the Jester
Legend
I have to say, I don't think archery is underpowered at all in 3e, either 3.5 or (especially!) 3.0.
I ran and played 3e from before it came out to just after 4e came out, and the archer was badass from day 1 on to the end. Depending on the match up, sometimes she was better off than the melee guys, sometimes worse off. But you know, the archer doesn't have to stay 300' from the combat to be effective- she just needs to stay out of melee. If the melee warriors in the group can tie up the bad guys while she stays back and fires arrows, the archer will kick serious ass. If she does a little less damage, that's okay; often she isn't taking any damage at all. Now, in many combats she's going to be pressed, especially if she doesn't have a good fighter/paladin/whatever to run interference, but overall- archery, ime, is fine.
Then again, I run a game where not all the fights start 40' apart, and where the pcs can sometimes set themselves up for advantageous positions and whatnot. If the pcs pick some of the fights, and they get to pick the fight's location, the archer can climb a tree/hide behind a building two blocks away/whatever and may basically be free damage at minimal risk.
I ran and played 3e from before it came out to just after 4e came out, and the archer was badass from day 1 on to the end. Depending on the match up, sometimes she was better off than the melee guys, sometimes worse off. But you know, the archer doesn't have to stay 300' from the combat to be effective- she just needs to stay out of melee. If the melee warriors in the group can tie up the bad guys while she stays back and fires arrows, the archer will kick serious ass. If she does a little less damage, that's okay; often she isn't taking any damage at all. Now, in many combats she's going to be pressed, especially if she doesn't have a good fighter/paladin/whatever to run interference, but overall- archery, ime, is fine.
Then again, I run a game where not all the fights start 40' apart, and where the pcs can sometimes set themselves up for advantageous positions and whatnot. If the pcs pick some of the fights, and they get to pick the fight's location, the archer can climb a tree/hide behind a building two blocks away/whatever and may basically be free damage at minimal risk.