Help me Generate a Lvl 10 Archer

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I am looking to create a non-traditional archer, there is only one caveat, must be core rules only (my choice) and must have the following stats to start at level 1...

Str: 13
Dex: 16
Con: 16
Int: 15
Wis: 14
Cha: 12

Please tell me if you modify Intelligence, what level you do so, (for skill points)
Also consider all non-class skills purchasable as class skills to 1/2 max level (1 for 1, not 1 for .5) and any class skill learned is always considered a class skill even if the class is changed.

Thank you.

I am not looking for a powerhouse, just a fun way to rejig my current character so I can have fun, as it is he is a Scout 8, deepwood sniper 2, and I am not having fun. I feel relegated to a minor role.

I am not certain about it, but I think increasing intelligence grants you the extra skill points the next level.

Considering what you have said, I would consider dipping into Rogue (for a lot of class skills), and than maybe concentrating on Fighter. Hide, Move Silently and Spot seem to be a good choice to take.
If you want to really use your Intelligence, consider going Wizard/Fighter/Eldritch Knight.
If you take at least 4 fighter levels, you can specialise in your ranged weapon, if you conncentrate on Wizard (and Eldritch Knight) levels instead, you get access to better spells (and eventually even 9th level spells, though that will probably only be at the end of your campaign). Transmutation and Illusion will probably benefit you most (hiding and buffing)
For a long time, you can rely on Mage Armor for your armor, later you might want to use a low-Spell Failure/ well enhanced armor (like a Mithral Chain Shirt?). If your primary action in combat is using the bow, you will loose spells, but not much time due to spell failure.

Further alternatives:
You also have a fairly good Charisma and Wisdom, so maybe Paladin would be a nice option. Maybe you first take a few levels of Fighter to get the archery feats, and later you can use the Paladins mount for Mounted Archery.

A Monk thrower might be interesting, but your strength isn't that high, and I think throwing is best be done with a high strength and high dex. (As a Monk, Shuriken might be a bit annoying because they are destroyed after each hit, but you can Flurry with them, and that isn't to be discounted. It's one of the major Monk class features for combat)

A Cleric Archer is also unusual, but I somehow have the impression that the Cleric Buff's don't help that much in that regard.

A straight Rogue Archer might also be nice. The Crossbow Sniper feat (or how it is called) in the PHB II is not core, but otherwise that would be an interesting take - there aren't a lot of crossbow archers in play (my impression).

 

[Legildur]

A straight Rogue Archer might also be nice. The Crossbow Sniper feat (or how it is called) in the PHB II is not core, but otherwise that would be an interesting take - there aren't a lot of crossbow archers in play (my impression).

Yeah, I was considering something similar myself. IDHMBIFOM, so the feat names are missing, but there were 3 required feats to make it interesting. (using light crossbow as an example) Needed Wpn Focus (light crossbow), Crossbow Sniper? (PHBII), and there was another feat that extended sneak attack range out to 60ft. Of course, Rapid Reload (CW), Point Blank Shot, and Precise Shot should be on the list. The problem is that the first 3 feats needed to make it viable (to get sneak attack damage to 60ft) have a prerequisite of BAB +1, so a straight rogue would be looking at mid-levels before attaining it.

 

[Abraxas]

I am looking to create a non-traditional archer, there is only one caveat, must be core rules only (my choice) and must have the following stats to start at level 1...

What books do you consider core?

 

[qstor]

A straight Rogue Archer might also be nice. The Crossbow Sniper feat (or how it is called) in the PHB II is not core, but otherwise that would be an interesting take - there aren't a lot of crossbow archers in play (my impression).

If you're an elf a rogue archer would be cool. For a human, I'd take a level in ranger or fighter to use martial weapons. Ranger might work better to since Hide and MS are ranger skills but Fighter gives you the next feat. I think a wood elf Ranger 2/Rogue 8 would be interesting. That would give you Rapid Shot as a bonus Ranger feat.

For bonus Ranger feats I would *skip* the Two weapon fighting track, even for a non-traditional archer its kinda a waste IMHO opinion because you miss the extra Ranger feats. A paladin archer would be something different, I'd still take at least one level of fighter since with archers you tend to need a bunch of feats to be good.

I think your best bet as the other poster mentioned is Fighter 4/Ranger 8. Maybe a halfing or gnome with Fighter 5/Ranger 5? And take a riding dog animal companion and Mounted Archery? I forgot if that's in the PHB or the CW?

Mike

 

[kjenks]

A Cleric Archer is also unusual, but I somehow have the impression that the Cleric Buff's don't help that much in that regard.

Use PH only, a cleric archer with these stats would still be pretty good.

