D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Arcane Archer -- Nifft's Version!

[Nifft]

So, anyone switching to your AA will want to replace their +1 Chaotic Shocking Burst bow with a straight +5.
[...]
In fact, you could add a few new enchantment options that aren't available as regular weapon enchantments.
[...]
As for the feat in Complete Warrior, if it's anything like the Dragon magazine feat that was discussed earlier then it probably is melee-only, where a caster would suffer from the lack of armor or HP. If not, I'd say it's horribly unbalanced; allowing any Wizard or Sorcerer to drop a 9th-level slot for thirty to forty extra ranged damage plus an attack bonus higher than a fighter would get? Not a chance.

Part of my reasoning behind this class is that every Archer must fear Disjunction and Improved Sunder, thus the loss of his bow. He's meant to be able to do stuff even if he loses his prized posession. So, sure, he may own a +5 Bow... but he shouldn't count on keeping it long around Nightwalkers, Balors or Old Dragons.

New Enhancements: that's really up to the DM. For example, I allow Corrosive and Corrosive Burst, even though they're not Core enhancements. The best I wish to do in this thread is allow a DM to decide what value he should allow... what specific effects are allowed is a separate issue.

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying in the last bit: that a Feat emulating Arcane Shot II would be too strong, or that Arcane Shot II is too strong?

-- N

 

[Spatzimaus]

What I meant was, "if the feat in Complete Warrior is like the melee-only one from Dragon Magazine discussed earlier, AND it applied to ranged attacks, it'd be too powerful". It's like Power Attack vs. Ranged Power Attack; an ability that is balanced for melee could be totally broken when a ranged version is made.

But, I could also say, "if Arcane Shot II was a feat anyone could take it'd be too powerful". The fact that you have to take 10 levels of a half-caster class to reach it balances it all out. This wasn't what I meant in the earlier post, but I do agree with it.

 

[Nifft]

But, I could also say, "if Arcane Shot II was a feat anyone could take it'd be too powerful". The fact that you have to take 10 levels of a half-caster class to reach it balances it all out. This wasn't what I meant in the earlier post, but I do agree with it.

Yes, I agree too. The maximum caster level that an ArcArch could reach by level 20 is 15, and that's if he takes 10 Wizard or Sorcerer levels to get his BAB up to 5. Very sub-optimal to have a BAB of 15 at level 20 for an archer.

-- N

 

[jaults]

Nifft, a new player recently joined our group, and we made his chaarcter using your AA build. He is currently a Ftr4/Wiz4/AA2, and just gained enough XP to level up to AA3. Things seem to be working out well; he has only played in 2-3 sessions, but so far, so good. I will let you know if we run into any problems or have any comments.

Thanks,
Jason

 

[jomac2k]

Hey, I was just redirected to your post based on my trying to make an alternative to the arcane archer seems we have a few ideas in common and a few different.

My arcane shot was made completely separate from yours. Let me know what you think of mine. I'm currently reworking and will definitely borrow a point or two from yours. It's the topic called the Eldritch Archer.

 

[Nifft]

so far, so good. I will let you know if we run into any problems or have any comments

Awesome! I look forward to your feedback!

-- N

 

[Zad]

For those that care (Nifft knows this but if anyone is looking at balance) -

I've been using an Arcane Archer in a long running campaign. We've converted over to this build of the AA. I've had it a few sessions now but they weren't combat-intensive. But as things develop I'll be posting feedback here, especially on the epic-level implementation.

 

[Nifft]

But as things develop I'll be posting feedback here, especially on the epic-level implementation.

Are you going to be using my Epic Arcane Archer progression? It eyeballs correctly, but I've got no experience gaming at that power level -- the party I DM is around 10th level.

-- N

 

[Zad]

Yes, currently I'm 22nd and 12th level AA. I've got some epic level experience and it seems right to me too, but really nobody has a lot of experience at this.

There is one thing that made me wonder...

I've taken flaming and flaming burst in the non-epic progression. But if I had taken holy instead of flaming burst, and then taken holy power at 23rd, (I took epic DR at 21) things could get odd. One negative level per shot could really make things nasty. Wizardru and I agreed to steer away from the "holy" progression partly because of the campaign world. (The AA's are not really agents of divinity per se so we stopped at "good aligned")

The elementals aren't nearly so worrisome given how many things resist them so that's not as big a factor.

But like I said, we haven't had any knock-down, drag-out battles but what we have done seems fine. I'm missing damage from 3.0 but I feel good about it at least.

I'm also working on a new bow - an epic magic item. It's going to have several spells in it that can be delivered by arrow, like the AA's own spells. And the AA can use their penetration to overcome SR. Things like Delayed Blast Fireball, Polar Ray, Chain Lighting - more a weapon of war for battlefield effects. I mention it only because it might affect how my balance opinion plays out. (Of course it's costing me about a level of exp too...)

 

[Nifft]

*bonk*

Zad, I take it things are going well?

Everyone else, I think there are no more issues with the class, so I've OGL'd it here:

http://fishnet.cx/~josh/DnD/DHE/prc.shtml#arcanearcher

Cheers, -- N