mattcolville
Adventurer
A buddy wants to put together a ranged dude, and is looking at Order of the Bow Initiate. Anyone have any experience with this PrC? What was your impression? Are there any other good archery-based PrCs?
Order of the Bow Initiate
- Thread starter mattcolville
- Start date
Unfortunately, the 3.5 OoBI sucks as their primary ability the "Precision Shot" is incompatible with most other feats and using it negates one of an archer's primary advantages namely being able to get a full attack in most situations. The only real reason to take it is the Close Combat Shot which negates the AoO for firing a bow in a threatened area.
However, that can be matched with either the Ranger 1st lv spell "Arrow Mind" (from Complete Adventurer), which not only negates the AoO, but let's you threaten a normal area. Or the Exotic Weapon master class which gives you the identical ability. For the latter you could either use the Greatbow (exotic bow, d10 dam, too large for horse back use) or persuade your DM to just let you burn a feat on the bow to use it as an exotic weapon.
My favorite Archer Prestige class is Deepwoods Sniper from the 3.0 Splatbook "Masters of the Wild". It's primary features are giving you an enhanced crit multiplier (x4 at 2nd and eventually x5) and keen arrows (19-20 crit range). It dovetaills nicely with the archer-ranger path. Some people complain that it's "Broken", but IME none of them have actually used the class and it's hardly been overpowered in the campaigns I have used it in.
However, that can be matched with either the Ranger 1st lv spell "Arrow Mind" (from Complete Adventurer), which not only negates the AoO, but let's you threaten a normal area. Or the Exotic Weapon master class which gives you the identical ability. For the latter you could either use the Greatbow (exotic bow, d10 dam, too large for horse back use) or persuade your DM to just let you burn a feat on the bow to use it as an exotic weapon.
My favorite Archer Prestige class is Deepwoods Sniper from the 3.0 Splatbook "Masters of the Wild". It's primary features are giving you an enhanced crit multiplier (x4 at 2nd and eventually x5) and keen arrows (19-20 crit range). It dovetaills nicely with the archer-ranger path. Some people complain that it's "Broken", but IME none of them have actually used the class and it's hardly been overpowered in the campaigns I have used it in.
FrostedMini1337
First Post
Yah, Deepwood Sniper is really good.
Order of the Bow is underpowered, if you have a proper weapon for your level. It's nice and flavorful, but you'll end up being sad at later levels when you do one shot for 50 damage, and the other kids hit 3 times for 35.
On a weird sidenote OotB is quite nice if you match it with Deepwood. +5d8 with a critical of 19-20 x4. But thats the only attack you get, so it turns out quite fun (if they don't have Deflect Arrows).
Order of the Bow is underpowered, if you have a proper weapon for your level. It's nice and flavorful, but you'll end up being sad at later levels when you do one shot for 50 damage, and the other kids hit 3 times for 35.
On a weird sidenote OotB is quite nice if you match it with Deepwood. +5d8 with a critical of 19-20 x4. But thats the only attack you get, so it turns out quite fun (if they don't have Deflect Arrows).
Question
First Post
Precision shot is a complete and utter waste of time. Most archer related PRCs are junk, look at the arcane archer for instance.
Peerless archer is only good for the power shot ability. Everything else is fairly meh, ESPECIALLY the ability to make magical arrows. Nobody wants anything other than +1 bane ammo in 3.5e.
Peerless archer is only good for the power shot ability. Everything else is fairly meh, ESPECIALLY the ability to make magical arrows. Nobody wants anything other than +1 bane ammo in 3.5e.
shilsen
Adventurer
Rackhir said:
I've played the class in 3.0, and I'd say that if not broken it was borderline. With the 3.0 stacking of bow and arrow enhancement bonuses removed in 3.5, it's much more palatable. And absolutely no arguments about the problems with OotBI.
Question said:
Now that Ranged Power Attack, as opposed to the DWS abilities, is still in the broken camp. Again, less so than in 3.0, where it was horrendously powerful, but still.