Human Cleric of Phaulkon, the Suel god of Air, Birds and Archery

Deity's Domains: Air, Animal, Chaos, Good, Sky, War
You choose: Air, War

1 Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot (Weapon Focus from War domain)
3 Rapid Shot
6 Craft Wondrous Item
9 Quicken Spell

Use your Craft Wondrous Item feat to craft Gloves of Dex, Belt of Giant Strength, Periapt of Wisdom, some Pearls of Power.

Don't invest in a magic bow yet. Instead, use your Greater Magic Weapon spells to give your bow an enhancement bonus. Your Str goes up as you can invest more money in a better Belt of Giant Strength, so don't buy a magic bow until your Str stabilizes at 20 (+6 belt, +1 bump at level 4). (Use your stat bumps from levels 8 and 12 on Wisdom.)

Invest instead in a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Quicken, and buy/craft the rest of your gear later. If you can't afford the Quicken rod, just use your feat for that and get a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Empower to buff up your Cure spells.

Use Quicken Spell + Divine Favor for extra buffing. Combined with your GMW bow, dex bonus and cleric BAB, (excluding Haste) you'll have three arrows per round at +14/+14/+9, damage 1d8+7. Not bad, and it gets better as you gain levels. If you have a round before fighting to cast Divine Power, you can switch to a better bow and get even better bonuses, or you can cast Air Walk to stay above the melee and rain arrows down from above.

You're also a level 10 cleric with some pretty good spellcasting abilities.

But your problem really is in your character's personality, not in his build. You have a character who isn't fun to play. So as you reinvent his build, also reinvent his personality. Perhaps during your time as an archer you've become enamored of Phaulkon because of your growing love for the open sky, for all of its nuances and intracies of light and cloud and rain, for the way the breeze feels on your skin and the way the wind lofts your arrows around as they fly toward their target -- and you have a divine calling to became a dreamy, preachy cleric who refuses to cast Cure spells on anybody who isn't carrying a bow.

Ham it up and wax poetical about the open sky at every point it's even slightly appropriate. Write short doggerel (or haiku) poetry about your adventures under the open sky, or the way your soul feels when deprived of contact with the outdoors, or the way your arrows flew during a battle, and read these awful things out loud at your gaming sessions.

Having a memorable, interesting personality should make all the difference in having fun with the character.

 

[two]

Bard

If you swap intelligence or wisdom with charisma, you have a very nice bard build there.

Buy some +2 str, +2 ch. items, and bump up ch or str. Also +2 con.

Bard 10 (human) has 5 feats:

PBshot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, + 2 more. Use the other feats to boost HP or bardic music abilities.

Inspire courage/cast buff spells on self, then shoot and/or use spells in a tactical way.

An effective archer with a totally different "feel". Good skills and magic -- is always nice.

Full caster as well. Very nice for those dispel magics.

 

[Magesmiley]

Other good options for throwing weapons include throwing axes (light, but they still do 1d6 damage) and light hammers, which have a decent range on them (20 ft). Clubs were mentioned in a dual-wield build, which isn't a great idea, since a club is a one-handed weapon, and would give you penalties in the off-hand. Plus, if you're proficient with the throwing axe, it does virtually the same thing (just slashing rather than bludgeoning), for 8 gp a pop. Starting at level 10, even if you wanted 10 of them, that's just 80 gp. This should not be an issue.

However, using *one* one-handed weapon could be viable. Choices include the shortspear and the trident. The Spear is a two-handed throwing weapon.

If you follow the feat progession Magesmiley suggested, be sure to pick up Far Shot at level 6. The majority of throwing weapons have a range increment of 10 feet, and only the javelin has anything better than 20 feet (and the javelin can't be used well in melee, so you would need a backup melee weapon, or your fists, if you have levels in monk).

I favor one-handed throwing weapons over light ones due to the extra damage netted from the strength bonus. Yes, you do take -2 to your hit rolls due to using it in your off hand, but I personally will typically trade that for another 4 points of damage per hit (based on my suggestion for stats). This gets to be an even larger bonus if you have a strength enhancing magic item or spell. Multiplied by 5 times a round, the number gets to be quite significant. The odds favor rolling a critical threat every other round on average too, so keep stacking up the bonus.

As to the cost of the items... well, my concern was more one of encumbrance and ease of replacement mid dungeon-crawl, not costs. When you can toss 5 a round, 3-4 rounds of combat is a LOT of weapons and encumbrance. My observation in the past is that you tend to lose some of your weapons here and there when you toss them around a lot, and its far easier to replace a club in the middle of a dungeon crawl than an axe, hammer or other specialty weapon typically. If you've got a nice big extra-dimensional space to restock from, by all means go with a different weapon!

Far Shot is an excellent suggestion too - for some reason that one wasn't making it to the top of my consciousness .

 

[FalcWP]

Well, encumberance-wise, the throwing axe is lighter than the club (two pounds to three). Although the fact that you can easily replenish your clubs from materials found in a dungeon or forest is a good one. And, yeah, you can get a little more damage with the club.