The Deadliest Archer of Them All

[Mistwell]

This thread now reminds me of that old video game, Dragon Slayer. You remember, you would be going along, and three paths would appear in front of you, and one would flash briefly, and you moved your joystick quickly in that direction. If you didn't, you took a wrong path and ended up dying a horrible death.

I think someone delayed moving the joystick too long...

 

[Ysgarran]

KAI LORD: With one arrow, a Peerless Archer could take down a dragon.
HONG: I'd hate to stake my life on that one shot.
KAI LORD: Sometimes one shot is all you get.
HONG: Your point?
Thank you for joining us for another exciting episode of "Pin the Clue on Hong." Next week, Hong tries to surf! Here's a preview:
SURFER CHICK: Wanna catch some waves?
HONG: With what?
SURFER CHICK: Our surfboards, of course.
HONG: What's your point?

*LOL*

Anyways, have to say that you can't beat the power shot that the peerless archer has. Having said that I created a Cleric Archer not because I thought it was the best archer I could create. Rather I created a Cleric Archer because I thought I could stay out of the way of the true tanks and still have a bit of flexibility in contributing to the combat...

later,
Ysgarran.

 

[Enkhidu]

Yes, but at least a definitive resolution was reached regarding who makes the best archer before the thread was assaulted with wanger spam from down under. Your contributions were duly noted.

Obviously you have filed me under "I" for ignore.

I'm touched; really I am.

 

[Kai Lord]

Obviously you have filed me under "I" for ignore.

I'm touched; really I am.

I saw that you made some detailed calculations that were on-topic and didn't want you to think that they didn't contribute to the thread before it started to go off course. If you thought I was being condescending, then never mind.

 

[Enkhidu]

I saw that you made some detailed calculations that were on-topic and didn't want you to think that they didn't contribute to the thread before it started to go off course. If you thought I was being condescending, then never mind.

Point taken. I did feel it came off a bit condescending, but that's probably just old age setting in. I must be getting cranky.

No harm done.

 

[ruleslawyer]

I don't really want to get into the specifics of this, but here's something to chew on:

1) GMW doesn't need to be used just once a day. Moreover, at any reasonable level, you can just Extend it, cast a few, and prepare spells again to have an endless stream of magical arrows. In comparison, a Peerless Archer is going to need to spend serious dough on crafting his arrows, and an arcane archer is never going to match a cleric in enhancement bonus level for level until epic levels are reached.

2) At the levels at which the PrCs really come into their own, dispelling is much less of a problem for the cleric, due to his high caster level. Moreover, your opponents actually have to know the cleric has spells up, and have to target a dispel at the cleric, thereby wasting an action. Moreover, such a dispel could be used to negate the PA's arrows or the arcane archer's special abilities too... sauce for the goose.

3) Ah yes. More skills, cover, and concealment; a clear match for the ability to use cat's grace, true seeing, haste, true strike, time stop, healing spells, buff spells, and monsters like harm, gate, divine favor, etc.

4) The cleric can wear heavy armor, which may be a bonus in certain situations. The cleric can also buff his AC to the skies.

5) I'd rather have a summoned celestial or two in front of me when my opponents rush me than a few AoO bowshots.

6) Cover? Hmm, can I see the target at all? How about true strike, a Reach Spell harm and a quickened searing light? That's a one-shot kill without any need to roll a 20, dear friends. If I'd rather not take the chance, I'll use a flame strike or two.

7) Concealment? Spot checks? I think true seeing might come in useful...

8) Super-high critical modifiers that I don't have? Hmm, very useful against that horde of undead coming this way...

9) Also, remember that the cleric can use item creation feats to make all sorts of nifty items that bolster his archery skills.

My point wasn't that the cleric was a better archer (i.e. better with the bow per se) than the archer PrCs; that would illustrate an utterly disgusting imbalance in the rules. My point was that it's my FAVORITE archer type, because the powers of the cleric added to the powers of a trusty bow are insanely versatile and mighty.

