Is the Order of the Bow Initiate Overpowered?

[IronWolf]

Over in the game balance thread someone mentioned that they didn't think WotC was too concerned about game balance and pointed to the Order of the Bow Initiate from Complete Warrior as an example. I guess I never considered that PrC overpowered, even after having seen it in play. So I am wondering if I am missing something? Do others feel the same way? Why or why not?

 

[was]

I don't think that it's bad.

 

[MadMaxim]

I don't think it's overpowered. You give up your iterative attacks for one attack that has to hit something within 60 ft. for a maximum of 40 extra points of damage. It can sure look like a lot, but if your bow has all sorts of nifty special abilities then it almost seems like a waste to only fire one shot each turn. You have to get dangerously close to your target as well which may be able to charge you next turn. It's cool but certainly not overpowered, even though I haven't seen it in play yet.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Not even remotely. Of course, someone could still be looking at the 3.0 version, which was somewhat meatier than the current one.

I'm not even sure the old version was teribly unbalanced, but I could at least see the argument. No way the current one is.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Nah, it's not bad at all; however, the 3.0 version was ass on crackers.

 

[der_kluge]

That poster was me, and I admit that I don't know much about that class, but it is often mentioned as being very over-powered. I suspect the CW version is probably toned down from the original one.

I still stand by my comment that Book of Exalted Deeds is full of munchkiny goodness. What was that spell... celestial brilliance? Something like 120' radius of daylight lasting hours per level, and just annihilating undead in the AoE. Disgusting.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Undead in the AoE take 1d6 damage/round. Nasty, sure, but hardly instant annihilation.

Thing is, BoED is indeed going to be overpowered if it's just used as another sourcebook. If a DM enforces the behavioral and mechanical restrictions required to be an Exalted Character, though--to say nothing of the fact that many of its most potent spells cause ability damage to the caster--it becomes a lot more balanced.

 

[IronWolf]

That poster was me, and I admit that I don't know much about that class, but it is often mentioned as being very over-powered. I suspect the CW version is probably toned down from the original one.

Ah, that's probably where some of my question came from. I missed the whole 3.0 edition and got back in with the release of 3.5, so I missed the whole 3.0 version of the Order of the Bow Initiate.

 

[Dark Jezter]

The 3.5e version of the Order of the Bow Initiate isn't bad. The 3.0 version, OTOH, was quite overpowered.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Undead in the AoE take 1d6 damage/round. Nasty, sure, but hardly instant annihilation.

Not to mention the fact that if it's a cleric spell (I assume so), then any undead that gets wasted by 1d6 damage/round is going to be vapourised by the cleric on his first standard action.

And if the party expects undead, then the wizard will probably get in on the action with command undead, control undead and halt undead.