Bow Feats

[sam500]

Hey Guys, I've got 2 questions:
1. Is there a feat that allows one to do something similar to power attack with a bow?
2. Are there any feat combinations, PC, races that makes an archer keep up with the damage dealing potential of a melee fighter?
Cheers,
Sam

 

[Iku Rex]

1. Is there a feat that allows one to do something similar to power attack with a bow?

No. What you're looking for is the 3rd level Power Shot ability of the Peerless Archer (Silver Marches FR book).,

2. Are there any feat combinations, PC, races that makes an archer keep up with the damage dealing potential of a melee fighter?

On a full attack? Thankfully, no.

An archer's advantage is that he can get in a full attack almost every combat round. Of course, a solid character build is always helpful.

Ranger is the best "base class" IMO for the ranger spells, provided you have access to Spell Compendium and Champions of Ruin where the best spells are. Buy pearls of power to cast your key spells over and over. If you don't have those books, fighter tends to be better, for the feats and Weapon Specialization.

The main "archer prestige classes" are Deepwood Sniper (3.0, Masters of the Wild), Peerless Archer (3.0, Silver Marches) and Justice of Weald and Woe (Champions of Ruin). I don't like the Order of the Bow Initiate from CW. It doesn't help you much when making a full attack. Exotic Weapon Master w/ Greatbow (CW) can get you the close combat ability if you really want it.

 

[librarius_arcana]

I use to do archery,
And I came up with a very rough idea for a feat,



Archer: Through years of use with a bow you have independently developed the muscle groups used to draw a bow.

Prerequistes: Weapon focus: Bow, BAB 5

Benefits: +2 to Strength for the purpose of drawing a bow, (Think Comp Bows )
this feat may be take again and is stackable, but may not be taken to in effect more than double your Strength rating (ie, if you are STR 10, you could if you wish take this feat five times, (5x+2=+10 to Str) but no more)

 

[irdeggman]

I use to do archery,
And I came up with a very rough idea for a feat,



Archer: Through years of use with a bow you have independently developed the muscle groups used to draw a bow.

Prerequistes: Weapon focus: Bow, BAB 5

Benefits: +2 to Strength for the purpose of drawing a bow, (Think Comp Bows )
this feat may be take again and is stackable, but may not be taken to in effect more than double your Strength rating (ie, if you are STR 10, you could if you wish take this feat five times, (5x+2=+10 to Str) but no more)

So does this stack with the Str rating of composite bows?

It seems to make composite bows less desireable (read useless, except for the range) since the bonus is "double" your str bonus when a composite bow is only equal to your str bonus for damage.

Does it add to the "to hit" roll, allowing the archer to add his Dex and Str bonus to his to hit roll?

 

[Sammael]

If I understand correctly, the feat doesn't make composite bows obsolete; it makes your Str rating higher when using composite bows.

A better wording would be something like: "Your Strength score counts as being two points higher for the purpose of using composite bows."

I'd just drop the second part, as I really can't see anyone taking this feat more than once or twice, since it basically adds +1 to damage.

 

[librarius_arcana]

If I understand correctly, the feat doesn't make composite bows obsolete; it makes your Str rating higher when using composite bows.

A better wording would be something like: "Your Strength score counts as being two points higher for the purpose of using composite bows."

I'd just drop the second part, as I really can't see anyone taking this feat more than once or twice, since it basically adds +1 to damage.

Well the orignal idea was based on the real life effect of use of (any type) bow,
the more poundage you can draw (and much depends on the bow needless to say) the more powerfull the arrow, (better range etc) most people around today could not draw the string of a naval long bow, so strength will still have a relation to damage,

your "Your Strength score counts as being two points higher for the purpose of using composite bows." basicly says the same thing, but in real life it would apply to all bows and not just composite ,(which is kinda silly because you could get a composite with less poundage than a long bow yet no penalties to use)

The idea was if you want to be commited to the bow instead of the sword you wouldn't fall behind, (plus making it much more realistic) with this feat you could have your average joe punching +5 damage arrows (or in fact more) everytime you use your weapon of focus in combat, and I think for what it does it's is worth one feat, plus stacking (and if you fixed the bow issue in this game you would feel the effect more) Think of what a strong fighter who spends most of his feats on this could do (you would prob need to have a custom/etc bow made for that kind of power though)

not to mention the +x arrows with the +x bow

 

[librarius_arcana]

So does this stack with the Str rating of composite bows?

