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<blockquote data-quote="ksbsnowowl" data-source="post: 2169192" data-attributes="member: 14783">Well, I would normally provide a link to the WotC boards, but as I said, I can't get there from my comp.&nbsp; Look that thread up sometime, because it has been ammended and updated in the intervening months to reflect new products and provide more aid to those playing soley 3.5.&nbsp; I do, however, have the original write-up saved on my hard drive. So, here it is:Just to make an easily referred-to post (since the other was locked down and in an odd place to begin with), and to clean up the presentation and corrections a little, I’m going to repost my Sniper Archer build.&nbsp; I’m also going to include my Combat Archer build (since it’s my favorite <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />). Just for the reader’s information, all my posts and builds are 3.0 unless otherwise noted.The prestige classes used in this post, and their locations, are thus:Deepwood Sniper (Masters of the Wild)Order of the Bow Initiate (Sword and Fist) – note, not the OotBI from 3.5’s Complete WarriorPeerless Archer (Silver Marches – a Forgotten Realms campaign accessory)First, the Combat Archer:[code] HumanLevel&nbsp; &nbsp; Class&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Feats&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Class Abilities1&nbsp; &nbsp; Ranger&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; PBShot, Precise Shot&nbsp; &nbsp; Fav En (?), TWF*, Ambidex*, Track2&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rapid Shot&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BF3&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Far Shot, WF&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BF4&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter5&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Weap Spec&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BF/WS6&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Quick Draw&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +1d67&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Close Combat Shot8&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Expert Bowyer, RSA +2d69&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; Imp. Crit.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sharp Shooting 1, Fletching +110&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Power Shot11&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +3d6, Fletching +212&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; Manyshot&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sharp Shooting 213&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Fletching +314&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +4d615&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; Combat Reflexes&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Threaten, Fletching +416&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +5d6&nbsp; &nbsp; 17&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Sup. Weap Foc18&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Zen Archery&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +6d619&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Free Attack, Zen Archery20&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sup. Weap SpecBase Saves&nbsp; &nbsp; Fort +14&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Ref +8&nbsp; &nbsp; Will +8[/code]To use this exact progression, you must be either Human or Strongheart Halfling, because the early levels are very feat intensive to meet the prerequisites of OotBI and Peer Arch by 5th and 7th levels, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp; A similar build can be played by other races, but you must remove either Zen Archery, Manyshot, or Improved Crit, and move the first level of Peerless Archer back to 10th level, shifting levels 3 and 4 of OotBI up to character levels 8 and 9. Improved Crit is probably the best option for a 3.5 player, as they could stick a level of DWS into the build somewhere, only losing the Superior Weapon Specialization from the 7th level of OotBI.This build provides some great combat abilities to an archer.