Archery feats (extending the tree?)

[Dave G]

Are there any archery feats above and beyond those available in the PHB? I have been thinking about them, and it seems like there are more feats that could be made, and with a logical progression to it...

Power Shot [General]

Prerequisite: Mighty bow. Str +13

Benefit: On the character's action, before making attack rolls for a round, the character may choose to subtract a number from all ranged attack rolls and add the same number to all ranged damage rolls. This number may not exceed the character's base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage applies until the character's next action.

or what about:

Pierce [General]

Prerequisites: Str 13+, Power Shot.

Benefit: If the character deals a creature enough damage to make it drop (typically by dropping it to below 0 hit points, killing it, etc.), the character gets an immediate, extra ranged attack against another creature behind the first victim. The extra attack is with the same arrow and at the same bonus as the attack that dropped the previous creature. The character can use this ability once per round.
I don't mean that he get's to shoot again, but I'm having trouble wording this one right, the arrow continues through the target and if it hits the AC of the next target, roll damage...

Are there any others? I think there could be...

 

[Jeph]

There's multishot from the ELH. Requires Rapid Shot, lets you hit with multiple arrows as a standard action if you take attack roll penalties.

IMHO, making archers more powerful is the last thing we need.

 

[Dave G]

Why do you say that?

I have no magic bonus, I have no strength bonus to damage, I can shoot twice a round if I take a penalty, but a dual wielder is likely to beat me in dealing damage.

Just because some people twink archers doesn't mean everyone does.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

Salutations,

I would add some BAB requirements to the two you have mentioned- especially Pierce. Though, I am not sure what.

I don't think archers are overpowered- I think there is a very sad lacking of ranged and melee feats for mid/high levels. There needs to be more.

Fighters are not as neutered as they were after low levels in 2nd edition, but they're still lacking solid power growth with their higher levels.

SD

 

[las]

Let my name some others archer feats.

From dragon some numner.Improved Rapid Shot.

From dragon 304 Dead Eye.

Improved rapid shot you can use rapid shop with out taking the penlty.

Dead eye if you target is with 30ft you add you dex to the damage.

 

[Chacal]

As soon as GMW will come into play, power shot will get Ugly as the bonus to hit from bow and arrows stack.



Chacal

 

[Dave G]

if GMW is not a factor, (i.e. I won't use it) is it unbalanced?

or if a non-stacking to hit houserule were in play?

 

[Deset Gled]

Power Shot [General]

Prerequisite: Mighty bow. Str +13

Benefit: On the character's action, before making attack rolls for a round, the character may choose to subtract a number from all ranged attack rolls and add the same number to all ranged damage rolls. This number may not exceed the character's base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage applies until the character's next action.

This one seems like a bad idea to me. From my experience, archer's have attack bonuses coming out the wazoo (yes, wazoo). Letting them turn it into damage seems unbalancing. Also, I don't really see a way that this works out logically (though that isn't an issue most of the time).

Pierce [General]

Prerequisites: Str 13+, Power Shot.

Benefit: If the character deals a creature enough damage to make it drop (typically by dropping it to below 0 hit points, killing it, etc.), the character gets an immediate, extra ranged attack against another creature behind the first victim. The extra attack is with the same arrow and at the same bonus as the attack that dropped the previous creature. The character can use this ability once per round.
I don't mean that he get's to shoot again, but I'm having trouble wording this one right, the arrow continues through the target and if it hits the AC of the next target, roll damage...

This one seems fun. Reminds me of the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indiana shoots down a full line of soldiers with one bullet.

 

[Rackhir]

Well, power attack for archery while it would be a sweet ability, is simply too lethal given archer's large attack bonuses. You might not be playing with GMW which would certainly help mitigate this, but no GMW also means archers are totally screwed when you start hitting DR creatures around 7+ lv.

It is already a class ability of the Peerless Archer from the Silver Marches (Forgotten Realms splat book - so the class is horribly unbalanced). So I would keep it as a class ability and make characters take the Prestige class, if you really want to permit it.

It would probably make a good epic level feat and given the obscene power levels that the characters will have. So it's not going to unbalance things much further than they already are.

The Piercing shot ability is good, but needs some kind of cumulative penalty so one arrow doesn't continue killing out to the range limit of the bow. I would suggest something along the lines of -2 to hit/-2 to damage per creature killed.

I'm not sure that it should be limited to one shot around though, let it apply to each attack. Like cleave, the situations where it will kick in are reasonably rare and the loss of iterative attacks and Rapid Shot, wouldn't make it worth the potential gains.

I would agree though that there is a distinct lack of interesting feats to take for archers once you've filled out the basics. So some more interesting feats would be a good idea, especially if they are aimed at mid to high level characters (10+).

 

[tensen]

There's multishot from the ELH. Requires Rapid Shot, lets you hit with multiple arrows as a standard action if you take attack roll penalties.

IMHO, making archers more powerful is the last thing we need.

As long as you are within 30 feet of the target.... and an archer does take an attack of opportunity if they fire in a threatened area. Plus penalties if they are firing into melee.

Generally means if it is done right, there are numerous more penalties to deal with.