A good Archer build?

[Korak]

This one may not be the maximum damage archer, but it won't be far off... in addition, this build brings HP, Saves, Mettle/Evasion, DR, healing, and some fix em up spells to the mix.

Elf, 28pt buy yields

Str 20 (14 + 6 enhancement)
Dex 28 (14 + 2 racial + 5 level + 6 enhancement + 1 tome)
Con 18 (14 - 2 racial + 6 enhancement)
Int 10
Wis 18 (14 + 4 enhancement)
Cha 14 (10 + 4 enhancement)

Levels

1 Rng 1, Track (R1), Quickdraw (L1)
2 Clr 1, Weapon Focus [Longbow] (War Domain), Point Blank Shot (Elf Domain)
3 Rng 2, Rapid Shot (R2), Precise Shot (L3)
4 Ftr 1, Far Shot (F1)
5 Clr 2
6 Ftr 2, Manyshot (F2), True Believer (L6)
7 Pious Templar 1
8 Pious Templar 2
9 Deepwood Sniper 1, Improved Rapid Shot (L9)
10 Deepwood Sniper 2
11 Order of the Bow Initiate 1
12 Order of the Bow Initiate 2, Improved Precise Shot (L12)
13 Peerless Archer 1
14 Peerless Archer 2
15 Peerless Archer 3, Improved Toughness (L15)
16 Pious Templar 3, Weapon Specialization (Temp3)
17 Pious Templar 4, Ranged Weapon Mastery [piercing] (Temp4)
18 Seeker of the Misty Isle 1, Domain Spontenaity [Travel] (L18)
19 Seeker of the Misty Isle 2
20 Seeker of the Misty Isle 3

Highlights...

- Casts as 2nd level Cleric
- Casts 4th level spells from paladin list at 7th Caster level (SoMI adds to templar casting)
- Elf, War, and Travel Domain abilities
- Can spend turning attempts to spontaneously cast travel domain spells in place of memorized paladin spells (ie Dim Door and Fly) up to 5 times / day.
- Can cast mount for free mobility while maintaining full attacks (no guilt from 57 warhorses eating fireballs for their last meal).
- 212 hp
- Fort 28, Ref 28, Will 21 (assuming Vest of Resistance +5) with Mettle, (and evasion if you want the ring)
- DR 1/-
- Smite 1/day (+4 to hit / +4 damage)
- All arrows count as keen, all longbows have +1 crit multiplier
- Power Shot (up to 18 points)
- All shots ignore any cover or concealment short of total
- Close Combat Shot (no AOOs for firing while threatened)
- Rapid Shot at no penalty
- Can use wands of ranger spells (ie Hunter's Mercy)
- Can use Oathbow
- Can Track
- 82 skill points [minimum 10 in craft (bows), 4 hide, 4 move silently, 4 spot, 8 survival, 2 knowledge (religion)]
- 225' range increment with composite longbows (shoot someone over a half-mile away)

[Corrected Templar to it's full 3.5 name, Pious Templar]

 

[Unkabear]

A good deal of it depends on how you will be dealing with DR later on. Unless you get the PrC that allows you to power attack then most of your damage can get sucked up in DR. OOtBI is a good PRC because it allows you to make one attack and apply several d8 to the attack so long as the creature is critable (ie not undead or oozy). Unlike a rogue this damage is applied whenever you decide that you just want to make one good shot. This stacks with SA when applicable, and then you can add whatever crazy enchantments on the bow to boot.

I have seen an archer that reves her bow like a Gatling gun, but without higher damage output the DR sucks it all up and she is just wasting arrows. You need to find out how to increase your damage die per arrow.

One archer that I have been having a bit of success with is a rogue archer. Albeit he is a crossbow archer he is still good at his ranged attacks. With Crossbow Sniper and Dead Eye Shot from PHBII he is making one good shot on whatever our fighter is hitting at the time. We have discovered that my character manages to finish off whatever he is hitting! This is good because every round an opponent remains standing is a chance for the fighter to take more damage. Throwing 1d8 + 5d6 with each bolt makes a good bit of difference, and unlike our archer he doesn't blow through his bolts nearly as quickly making only one good shot a round. Plus usually the shot hits as the opponent is flat footed for my attack.

If you go Scout improved skirmish is a must. If you are going fighter/ranger archer OOtBI is almost a must. at least for a few levels. And if you DM allows you to dip into PrC's...lucky !@#$...instead of having to take the whole thing then follow some of what these other gents/ladies are offering.


EDIT: We are in a Midnight campaign and just running out to the local Adamantium store for arrows or magic store for +? arrows doesn't cut it. If you can bypass DR from other sources...good for you. But sometimes you are making the shot from an opponents bow using the arrows that fell out of his quiver when he fell dead.