One shot, one kill?

[0-hr]

I'm playing a 15th level archer character and I'm looking at level 16 with dread. Why? Because I get yet another iterative attack and become even more "the machine-gun elf" that I despise.

My character is a great archer and highly skilled, but it seems that the true measure of any bowman is not his accuracy or deadliness, but simply the number of arrows that he can put into the air in 6 seconds.

Is there any feat or game mechanic out there (in any book or supplement) that I could use to make it worthwhile to shoot less arrows? (BTW, I already ahve multi-shot.)

I would really like to take my time, aim, and shoot just one arrow per round (and I'd also like to leave the mule full of quivers back in town). But there's just no way I can justify that when people's lives are on the line and I can quadruple my average damage by pretending I'm a gatling gun.

What I'd like to find is a feat that let's you give up your iterative attacks for some sort of meaningful benefit - like a bonus to damage, or an increase in threat range - for the one arrow you do shoot. Is there anything like that out there?

If not, what would be balanced for a "One shot, one kill" feat, assuming the shot takes a full attack action?

- Give up all iteratives for a +1/iterative on your threat range?

- Give up two iteratives for a +1 total on your threat multiplier?

- Give up four iteratives for a autonmatic threat? (ala Hunter's Mercy)

- Gain +10 damage per iterative lost?

If those ideas don't seem balanced, what ratio's would be more in line?

 

[daTim]

All I can think of that would be sort of within the rules, is you might want to use the feat "manyshot" but just describe it differently.

Basicly you would be taking a -8 to attack, but doing 4x damage, while only applying things like sneak attack, or weapon specialization and PBshot once. It would be breaking the rules slightly since you would be only using one arrow, instead of the four, but its not really a big deal since you can just GMW a buttload anyway. All up to your GM.

So instead of +30/+25/+20/+15 for 1d8+5 damage each (totally random number) it would be +22 for 4d8+20 damage. You get the idea.

 

[Caliban]

All I can think of that would be sort of within the rules, is you might want to use the feat "manyshot" but just describe it differently.

Basicly you would be taking a -8 to attack, but doing 4x damage, while only applying things like sneak attack, or weapon specialization and PBshot once. It would be breaking the rules slightly since you would be only using one arrow, instead of the four, but its not really a big deal since you can just GMW a buttload anyway. All up to your GM.

So instead of +30/+25/+20/+15 for 1d8+5 damage each (totally random number) it would be +22 for 4d8+20 damage. You get the idea.

The problem with that is that it makes spells like True Strike very powerful.

And combining it with Sneak Attack damage can really put it over the top.

On the other hand, it does seem reasonable that a highly skilled archer should be able to pull the "One Shot, One Kill" scenario under the right conditions. You just don't want to make it so powerful that the Archer character kills the main bad guy all the time. It makes it less fun for the other PC's.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The problem with that is that it makes spells like True Strike very powerful.

And combining it with Sneak Attack damage can really put it over the top.

Manyshot works with True Strike and Sneak Attack already.

It's a single attack roll, so True Strike covers all the arrows in a Manyshot. And it's a single attack, so Sneak Attack, PBS, Specialization only apply once, and the 'extra arrows' are treated like extra damage dice for criticals (ie not multiplied).

The only difference is that with daTim's suggestion, you're loosing fewer physical arrows at the target.

-Hyp.

 

[Camarath]

You could take assassin or another class that gave you Death Attack. Or maybe alter the assassin class to be a Sniper with extened sneak attack range instead of some other benefits (like spells), spot bonus instead of posion use and save vs posion, and maybe a Hide/Move Silently bonus inplace of uncanny dodge.

It would give you a much less rapid fire character but one that might be just as deadly is you use it right.

I also like the idea of instead of firing multiple arrows with Manyshot shot you could increase the damage of one arrow by the number of arrows you would have shot. I think the benfit of only using one arrow (less cost) would be banlanced by the fact you only use one arrow (loss of additional enhancement bonus to damage).

 

[Hypersmurf]

The enhancement bonus is a minor point... it's the energy damage you're missing out on. If you're firing four arrows from a bow with three energy abilities, you're doing +12d6 energy damage (+1d6 flaming, +1d6 shocking, +1d6 screaming, for four arrows). If you're firing one arrow, it's +3d6. That's a big hit in damage-dealing.

Here's a Manyshot question... if you're firing three arrows, and one is a +5 arrow, one is +3, and one is +1... do you calculate individual total attack rolls for each arrow? You use the same die roll, the same feats, the same bonuses for everything else... but the arrows themselves are different... could one hit and the other two miss?

-Hyp.

 

[Caliban]

Manyshot works with True Strike and Sneak Attack already.

It's a single attack roll, so True Strike covers all the arrows in a Manyshot. And it's a single attack, so Sneak Attack, PBS, Specialization only apply once, and the 'extra arrows' are treated like extra damage dice for criticals (ie not multiplied).

The only difference is that with daTim's suggestion, you're loosing fewer physical arrows at the target.

-Hyp.

I don't believe Manyshot is a single attack roll. I think it's a volley, like shuriken.

I sure won't allow True Strike to work on all the arrows from Manyshot.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't believe Manyshot is a single attack roll. I think it's a volley, like shuriken.

I don't have the ELH, but the Revision Spotlight version is a single roll.

"Benefit: As a standard action, you may fire two arrows at a single opponent within 30 feet. Both arrows use the same attack roll (with a -4 penalty) to determine success and deal damage normally (but see Special)."

Not "the same attack bonus"; not "your highest attack bonus"; not "as a single attack, but with a separate roll for each arrow".

"The same attack roll".

With Manyshot, assuming identical arrows, everything hits, or everything misses.

Don't Manyshot someone with Mirror Image.

-Hyp.

 

[Caliban]

I don't have the ELH, but the Revision Spotlight version is a single roll.

"Benefit: As a standard action, you may fire two arrows at a single opponent within 30 feet. Both arrows use the same attack roll (with a -4 penalty) to determine success and deal damage normally (but see Special)."

Not "the same attack bonus"; not "your highest attack bonus"; not "as a single attack, but with a separate roll for each arrow".

"The same attack roll".

With Manyshot, assuming identical arrows, everything hits, or everything misses.

Don't Manyshot someone with Mirror Image.

-Hyp.

That's simply stupid. *sigh*

It won't be allowed in my home game, but I guess I'll have to deal with it in the Living Campaigns if this bit of idiocy actually makes it through unchanged.

 

[Esiminar]

The longbowman and the sniper both of which are found in both Librum Equitis Vol 1 and Librum Equitis Compiled a probably what you are looking for.