Recommend me an archer PrC

[hong]

I know of the following for starters:

DMG: arcane archer
MotW: deepwood sniper (3.0)
S&F: order of the bow initiate (3.0)
Silver Marches: peerless archer (3.0)
CW: order of the bow initiate (3.5)

Any other good ones out there?

 

[Archibald Theocliste]

Not really an archer PrC but if I remember correctly the Exotic Weapon Master from CW works well with the Great Bow (also from CW). You can select the Close Quarter Ranged Combat stunt in order to emulate the OotBI ability to attack without provoking AoO, as well as the Ranged Disarm stunt.

 

[kjenks]

My favorite archer prestige class isn't a prestige class at all -- it's fighter.

Use your bonus feats to roll your own prestige class. There are no goofy entry requirements, no strange skills you must take, no limitations by race or alignment, no wasted levels.

 

[Archibald Theocliste]

That's a valid point kjenks but I am confident that Hong is perfectly aware about what a fighter is. Since he asked for PrC, I see no reason not trying to find some.

But are you looking for something specific Hong? Some classes aren't primilary designed as archer PrC but have some interesting powers. I have the Shaaryan Hunter (from the Player's Guide to Faerun) in mind, since it's basically a cavalier PrC that also increases your mastery of the bow when you are mounted...

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Where is the Close Quarter Ranged Combat Shot from?

We have an Order of the Bow Initiate in our group and his ability to fire even when threatened and to ignore anything but total cover is INCREDIBLY effective. I can't tell you how many times I've been peeved off when the character is picking off bad guys who are two or three ranks behind or hiding behind a pillar or something. Very nasty.

 

[Andor]

The order of the bow initiate always ticked me off. An archer who specializes in close combat seems to be fundamentally missing the point. I know it a 3.0 class but I liked the Deepwoods sniper for the simple reason that it was an archer whose skills actually worked from range.

 

[Archibald Theocliste]

Where is the Close Quarter Ranged Combat Shot from?

We have an Order of the Bow Initiate in our group and his ability to fire even when threatened and to ignore anything but total cover is INCREDIBLY effective. I can't tell you how many times I've been peeved off when the character is picking off bad guys who are two or three ranks behind or hiding behind a pillar or something. Very nasty.

The Exotic Weapon Master allows you to pick special moves every level. One of them is the Ranged Close Combat Shot that allows you to fire a ranged exotic weapon without provoking AoO. Since the Great Bow from CW is an exotic weapon, you can use it in the same way an OotBI uses a Longbow while threatened.

On another note, last session one of my players learned how bad it is to stay to close from your enemies even when you are an OotBI (It was his first archer character in a lv 10 campaign).

In their first encounter with a young Rattelyr Dragon in the plains of Shaar (Forgotten Realms) he went crazy with his "no AoO" ability and kept trying to come close enough to benefits from Point Blank Shot...
In the second encounter underground, the dragon explained to him how bad it was to use a bow and not having AoO when your oponent try to grapple or disarm you. And yes he ended up with a short sword in hand, trying to hold back some undead, leaving the dragon to the other players (I think he'll keep a complet set of longbows with him now ^^ )