Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Samusic 05-10-05, 04:23 PM	I'm looking to do something interesting with the ranger character I have. I've looked at Arcane Archer, which seems really cool, but I've read from several posts that the Arcane Archer isn't very good. I was thinking something along the lines of a Ranger/Wizard/Arcane Archer. What do you think about the Arcane Archer? What other options exist for somebody like me? I've looked at Ranger/Scout but, eh, I don't know. I kinda like the ability to cast magic. Any ideas or opinions you'd like to share?
Sinon 05-10-05, 04:27 PM	I think that Order of the Bow Initiate is very good. A five-level PrC, it gives you precision damage and the ability to use your bow when threatened without provoking an attack of opportunity. Downside, not magical at all. Doesn't really fit with your concept.
Samusic 05-10-05, 04:47 PM	Maybe I could continue with the original idea I had with using alchemy to enhance my arrows? Thing is, I feel like it "fits" a little more as an Elven ranger/wizard/arcane archer. His father is a wizard, Elves have always been enthralled with magic. However, maybe you're right. Maybe Order of the Bow Initiate would be a better option. I guess it comes down to a comparison of that and the Arcane Archer. Edit: My DM said that he'd consider creating a feat that made Rapid Shot a standard action so that I could multiclass ranger/scout and take advantage of the skirmish damage and bonus to AC while shooting more than one arrow.
Sinon 05-10-05, 05:10 PM	Some of the things about arcane archer: The enhancement bonus of his arrows won't stack with that of his bow, and what kind of archer isn't going to have a magic bow by the time he is seventh level? At least a +1 bow? Imbue Arrow sounds kind of cool, but what spells could you really deliver with it? If you went straight wizard, you'd qualify for archer at 13th level, and have some pretty nice spells to put on your arrows, but I guess I assume that ranger 6/wizard 1 is a better way to go, for the B.A.B. Then all you have are spells that are going to be way underpowered for your level. If it gave any kind of caster progression, it might be a better option, but it doesn’t. The other abilities are good, but they take a while to get. Also, you have to give up your light armor or suck up a spell failure chance.
Samusic 05-10-05, 05:14 PM	So, then, it's Ranger 20/Order of the Bow Initiate 10 or something like Ranger 11/Scout 9 (my DM doesn't do Epic). What do you think, and what do you think about the creation of the ability to skirmish and use Rapid Shot?
Sinon 05-10-05, 05:24 PM	I don't have Complete Adventurer, so I can't comment on Scouts or skirmish.
Samusic 05-10-05, 05:26 PM	The main draw of the scout is that he gets up to +5d6 damage and +5 AC when he makes an attack in the same round in which he has moved at least 10 feet.
Sinon 05-10-05, 05:32 PM	That's pretty good. If you couple that with the precision damage that OBI gets (I think it is up to 3d8 and stacks with sneak attack damage, so I assume it would stack with skirmish damage as well) you can be pretty damn lethal.
Samusic 05-10-05, 05:40 PM	Thing is, my character is already a level 4 ranger. Can that be salvaged?
Sinon 05-10-05, 05:41 PM	What race? Elf or half elf? Edit: I looked back at your previous posts. Elf Looks like you either take the exp penalty or just go straight to the prestige class. It all depends on a lot of other factors, like how far you'll fall behind if you take the penalty and what the rest of the party's levels are, how that is going to affect you relative to the encounters you'll face. For three levels, the penalty won't be that bad, but it will sting when the other PC in your group level-up.
Samusic 05-10-05, 05:47 PM	Elf. Actually, currently on a mission to save myself and my father from becoming one of those creatures that hates and kills all Elves. :P
Calico Jack Drake 05-10-05, 05:47 PM	I have a current build that's Elf Ranger 6/Wiz 1/Arcane Archer 1/Deepwoods Sniper 1 I plan on taking AA up several more levels though some of the new archer classes might be good add-ins down the road. There's one in Heroes of Battle and one or two in the new something-or-other Ruins book for FR. While it's true the pluses from the weapon won't stack with the enchantment from the pClass, other enchantments will. Right now, my character fires +1 keen arrows (+1 from the AA, keen from deep woods sniper) from a +1 longbow of distance. I don't need to worry about inceasing the + on the bow since that will be taken care of by the Arcane Archer levels, so I can add frost, flaming, shocking, or their burst varients, and any of the banes or other special abilites I think might work. In time, I can have the +1 Flaming Burst, Shocking Burst, Ice Burst, Vermin Bane, Dragon Bane, Mage Bane composite longbow. With 10 AA ranks and 1 Deepwoods sniper rank, all arrows have those abilities and are +5 Keen as well. I also took the Elf Ranger and Elf Wizard substitution levels from Races of the Wild and my DM allowed me to make the Elven Dog animal companion my familiar. I also took Lloth's children as a favored enemy and orcs as a second favored enemy which give a +3 bonus instead of the normal +2 for the ranger levels. I have to sacrifice a d8 for a d6 for those two levels but in the long run I think it will be worth it. Elf wizard makes you a generalist which is basically a specialist wizard with no school. You can cast 3 spells instead of 2 at 1st level wizard so shield and 2x true strike from places when it's really necessary. Strangely, Point Blank and Precise shot are not the feats you get for the archer Ranger levels so I had to take those at 3rd and 6th level (I think). I don't remember what I took at 1st but it all worked out. It should be an interesting build to play. Hope that helps -CJ
Samusic 05-10-05, 06:08 PM	Ok, let's say I take Ranger 11/Scout 19. How can I increase my ranger spells per day?
Calico Jack Drake 05-10-05, 06:18 PM	Are you really starting with a 30th level build? Do you want to add pClasses on top of that to increase your spells or are you looking to stay within the 30 level guideline?
Samusic 05-10-05, 06:20 PM	Within the 30 level guideline. My understanding is that my DM doesn't go beyond 30 levels, and he doesn't do epic levels.
Colmarr 05-10-05, 07:40 PM	But epic begins at level 21... :confused:
Samusic 05-11-05, 04:02 AM	He doesn't do epic levels, but he does do 30 levels. You can go past level 20 and choose not to do epic class levels, etc. It means multiclassing in a prestige class or another core class. He'll take it to 30, but no epic levels. Just another 10 normal levels.
Kintara 05-11-05, 05:00 AM	He doesn't do epic levels, but he does do 30 levels. You can go past level 20 and choose not to do epic class levels, etc. It means multiclassing in a prestige class or another core class. He'll take it to 30, but no epic levels. Just another 10 normal levels.Oh, too bad. Epic Arcane Archer seems like it might be pretty nice. How does his system work, anyway? Epic is, by definition, character level 21+, even if you're a Fighter 10/Arcane Archer 10/Sorcerer 10, or whatever. The normal system simply ends at character level 20. How does BAB work, for instance? What if you wanted to be a Sorcerer 20/Loremaster 10? How would the spellcasting work?
Calico Jack Drake 05-11-05, 11:41 AM	Well, the eipc progressions are there so a character doesn't get absolutely silly. Note that BAB progression stops at 20th level and Epic Attack Progression starts from there, going up only on even (or odd, I forget which) levels. Without that, you could have a ftr 20 / brb 10 with a BAB of 30 which would get 6 attacks at 30/25/20/15/10/5 + modifiers. Yes, some of the epic stuff makes characters uber powerful, but by doing it this other way, it's actually worse. Ah, well... his game and, I guess if it works for him... -CJ