targets one or two times isn't effective at later levels, when Greater Manyshot becomes available. It is much better to take out the major targets while you let your party deal with trash."

That depends on the campaign. The assumption here is that at high levels, the enemies faced are scaled accordingly, but this does not have to be the case. A battle against 300 orcs, at high levels, can be a lot of fun. Autohitting on a 20 can make 300 orcs a worthwhile challenge, make the wizard go through his daily fireballs, the fighter types pushing low on hit points, the clerics using up major healing spells and so on. In such a scenario, greater manyshot would be a good boon. So if a campaign does not scale its enemies to the party level, and all good sandbox campaigns take this approach, it would be worth including, but best to chat to the DM first to get an idea on his or her approach.