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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ranger19k" data-source="post: 5860492" data-attributes="member: 98621">If you decide to go with a bow instead of a crossbow, take a few levels of ranger to get access to the 1st level Ranger Spell "Hunter's Mercy" (Spell Compendium pg 117)  It gives an automatic critical to your first hit in the following round with a bowshot.  While it's not useful in real combat due to the std action casting time, it's great if you are in a position to snipe someone who is unsuspecting.  The x3 crit starts to add up if you can pile on some strength and enhancements that actually multiply with the crit.If you have access to Silver Marches (Forgotten Realms) a couple levels of peerless archer will give you one of the few (the only?) power attack equivalent for archery - power shot.  That a few additional modifiers that a judiciously applied "Hunter's Mercy" can help you crit with.Also if your DM will allow you to dip into 3.0 books, a few levels of Deepwood Sniper will help increase the crit damage for the bow from x3 to x5.The other posters on the board are absolutely correct that archery will always be a sub-optimal fighting style in 3.x, but if you can use a greatbow, pile on strength and power shot and enhancements, and automatically crit for x5 with your first shot using Hunter's Mercy, you could actually start to bring down some unsuspecting enemies with a one shot snipe.  (Peerless archer also give you a ranged sneak attack, so if you are perchance within 30' when you snipe, you can add that damage as well)It will still be extremely situational, but if you are committed to this character concept, it is something to consider.  Good luck and good gaming.</blockquote>

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