Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nox32 08-30-06, 11:23 AM	I'm completely confused. My group has been planning our next campaign for about three months now, and my character has gone through hundreds of different incarnations (first was a cerebremancer, last a straight wizard, with a rogue and an arcane trickster inbetween). I know this will be the final build because there's only about a week left till the campaign starts. I've settled on an archer gish who is a wizard first, archer second. The fact my DM is letting me use the Militia feat from faerun as a human makes this easier, but also I have no idea where archers get damage from, which kind of evens it out. Here's the build. I'd be very grateful for advice. We're starting it at level 6 so I'm trying to make it playable from there. Human Wizard 1-Collegiate Wizard, Militia, Lonely Flaw (lose familiar, gain feat), Point Blank Shot Wizard 2- Wizard 3- Rapid Shot Wizard 4- Wizard 5- Extend Spell Eldritch Knight 6- Manyshot, Improved Rapid Shot EK 7- Spellsword 8- Eldritch Knight 9-Mounted Combat EK 10- EK 11- EK 12-Mounted Archery EK 13- EK 14- EK 15-Improved Mounted Archery EK 16- Wizard 17- Fatespinner 18-Quicken Spell Fatespinner 19- Fatespinner 20- BAB=16 CL=19 My problem is at level 20 I'll still be doing 1d8+1d6+5DMG (base longbow+flaming+STR). I don't know how to add to damage with archer gish builds.
Osedox 08-30-06, 11:54 AM	Add Collision to your bow, its a +2 Psionic enchantment that adds 5 damage to all attacks with it.
Pinky's brain 08-30-06, 12:15 PM	I'd be very grateful for advice.Books allowed?
runestar 08-30-06, 12:45 PM	I might be mistaken, but doesn't the spellsword prc require heavy armour prof, which is not granted by the EK prc? You might want to settle for twillight armour instead, or splashing 1 lv of fighter. You may wish to replace human with elf, and take the otherworldly feat instead. It makes you a native outsider, which grants you marital weapon prof, and lets you polymorph into an arrow demon(not very sure what it does, but I have heard some very nice things about it on these boards).:P You can also take the elven wiz racial sub lvs... Archers get their damage from stacking both the enhancements of their bows and arrows. While melee fighters are limited to +10 weapons, archers can benefit from combining both +10 bows with +10 arrows.(It can be expensive though). Adding in splitting from champions of ruin(which splits your arrows in 2 arrows) for double the attacks. You might consider taking item creation feats so you can craft your own arrows.:)
Moon-Lancer 08-30-06, 01:07 PM	well my two cense, a few levels in arcane archer are nice, if only to let you shoot arrows of anti magic fields.
Kresalak 08-30-06, 01:21 PM	Add Collision to your bow, its a +2 Psionic enchantment that adds 5 damage to all attacks with it. Bad idea. Adding Frost+Acidic is better, as it gives you an average of 7 damage that isn't affected by DR for the same cost. Does Arcane Strike work on ranged attacks? I'm at the shore right now and don't have my books with me. If it does, it'll add some damage. Note that Manyshot and Rapidshot don't synergize well at all. I suggest replacing it with Precise Shot, as that -4 penalty is really annoying. A neat way to get more damage is to get a bunch of Spell Storing arrows and use a Chained spell to make them all release it. Vampiric Touch, Ghoul Touch, Scorching Ray, all useful. Chained Flame Arrow works to enchant a bunch of sets of arrows, or a regular one if you don't think you'll be using all those arrows soon, and it stacks with the Flaming enhancement, giving a nice damage boost.
Ganbor 08-30-06, 01:59 PM	Does Arcane Strike work on ranged attacks? I'm at the shore right now and don't have my books with me. If it does, it'll add some damage. Note that Manyshot and Rapidshot don't synergize well at all. I suggest replacing it with Precise Shot, as that -4 penalty is really annoying. Nope, Arcane Strike is melee only... and I agree 110% on Precise Shot.
darthvyce 08-30-06, 03:50 PM	Here is an idea: rgr2/wiz5/ruathar3(RotW)/eldritch knight10 This grants the following: BAB: 16 CL: 17(20) Saves: 12/10/10 HD: 2d8+5d4+3d8+10d6 Feats are as follows: (1)Tack (b), Able Learner (optional)(h), Point Blank Shot (2/rgr)Rapid Shot (b) (3)Precise Shot (5/wiz)Split Ray (b) (6) Free (9)Craft Magic Arms and Armour (12)Easy Metamagic (Split Ray/Dragon 325) (15)Practised Spellcaster (18)Quicken Spell (1/EK) Improved Initiative (b) I put this build together thinking it would be cool to combine the archer idea with the ruathar prestige class ... I mean where else did you learn all of that fine archery skill? ;) I also combined your idea with that of a spell archer as well. Not only is he a scary archer (you can make your own bow/splitting enhancement) you can also sling ray spells just as easily. I included the split ray metamagic feat so that you can get more bang for your buck when casting ray spells. Combined with the easy metamagic feat (lowers spell slot cost by one), split ray only takes up a spell slot one level higher! So, you can prep those split ray enervations in a 5th lvl slot instead of a 6th lvl slot. :) This is perfect for softening up opponents then follow up with your normal bow as the warrior charges in the eviscerate your enervated foe. BTW here are some thoughts on what your weapon could be like at level 20. +1 Flaming, Frost, Holy, Splitting, Collision, Comp(+5) LBow* * or you could swap able learner for ancestral relic Remember to cast grtr magic weapon on your bow to bring it up to +5 weapon enhancement. Also, don't forget to have different arrows made (cold iron/adamantine/silver/etcetera). This way you have all bases covered. Hope this helps!