The Deadliest Archer of Them All

[Chun-tzu]

Well, the Peerless Archer will have those same advantages due to his fletching ability, plus he can make Power Shots and Sneak Attacks.

I don't know about you, but like most adventurers, I'd rather find treasures than spend them. One +5 arrow costs the PA 500 gp, 40 XP, and takes an entire day to craft. Epic level or not, the idea of firing arrow after arrow that cost me that much time, money, and sweat is just insane. Free +5 arrows, and as many as you want, is a powerful bonus.

 

[Kai Lord]

I don't know about you, but like most adventurers, I'd rather find treasures than spend them. One +5 arrow costs the PA 500 gp, 40 XP, and takes an entire day to craft. Epic level or not, the idea of firing arrow after arrow that cost me that much time, money, and sweat is just insane. Free +5 arrows, and as many as you want, is a powerful bonus.

I don't know about you, but the characters I play would rather live than turn over chests bursting with gold to their next of kin, and if they adventure, it isn't for treasure, but a cause they believe in, and would even die for.

If my Peerless Archer is anywhere NEAR a situation that high DR creatures could be popping up, then he's going to have some maxed out arrow enhancements on hand. Most of his arrows will be the cheap +2's because Power Shot can easily take care of the extra damage, but DR baddies won't get past him unscathed.

I'm not saying the AA's enchant-on-the-fly ability is anything to sneeze at, it isn't, but most of the time, the PA has got him beat. If a combat comes down to an ongoing war of attrition and high enhancements are needed, the AA will indeed shine, however.

 

[Numion]

I don't know about you, but like most adventurers, I'd rather find treasures than spend them. One +5 arrow costs the PA 500 gp, 40 XP, and takes an entire day to craft. Epic level or not, the idea of firing arrow after arrow that cost me that much time, money, and sweat is just insane. Free +5 arrows, and as many as you want, is a powerful bonus.

That is, of course, unless the group has spellcasters. It's much cheaper to buy the spellcaster a Pearl of Power for Greater Magic Weapon and go on from there. Not a bead deal for the spellcaster; a single 3rd or 4th level spell can cause a lot of damage this way.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

I have not seen the PA class, so I can only go by what is said on the boards. It sounds like a fine class, though my fav will always be the Arcane Archer.

Of course, you could always take 10 levels in each, and call it a day.


*Edit* This is exactly as it should be though, IMHO. The best class being someones opinion as opposed to stastitical superiority.

 

[Thanee]

There is now a Greater Metaphysical Weapon power (I believe on the WotC website, though it could be in If Thoughts Could Kill) that is +5.

Ah, that's neat. Then they probably can keep up with the other casters.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Jeremy]

I was wondering if anyone had read my posts.

Don'cha hate it when a thread is going and going and you contribute something and the thread just goes around you like you hadn't said anything?

 

[Chun-tzu]

I was wondering if anyone had read my posts.

Don'cha hate it when a thread is going and going and you contribute something and the thread just goes around you like you hadn't said anything?

I definitely read your posts, and like the idea of a psychic archer (I have a fondness for all things psionic).

But despite the title I chose (on the spur of the moment), I really meant this thread to be about analyzing WotC's 4 archery PrCs, so the psychic warrior and other spellcasters aren't what I had in mind. Not that the points aren't valid ones. But if others want to hijack this thread, I won't stop them.

 

[CRGreathouse]

I was wondering if anyone had read my posts.

Don'cha hate it when a thread is going and going and you contribute something and the thread just goes around you like you hadn't said anything?

That's because no one likes you.

I didn't reply because I have nothing to say - without the PsiH or any real interest in psionics, I'm opinionless.

BTW - it's not exactly a smackdoen thread, but you should see the following link:
http://www.dreadgazebo.com/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.cgi?board=d20gen;action=display;num=1029789132

40th level epic characters! (Oh, and sorry about the gruesomeness - it's a nicer place than the decor would suggest.)

 

[Jeremy]

Ah.

Well throw my vote behind the Deepwood Sniper then.

Auto keen of all arrows combined with what seems small on paper (critical modifier +1) but ends up huge in combat (x5 damage) is a massive advantage. The fact that it can be done at any range though is the kicker.

The last place an archer should be is within 30' of his foe. He doesn't threaten an area so any muscled foe can charge you (even a heavily armored dwarf) and grapple you, sunder your rather low hp bow, or disarm you and you don't even get an AofO to defend yourself. Aside from that you are an obvious target at all times. One of the advantage of being an archer is that you are afforded the ability to fight out of the range of your enemies.

With OBI's and PA's you have to negate that ability and find someway to keep your opponents flat footed (since you can't flank with a ranged weapon) to get your class ability.

The amount of damage a deepwood sniper with improved crit and gmw can do at range is often 100-200 points of damage per round. Because if any of those 3-4 arrows happen to be an 18, 19, 20... That could be 5d8+60 or even 6d8+1d6+5d10+180 with proper planning.

Phase arrows and seeker arrows are nice, but they aren't that nice. And the best ability of the AA is something teamwork should easily supply given that gmw can be cast upon your bow and arrows at the beginning of the day and should last most if not all of it. Especially if you have a plan of how the day will go.

Of course if you happen to be a spellcasting class or psionic class, you can do it yourself. Or a rogue or psychic warrior you can use a wand (or dorje) to do it yourself. Even a low level sorcerer can use a high caster level wand for +5 arrows for 15 hours per casting.

I think...

 

[Jeremy]

That's because no one likes you.

I didn't reply because I have nothing to say - without the PsiH or any real interest in psionics, I'm opinionless.

BTW - it's not exactly a smackdoen thread, but you should see the following link:
http://www.dreadgazebo.com/cgi-bin/forums/YaBB.cgi?board=d20gen;action=display;num=1029789132

40th level epic characters! (Oh, and sorry about the gruesomeness - it's a nicer place than the decor would suggest.)

Edit: Dammit... Did it again.. Um.. [hijack]

Heh. I don't know but I just can't seem to get inspired by the power of 21+ level characters. I guess I just don't have a point of reference for them. What can't they do? Seeing that they can X or Y doesn't impress me because I don't have the reference that they shouldn't be able to. At 40th level it's hard for me to conceive of something they shouldn't be able to do.

The ELH offers so many possibilities it's going to take a very long while for the norm to be established so by comparison the smackdown's become apparent. Maybe then we'll have new criteria for epic smacks.

I wouldn't be surprised if the requirement for a 36th level smackdown was 5000 points of damage is a single round. When I first started playing 3e, 200 points was a ludicrous figure for a 16th level character to produce by himself in a single round. Now I can quote you ways until I'm blue in the face. So at this point I don't know what is a ludicrous figure and what is a truly devious smack at epic levels, but we'll see.

[/hijack]