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Bow Bond: An Eldritch Knight’s Guide to Archery
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<blockquote data-quote="Morrus" data-source="post: 6707686" data-attributes="member: 1"><p><strong>Bow Bond: An Eldritch Knight’s Guide to Archery</strong></p><p></p><p><strong>Originally posted by MightyThokk:</strong></p><p></p><p>[h=4]Table of Contents[/h]</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Introduction </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Attributes and Class Features </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Races, Feats, and Backgrounds </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Spell choices </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Equipment </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Multi-classing and builds </li> </ul><p></p><p> </p><p><strong>I’ll be using the standard rating system</strong></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: red"></span></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong>Red</strong></span> Don’t do it. There are much better ways to get there.</p><p><span style="color: purple"><strong>Purple</strong></span> Ew. Niche or RP concept choice only. </p><p><strong><span style="color: black"> Black</span></strong> Okay. Middle of the road, or only good for specific builds or campaigns. </p><p><strong><span style="color: blue"> Blue</span></strong> Good choice. Recommended options, you’re almost always better off with these choices.</p><p><strong><span style="color: skyblue"> Sky Blue</span></strong> Pick me! Best options for most builds and games.</p><p><span style="color: Orange"><strong> Gold</strong></span> Take it. </p><p> </p><p>[h=4]Introduction[/h]</p><p>This is a basic guide to a flexible build. These builds support a wide variety of concepts from the agile in your face with a hand crossbow, to the Wood-elf Scout or a Halfling Sniper. Essentially any character concept that involves a bow or a crossbow can follow this guide and add on whatever RP concepts work for your character.</p><p>Mechanically this is a chassis for any martial ranged character with a dash of spellcasting focused on buffs and utility. There are two basic early options that will drive a many of your choices, Crossbow Expert or Sharpshooter. After that you’re really just accumulating the pieces as they come.</p><p>You’re going to be taking Crossbow Expert or Sharpshooter at the first opportunity. First level for Variant humans, 4rth level for everyone else. The Crossbow Expert is going to go Hand Crossbow and shield and be a close to melee range character. Sharpshooter builds go better with Stealth concepts and are generally a backline character.</p><p> </p><p>What this guide isn’t. If your concept is spellcaster with a Bow, you’re in the wrong place, sorry. If Spell Save DCs or Cantrip DPR is a concern, move along. </p><p> </p><p><strong>Strengths</strong></p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">RP versatility. This build works for almost any bow or crossbow concept. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Attribute flexibility. This build needs Dex and that’s it. Everything else is flavor. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Single target damage, and Multi-attacks </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tactical flexibility. Ranged damage, mobility, Hit Points, AC, and utility. You’re going to wreck a few encounters for your DM </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Front line or Back line combatant depending on what your group needs. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Be a Ranger without ever taking a level in Ranger. </li> </ul><p></p><p><strong>Weaknesses</strong></p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">No AoEs. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Possibly a weak spellcasting stat </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">No melee weapon means no opportunity attacks if you find yourself on the front line. </li> </ul><p></p><p> </p><p><strong><span style="color: blue"> Crunch </span> vs <span style="color: orange"> Concept</span></strong></p><p></p><p>I'm of the opinion Concept > Crunch, but within that conceptual framework you should be squeezing in every mechanical advantage you can. For ranged characters, currently, Crossbow Expert is about as mechanically manditory as you get. Its effectivly a +2 to AC, Bonus Attack a round, and lets you use ranged weapons in melee without penalty. Its right up there with Sentinal and Polearm Master in how game changing it is for a character. I sincerly hope that down the road Archers get some love so the iconic Archer concepts are mechanically equal to the Crossbow users. D&D is all about iconic. In the mean time, Hand Crossbows > all other ranged weapons. </p><p> </p><p>Edit: Thank you to all the folks taking time to comment below. Several suggestions have been incorporated into the guide.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Morrus, post: 6707686, member: 1"] [b]Bow Bond: An Eldritch Knight’s Guide to Archery[/b] [B]Originally posted by MightyThokk:[/B] [h=4]Table of Contents[/h] [LIST] [*]Introduction [*]Attributes and Class Features [*]Races, Feats, and Backgrounds [*]Spell choices [*]Equipment [*]Multi-classing and builds [/LIST] [B]I’ll be using the standard rating system[/B] [COLOR=red] [B]Red[/B][/COLOR] Don’t do it. There are much better ways to get there. [COLOR=purple][B]Purple[/B][/COLOR] Ew. Niche or RP concept choice only. [B][COLOR=black] Black[/COLOR][/B] Okay. Middle of the road, or only good for specific builds or campaigns. [B][COLOR=blue] Blue[/COLOR][/B] Good choice. Recommended options, you’re almost always better off with these choices. [B][COLOR=skyblue] Sky Blue[/COLOR][/B] Pick me! Best options for most builds and games. [COLOR=Orange][B] Gold[/B][/COLOR] Take it. [h=4]Introduction[/h] This is a basic guide to a flexible build. These builds support a wide variety of concepts from the agile in your face with a hand crossbow, to the Wood-elf Scout or a Halfling Sniper. Essentially any character concept that involves a bow or a crossbow can follow this guide and add on whatever RP concepts work for your character. Mechanically this is a chassis for any martial ranged character with a dash of spellcasting focused on buffs and utility. There are two basic early options that will drive a many of your choices, Crossbow Expert or Sharpshooter. After that you’re really just accumulating the pieces as they come. You’re going to be taking Crossbow Expert or Sharpshooter at the first opportunity. First level for Variant humans, 4rth level for everyone else. The Crossbow Expert is going to go Hand Crossbow and shield and be a close to melee range character. Sharpshooter builds go better with Stealth concepts and are generally a backline character. What this guide isn’t. If your concept is spellcaster with a Bow, you’re in the wrong place, sorry. If Spell Save DCs or Cantrip DPR is a concern, move along. [B]Strengths[/B] [LIST] [*]RP versatility. This build works for almost any bow or crossbow concept. [*]Attribute flexibility. This build needs Dex and that’s it. Everything else is flavor. [*]Single target damage, and Multi-attacks [*]Tactical flexibility. Ranged damage, mobility, Hit Points, AC, and utility. You’re going to wreck a few encounters for your DM [*]Front line or Back line combatant depending on what your group needs. [*]Be a Ranger without ever taking a level in Ranger. [/LIST] [B]Weaknesses[/B] [LIST] [*]No AoEs. [*]Possibly a weak spellcasting stat [*]No melee weapon means no opportunity attacks if you find yourself on the front line. [/LIST] [B][COLOR=blue] Crunch [/COLOR] vs [COLOR=orange] Concept[/COLOR][/B] I'm of the opinion Concept > Crunch, but within that conceptual framework you should be squeezing in every mechanical advantage you can. For ranged characters, currently, Crossbow Expert is about as mechanically manditory as you get. Its effectivly a +2 to AC, Bonus Attack a round, and lets you use ranged weapons in melee without penalty. Its right up there with Sentinal and Polearm Master in how game changing it is for a character. I sincerly hope that down the road Archers get some love so the iconic Archer concepts are mechanically equal to the Crossbow users. D&D is all about iconic. In the mean time, Hand Crossbows > all other ranged weapons. Edit: Thank you to all the folks taking time to comment below. Several suggestions have been incorporated into the guide. [/QUOTE]
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