 

[Mistwell]

My point wasn't that the cleric was a better archer (i.e. better with the bow per se) than the archer PrCs; that would illustrate an utterly disgusting imbalance in the rules. My point was that it's my FAVORITE archer type, because the powers of the cleric added to the powers of a trusty bow are insanely versatile and mighty.

Nobody ever disputed that YOU like cleric archers. They were just saying that, as archers only, the archer PRCs are better. Unless we just went through this whole discussion because you mistakenly thought someone had said "Ruleslawyer, I think you are lying, and that YOU actually prefer the archer PRCs to the cleric archer". If someone said that, I for one missed it.

 

[Victim]

Well, the archer PrCs are better at archery. However, I think it would be reasonable to assume that the archer/cleric's spell power would give them a significant advantage overall. If we're going to count saves and skills, why not the cleric's spells?

It's pretty much the same story with the cleric archer as it is comparing the cleric to anything else. The cleric will be almost as good in most areas as specialized classes and has other powers. About the only thing that they aren't competitive in is skills, even with domains.

 

[Jeremy]

Of course, your complaint that I've somehow stacked the deck in the PA's favor is nothing more than a smokescreen to cover up the fact the PA can simply do more damage with his bow than your cleric can on the best day of his life. So set up the absolute best conditions you can imagine for the cleric. It doesn't matter. It simply isn't good enough.

Really? I want to test THAT theory.

A Ftr10/PA10 and a Wood Elf Clr20 are going white dragon hunting today. We don’t really have a lot of information about the Ftr10/PA10 except that if he crits within 30’ of a young adult white dragon that he is somehow sneak attacking even though it’s not flatfooted and he can’t flank it and rolls max damage on everything, he’ll kill the bugger in one shot. A very impressive feat on this, his best day, but this is also the cleric’s “best day of his life”, so let’s see how he fairs.

-------------------------------------------

So the two intrepid adventurers are climbing through the mountains when 8 white dragons begin circling high above them. The Peerless Archer unlimbers his bow and withdraws a single arrow, winking at his peer.

“Get their attention for me, wouldja? I want to show you a shot I’ve been working on.”

The cleric looks up at what the archer is pointing at and immediately shimmers as a Contingency is fired (Haste, AC 32). He nods in his accelerated state and unlimbers his bow as well.

Everyone rolls init, and as this is the best day of the cleric’s life, he rolls a natural 20 and gets an init of 38 and manages to go first.

He estimates that the dragons are about 500 yards away, one hell of a shot, but he feels lucky today and swears to kill the first dragon. With his Will Save of +26 he has no problem with the dragon’s frightful presence of DC 16 and hits AC 60 with his first arrow even at that range. A critical hit! 4d8+1d6+3d10+80 damage… And he rolls maximum on everything! 148 damage!

The young adult white dragon plummets to the earth, dead.

But the cleric has 4 more shots and is not sure if he’s got the dragon’s attention yet…

So he fires four more arrows, swearing to kill each dragon in turn, and this being the best day in his entire life lands 4 more maximum damage critical dropping four more young adult white dragons. Apparently Labelas wants to make sure Entherion is known as an elf who keeps his word.

But Entherion is hasted, so he uses his extra partial action to cast Time Stop. 30 seconds pass for him while time is frozen and he casts Shield of Faith (+5 deflection bonus—AC 37), Protection from Evil (in case they are spellcasting dragons), Gate (to summon a Solar to beckon them to attend the Peerless Archer), and Summon Monster VII twice (to summon a pair of Avoral Guardinals to complete the Solars retinue so he delivers his request in style).

Of the three remaining dragons whose turns come around in the init scale, 2 flee immediately as apparently the proxy of a Deity walks in the mountains below, and he is WROTH. Unfortunately, one of the remaining dragons is a little slower than the average Intelligence 8 young adult white dragon. It has an Intelligence of 4 and is curious.

It is approached by a solar and two avorals who request it attend a peerless archer and his peer below.

It nods with an evil glint in its eyes and seeks an easy lunch.

