Help with Manyshot

[Nail]

I don't believe that the Favored Enemy bonus damage is precision-based in 3.5 since it affects creatures immune to criticals.

Anyone check this?

 

[Nail]

...the only advantage is during surprise rounds and if you have to move and shoot in the same turn....

.....which is quite often in the several different groups I've gamed with.

That first round is key, for the most part, in determining how the battle goes. That's especially true for an archer; she needs to find a good sniping spot, away from the bad guy melee brutes, ASAP. Thus, Manyshot the first round, and still able to move.

 

[Camarath]

Anyone check this?

SRD Favored Enemy entery

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a ranger may select a type of creature from among those given on Table: Ranger Favored Enemies. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2.
If the ranger chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

There is no mention of the damage not applying to creatures not subject to criticals or applying only with in 30ft as there was in 3.0.

 

[Camarath]

edit: double post

 

[Thanee]

.....which is quite often in the several different groups I've gamed with.

Yep, but it's surely different for others.

Depends a lot on the composition of the group also. With many melee fighter-types, there is not so much need for maneuvering usually, but with only a single or generally few fighters, it's much higher. Among other influences.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Plane Sailing]

I believe that's precision-based damage, and thus not added twice.

The strength and magical bonuses are added twice, no question.

All static additions are added twice, all variable additions are only used once. That is the general rule, and I've never seen anything that would gainsay it.

Favoured enemy is no longer precision based damage, it doesn't have a 30ft range limitation and it affects creatures which are immune to criticals just fine in 3.5e.

Cheers

 

[iwatt]

I think most of the poeple who find Manyshot weak are only focuse don the Damage output. Of course taking a Full attacka action with rapid shot will be more effective (you don't even need to do the math to realize this). But as some people have said, the prime advantage of archers is their possible Infinite AC against melee damage if played correctly. With manyshot, you can avoid charges, you can stay far enough from melee brutes to seriously hamper their full attack chances (completely defeating the advantage of a tweaked out TWF ranger). And you can do it while keeping a good enough chance of hitting for a good enough damage. If you insist on the 5' backpedal and full-attack, you will lay out more damage, but you will get hit more often. Manyshot is a tactical dream for those who don't get caught up in the max-damage-per round rat race. In 3.5, you will not outdamage the Barbarian with powerettack anyways, but you can stay out of his way.

 

[Thanee]

Manyshot is a tactical dream for those who don't get caught up in the max-damage-per round rat race. In 3.5, you will not outdamage the Barbarian with powerettack anyways, but you can stay out of his way.

Sure, you can trade your Manyshot attacks versus a single attack most of the time. There are just too many tactics around this (like tripping, disarming, grappling).

I'm looking at Manyshot mainly from a group perspective. It might be a good feat for dueling, but in a group it doesn't seem to add much to the archer's potential (unless the group is very light on melee-types).

Bye
Thanee

 

[iwatt]

Sure, you can trade your Manyshot attacks versus a single attack most of the time. There are just too many tactics around this (like tripping, disarming, grappling).

I agree with you. The point I was trying to make is that a feat doesn't have to be used ALL the time for it to be worthy. But a low hp archer will get some mileage out of this (remeber rangers dropped from d10 to d8 as well) if he wants to. The fact is a mobile archer is still harder to hit than a still one. Also, not evry rival is going to be tripping, disarming, etc.

Basically, I'm a believer that a feat doesn't have to "be on" all the time to be useful. Different strokes and all that.

 

[Thanee]

Sure, didn't say it's useless, just that it will only be useful in special situations and that the rate at which these situations occur dictate the usefulness of the feat.

Rangers get it for free anyways, so it's probably best used as a Ranger!

Bye
Thanee