Best Archer Build?

[Iku Rex]

Because in 3.5e you only have 20% or 50% concealment, and the ability to have 10%, 30% or 40% concealment seems to too confusing.

What's so confusing about it?

Furthermore, 3.5 rules allow for varying degrees of concealment beyond 20% and 50%. "Certain situations may provide more or less than typical concealment, and modify the miss chance accordingly". http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatModifiers.htm#concealment

Magic weapon 1/day at level 7 and does not scale is pointless. Might as well give a wizard PRC the ability to cast a CL 1 magic missle at character level 9.

It's not "pointless", it's a flavor ability. You'll find that many classes and prestige classes get abilities that aren't necessarily useful when it comes to making a character an invincible combat monster.

And it may well come into play. It's not that unusual for a level 7+ PC to be without a magic weapon. (OTTOMH: Low-magic campaigns, reliance on spells not currently available, theft, resurrection without the body, sunder.)

 

[Question]

It is pointless because it is a class ability that makes up part of the power of the class.

 

[Abraxas]

Because in 3.5e you only have 20% or 50% concealment, and the ability to have 10%, 30% or 40% concealment seems to too confusing. It would be easier to houserule it to something like ignore half concealment at level X followed by total concealment at level Y.

Magic weapon 1/day at level 7 and does not scale is pointless. Might as well give a wizard PRC the ability to cast a CL 1 magic missle at character level 9.

I'm playing a Deepwood Sniper in an ongoing campaign. Both abilities are perfectly fine as is. Reducing concealment by 10% or 20% is only something the player has to remember and its easy to remember. As for magic weapon 1/day - it is useful. Especially when you don't want to risk your good bow to sundering or some other form of weapon destruction but need magic to bypass DR - so out comes the masterwork back-up, magic weapon activated and through the DR you go.

 

[Felon]

In regards to Deepwood Sniper, if a creature has total concealment, most of the time chances are that shooting at isn't an option anyway ("where is the darn thing???"). That leaves the concealment reduction only really affecting the 20% concealment penalty most of the time.

The Peerless Archer is pretty madly broken, so if a DM hand-waives it this is a largely moot conversation anyway. You'll be able to get away with murder no matter what ya do.

 

[Arc]

Take levels in the targetter variant class from dragon 310 for the vital aim class ability(use dex mod for damage). Also deepwood sniper needs house ruling in regards to the class ability to ignore degrees of cover(or is it concealment, i forgot).

Targeteer, along with most of the other fighter variants in Dragon 310, is so bloody broken it's hardly worth talking about. Dex to damage simply breaks an archer, as it removes the heavy MAD that tends to hinder ranged builds. The other goodies that come with the class are just icing (delicious, rapid shot improving icing).

If you're looking for some usefulness without going overboard, check out Spell Compendium. There are a lot of excellent ranger spells that improve ranged attacks. Hunter's Mercy, for example, is a 1st level spell that makes your next hit a critical. No confirmation roll, just deadly goodness. Grab 4 levels of ranger, a wand sheath, combine with the critical multiplier increases from Deepwood Sniper, and you've got a one-shotting monstrosity.

 

[Korak]

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=171552

That is the last best archer build thread... Here's my build, slightly modified for your purposes.

Here's a potential build based on 32pt buy.

Human, Rng2, Ftr6, Exotic Weapon Master 1, Peerless Archer 3

Str: 18 (14base+4item)
Dex: 23 (16base+4item+3levels)
Con: 18 (16base+2item)
Int: 10
Wis: 12
Cha: 8

feel free to tank the int down to 8 or wis to 10... I prefer not to be so stupid though at 32pt buy... or switch the strength and con if that's your taste.

Feats:
Point Blank Shot (Human)
Precise Shot (1)
Track (Rng1)
Rapid Shot (Rng2)
Exotic Weapon Proficiency [Greatbow] (Ftr1)
Weapon Focus [Greatbow] (3)
Quickdraw (Ftr2)
Manyshot (6)
Improved Rapid Shot (Ftr4)
Improved Critical [Greatbow] (Ftr6)
Far Shot (9)
Improved Precise Shot (12)

Class Abilities:
Close Quarters Ranged Combat (does not provoke AoOs for using Greatbow in threatened squares)
Ranged Sneak Attack (1d6) (only usable with ranged weapons)
Power Shot (power attack for ranged attacks... -1 to hit for +1 to damage, capped at base attack)

Skill Points: 35rng+18ftr+3ewm+9pa = 65

Craft (weaponsmithing) : 3
Craft (bowyer) : 10
Tumble (cc) : 6
Jump : 5
Survival: 5
Spot: 5
Listen: 5
Move Silently: 5
15 to spread around...

Possible Items:
Belt of Giant Strength +4
Gloves of Dexterity +4
Amulet of Health +2
Boots of Speed
Mithral Chain Shirt +3
+1 Holy Migthy (+4) Composite Greatbow of Shock

You may want to drop shock from the bow to get a bit more cash for defensive or utility items.

HP: 121 (73base + 48con)
AC: 24 (10+6dex+7armor+1haste)
Hasted Full Attack: +21/+21/+21/+16/+11 at 195' range for 1d10+5+2d6holy+1d6electricity with 19-20/x3 with opponents gaining no benefit of any cover or concealment short of total... add power shot to taste

Note, that you also have full base attack, 18 strength, and quickdraw.... so you can whip out a melee weapon on the fly if you need to threaten a foe (or there's always improved unarmed strike, monk's belt, spiked gauntlets.. etc). For future levels, I like 2 levels of Deepwood Sniper to add to your critical multiplier, but apart from that, I would finish with fighter levels to get more feats. (Dodge, Mobility, Shot on the Run... or Weapon Spec, Ranged Weapon Mastery... or another feat tree to diversify, perhaps mounted combat, or power attack, cleave).

Your party spellcasters can always help out with GMW and/or various energy substituted flame arrows on your ammo. You also want to pick up a quiver of ehlonna and 20 or so arrows of the various materials (silver, cold iron, adamantine) to supplement your regular stock.

Edit: note... zero actions spent buffing.... well, zero non-free actions spent buffing

 

[Venator]

Korak, is that build within the budget for a lvl 12 guy? (honest question)

Edit: Im extremely picky about archer builds, but i really like this one. Its the first one ive seen that i can say that about.

Also, what would you recommend trading the level in EMW for if you dont like the flavor of a greatbow? How would you move the feats around to compensate?

 

[Korak]

I don't remember off hand what the normal budget for a 12th level PC is, but that build was budgeted to 88k (not counting the quiver of ehlonna) per the original poster of the previous thread.

 

[Korak]

Also, what would you recommend trading the level in EMW for if you dont like the flavor of a greatbow? How would you move the feats around to compensate?

Well, that frees up one feat and let's you get into the other prestige classes a little faster. There aren't many feats you can move up because of base attack requirements, but far shot is one of them. The downside to dropping the greatbow is the loss of close quarter's ranged combat. In a largely outdoor campaign, I would take ride ranks and be a mounted archer. Consider the mounted feat chain for 12+ and perhaps leadership to get a more survivable mount. The full attack while moving on a mount is a great option. In a more indoor campaign, I'd make sure to have a decent backup melee weapon and be ready to quickdraw it when appropriate. You can also consider preparing for a short dip into Order of the Bow Initiate to get its class ability to avoid AoOs, but I just hate that class.