Deepwood Sniper

[dvvega]

Okay so I want to try and bring the Deepwood Sniper up to date with 3.5.

It wasn't included in Complete Warrior, so it either means the class is too powerful, too specific, or full of bugs.

The following notes I have come up with, but I am looking for input from others. I rearranged the special abilities and modified them using 3.5 feats if at all possible.

- requirements
* remain as is, but thinking of adding some form of Posion related skills to the list since the Safe Poison Use ability has nothing to support it except going and buying poisons.

- attack/save progressions
* should match the 3.5 ranger's. It seems to be obviously designed for a ranger, or for a rogue to "improve archery combat".

- special abilities
1 Range Bonus, Safe Poison Use
2 Improved Precise Shot (this supersedes the concealment reduction ability) - too early?
3 Improved Critical (all bows) - IMO not too powerful seen it doesn't stack with Keen etc.
4 Consistent Aim 1/day
5 Critical +1
6 Take Aim +2
7 Consistent Aim 2/day
8 Critical +2
9 Take Aim +4
10 True Strike - this ability has always been an iffy one. It's good to shoot the general (or wizard) at the head of the army 10 increments away, and possibly kill him with poison.

 

[Deset Gled]

The main problem with the Deepwoods Sniper is that the only worthwhile parts of the class come in the first 3 levels. At the higher levels of the class, the biggest benefits are bonuses to hit. At high levels, though, an archer will hardly ever have trouble hitting a target.

By the time you get around to fixing this problem, you've written a completely new prestige class.