Good archer builds?

[Iku Rex]

...clsoe combat shot (a must for every archer)...

CCS is not a "must". An archer should be staying away from melee range. If he does end up in melee he should back away (tumble + Manyshot maybe). If he absolutely wants to keep making full attacks he can usually just take a 5' step.

(That said, it's not a bad ability to have, "just in case".)

 

[Thurbane]

Rapid Shot gives you one extra attack when using the full attack action with a ranged weapon. Manyshot is a standard action. Thus, you can't combine them.

But technically a normal ranged attack is also a standard action, isn't it? And Rapid Shot can be used with normal attacks...

You can get one extra attack per round with a ranged weapon. The attack is at your highest base attack bonus, but each attack you make in that round (the extra one and the normal ones) takes a –2 penalty. You must use the full attack action to use this feat.

My player argues that MS is an attack, and as such, he can use it with RS.

Note also that the wording says "you must use the full attack action to use this feat" rather than "using this feat is a full round action in itself".

 

[gabrion]

But technically a normal ranged attack is also a standard action, isn't it?

Not when it's part of a full Attack.

With regards to the initial question (kinda), I find Clerics to be a great option for archers if you are starting at 6rd level or higher. Great buffs can really up your damage and as an added benefit, the cleric is mostly out of harms way.

 

[Iku Rex]

But technically a normal ranged attack is also a standard action, isn't it? And Rapid Shot can be used with normal attacks...

My player argues that MS is an attack, and as such, he can use it with RS.

Bad logic.

A normal ranged attack uses a standard action. (So does casting most spells, the Manyshot feat, turning undead and many other actions.) It does not follow that you can substitute the attacks in a full attack action with any action that requires a standard action. Nor does it mean that all attacks are standard actions. If they were, you'd pretty much never be able to make more than one per round.

"In a normal round, you can perform a standard action and a move action, or you can perform a full-round action. You can also perform one or more free actions. You can always take a move action in place of a standard action."-- http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#actionTypes

One round, one standard action.

 

[Thurbane]

...OK, I would like to explore this in more detail, but I don't want to derail this thread any more. I'll start a new topic soonish.

 

[boolean]

In fact, there is (almost) no reason not to take two levels of ranger.

Like I said in the other thread, a couple less hit points, and delayed access to Weapon Specialization, Greater Focus, Supremacy etc.

The other thing to consider is taking four levels of ranger (take the distracting attack variant from PHB2). Assuming 12 wisdom, this gives the ability to cast Arrow Mind or Hunter's Mercy once per day. Two very usefuls spells for an archer.

 

[Mercule]

My player argues that MS is an attack, and as such, he can use it with RS.

Your player is full of feces. He's bending the rules (intentionally or not) to do something that isn't intended.

 

[Blue Sky]

There's a feat in the Dragon Compendium that lets you add your dex mod to damage with a bow. Archers tend to have high dex anyway (except for cleric archers), so it's a good buy.

There's the splitting weapon enhancement from one book or another, that doubles your ammo as you fire it.

I think chameleons, from Races of Destiny, make excellent archers, with a competence bonus to attack and damage, access to low-mid level cleric buffs, and a floating bonus feat.

 

[gabrion]

There's the splitting weapon enhancement from one book or another, that doubles your ammo as you fire it.

Heroes of Battle Maybe?

I think chameleons, from Races of Destiny, make excellent archers, with a competence bonus to attack and damage, access to low-mid level cleric buffs, and a floating bonus feat.

Chameleons make excellent archers, especially when using Zen Archery.

 

[nittanytbone]

Clerics make excellent archers as well.

1 - Point Blank Shot (from Elf Domain)
1 - Precise Shot
3 - Rapid Shot

By third level, they have all the essential feats in place. At higher levels, throw in persistent divine metamagic for Divine Power and they're scary all day long, and can wade into melee if they want.

The only problem is MAD (all attributes have to be high), but Zen Archery offsets that to some degree, as does access to nice clerical stat buffs.

The ability to be an excellent archer combined with full cleric casting progression, with no non-core material needed (except maybe the Elf domain) is pretty potent.