&nbsp; By 7th level he no longer suffers AoO’s from firing his bow in melee.&nbsp; At 10th character level, he is able to make Power Attacks with his bow, helping him deal damage and break through lower degrees of DR. By the 5th level of Peer Arch (12th character lvl) he no longer suffers any chance of striking his friends in combat due to them providing cover to the enemies (not otherwise able to be achieved without an epic feat in 3.0). This also replicates a large portion of the 3.5 feat Improved Precise Shot.&nbsp; At 15th level this combat archer gains a large measure of his power.&nbsp; The threaten ability of the Peer Arch allows him to threaten at 10 feet as if he were wielding a melee reach weapon. This, in combination with Combat Reflexes, allows him to be just as effective at melee range as a fighter with a pole-arm; better, actually, since he’ll have a much higher dexterity, allowing him numerous AoO’s within each round. At 19th level, the addition of the Free Attack and stacking Zen Archery abilities of the OotBI makes this archer a combat god, especially if you have another party member who wields a reach weapon.By 19th level, with a Dex score of 24 (easily obtainable by the higher levels), and under the effects of Haste, this archer is able to fire up 18 arrows a round; 11 of them at one target.&nbsp; Here’s the breakdown: 4 arrows from iterative attacks, 1 arrow from Rapid Shot, 4 arrows from Manyshot (during your hasted action), 1 arrow from an AoO, and 1 arrow from Free Attack.&nbsp; You also have the possibility of 7 more AoO’s due to Combat Reflexes.Now, the Sniper Archer:[code] HumanLevel&nbsp; &nbsp; Class&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Feats&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Class Abilities1&nbsp; &nbsp; Ranger&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; PBShot,&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Precise Shot&nbsp; &nbsp; Fav En (?), TWF*, Ambidex*, Track2&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Rapid Shot&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BF3&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Far Shot, WF&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BF4&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter5&nbsp; &nbsp; Fighter&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Weap Spec&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; BF/WS6&nbsp; &nbsp; DWS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Quickdraw&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Keen Arrows, Range Inc Bonus +10ft/lvl7&nbsp; &nbsp; DWS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Conc Reduc 10%, Magic Weap, Proj Imp Crit +18&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Expert Bowyer, RSA +1d69&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; Manyshot&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Sharp Shooting 1, Fletching +110&nbsp; &nbsp; Peer Arch&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Power Shot11&nbsp; &nbsp; DWS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Safe Poison Use12&nbsp; &nbsp; DWS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Imp. Crit.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Take Aim +213&nbsp; &nbsp; DWS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Consistent Aim 1/day14&nbsp; &nbsp; DWS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Conceal Reduc 20%15&nbsp; &nbsp; DWS&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ? Imp Init ?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Consistent Aim 2/day, Proj Imp Crit +216&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +2d617&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Close Combat Shot18&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; ?