Battlefield Archer quarry damage

[Al'Kelhar]

Hi guys,

The archer ranger in my campaign has just reached 11th level and has taken the Battlefield Archer paragon path. The paragon path has the following class feature:

Battlefield Experience (11th level): You can designate more than one creature as your quarry at a time, up to a number equal to your Wisdom modifier. In addition, any attack made against a quarry receives a +1 bonus to attack rolls.

The standard rules for Hunter's Quarry are as follows:

You can designate the nearest enemy to you that you can see as your quarry.

Once per round, when you hit your quarry with an attack, the attack deals extra damage based on your level. If you can make multiple attacks in a round, you decide which attack to apply the extra damage to after all the attacks are rolled. If you have dealt Hunter’s Quarry damage since the start of your turn, you cannot deal it again until the start of your next turn.

The hunter’s quarry effect remains active until the end of the encounter, until the quarry is defeated, or until you designate a different target as your quarry.

You can designate one enemy as your quarry at a time.

Obviously, the Battlefield Archer's Battlefield Experience class feature overrides the one quarry at a time rule. However, if a Battlefield Archer has designated multiple enemies as his quarries, how many times per round or per turn does a Battlefield Archer get to apply his extra damage from the ranger's Hunter's Quarry class feature? Once per round per quarry, or just once per round to one of his multiple quarries? Say, for example, the ranger uses twin strike and each arrow hits one of his quarries. Does the ranger do an extra 2d6 damage to each target, or only an extra 2d6 damage to one of the two targets?

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

 

[Lord Ernie]

Obviously, the Battlefield Archer's Battlefield Experience class feature overrides the one quarry at a time rule. However, if a Battlefield Archer has designated multiple enemies as his quarries, how many times per round or per turn does a Battlefield Archer get to apply his extra damage from the ranger's Hunter's Quarry class feature? Once per round per quarry, or just once per round to one of his multiple quarries? Say, for example, the ranger uses twin strike and each arrow hits one of his quarries. Does the ranger do an extra 2d6 damage to each target, or only an extra 2d6 damage to one of the two targets?

Cheers, Al'Kelhar

As you mentioned, the Battlefield Experience ability overrides the usual one quarry at a time rule. However, it doesn't override anything else. This means that:

1. You can still only deal Quarry damage once per round, and only to one target.
2. You can still only Quarry the nearest enemy.

These limitations might be altered by other abilities or feats (Predatory Action, Second Shot...), but the Battlefield Experience ability does not change them.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

To be clear, although Battlefield Archer allows you to have more than one quarry at a time, it does NOT allow you to designate more than one quarry at a time. This was clarified in an FAQ a long time ago:

25. Does the Battlefield Archer’s Battlefield Experience paragon path feature allow me to designate more than one creature as my quarry with one action?

No. This path feature allows you to have more than one creature designated as your quarry, but it does not grant you the ability to designate multiple creatures with a single action.
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[MatthewJHanson]

The above answers are correct. I think the main reasons for the multiple queries is for the path's level 20 Daily (which lets you shoot every enemy you have quarried). Otherwise it sounds a lot cooler than it really is.

 

[Prestidigitalis]

The above answers are correct. I think the main reasons for the multiple queries is for the path's level 20 Daily (which lets you shoot every enemy you have quarried). Otherwise it sounds a lot cooler than it really is.

Yeah, over time, the Battlefield Archer looks less and less like a cool Paragon Path and more like a "nice try". The level 16 feature especially pales compared to most.

 

[Lord Ernie]

Yeah, over time, the Battlefield Archer looks less and less like a cool Paragon Path and more like a "nice try". The level 16 feature especially pales compared to most.

It's still the only reason there is to take Archery Fighting style rather than any of the others, and it's a good one:

• The level 11 feature has a secondary effect, which can be good or very good depending on how you read it. Either you or anybody who attacks your quarry gets a +1 to attack against them.
• The Encounter power is top-notch. An immediate action power with the easiest trigger in the book, which along the way encourages focus-fire, and deals 3[W] damage is very strong.
• The Utility power makes you able to spend an action point more or less every encounter.

Sharpshooter is the only real competition it has for bow users, and although that one is very strong, too (free RBA on action point, solid features), it kind of assumes you'll be in melee at least some of the time, which may not be true for all rangers.

 

[BobTheNob]

Sharpshooter is the only real competition it has for bow users

Really? Our groups archer took "Sylvan Archer", and hes pretty stoked with it.

* Very nice level 11 encounter (imm. int, triggers just about every battle you have a ranged attacker))
* Deceptively good level 12 utility (enc. quarry anything you like...not just the closest)
* Solid level 16 (Add Wis to quarry damage).

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

It's still the only reason there is to take Archery Fighting style rather than any of the others, and it's a good one:

• The level 11 feature has a secondary effect, which can be good or very good depending on how you read it. Either you or anybody who attacks your quarry gets a +1 to attack against them.
• The Encounter power is top-notch. An immediate action power with the easiest trigger in the book, which along the way encourages focus-fire, and deals 3[W] damage is very strong.
• The Utility power makes you able to spend an action point more or less every encounter.

Sharpshooter is the only real competition it has for bow users, and although that one is very strong, too (free RBA on action point, solid features), it kind of assumes you'll be in melee at least some of the time, which may not be true for all rangers.

BA is still one of the best PPs there is for sure. The level 16 Battle Surge feature may not sound too exciting, but remember, you have Prime Shot and Defensive Mobility automatically. The whole idea of BA is you get right in the enemy's faces and fight from point-blank range. This also makes the multi-quarry nice since it will be easy to slap it on various opponents. Remember, you should have a pretty sick AC what with your nice 20 starting DEX that you did remember to take...

Like all of the older PPs it has some strong competition at this point, but I don't really think Sylvan Archer is as good as BA. It isn't bad, but the level 11 features are uninteresting (the first you can get always on with the right bow enchantment, and +2 Perception is nice but not vital). The level 16 feature is pretty decent, but not earth shaking. Arrow Splitter is reasonably nice but kind of situational. Elf-Eyed Archery is kind of Meh. Named Arrow is just weird. Not a bad power but how often do you know the names of enemies? Fairly often if they're important, but otherwise it goes down a notch. Decent PP, but I'd rather have BA where I get a reroll, a much better quarry spam, and a moderately useful feature, on top of 3 excellent powers.

 

[BobTheNob]

Elf-Eyed Archery is kind of Meh.

Gotta disagree with you on that. We have been playing a character with this ability for ages now, and this really rocks the boat. If it doesnt sound great on paper, well, my experience is that it in play, it can be devastating.

Most of the time, those artillery/controller/nasty guys at the back are "un-quarriable".Our archer is able, every battle, to pick out any target he likes and quarry it. Just about every fight, he picks out the best strategic target he can and single handed rips it of the board. The tactical effect this has is profound. It aint going to top a well composed controller, but it brings versatility, thats for sure.

If your player knows what they are doing, elf eyed archery is pretty darn good.

 

[Al'Kelhar]

Thanks

Thanks all, I thought that might be the case, but just wanted to check.

Cheers, Al'Kelhar