It seems to make composite bows less desireable (read useless, except for the range) since the bonus is "double" your str bonus when a composite bow is only equal to your str bonus for damage.

Does it add to the "to hit" roll, allowing the archer to add his Dex and Str bonus to his to hit roll?

It adds Strenght to your character "only" for use with drawing a bow nothing else,
the idea was to allow the character to draw more powerful bows as if stronger,

And a more powerfull Bow (should) = Better damage, Better range

and it doesn't add to the "to hit", why would you ask that?

 

[irdeggman]

It adds Strenght to your character "only" for use with drawing a bow nothing else,
the idea was to allow the character to draw more powerful bows as if stronger,

And a more powerfull Bow (should) = Better damage, Better range

and it doesn't add to the "to hit", why would you ask that?

Pretty much because it was confusing to me since it didn't specify what the effect was.

The "clarifications" in the previous posts don't make it any clearer to me either.

In D&D RAW there is a difference between a composite and regular bow. Anything having to do with "Strength" bonuses only pertain to the composite bows. Well except for "penalties" on a longbow.

SRD:

Longbow: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. A longbow is too unwieldy to use while you are mounted. If you have a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when you use a longbow. If you have a bonus for high Strength, you can apply it to damage rolls when you use a composite longbow (see below) but not a regular longbow.

Longbow, Composite: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a composite longbow while mounted. All composite bows are made with a particular strength rating (that is, each requires a minimum Strength modifier to use with proficiency). If your Strength bonus is less than the strength rating of the composite bow, you can’t effectively use it, so you take a –2 penalty on attacks with it. The default composite longbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite longbow can be made with a high strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 100 gp to its cost.

For purposes of weapon proficiency and similar feats, a composite longbow is treated as if it were a longbow.

Now what exactly are you trying to accomplish with this feat?

Is it tied into negating the penalty for long bows? Is it tied into allowing a person with a str too low to use a specific composite bow to be able to use it?

It appears to me that it is tied into redefining how bows work in general.

That is all fine, but it is important to list all of the important facts when a new feat is introduced. Like for instance if the basic weapon use is being changed. So that how everything fits together can be determined.

 

[librarius_arcana]

Pretty much because it was confusing to me since it didn't specify what the effect was.

The "clarifications" in the previous posts don't make it any clearer to me either.

In D&D RAW there is a difference between a composite and regular bow. Anything having to do with "Strength" bonuses only pertain to the composite bows. Well except for "penalties" on a longbow.

SRD:



Now what exactly are you trying to accomplish with this feat?

Is it tied into negating the penalty for long bows? Is it tied into allowing a person with a str too low to use a specific composite bow to be able to use it?

It appears to me that it is tied into redefining how bows work in general.

That is all fine, but it is important to list all of the important facts when a new feat is introduced. Like for instance if the basic weapon use is being changed. So that how everything fits together can be determined.

Short answer, No

Long answer, NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO


You don't get it, and I don't know how to say it more simply, but I'll try,

You know your strength stat right, well this feat gives you extra STR when you use a bow,

How would that make things better?

 

[ValhallaGH]

What he's saying is that when firing a bow you get to pretend you were stronger.

Str 14 character. Composite Longbow (+5).
Normally this character is at -2 to attacks for 1d8+2 damage.

If he took "Archer" once then he'd effectively be Str 16 when using a bow.
-2 to attacks for 1d8+3 damage.

If he took Archer three times then he'd effectively be Str 20 when using a bow.
+0 to attacks for 1d8+5 damage.

If he took Archer seven times (the max he could take it) then he'd effectively be Str 28 when using a bow.
With the above bow he'd be at +0 to attacks for 1d8+5 damage.

If he got a bow that only a strong Troll could draw (Composite [+9]) and had taken Archer seven times then he'd have the following bow attack.
+0 to attack for 1d8+9 damage.

That is what this proposed feat would do.

Personally, I find it to be too good an option, especially for the bow-specialized fighter who has the feats to spend on it. The only downside is having to purchase a bow powerful enough for your ridiculous draw-power.