&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +3d6&nbsp; &nbsp; 19&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Sup Weap Foc20&nbsp; &nbsp; OotBI&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; RSA +4d6[/code]This is the be-all and end-all of snipers.&nbsp; The following analyses are dependant upon a few different things.First, a character with a single level of ranger is able to use wands of ranger spells. You do not have to be a 4th level ranger before you can use wands.&nbsp; I will post the quoted rule at the bottom of this thread, so as to not clutter this section. Secondly, Hunter’s Mercy (found in Magic of Faerun) causes your next bow shot to automatically hit and threaten a critical. Also note that HM affects you, not your weapon. Thirdly, Bless Weapon causes your next critical threat to automatically confirm as a critical hit.&nbsp; Apparently, BW is not a valid spell to be made into an oil (potion) under 3.0 rules; however, it is listed as a randomly generated oil in the 3.5 DMG.&nbsp; For 3.0, you can obtain a wand of BW and have either the party Paladin or Rogue (through use of Use Magic Device) cast it for you. Fourthly, it is debatable whether a weapon with the burst enhancement can produce damage higher than +3d10 (on a x4 critical), since it does not list it as going higher than that in the DMG; however, at the time the DMG was printed there was no way to get a critical multiplier of higher than x4.&nbsp; I am of the opinion that it is obviously linear, and would increase to +4d10 at a x5 critical and +5d10 at a x6 critical.&nbsp; As such, that is what is represented in this build. Lastly, it is unlikely that BW can be used on an arrow fired from an Oathbow, so I will show at each level the values without using an Oathbow, but will also show the use of an advanced Oathbow at 20th level, along with the to-hit modifiers (assuming a Dex of 20). In that advancement of the Oathbow, I am treating the Oathbow property as a +3 modifier, as it is similar to Bane (a +2 modifier), but perhaps a little better.&nbsp; &nbsp; The last 5 levels of the build can really be composed of any +1 BAB class; however, I chose OotBI because of it’s sneak attack progression.&nbsp; Here is an analysis of this build’s damage potential at character levels 10, 15, and 20.&nbsp; If there are any mistakes that anyone notices, please point them out so that I may fix them.The items used for this analysis are:A wand of Hunter’s MercyA wand or oil of Bless WeaponBracers of ArcheryMagic arrows obtainable at that level from a straight classed wizard or cleric of equal levelA Mighty Composite Longbow (+4 str mod) of magical enhancement relatively appropriate for the level (+2 shocking burst @ 10th, +5 Shocking Burst @ 15th, +5 Shocking Burst, Icy Burst or advanced +5 Shocking Burst Oathbow).The tactics employed by this sniper are composed of him being made invisible (either through the help of party spell-casters, Wondrous Items, or a Ring of Invisibility at higher levels), placing Bless Weapon upon an arrow (either with an oil or wand), sneaking to within 30 feet of the target, and casting Hunter’s Mercy from a wand.&nbsp; He then uses Manyshot to fire the maximum number of arrows at the target.10th level:+2 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Longbow (19-20/ x4 crit)Damage: 4d8(primary arrow) +8(+2 magical bow) +12(+3 magic arrow) +40(power shot) +8(Weap. Spec.) +16 (strength) +4 (PBS) +4(Bracers) + 1d6(sneak attack) + 1d6(shocking) + 3d10(burst) +1d8(2nd arrow) +2(2nd magical bow) +3(2nd magic arrow) +10(power shot) +2(Weap. Spec.) +4(strength) +1d6(shocking)Total: 5d8 + 3d6 + 3d10 + 113Avg Dmg: 162.5Max Dmg: 201Min Dmg: 12415th level:+5 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Longbow (18-20/ x5 crit)Damage: 5d8(primary arrow) +25(+5 magical bow) +25(+5 magic arrow) +75(power shot) +10(Weap. Spec.) +20 (strength) +5 (PBS) +5(Bracers) + 1d6(sneak attack) + 1d6(shocking) + 4d10(burst) +2d8(2nd&amp;3rd arrows) +10(2&amp;3 magical bow) +10(2&amp;3 magic arrow) +30(2&amp;3 power shot) +4(2&amp;3 Weap. Spec.) +8(2&amp;3 strength) +2d6(2&amp;3 shocking)Total: 7d8 + 4d6 + 4d10 + 227Avg Dmg: 294.5Max Dmg: 