D&D 3E/3.5 New to D&D 3.5 and need help or advice for a scout build

[StreamOfTheSky]

Manyshot is the only feat that doesn't allow precision damage on every attack because it's a volley. Regular full attacking you can, no extra feat needed. The trick is moving 10+ ft and still full attacking, which is what Travel Devotion is for. And again, can you access Magic Item Compendium? It helps alot, may even make travel devotion unnecessary if the DM doesn't mind you switching your footwear to a new pair between fights (it's fine by the rules, he just might find it silly).

Cloistered Cleric is found in Unearthed Arcana, the same place Wildshape Ranger is. Both are also included in the free online System Reference Documents, as my links demonstrate.

As for high levels, I hate to say this...but as flight and pouncing become more and more common, the entire point of archery becomes completely irrelevant. The higher level you go, the more obsolete you'll feel. Sorry, but have to be brutally honest. Thankfully though, I think your DM's plan to reach level 40 is a pipe dream, a group is lucky to even make it to level 20. If the game does get well into epic, you could always retire the character for a new one after a long and fulfilling career.

 

[Shin Okada]

So , if u guys say that its not too late for going swift hunter, should i wait till lvl 9 to get it?

If the campaign is likely to hit Epic levels, keeping BAB and Base Saves as high as possible at character level 20th is ideal. Because, after hitting level 20th, your BAB and Base Saves start to gain bonuses based solely on your character level. After that, each class's BAB/SAVE progressions become irrelevant.

So, If I were you, I will stop raising Scout level above 8th and try to have BAB of +18 at character level 20th. I mean, something like Scout 8/Ranger 12 at character level 20th.

 

[Shin Okada]

As for high levels, I hate to say this...but as flight and pouncing become more and more common, the entire point of archery becomes completely irrelevant. The higher level you go, the more obsolete you'll feel. Sorry, but have to be brutally honest. Thankfully though, I think your DM's plan to reach level 40 is a pipe dream, a group is lucky to even make it to level 20. If the game does get well into epic, you could always retire the character for a new one after a long and fulfilling career.

I have never played higher epic level campaign with pencil and paper D&D. Only one of my 3.5e campaign hit 21st-level and that was the highest level game.

From those experiences, I tend to agree with you that flight and pouncing become very common. Still, I do not agree with you that "the entire point of archery becomes completely irrelevant".

At higher level, the point of archery is not that a PC can attack opponents from safe position. Instead, an archer's edge is that he can attack opponents whom his fellow melee PCs cannot engage with.

Sure, at higher level, even a pure human fighter can fly with winged boots or similar items. But that does not mean that the said fighter can catch up with, say, a Great Red Wyrm flying at speed of 200+ ft. and hurling long range spells from several hundreds feet away. And that does not mean that the said fighter can engage in melee easily against a bunch of demons who use at-will teleport SLAs to constantly shuffle position.

Also, even in high level games, charging (thus pouncing) is still somewhat difficult to use. So many obstacles, situations & enemy tactics prevent you from charging, even if you are flying and having various ways to commit non-straight-line charge.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

Be careful when being mounted and using Skirmish. Per the errata, Skirmish doesn't work when you're mounted. Your best bet is to get a fly speed of your own if the DM enforces the errata.

Ranger has divine spells, so you'd do well with those it seems, if you're comfortable with looking up various spells in the books and preparing the ones you think would work the best. Swift Hunter is extremely helpful since it allows Skirmish to work on otherwise immune targets.

Could we get some more information on your character? Race, feats, and current equipment will let us help you make your character better. A list of allowed books would also be helpful.

 

[Dignus]

i didnt know about the errata about mounted skirmish, damn , i tought it was a nice idea. Ill post later my build bcz our DM keep ours sheets and i dont have a copy. But from what i know and can remember, im an elf (the regular ones, no sub-races allowed) lvl 7, with a composite longbow +1 (magic items, weapons and armors are limited bcz of the campaign so they r hard to get), and some arrows that deals extra 1d4 dmg to living oponents.

Feats: Point Blanck Shot, Rapid Fire or Shot (dont remember the name in english), Improve Skirmish, Precise Shot and all the special habilities of the scout so far at lvl 7.

Books allowed, are almost every one with 3.5 rules, with the exception of psionic and arcane magic combos (i say combos cuz i dont know the right word, like feats and stuff).

I can post a more detailed build later, but that is what i remember now

 

[Dignus]

so far i´ve reading and using complete scoundrel, warrior, adventurer, psionic, tome of battle: the nine sword, the book of exalted deeds, races of the wild, champions of ruins, player handbook 1 and 2 and complete divine with no complaint from the DM if the feats and prestige classes i use from those books are not psionic or arcane

 

[Dignus]

another question, is going a pure lvl 20 scout a bad choice? ive read the scout handbook: Whoops! Browser Settings Incompatible and in there it says that a pure scout its a solid choice. I know it has a really low BAB but what do u think about it?

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Go Ranger. Swift Hunter is invaluable just to deal with crit immune things alone, and when both classes are advancing skirmish, ranger just has nicer stuff. Seriously, anything at all you can do to lessen the massive list of things you can't skirmish is a good thing.

If you are using Champions of Ruin, Splitting is the best bow enhancement ever, you should try to get it by level 12-15 if you can. It costs a +3 market price, but it is so ridiculously worth it!

Regarding the errata, if the DM hasn't been using it...keep your mouth shut. Not allowing mounted skirmish is freaking stupid, and the Scout's errata in general I just hate every bit of it...

 

[Jackinthegreen]

Go Ranger. Swift Hunter is invaluable just to deal with crit immune things alone, and when both classes are advancing skirmish, ranger just has nicer stuff. Seriously, anything at all you can do to lessen the massive list of things you can't skirmish is a good thing.

If you are using Champions of Ruin, Splitting is the best bow enhancement ever, you should try to get it by level 12-15 if you can. It costs a +3 market price, but it is so ridiculously worth it!

Regarding the errata, if the DM hasn't been using it...keep your mouth shut. Not allowing mounted skirmish is freaking stupid, and the Scout's errata in general I just hate every bit of it...

The Skirmish errata is stupid, especially when one considers how the Huns worked and so forth.

The Disable Device bit was needed, since the Scout does have trap finding after all.

Those two bits are the only errata for the Scout, so it's pretty simple to ignore overall. I would hope most DMs who look at it would notice lack of Disable Device and conclude it needs to be there because Trapfinding is kinda pointless without it.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Eh, no disable device just means you can find the trap then have to find a way to avoid it or block it from shooting the party, etc... It's not ideal, but it's workable. I do think they should have DD, but it's not worth the loss of mounted skirmish and the ability to juke and jive in place (move 5 ft away, then back; eratta ALSO said you had to move 10 ft away from where you started, which in cramped quarters may be tough) to activate skirmish. Especially for melee, the idea of falling back slightly, then rushing forward again as your enemy tries to lunge after you was my first thought of how melee skirmish worked...