Wizard/Archer Creation

[Deadguy]

Too Weak?

Hmmm... I must chime in here with others that his very low Strength is going to hamper him as an archer. You might want to check with the DM that he doesn't have any specific or implied rules regarding Strength and weapon use (e.g. were I DM'ing for thsi character, I might well say - you are stuck with crossbows, old son, bows are too much for your feeble frame!). And, as has been pointed out, the Mighty Composite bows are the best for an Archer character, where getting a damage bonus is difficult (okay Greater Magic Weapon is cool when you're an Archer, but you can't always rely on it). Likewise, I am never one with this crowd that says Polymorph into a Troll as a solution to all a Wizard's physical problems! That might be great in a dungeon crawl, but in other places it's going to be an absolute no-no!

Basically he is very min-max'ed. This is not a criticism, and if it fits the flavour of the campaign then all the best. But you don't have to be the best from level 1. Your character will develop over the course of the campaign, so why not be less extreme, and give yourself something to shoot for?! For example, how about:

Str 12 (so you can at least handle a basic mighty bow)
Dex 18 (you are sacrificing only 1 AC and missile attack)
Con 12 (a pure Wizard needs some HP boost for "accidents"!)
Int 16 (a perfectly good base to work from)
Wis 10 (I did wonder about better - Archers sometimes need to Spot!)
Cha 8 (okay, we need a dump stat - a dull grey elf!)

I can look at these attributes and at least see why he might have become somewhat more martial that his typical Grey Elf Wizard brethren.

Hoping that these somewhat different thoughts help

 

[Christian]

It's not even just house rules you need to worry about. Check out the description of what Strenght penalties and bonuses apply to in the PH. Strength penalties apply to sling and bow damage rolls ... That's 1d8-2 with your longbow, buster. The good news is, any arrow that hits will do at least one point of damage. The bad news is, that rule will apply to 37.5% of your arrows.

 

[Arkham]

Craft Magic Arms and Armor is definately worth
it, especially if your DM lets you create custom
items.

Magic arrows for every occassion.
Sleep arrows from DMG.
Hold Person arrows ( Don't remember actual name ) from Magic of Faerun.
Healing arrows ( Still don't remember name ) from MotW.

Imagine then making Lightning Bolt arrows... ( Like a Javelin of Lightning, but not )
Arrows of Charm Person. ( Cupid's love arrows? )
At high levels, how about an arrow of Force Cage.

What other spells could you enchant into an arrow,
both for helping allies, and hindering foes.

Imagine shooting your poor, surrounded fighter
who is on his last hp with an arrow that turns him into a Gaseous Form?

Or one that will Dimensional Door them to your side?

Or give them to your fighter so they can do the same to you....

Can you tell I've put alot of thought into this concept? If only someone else would be willing to DM for a while...

 

[Deadguy]

It's not even just house rules you need to worry about. Check out the description of what Strenght penalties and bonuses apply to in the PH. Strength penalties apply to sling and bow damage rolls ... That's 1d8-2 with your longbow, buster. The good news is, any arrow that hits will do at least one point of damage. The bad news is, that rule will apply to 37.5% of your arrows.

That's a very good point Christian! When I went to write my post I went in thinking 'I must poinr out the damage penalty applies to bows', but then I kinda forgot! Honest!

No, an Archer cannot afford a poor Strength score. After all, he will use a bow, not a crossbow. I suppose a Wizard, who won't get a second iterative attack until Level 11, might gamble on getting a good Strength-boosting item (or making one), but I never like being put in that position. If you have to rely on magic to be able to function in a role at all (as this Archer may), then you can bet your bottom dollar that the DM is going to shove you in situations where your supporting magic fails!

Naturally, YMMV! (But then doesn't it always - so why do I bother mentioning it? )

edited to prove I can spell "iterative"