347Min Dmg: 24220th level:+5 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst, Icy Burst Longbow (18-20/ x5 crit)Damage: 5d8(primary arrow) +25(+5 magical bow) +25(+5 magic arrow) +100(power shot) +10(Weap. Spec.) +20 (strength) +5 (PBS) +5(Bracers) +4d6(sneak attack) +1d6(shocking) +4d10(burst) +1d6(icy) +4d10(burst) +3d8(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th arrows) +15(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th magical bow) +15(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th magic arrow) +60(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th power shot) +6(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th Weap. Spec.) +12(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th strength) +3d6(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th shocking) +3d6(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th icy)Total: 8d8 + 12d6 + 8d10 + 298Avg Dmg: 420Max Dmg: 514Min Dmg: 326[NEW]You could, at great expense (approximately 16,000 gp), obtain and use four +10 equivalent arrows in the above attack.&nbsp; Actually, you could make that four +6 equivalent arrows that are +1 with +5-worth of abilities, and then subject them to a Greater Magic Weapon spell, so the four arrows would cost less than 6000 gp.&nbsp; For example, you could obtain four +5 Holy, Acidic Burst, Screaming arrows (Acidic Burst and Screaming are found in MoF).&nbsp; Using these would add 8d6 (Holy), 4d6 (Sonic), 4d6 (acid), and 4d10 (burst) damage to the above analysis.&nbsp; This would increase the Average, Maximum, and Minimum damage from 420, 514, and 326 respectively, to:Avg Dmg: 498Max Dmg: 650Min Dmg: 346Although this is talking in extreme hypotheticals, it is also possible that you could obtain four arrows with the bane property against your target. For example, four +5 Holy, Bane, Screaming arrows.&nbsp; Against the Bane target the arrows would function as +7 arrows.&nbsp; This would add 16 (magical) + 8d6 (Bane) +8d6 (Holy) + 4d6 (sonic) damage, and would increase the 420, 514, and 326 values to:Avg Dmg: 506Max Dmg: 650Min Dmg: 362[/NEW]20th level:+5 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Oathbow (18-20/ x5 crit)(+7 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Oathbow (18-20/ x6 crit) [versus a sworn enemy]Bonuses to confirm the Critical Hit: +19 = +7(bow) +5(arrows) +1(Weap Foc) +1(PBS) +2(bracers) +5(Dex) – 2(manyshot [I don’t remember the errata – is it&nbsp; –2/extra arrow?])Damage: 6d8(primary arrow) +42(+7 magical bow) +30(+5 magic arrow) +120(power shot) +12(Weap. Spec.) +24 (strength) +6 (PBS) +6(Bracers) +4d6(sneak attack) +1d6(shocking) +5d10(burst) +3d8(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th arrows) +21(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th magical bow) +21(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th magic arrow) +60(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th power shot) +6(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th Weap. Spec.) +12(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th strength) +3d6(2nd, 3rd, &amp;4th shocking) Total: 9d8 + 8d6 + 5d10 + 360Avg Dmg: 456Max Dmg: 530Min Dmg: 382Oh yes, that rule about wand use.&nbsp; Wands use the spell trigger activation method, and looking up spell trigger in the 3.5 SRD (or page 175 of the 3.0 DMG) we find that: Emphases mine.Here are the acronyms and abbreviations that are used throughout this post:Ambidex: Ambidexterity AoO: Attack of OpportunityBF: Bonus FeatBW: Bless WeaponConc Reduc: Concealment ReductionDR: Damage ReductionDWS: Deepwood SniperFav En: Favored Enemy HM: Hunter’s MercyImp. Crit: Improved CriticalImp. Init: Improved InitiativeInc: IncrementOotBI: Order of the Bow Initiate PBS / PBShot: Point Blank Shot Peer Arch: Peerless Archer Proj Imp Crit: Projectile Improved CriticalRSA: Ranged Sneak Attack Sup. Weap Foc: Superior Weapon Focus Sup. Weap Spec: Superior Weapon SpecializationTWF: Two Weapon FightingWF: Weapon FocusWS / Weap Spec: Weapon Specialization</blockquote>

