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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions, OSR, & D&D Variants
3.5 Arcane Archer -- Nifft's Version!
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<blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 1195036" data-attributes="member: 3146"><p>This is really an excellent revision to the Arcane Archer prestige class.</p><p></p><p>WRT Frank's contention that the 1/2 caster level is useless, he's flat out wrong because he's making the wrong comparison. If you compare the Ftr 8/Wiz 2/Arcane Archer 10 to the Fighter 20 (the proper comparison since the class's prerequisites and abilities are clearly geared towards a character who is primarily a fighter with some integrated magic rather than a wizard who uses magic to fight (like the Eldritch Knight)), it doesn't look nearly so bad.</p><p></p><p>-1 BAB, -26 hp, -6 feats for an extra strong save, +20 skill points on a good skill list, a boatload of special abilities, and seven spellcasting levels--(which are probably slightly more useful than paladin or ranger spellcasting ability due to the dramatically more diverse spell list).</p><p></p><p>Since this is an archer class, the hit points aren't as much of a loss as they would be to a melee character. I'd say that the extra strong save probably offsets the loss. The point of BAB is not incredibly significant either. (IME, a character can afford to lose a point or two of BAB and still be able to perform any of the roles that a single-classed fighter would perform without much of any trouble). And I'll assume that the special abilities make up for the feats that the fighter would get (really, they probably more than make up for it since the only ones an archer is likely to care about are Improved Precise Shot, Greater Weapon Focus, and Greater Weapon Specialization so the extra six feats the fighter 20 gets suffer from an extreme case of diminishing returns).</p><p></p><p>Which leaves the arcane archer seven levels of spellcasting in the black. And the archer should be able to do a fair amount with those levels (there are quite a few 1st-4th level spells which are useful at high levels and don't suffer from reduced caster level--Fly, Blink, Slow (in the dispelling haste function), Rope Trick, Greater Invisibility, Solid Fog, See Invisibility, etc).</p><p></p><p>My only complaint is that Imbue Arrows (Magic) is really a waste of an ability since arrows fired from magic bows are considered magic already and any character able to take the prestige class ought to have a magic bow. It's not a really big deal since it has flavor and fits the progression of abilities but it would be nice to either give that ability more oomph or add another ability at level 1.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Elder-Basilisk, post: 1195036, member: 3146"] This is really an excellent revision to the Arcane Archer prestige class. WRT Frank's contention that the 1/2 caster level is useless, he's flat out wrong because he's making the wrong comparison. If you compare the Ftr 8/Wiz 2/Arcane Archer 10 to the Fighter 20 (the proper comparison since the class's prerequisites and abilities are clearly geared towards a character who is primarily a fighter with some integrated magic rather than a wizard who uses magic to fight (like the Eldritch Knight)), it doesn't look nearly so bad. -1 BAB, -26 hp, -6 feats for an extra strong save, +20 skill points on a good skill list, a boatload of special abilities, and seven spellcasting levels--(which are probably slightly more useful than paladin or ranger spellcasting ability due to the dramatically more diverse spell list). Since this is an archer class, the hit points aren't as much of a loss as they would be to a melee character. I'd say that the extra strong save probably offsets the loss. The point of BAB is not incredibly significant either. (IME, a character can afford to lose a point or two of BAB and still be able to perform any of the roles that a single-classed fighter would perform without much of any trouble). And I'll assume that the special abilities make up for the feats that the fighter would get (really, they probably more than make up for it since the only ones an archer is likely to care about are Improved Precise Shot, Greater Weapon Focus, and Greater Weapon Specialization so the extra six feats the fighter 20 gets suffer from an extreme case of diminishing returns). Which leaves the arcane archer seven levels of spellcasting in the black. And the archer should be able to do a fair amount with those levels (there are quite a few 1st-4th level spells which are useful at high levels and don't suffer from reduced caster level--Fly, Blink, Slow (in the dispelling haste function), Rope Trick, Greater Invisibility, Solid Fog, See Invisibility, etc). My only complaint is that Imbue Arrows (Magic) is really a waste of an ability since arrows fired from magic bows are considered magic already and any character able to take the prestige class ought to have a magic bow. It's not a really big deal since it has flavor and fits the progression of abilities but it would be nice to either give that ability more oomph or add another ability at level 1. [/QUOTE]
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3.5 Arcane Archer -- Nifft's Version!
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