Sultans of Smack

[Veldrane]

Machine-gun Smackdown

Close combat Archer Smackdown

Note: This is not a pure max damage smackdown, I didn't throw in energy weapons et similia in order to further increase the damage (you can do it as well as I do). This is more a build, and the damage reported below can be inflicted every round in every combat.

Material used: Phb, SaF, ELH, Silver Marches

Race: Human

[COLOR=silver]
Level	Class			BAB		Saving Throws	Feats				Class Abilities
1	Fighter (1)		+1		+2/+0/+0	Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus	Bonus Feat
2	Fighter (2)		+2		+3/+0/+0	Rapid Shot			Bonus Feat
3	Fighter (3)		+3		+3/+1/+1	Far Shot	
4	Fighter (4)		+4		+4/+1/+1	Weapon Specialization		Bonus Feat
5	Barbarian (1)		+5		+6/+1/+1					Rage, Fast Movement
6	Order of the Bow (1)	+6/+1		+6/+3/+3	Quick Draw			Ranged Sneak Attack +1d6
7	Order of the Bow (2)	+7/+2		+6/+4/+4					Close Combat Shot
8	Peerless Archer (1)	+8/+3		+8/+4/+4			Expert Bowyer, Ranged Sneak Attack +2d6
9	Peerless Archer (2)	+9/+4		+9/+4/+4	Manyshot		Sharp Shooting 1, Fletching +1
10	Peerless Archer (3)	+10/+5		+9/+5/+5					Power Shot
11	Peerless Archer (4)	+11/+6/+1	+10/+5/+5			Ranged Sneak Attack +3d6, Fletching +2
12	Peerless Archer (5)	+12/+7/+2	+10/+5/+5	Improved Critical 		Sharp Shooting 2
13	Peerless Archer (6)	+13/+8/+3	+11/+6/+6					Fletching +3
14	Peerless Archer (7)	+14/+9/+4	+11/+6/+6					Ranged Sneak Attack +4d6
15	Peerless Archer (8)	+15/+10/+5	+12/+6/+6	? Feat ?			Threaten, Fletching +4
16	Order of the Bow (3)	+16/+11/+6/+1	+13/+6/+6					Ranged Sneak Attack +5d6
17	Order of the Bow (4)	+17/+12/+7/+2	+13/+7/+7					Superior Weapon Focus
18	Order of the Bow (5)	+18/+13/+8/+3	+13/+7/+7	Zen Archery			Ranged Sneak Attack +6d6
19	Order of the Bow (6)	+19/+14/+9/+4	+14/+8/+8					Free Attack, Zen Archery
20	Order of the Bow (7)	+20/+15/+10/+5	+14/+8/+8				Superior Weapon Specialization
[/COLOR]

Obviously, we'll use the character @ lvl 16

Items
Mighty (+4) Composite Long Bow +5 (or GMW)
Arrows +5 (or GMW)
Bracers of Archery
Tome +5 Dexterity
Item +6 Dexterity
Boots of Speed

We end up with a Dexterity score of:
17 Base
+4 Level ups
+6 Item
+5 Tome
=
32 (+11 Bonus)

Attack

+16 BAB
+11 Dex
+2 Bracers
+1 Point Blank Shot
+5 Bow
+5 Arrows
+1 Weapon Focus
+2 Flanking (considering in the middle of the fight, or -2 AC to the enemy if flat footed)
=
+43
With Manyshot
+41/+41/+41/+41
With Haste and Manyshot
+41/+41/+41/+41/+41/+41/+41/+41
Ok, time for a little Powershot:
+25/+25/+25/+25/+25/+25/+25/+25

Damage
1d8 Base
+5 Bow
+5 Arrow
+4 Strenght
+1 Point Blank Shot
+1 Bracers
+2 Weapon Specialization
+16 Power Shot
+5d6 Sneak Attack

Well, with Manyshot, Sneak Attack applies only to one arrow per attack, so we have:

SA Arrows = 56 Dmg (x2)
Other Arrows = 38.5 Dmg (x6)
=
343 Damage

As I said before, this damage is not maxed out, but it's doable every time you use Manyshot (btw, w/out Sneak Attack it's still 308 Dmg/round), so you can do it every time and customize the weapon to add further damage.. ..I included the complete build, so that if you want, you can advance the character or reduce it, even use it, if you wish..

Enjoy

 

[Immort]

What book is manyshot from anyhow?

-Immort

 

[CRGreathouse]

How did you get a flanking bonus with the bow?

What book is manyshot from anyhow?

The Epic Level Handbook.

 

[Veldrane]

How did you get a flanking bonus with the bow?

If you can threaten, you can flank, isn't it?

 

[Al]

If you can threaten, you can flank, isn't it?

You don't normally threaten with a bow.
Is this a prestige class ability?

 

[CRGreathouse]

If you can threaten, you can flank, isn't it?

One can only flank with melee weapons.

Edit: That is, unless the ability also redefines flanking. Does it?

 

[Veldrane]

You don't normally threaten with a bow.
Is this a prestige class ability?

Ya, Peerless Archer, Lvl 8, Threaten

One can only flank with melee weapons.

Edit: That is, unless the ability also redefines flanking. Does it?

Silver Marches, page 117: "At 8th level, a Peerless Archer gains the ability to threaten nearby areas with her bow as if she were wielding a melee weapon [...] Her bow functions as a reach weapon, threatening anything 10 feet away but not immediately adiacent to her."

Seems to me you can flank as you'd do with a melee weapon with reach..

 

[CRGreathouse]

Silver Marches, page 117: "At 8th level, a Peerless Archer gains the ability to threaten nearby areas with her bow as if she were wielding a melee weapon [...] Her bow functions as a reach weapon, threatening anything 10 feet away but not immediately adiacent to her."

Seems to me you can flank as you'd do with a melee weapon with reach..

The definition of flanking requires that you use a melee weapon. (Interestingly enough, if you threaten with the bow, you can grant your allies a flanking bonus... btu aren't falnking yourself.)

 

[Veldrane]

At least debatable..

Silver Marches:"threaten as if she were using a melee weapon" and "her bow functions as a melee weapon with reach"

PHB (about flanking, p.130): "if you're making a melee attack"

It seems clear to me that the designer's idea was to make flanking, and thus Sneak Attacking, available for the Peerless Archer, (providing she isn't threatened or triggers an AoO).. ..your argument seems to be all about the sentence form, but the substance is untouched..

Now, if you wouldn't allow that, it's your call, and your opinion; I'd allow it, and that's mine

 

[CRGreathouse]

I didn't know it usedthe term "as a melee weapon". IOn that case, until I'm convinced otherwise, I'd agree with you.