[QUOTE="ksbsnowowl, post: 2169192, member: 14783"] Well, I would normally provide a link to the WotC boards, but as I said, I can't get there from my comp. Look that thread up sometime, because it has been ammended and updated in the intervening months to reflect new products and provide more aid to those playing soley 3.5. I do, however, have the original write-up saved on my hard drive. So, here it is: Just to make an easily referred-to post (since the other was locked down and in an odd place to begin with), and to clean up the presentation and corrections a little, I’m going to repost my Sniper Archer build. I’m also going to include my Combat Archer build (since it’s my favorite :)). Just for the reader’s information, all my posts and builds are 3.0 unless otherwise noted. The prestige classes used in this post, and their locations, are thus: Deepwood Sniper (Masters of the Wild) Order of the Bow Initiate (Sword and Fist) – note, [I]not[/I] the OotBI from 3.5’s Complete Warrior Peerless Archer (Silver Marches – a Forgotten Realms campaign accessory) First, the Combat Archer: [code] Human Level Class Feats Class Abilities 1 Ranger PBShot, Precise Shot Fav En (?), TWF*, Ambidex*, Track 2 Fighter Rapid Shot BF 3 Fighter Far Shot, WF BF 4 Fighter 5 Fighter Weap Spec BF/WS 6 OotBI Quick Draw RSA +1d6 7 OotBI Close Combat Shot 8 Peer Arch Expert Bowyer, RSA +2d6 9 Peer Arch Imp. Crit. Sharp Shooting 1, Fletching +1 10 Peer Arch Power Shot 11 Peer Arch RSA +3d6, Fletching +2 12 Peer Arch Manyshot Sharp Shooting 2 13 Peer Arch Fletching +3 14 Peer Arch RSA +4d6 15 Peer Arch Combat Reflexes Threaten, Fletching +4 16 OotBI RSA +5d6 17 OotBI Sup. Weap Foc 18 OotBI Zen Archery RSA +6d6 19 OotBI Free Attack, Zen Archery 20 OotBI Sup. Weap Spec Base Saves Fort +14 Ref +8 Will +8[/code]To use this exact progression, you must be either Human or Strongheart Halfling, because the early levels are very feat intensive to meet the prerequisites of OotBI and Peer Arch by 5th and 7th levels, respectively. A similar build can be played by other races, but you must remove either Zen Archery, Manyshot, or Improved Crit, and move the first level of Peerless Archer back to 10th level, shifting levels 3 and 4 of OotBI up to character levels 8 and 9. Improved Crit is probably the best option for a 3.5 player, as they could stick a level of DWS into the build somewhere, only losing the Superior Weapon Specialization from the 7th level of OotBI. This build provides some great combat abilities to an archer. By 7th level he no longer suffers AoO’s from firing his bow in melee. At 10th character level, he is able to make Power Attacks with his bow, helping him deal damage and break through lower degrees of DR. By the 5th level of Peer Arch (12th character lvl) he no longer suffers any chance of striking his friends in combat due to them providing cover to the enemies (not otherwise able to be achieved without an epic feat in 3.0). This also replicates a large portion of the 3.5 feat Improved Precise Shot. At 15th level this combat archer gains a large measure of his power. The threaten ability of the Peer Arch allows him to threaten at 10 feet as if he were wielding a melee reach weapon. This, in combination with Combat Reflexes, allows him to be just as effective at melee range as a fighter with a pole-arm; better, actually, since he’ll have a much higher dexterity, allowing him numerous AoO’s within each round. At 19th level, the addition of the Free Attack and stacking Zen Archery abilities of the OotBI makes this archer a combat god, especially if you have another party member who wields a reach weapon. By 19th level, with a Dex score of 24 (easily obtainable by the higher levels), and under the effects of [I]Haste[/I], this archer is able to fire up 18 arrows a round; 11 of them at one target. Here’s the breakdown: 4 arrows from iterative attacks, 1 arrow from Rapid Shot, 4 arrows from Manyshot (during your [I]hasted[/I] action), 1 arrow from an AoO, and 1 arrow from Free Attack. You also have the possibility of 7 more AoO’s due to Combat Reflexes. Now, the Sniper Archer: [code] Human Level Class Feats Class Abilities 1 Ranger PBShot, Precise Shot Fav En (?), TWF*, Ambidex*, Track 2 Fighter Rapid Shot BF 3 Fighter Far Shot, WF BF 4 Fighter 5 Fighter Weap Spec BF/WS 6 DWS Quickdraw Keen Arrows, Range Inc Bonus +10ft/lvl 7 DWS Conc Reduc 10%, Magic Weap, Proj Imp Crit +1 8 Peer Arch Expert Bowyer, RSA +1d6 9 Peer Arch Manyshot Sharp Shooting 1, Fletching +1 10 Peer Arch Power Shot 11 DWS Safe Poison Use 12 DWS Imp. Crit. Take Aim +2 13 DWS Consistent Aim 1/day 14 DWS Conceal Reduc 20% 15 DWS ? Imp Init ? Consistent Aim 2/day, Proj Imp Crit +2 16 OotBI RSA +2d6 17 OotBI Close Combat Shot 18 OotBI ? RSA +3d6 19 OotBI Sup Weap Foc 20 OotBI RSA +4d6[/code] This is the be-all and end-all of snipers. The following analyses are dependant upon a few different things. First, a character with a single level of ranger is able to use wands of ranger spells. You do [I]not[/I] have to be a 4th level ranger before you can use wands. I will post the quoted rule at the bottom of this thread, so as to not clutter this section. Secondly, [I]Hunter’s Mercy[/I] (found in Magic of Faerun) causes your next bow shot to automatically hit and threaten a critical. Also note that HM affects you, not your weapon. Thirdly, [I]Bless Weapon[/I] causes your next critical threat to automatically confirm as a critical hit. Apparently, BW is not a valid spell to be made into an oil (potion) under 3.0 rules; however, it is listed as a randomly generated oil in the 3.5 DMG. For 3.0, you can obtain a wand of BW and have either the party Paladin or Rogue (through use of Use Magic Device) cast it for you. Fourthly, it is debatable whether a weapon with the burst enhancement can produce damage higher than +3d10 (on a x4 critical), since it does not list it as going higher than that in the DMG; however, at the time the DMG was printed there was no way to get a critical multiplier of higher than x4. I am of the opinion that it is obviously linear, and would increase to +4d10 at a x5 critical and +5d10 at a x6 critical. As such, that is what is represented in this build. Lastly, it is unlikely that BW can be used on an arrow fired from an Oathbow, so I will show at each level the values without using an Oathbow, but will also show the use of an advanced Oathbow at 20th level, along with the to-hit modifiers (assuming a Dex of 20). In that advancement of the Oathbow, I am treating the Oathbow property as a +3 modifier, as it is similar to Bane (a +2 modifier), but perhaps a little better. The last 5 levels of the build can really be composed of any +1 BAB class; however, I chose OotBI because of it’s sneak attack progression. Here is an analysis of this build’s damage potential at character levels 10, 15, and 20. If there are any mistakes that anyone notices, please point them out so that I may fix them. The items used for this analysis are: A wand of [I]Hunter’s Mercy[/I] A wand or oil of [I]Bless Weapon[/I] Bracers of Archery Magic arrows obtainable at that level from a straight classed wizard or cleric of equal level A Mighty Composite Longbow (+4 str mod) of magical enhancement relatively appropriate for the level (+2 shocking burst @ 10th, +5 Shocking Burst @ 15th, +5 Shocking Burst, Icy Burst or advanced +5 Shocking Burst Oathbow). The tactics employed by this sniper are composed of him being made invisible (either through the help of party spell-casters, Wondrous Items, or a Ring of Invisibility at higher levels), placing [I]Bless Weapon[/I] upon an arrow (either with an oil or wand), sneaking to within 30 feet of the target, and casting [I]Hunter’s Mercy[/I] from a wand. He then uses Manyshot to fire the maximum number of arrows at the target. 