Uber archer?

[hong]

Last session, my hasted 14th level archer did ~300 points of damage over 3 rounds to a black dragon. This caused some comment, possibly because it was a custom PrC of my own design (see it here).

Question: is damage on this order of magnitude excessive? I don't think it is, but then I'm hardly an unbiased observer. I'd be interested to know what others think.

 

[0-hr]

100 points per round at 14th level does not sound unreasonable to me, especially against a major foe where you are pulling out the "big guns".

 

[DarkJester]

300 damage in 3 rounds at 14 level is good. But it could be worse (for the dm that is). That archer prestiege class is a little iffy though. Seems like an arcane archer on some pretty big steroids.

 

[hong]

300 damage in 3 rounds at 14 level is good. But it could be worse (for the dm that is).

Yeah. In fact, now that I remember, the rogue/ninja actually did 200+ points in one round via a full round of sneak attacks (although the last attack may have been a bit iffy). You really don't want to know what those 200 points were inflicted on.

That archer prestiege class is a little iffy though. Seems like an arcane archer on some pretty big steroids.

The class is really my take on what the order of the bow initiate should have been, instead of the tepid PrC that made it into S&F. I agree it's stronger than the AA, however the consensus is that the AA is a pretty weak class to start with.

 

[DarkJester]

Well, it depends on who you ask about the Arcane Archer.

It just seems like that class has a whole lot of special abilities... and good ones at that, compared to other archer prestiege classes around.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

[No message]

 

[DarkJester]

I don't think it belongs under house rules, he asked is 300 damage in 3 rounds out of line, the rest if just extra.

 

[hong]

Well, it depends on who you ask about the Arcane Archer.

I don't recall anyone here saying the AA was that powerful a class. It has flavour, sure, and it's certainly not _useless_... it just isn't particularly strong either. Its signature ability -- the imbued arrows -- is trumped by the GMW spell, and everything else is only usable once per day.

It just seems like that class has a whole lot of special abilities... and good ones at that, compared to other archer prestiege classes around.

I will be toning down the 9th level Con drain ability down a bit. Other than that, there's nothing wrong with having good abilities, is there?

 

[hong]

Never mind.

 

[DarkJester]

What jumps out at me the most, is the whole aimed shot/penetrating shot/training benefit thing. That in its self is a huge ability. Deepwood Snipers get a true strike once per day, this guy gets it whenever he wants - and does double damage on it. Add that in with called shot and this guy just gets nasty.

If it were just that.....i could, maybe, let it slide by, since you are limited to one attack with that, but the prestige class then goes on to give you a wide range of abilities (Not all of which are even archery focused).

Don't get me wrong, it has flavor, and it is really something I would have rather had than the order of the bow, but I think you went a little over the top with the special abilities.