Arcane Archer busted?

[Kibo]

Why would the ability gained at 6th level be worse than that gained at 4th? That would be poor design.

I think phase arrow was intended to be used with the imbue arrow ability. Why field an army to lay siege to a castle when an arcane archer could just fire a single phase arrow with cloud kill into the room the king and his court are hold up.

Not to mention an arrow that can negate all natural armor can be a handy trick on those occasions you just can't miss.

 

[mkletch]

I think phase arrow was intended to be used with the imbue arrow ability. Why field an army to lay siege to a castle when an arcane archer could just fire a single phase arrow with cloud kill into the room the king and his court are hold up.

Not to mention an arrow that can negate all natural armor can be a handy trick on those occasions you just can't miss.

It can be used together, but only if you are hasted. The imbue arrow has to be fired that round (but not immediately like seeker or phase), so a haste partial could do the spell-like phase or seeker just fine.

One error, though. It negates armor modifiers, but not natural armor, so it won't help against a dragon except to get through his mage armor spell (and some DMs might rule that force based effects (which extend into the ethereal plane) like mage armor and bracers of armor will not be ignored. That is a fuzzy area. Natural, though, remains.

Edit: I read it again, and the wording suggests that the firing of the arrow is part of the spell-like ability just like seeker and phase. Sorry, no combinations.

-Fletch!

 

[Thanee]

I think phase arrow was intended to be used with the imbue arrow ability. Why field an army to lay siege to a castle when an arcane archer could just fire a single phase arrow with cloud kill into the room the king and his court are hold up.

Because of the magical protection!

Otherwise a single wizard could simply use improved invisibility and ghostform, teleport in and fireball everything in sight, then teleport out.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bloodstone]

Brilliant Energy weapon ignore non living matter, such as armor or walls. Thus most, but not quite all, of the things a phase arrow can do a Bow of Brilliant Energy can also do.

Similarly, there is little a seeker arrow can do that a Bow of Seeking can't replicate.

So simply put, a +1 Brilliant Energy Composite Long Bow of Seeking can pretty much make every arrow an archer fires a Seeker, Phase arrow... Yet the arcane archer can use these powers each only once per day?

What's worse is that an arcane archer with such a bow CAN shoot seeking, phase arrows imbued with fireballs while a normal arcane archer without such a weapon cannot. Sure the first guy had to get a +6 weapon to do it, but the trick is worth the effort for him...

 

[mkletch]

So simply put, a +1 Brilliant Energy Composite Long Bow of Seeking can pretty much make every arrow an archer fires a Seeker, Phase arrow.

From the DMG, p.186, Brilliant Energy
Bows, crossbows, and slings cannot be enchanted with this ability.

There is very little a +1 Brilliant Energy Composite Long Bow of Seeking can do...

-Fletch!

 

[Victim]

There is very little a +1 Brilliant Energy Composite Long Bow of Seeking can do...

-Fletch!

If you swing your bow at someone, it would ignore their armor.

 

[AuraSeer]

You could always get some +1 Brilliant Energy Arrows, at 1,000 gp each. It's a little hard to hold onto 'em, though, since they can pass through your quiver...

 

[Chun-tzu]

You could always get some +1 Brilliant Energy Arrows, at 1,000 gp each. It's a little hard to hold onto 'em, though, since they can pass through your quiver...

I suppose you could tie them into your hair, like curlers or something. It's not exactly convenient access when it comes time to use those arrows, though. But what a fashion statement!

 

[Xarlen]

I have to agree with the above poster who mentioned the DWS's 'Magic Weapon' ability really stinking. By that level, people have access to GMW, and no doubt the archer allready has a magical bow, so it's sort've useless.

 

[Arcanus]

Okay BROKEN, SMOKIN',TOKEN, JOKIN'...... WHATEVER!!!!!!!

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BROKEN SPELL OR BROKEN CLASS OR BROKEN GAME MECHANICS!!!!!!!!!!1111

SO THERE!!!

The only things in any game that are BROKEN are the players themselves. It is up to you to determine if you want to be munchkin, or a POWER GAMING WEENIE!!!! (as PirateCat once called me). If you fire a seeker arrow in a "hunch" direction saying hit that evil bastard not knowing exactly anything about him or where the hell he was to begin with, and you argue that the arrow will veer toward wherever he is then you my friend ARE BROKEN.

This goes for every little thing like Multishot/Powershot/Hunters Mercy whatever.... If you want to play that way then fine, sometimes it is fun to go all out but others its not so much fun.

You decide when and if you can make it seem broken by doing it to your advantage whenever you want and pointing to the rules and say "look its right here!" or "show me where in the book that I can't" or trying to compare it to another class spell or ability to argue your point. "A wizard can do more damage than this so why is it broken for me to do it once a round whenever and wherever?"

Just my little rant after a bad day.
Don't take it personal until Thursday, that way I won't be obliged to argue back. i will probally not care tommorrow.