10th level: +2 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Longbow (19-20/ x4 crit) Damage: 4d8(primary arrow) +8(+2 magical bow) +12(+3 magic arrow) +40(power shot) +8(Weap. Spec.) +16 (strength) +4 (PBS) +4(Bracers) + 1d6(sneak attack) + 1d6(shocking) + 3d10(burst) +1d8(2nd arrow) +2(2nd magical bow) +3(2nd magic arrow) +10(power shot) +2(Weap. Spec.) +4(strength) +1d6(shocking) Total: 5d8 + 3d6 + 3d10 + 113 [b]Avg Dmg: 162.5 Max Dmg: 201 Min Dmg: 124[/b] 15th level: +5 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Longbow (18-20/ x5 crit) Damage: 5d8(primary arrow) +25(+5 magical bow) +25(+5 magic arrow) +75(power shot) +10(Weap. Spec.) +20 (strength) +5 (PBS) +5(Bracers) + 1d6(sneak attack) + 1d6(shocking) + 4d10(burst) +2d8(2nd&3rd arrows) +10(2&3 magical bow) +10(2&3 magic arrow) +30(2&3 power shot) +4(2&3 Weap. Spec.) +8(2&3 strength) +2d6(2&3 shocking) Total: 7d8 + 4d6 + 4d10 + 227 [b]Avg Dmg: 294.5 Max Dmg: 347 Min Dmg: 242[/b] 20th level: +5 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst, Icy Burst Longbow (18-20/ x5 crit) Damage: 5d8(primary arrow) +25(+5 magical bow) +25(+5 magic arrow) +100(power shot) +10(Weap. Spec.) +20 (strength) +5 (PBS) +5(Bracers) +4d6(sneak attack) +1d6(shocking) +4d10(burst) +1d6(icy) +4d10(burst) +3d8(2nd, 3rd, &4th arrows) +15(2nd, 3rd, &4th magical bow) +15(2nd, 3rd, &4th magic arrow) +60(2nd, 3rd, &4th power shot) +6(2nd, 3rd, &4th Weap. Spec.) +12(2nd, 3rd, &4th strength) +3d6(2nd, 3rd, &4th shocking) +3d6(2nd, 3rd, &4th icy) Total: 8d8 + 12d6 + 8d10 + 298 [b]Avg Dmg: 420 Max Dmg: 514 Min Dmg: 326[/b] [NEW] You could, at great expense (approximately 16,000 gp), obtain and use four +10 equivalent arrows in the above attack. Actually, you could make that four +6 equivalent arrows that are +1 with +5-worth of abilities, and then subject them to a [I]Greater Magic Weapon[/I] spell, so the four arrows would cost less than 6000 gp. For example, you could obtain four +5 Holy, Acidic Burst, Screaming arrows (Acidic Burst and Screaming are found in MoF). Using these would add 8d6 (Holy), 4d6 (Sonic), 4d6 (acid), and 4d10 (burst) damage to the above analysis. This would increase the Average, Maximum, and Minimum damage from 420, 514, and 326 respectively, to: [b]Avg Dmg: 498 Max Dmg: 650 Min Dmg: 346[/b] Although this is talking in extreme hypotheticals, it is also possible that you could obtain four arrows with the [I]bane[/I] property against your target. For example, four +5 Holy, Bane, Screaming arrows. Against the [I]Bane[/I] target the arrows would function as +7 arrows. This would add 16 (magical) + 8d6 (Bane) +8d6 (Holy) + 4d6 (sonic) damage, and would increase the 420, 514, and 326 values to: [b]Avg Dmg: 506 Max Dmg: 650 Min Dmg: 362[/b] [/NEW] 20th level: +5 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Oathbow (18-20/ x5 crit) (+7 Mighty Comp (+4) Shocking Burst Oathbow (18-20/ x6 crit) [versus a sworn enemy] Bonuses to confirm the Critical Hit: [b]+19[/b] = +7(bow) +5(arrows) +1(Weap Foc) +1(PBS) +2(bracers) +5(Dex) – 2(manyshot [I don’t remember the errata – is it –2/extra arrow?]) Damage: 6d8(primary arrow) +42(+7 magical bow) +30(+5 magic arrow) +120(power shot) +12(Weap. Spec.) +24 (strength) +6 (PBS) +6(Bracers) +4d6(sneak attack) +1d6(shocking) +5d10(burst) +3d8(2nd, 3rd, &4th arrows) +21(2nd, 3rd, &4th magical bow) +21(2nd, 3rd, &4th magic arrow) +60(2nd, 3rd, &4th power shot) +6(2nd, 3rd, &4th Weap. Spec.) +12(2nd, 3rd, &4th strength) +3d6(2nd, 3rd, &4th shocking) Total: 9d8 + 8d6 + 5d10 + 360 [b]Avg Dmg: 456 Max Dmg: 530 Min Dmg: 382[/b] Oh yes, that rule about wand use. Wands use the spell trigger activation method, and looking up spell trigger in the 3.5 SRD (or page 175 of the 3.0 DMG) we find that: Emphases mine. Here are the acronyms and abbreviations that are used throughout this post: Ambidex: Ambidexterity AoO: Attack of Opportunity BF: Bonus Feat BW: [I]Bless Weapon[/I] Conc Reduc: Concealment Reduction DR: Damage Reduction DWS: Deepwood Sniper Fav En: Favored Enemy HM: [I]Hunter’s Mercy[/I] Imp. Crit: Improved Critical Imp. Init: Improved Initiative Inc: Increment OotBI: Order of the Bow Initiate PBS / PBShot: Point Blank Shot Peer Arch: Peerless Archer Proj Imp Crit: Projectile Improved Critical RSA: Ranged Sneak Attack Sup. Weap Foc: Superior Weapon Focus Sup. Weap Spec: Superior Weapon Specialization TWF: Two Weapon Fighting WF: Weapon Focus WS / Weap Spec: Weapon Specialization [/QUOTE]

Verification