D&D 3E/3.5 Combat style/earthwood archer, 3.5

[irdeggman]

I would limit bonuses to damage with the ranged weapon to 30 ft to be consistent with other ranged damage. Also limit weapon specialization to +2 (to match the feat) - note that a fighter can't get greater weapon specialization (+4 to damage until 12th level), also don't give greater weapon focus unless you first grant weapon focus (again for consistency with normal feat progression).

I might structure the concentrated fire concept to follow the power attack style instead (trade off BAB for damage bonus).

As far as the actual numerical value - well check out some of the feats in PHB II for reference. Ranged Weapon Mastery for one (Prereq +8 BAB, prof, weapon focus and weapon specialization with chosen weapon type) - then gain +2 on attacks and damge with any ranged weapon that does that type of damage.

I think I would find a way to work in the following feats as class abilities for this type of character: far shot, point blank shot, precise shot, etc.

 

[von jrs]

my iterest in this class is that combat style dos´nt eguals anny feats, so a character can have a wider feat list to chose from at every 3th level..

And you´r of course right about ranged threat.
The bonuses granted at 2th step of combat style is culminative, every time you hit the next hit gets +2..... suposeing you hit 5 times, then the bonus for each hit would be +0, +2, +4, +6, 8. that seems kind of extreem.

Ranged power attack..? with a composite you can ad str mod to dam.
if ranged power attack should work, then the bow would have to be composite at the bonus you would like to use + str mod, (not taking the str mod in would be kind of stupid).
that is a one heck of a bow, and you would be unable to reduce the dam bonus to make a more certain hit..

Ranged Weapon Mastery has some good preseguises and gives +2 to not just dam, but to hit as well. you have to be 8th level to take it, and that seems fair.

but improved combat style comes at 5th level... and concentrated fire pack´s some meen power

 

[irdeggman]

Ranged power attack..? with a composite you can ad str mod to dam.
if ranged power attack should work, then the bow would have to be composite at the bonus you would like to use + str mod, (not taking the str mod in would be kind of stupid).
that is a one heck of a bow, and you would be unable to reduce the dam bonus to make a more certain hit..

Why would it need to be a composite bow? It is a function of the character's skill. You can use power attack with any non-light weapon.

A composite bows damage is only up to the weapons rating (which increases its cost by 100 gp for each +) - it also requires an equivalent strangth to use without penalty. So if your character is a ranged (i.e., bow) attacker he would be splitting his favored ability scores between Str and Dex (and never forget the importance of a good Con score).


The power attack thing would allow trading attack bonus (up to BAB) for equivalent damage - there has been a lot of people talking about whether or not a ranged power attack would be unbalancing or not, so the discussion is not new and compared to the damage output of this class it is probably much more reasonable, especially if there is a range limit on it.

 

[irdeggman]

my iterest in this class is that combat style dos´nt eguals anny feats, so a character can have a wider feat list to chose from at every 3th level..

Rangers don't get any bonus feats - so it could very well be a feat starved class.

The 3.5 ranger gave the class "feats" instead of class abilitiies in order to make it better fit in with the rest of the system and also to allow it to meet feat prerequisites. I would continue to follow that process instead of just adding in things that seem "cool".

Also I would never create a class that was better than a fighter when dealing weapon damage (except for maybe a barbarian when raging with a great axe and power attack) - unless it was a very specific weapon type and had equivalent trade offs.