Powergamers Unite! Elf Cleric Archer

[Kae'Yoss]

what makes a cleric archer build so much more powerful than a melee cleric build?

i'd tend to think that a melee cleric using a big weapon with extended or persistant bulls strength would be just as powerful (if not more), especially since bows and arrows don't stack anymore in 3.5.

Well, persistant bulls strength isn't (you need a spell with personal or fixed range for Persistant Spell)

Cleric Archer's are good cause you can get point blank shot for free (elf domain).

Clerics are good because:
You can get magic vestment and greater magic weapon without outside help or magic items.
You can get righteous might and divine power
You can increase your Str and Con (and Dex with elf domain) without outside help or magic items.

Archers are good because:
Bracers of Archery
Bows and Arrows stack (well, not in 3.5, but it was there and was powerful, especially if you were cleric and could enchant your ammo yourself)
You can pepper your foe whenever you see him. You don't have to get close to him.
Rapid Shot will give you an extra attack. (the ways to get that with melee fighters are more limited than that).


But if you won't allow Persistant Spell and use the 3.5 rule about launchers and ammo, it isn't so bad anymore.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Could I get some info bout Devlin's Ring? Unlimited arrows seems a bit much for 2000 gp.

 

[eXodus]

BAB +6/+1
BAB after Righteous Might +9/+4
Cat's Grace for a total Dex bonus of +7
+1 Mighty Composite Long Bow of frost(+4 str bonus)
Minor Bracers of Archery +1 Competence bonus
Divine Favor +3 Luck Bonus
Blessed Aim +2 Morale bonus
True Strike +20 insight bonus to first shot
Haste +1 bonus, extra attack
Point Blank Shot +1 bonus within 30'
Rapid Shot -2 penalty, extra attack
-1 to hit from Righteous Might

+46/+26/+26/+21

Damage is limited to
+4 from Str 18 from Righteous Might
+1 from Bow
+3 from Divine Favor (luck)
+1 from Point Blank Shot
+3 from Greater Magic Weapon on Arrows of Shock
+1d6 damage from bow of Frost
+1d6 damage from Shock on Arrows
Damage increases to 2d6 from Righteous Might size enlargement

total damage: 2d6 + 1d6 frost + 1d6 shock + 12

is this all legal???

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Could I get some info bout Devlin's Ring? Unlimited arrows seems a bit much for 2000 gp.

Well, that's the price of 40.000 arrows. It takes you some time to shoot 40.000 arrows.

It does give you a nice tool to explain why the archer has so many arrows with him (without having a complete portable hole just for quivers). And it uses up one of two precious ring slots.

 

[mooby]

I want to play a cleric archer, because i like archery and i dont want to play the standard melee cleric. i'm not dead set on always buffing myself.

MY QUESTION: If you were playing in a game without access to the persistant spell feat, would you bother with extend spell in 3.5?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

MY QUESTION: If you were playing in a game without access to the persistant spell feat, would you bother with extend spell in 3.5?

Sure. In fact, I do. Even after I discarded Persistant Spell, I kept it (and I had and used it before I had PS). It's nice for Greater Magic Weapon and Magic Vestment (at level 12 and more, you'll have those all day), and those 1min/lv or 10min/lv spells can profit of that as well.

 

[mooby]

thanks!