Help with an archery build

[Dandu]

What about the awesome extra damage to a straight shot?

What awesome extra damage?

You give up a full attack to launch one bolt with precision damage dice tacked on. A well made archer will have greater damage output with his regular full attack making the ranged precision damage meaningless.

A level 10 OOTBI with, say 20 strength will deal 1d8+5+3d8 (average 23) damage using ranged precision

A level 10 Fighter archer with Weapon Specialization and Ranged Weapon Mastery will deal 1d8+5+4 (average 13.5) damage per shot, but he can get 3 shots off with Rapid Shot, 4 if under the effects of Haste (from the spell, Boots of Speed, or the weapon enchantment). Granted, one of those attacks is at a -5 penalty, but if we assume that only the attacks made at a full attack bonus hit, that's 27 damage with 2 attacks and 40.5 with Boots of Speed.

To be fair, volley attacks have the problem of being negated by DR, but ranged precision is useless against elementals, undead, plants, constructs, oozes, people with concealment and other things.

 

[Rhun]

What awesome extra damage?

You give up a full attack to launch one bolt with precision damage dice tacked on. A well made archer will have greater damage output with his regular full attack making the ranged precision damage meaningless.

Right. My archer in the example inflicts far more damage using Rapid Shot and firing 3 arrows then he would firing just 1 with the precision damage.

 

[Socko525]

Right. My archer in the example inflicts far more damage using Rapid Shot and firing 3 arrows then he would firing just 1 with the precision damage.

Yeah I'm def going to avoid OotBI. And as a swift hunter with rapid shot and travel devotion, at my current level that would be 2 arrows but each would get the +2d6 from skirmish.

I can't believe I didn't think of strongheart halfling. I usually avoid the smaller races due to the reduced damage, but since skirmish damage isn't affected it seems like a solid choice, plus all the bonus to skills and dodge/to hit is nice too. The reduced movement speed sucks, but combined with fast movement from the scout and the celerity domain, I'll be moving 40' a turn

 

[Pergentile]

Range 260ft - Distance Dragonbone Greatbow (medium sized)
Range 390ft - Farshot
Max Range 5850ft - Four Levels of Cragtop Archer
Single attack at that range with no penalty - Those same four levels of Cragtop Archer

Result? A 10th level sniper that can punch an arrow into someone's eye at a distance of over a mile... I would personally love that flavor over an archer that just shoots a dozen arrows at targets under 120 ft. Mechanically though, if you want damage, then you're going to want a lot of attacks.

 

[Socko525]

Range 260ft - Distance Dragonbone Greatbow (medium sized)
Range 390ft - Farshot
Max Range 5850ft - Four Levels of Cragtop Archer
Single attack at that range with no penalty - Those same four levels of Cragtop Archer

Result? A 10th level sniper that can punch an arrow into someone's eye at a distance of over a mile... I would personally love that flavor over an archer that just shoots a dozen arrows at targets under 120 ft. Mechanically though, if you want damage, then you're going to want a lot of attacks.

While I'll agree that the flavor for this build is great, I honestly don't see many applications for shooting enemies behind a mile. I mean out of every combat we've had so far, whether it be from portals or ambushes or what have you, our enemies haven't been more than 60' away.

I think now I'm going to go for Strongheart Halfling for the bonuses it gives. I'll be losing skill points, but the other bonuses outweigh this.

And I've decided to go the archery combat style, even though my primary means of attack will be rapid shot, it's not bad to have manyshot as a backup since that only uses one attack.

Now if I can just get some gold and be able to buy a splitting bow I'll be in good shape...

 

[Dandu]

While I'll agree that the flavor for this build is great, I honestly don't see many applications for shooting enemies behind a mile.

Mages casting Fireball at you from max. range.

 

[Socko525]

Mages casting Fireball at you from max. range.

Touche sir *bows head*

The sooner I get the spell reflection ACF the better.

 

[Dandu]

Doesn't work on Fireball.

 

[Pergentile]

It's not a build, its a four level dip into Cragtop Archer + a Greatbow.

 

[Empirate]

While you could probably fit in those four levels at some point in your build, losing four levels of Skirmish, Favored Enemy, and Ranger spell progression hurts a lot. Much more than can be assuaged by the (admittedly cool) 1d10+Str you can deal from a mile away.