Unfortunately for it, this is the Peerless Archer’s best day of his life(tm). And it slays the dragon in a single shot once it closes within 30’.

Entherion smiles and comments, “That was a well placed arrow. Well done.”


-------------------------------------------------------------------
Enterion Windwhisper; Wood Elf Clr20 of Labelas Enoreth from the Moonshea Isles

Domains: Time, Elf

Str 13, Dex 30*, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 16 (22), Cha 10

*20 base, +5 inherent from Manual of Quickness of Action, and +5 from levels.

Feats: Point Blank Shot (Elf Domain), Improved Initiative (Time Domain), Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Rapid Shot, Persistent Spell, Precise Shot, Quicken Spell, Improved Critical: Composite Longbow

Constantly Active Spells (Cast upon waking, last 24-40 hours):

Persistent Divine Power (Caster Level 24 due to Bead of Karma, Strength increased to 18, BAB changed to +24/+19/+14/+9)
Extended Greater Magic Weapon (Bow and 50 or more arrows +5)
Extended Magic Vestment (Armor and Buckler +5)
Extended Double Empowered Cat’s Grace (Domain Spell, Dexterity increased to 39)
Energy Immunity: Cold (As apparently they are hunting White Dragons today)
Persistent Divine Favor (+6 Luck Bonus to hit and damage)
Persistent Bless (+1 morale bonus to hit and fear saves to all within 50’)
Contingency (Domain spell, Haste upon sighting White Dragons as apparently they are hunting White Dragons today)
Spell Turning (See Magical Equipment)

Magical Equipment:

Periapt of Wisdom +6
Necklace of Prayer Beads (Bead of Karma)
Manual of Quickness of Action +5 (Used)
Pale Green Ioun Stone (+1 Competence Bonus to attacks/saves/checks)
Bracers of Archery (Combined with Point Blank Shot affords a total +2 to attack and damage to targets within 30’)
Third Eye: Aware (+10 Competence Bonus to Spot and Search Checks) (Psionics Handbook)
Ring of Spell Storing (Ten Castings of True Strike Stored)
Ring of Spell Turning (Used once every two and a half hours)
Vest of Resistance +5 (Tome and Blood)
Winged Boots
Cloak of Displacement (Greater)
Robe of Eyes (+15 Circumstance Bonus to Spot and Search checks, Cannot be Flatfooted, Darkvision/See Invisibility/See Ethereal 120’ range)
Quiver of Ehlonna
Mithral Fullplate Armor +1 of Nimbleness, Negative Energy Protection, and Moderate Fortification (Magic of Faerun)
Mirthal Bucker +1 of Reflecting
Mighty [+4] Oathbow of Acidic Burst and Distance

Attack Bonus:

+24 Base +14 Dexterity +10 Enhancement +6 Luck +1 Morale +1 Competence -2 Rapid Shot (+2 within 30’)

+54/+54/+49/+44/+39 (+2 within 30’)

Damage Bonus:

(+4 Strength +10 Enhancement +6 Luck)x2 Oathbow +1d6 Acid +2d8 Arrow (+2 within 30’)

2d8+1d6+40 (20/x4**) (+2 within 30’)

**Upon a critical hit, an additional 3d10 acid damage is applied.

Armor Class:

+10 Base +8 Armor Bonus +5 Enhancement +5 Dexterity

AC 28

Spot Check (Since it was noted that this is mandatory for archers):

+6 Wisdom +10 Competence +15 Circumstance

Spot Check of 41 if Enterion takes 10. But since this is his best day, he rolls it and gets a twenty for a spot check of 51.
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[Jeremy]

I had entirely too much fun doing that post.

I apologize Kai Lord if I took unfair advantage of you. I just take absolute statements of "couldn't do it on his best day" as a personal challenge.

I didn't even get too insane with it. Well within GP limits and a fairly conservative spell selection. Plus no scrolls or outside help.

But I really wanted to work in the Mighty [+4] Composite Longbow +5 of Coup de Grace (Psionics Handbook). Oh well, maybe next time.