Advice on building a Horse Archer

[Darklone]

I don't like Zen archery. It's pretty useful for a monk1/druid or that UA variant but even that variant benefits greatly from a high dex as well as a high wis.

And the biggest drawback IMHO: Most druid archers I've seen have been elves (due to the weapon prof) and they get +2 to dex. Taking Zen archery removes that advantage.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

I don't like Zen archery. It's pretty useful for a monk1/druid or that UA variant but even that variant benefits greatly from a high dex as well as a high wis.

And the biggest drawback IMHO: Most druid archers I've seen have been elves (due to the weapon prof) and they get +2 to dex. Taking Zen archery removes that advantage.

ah, true, I did not think of that. I wonder if thier is a breed of elf that gets +2 to wis?

 

[Darklone]

Not that I know of... but I had a halfling race with +2 to Wis... monk1/druid riding on a cheetah. As a DireHawk his AC topped 30.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

If you're willing to play a halfling and take the damage hit, the halfling outrider from CW is pretty nice. And I second the pre-errata Scout suggestion. First thing I thought of when I saw it was "Mongol character!"

 

[Mr. Patient]

There's a prestige class called "Bowman Charger" from Dragon (don't remember the issue), that is designed to be a Mongol-type archer.

Edit: It's #325, apparently.

 

[Nazhkandrias]

OK, I think I have my build for a mounted archer. I went with ranger, as I like the idea of having an animal companion double as a mount, and I get free proficiency in all martial weapons, thus forgoing the need to be an elf or take Martial Weapon Proficiency (longbow). Plus, I can still specialize in dungeoneering - picking aberrations or vermin as favored enemies, along with ranks in Knowledge (dungeoneering) will set my role in stone.

As for the choice of race - I like the idea of a group of adventurers being forced to accept a goblin mercenary, since they need a dungeon guide. There should be a good bit of "racial" tension. There WILL be arguments when splitting the treasure - I'll see to it. Well, here we are...

GOBLIN MERCENARY
Goblin, 1st-Level Ranger
Small Humanoid (Goblinoid)
Hit Dice: 1d8 (8 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+1 size, +4 Dex, +3 studded leather armor, +1 buckler), touch 15, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-2
Attack: Scimitar +3 melee (1d4+1) or Kukri +3 melee (1d3+1) or Longbow +6 ranged (1d6)
Full Attack: Scimitar -1 melee (1d4+1) and Kukri -6 melee (1d3); or Longbow +6 ranged (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., favored enemy (aberration), wild empathy
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +2
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Hide +8, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, Knowledge (nature) +2, Listen +2, Move Silently +8, Search +2, Spot +2, Survival +4
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Track
Alignment: Neutral
Equipment: Small explorer's outfit, small suit of studded leather armor, small buckler, small scimitar, small kukri, small longbow, 40 small arrows w/ small quiver, small backpack, small sack, small waterskin, small bedroll, flint and steel, whetstone, 3 torches, 1 day's small trail rations
Coins: 5 gold pieces, 2 silver pieces, 5 copper pieces
Spells: None
Languages: Common, Goblin

Naturally, I'm going to select Archery for my Combat Style. I won't take Weapon Finesse, since I'm not a melee fighter - I'm an archer. I can use that feat space much more effectively with an archery feat. For melee, a scimitar (and later a falchion) will get the job done fine. When I can afford it, I'll grab a Composite Longbow (+1 Str). I might even get a Mithral Breastplate!

The buckler is there mostly for the scimitar, but I might ditch it eventually. I can get rid of the armor check penalty by getting a masterwork, but I don't know about that -1 to attack rolls for melee weapons... it loses its shield bonus when you use a weapon in your off hand, meaning that it will only hinder the falchion... but does it lose the shield bonus when used with a longbow? If it doesn't, I'll DEFINITELY keep it, for a little extra protection from ranged attacks.

Now, for feats... I plan to be equally good as a long-range sniper and a close-range arrow-loosing powerhouse, all from the back of a mount. Therefore, I do plan on taking Point Blank Shot and Far Shot. Dungeons can be full of wide, open spaces, or they might have tons of tight, twisty corridors - underground areas are my specialty, I plan to be able to function in ANY situation. Granted, I won't be as good at long-range sniping as a dedicated long-range archer, and I won't have the pure staying power of a specialized close-range archer, but I'll make up for it with ingenuity and versatility.

On the subject of Rapid Shot and Manyshot - can I stack them? Rapid Shot has to be full-round, and Manyshot can be a standard action, but can I use Manyshot with a full-round action, combining it with Rapid Shot for a hail of arrows? And when I get multiple attacks from my base attack bonus, can I use Manyshot multiple times in a full-round action, possibly in conjunction with Rapid Shot (to literally DARKEN the sky with arrows)?

At level 3, I'm going to start putting ranks into Ride and Handle Animal, along with taking Mounted Combat, in preparation for getting a wolf animal companion / mount. At level 8, I'm switching to a Worg animal companion, and I'll take various Mounted Archery and Ranged Combat feats along the way.

And finally... any suggestions for improvement or change?

 

[13ub1rm1c12037]

the classes are funky but the general idea and the feats make for one nasty size small crossbow:


halfling/goblen/kobold doesn't matter


dex 20-22(level up boost)-26+8 (dex boosting magic equipment)




1 fighter 1, mounted combat, mounted archery
2 fighter 2, exotic weapon repeating heavy crossbow
3 fighter 3, weapon focus heavy crossbow
4 fighter 4, weapon specialization heavy crossbow
5 fighter 5
6 fighter 6, point blank shot, crossbow sniper
7 halfling outrider, ride bonus, alertness
8 halfling outrider, defensive riding
9 exotic, close quarters ranged combat, ranged weapon mastery (peircing)
10 exotic, ranged disarm



point blank repeating keen heavy crossbow full attack
+24+19 (+8 dex, +10 bab, +1 mwk, +2 bracers, +1 weapon focus, +1 point blank shot, +2 ranged weapon mastery, +1 size, -2 mounted)

d8+13 (+4 crossbow sniper, +2 weapon specialization, +1 point blank shot, +1 bracers of archery, +3 magic, +2 ranged weapon mastery)



equipment:
25 +3 bolts
bracers of archery +2 hit +1 damage
keen +1 crossbow
+6 dex boosting stuff..


.idk if you can afford all that at level 8-12 but you get the idea

edit: whoops you can't go halfling outrider with a goblen duh.. should go ranger or druid

 

[Dandu]

Timely.

 

[WhiteRaven810]

My current character is an Slyvan Elf Druid/Wilderness Rogue with Mounted Combat and Mounted Archery. Improved Mounted Archery (from Complete Warrior) will be my next feat.

At sixth level, I'ma picking up the Wild Plains Outrider Prestige Class from Complete Adventurer.

My only regret with the build is I could not use a longbow while mounted. My only other regret is that I didn't go Halfing and use the Halfling Druid substitution level from Races of Wild. Had I, I wouldn't need to multiclass to Rogue AND I could of Prestiged into Halfling Outrider.