Favorite Archery PrC? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Favorite Archery PrC? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ZocckCastlestorm
03-31-07, 03:20 PM What's you Favorite Archery-Based Prestige Class?
Why is it your Favorite(or the one you love to HATE)?
jansteenstra
03-31-07, 03:23 PM What's you Favorite Archery-Based Prestige Class?
Why is it your Favorite(or the one you love to HATE)?

I hate both the arcane archer and the order of the bow initiate. Both prestige classes suck. (order of the bow initiate just sucks big time and arcane archer isnt worth it beyond second level).

My favorite archery based prestige class is any good cleric prestige class or just plain fighter.
The_Shaman
03-31-07, 04:32 PM The peerless archer sounds quite good (and I like sneak attack), but I haven't really tried it yet as I haven't played a game that has lasted so long and those I played in start at low levels. Aside from it, I'm a little torn between the deepwood sniper and it's long-range marksmanship slkills and the Justice of Weald and Woe with its archer-assassinish tricks. As for the OotB initiate, I don't like him much either, sorry - the idea that a master marksman will make great shots only if the target is no more than 10 (20 at lvl 10) meters away seems more than a little absurd, and that's next to all that class gives.
ZocckCastlestorm
04-01-07, 05:32 PM I keep hearing about this "Peerless Archer" PrC, but I have no idea where to find it? What is it's core differences vis-a-vis OBI PrC? Thanks.
Lotus Crane
04-01-07, 05:40 PM Deepwood Sniper (Masters of the Wild) is probably still the most powerful, and should technically be usable as written even in a 3.5 game.
Halflingtoes
04-01-07, 05:47 PM I think the feat 'Swift Hunter' from complete scoundrel has created an unofficial prestige class that's pretty powerful. It allows you to combine your scout and ranger levels for both favored enemies and skirmish damage. It also lets you critical and apply skirmish damage to your favored enemies even if they are normally immune to criticals.

So a Ranger 1/Scout 19 would have the skirmish damage of a 20th level scout, and five favored enemies. if those were undead, construct, elemental, plant, and ooze, he would be able to apply skirmish damage to them all.
The_Shaman
04-01-07, 07:32 PM I keep hearing about this "Peerless Archer" PrC, but I have no idea where to find it? What is it's core differences vis-a-vis OBI PrC? Thanks.

Silver Marches, FR campaign setting. It's got ranged SA (1d6 at lvl 1,4,7,10, something like power attack, better shooting vs concealed targets, makes enhanced arrows (not for free, though - unlike the Arcane Archer) and can use it's shots as a reach weapon of sorts (i.e. threatening squres etc), as well as some smaller stuff.

@Halflingtoes: I think Ranger 16/17 and then some scout might be better still. Having some form of additional damage is even nicer when you have the BAB and a bit of casting to back it up.
ZocckCastlestorm
04-01-07, 11:02 PM Silver Marches, FR campaign setting. It's got ranged SA (1d6 at lvl 1,4,7,10, something like power attack, better shooting vs concealed targets, makes enhanced arrows (not for free, though - unlike the Arcane Archer) and can use it's shots as a reach weapon of sorts (i.e. threatening squres etc), as well as some smaller stuff.

Thanks, The_Shaman. I don't really FR, maybe I just 'forgot' about those Realms.Still, maybe I'll take a look at it. I still like the OBI. Just my opinion.
The_Shaman
04-02-07, 11:14 AM NP, I like it so I'm usually interested in what it offers. The Archer doesn't come with any particular setting restrictions, though, so it can easily come in any other campaign.
Halflingtoes
04-02-07, 07:01 PM @Halflingtoes: I think Ranger 16/17 and then some scout might be better still. Having some form of additional damage is even nicer when you have the BAB and a bit of casting to back it up.

Yeah, definately viable. To qualify you need to be a Ranger 1/ Scout 3. You can then use your fourth level scout bonus feat to take swift hunter (the fastest method to get the benefits of the feat). I tend to like the speed and abilities of the scout more, but taking ranger as the higher of the two is certainly viable.

Heck, if you want to get really ludicrous with it, add in a level of monk and train with a Sparring Dummy of the Master (Arms and equipment guide). This permanently increases the free 5' adjustment to a 10' adjustment. So you just moved far enough to skirmish... as a free action. You're now free to launch a full round attack with improved rapid shot and haste or speed weapon, all getting the extra skirmish damage. No one in my group seems to have realized that quite yet, and I'm not going to point it out (because I like a little balance in the game).

As an off topic, I hate that stupid magic item. Two of the last three monks created in our group have tried to write that 30,000 GP item into their background for free (the monestary I was at happened to have one and we all trained on it.) Yeesh.
Barloch
04-03-07, 01:25 PM House rule the training dummy can only confer its benefits to one recipiant, much like the tomes of stats.
ShneekeyTheLost
04-03-07, 05:01 PM I just wish the Arcane Archer didn't... suck.

I had a few ideas for this class, though...

Change Imbue Arrow so you can load up touch attacks, and if your regular archery attack hits, the target is affected.

Drop Seeker Arrow. That's what Improved Precise Shot is for. Change it to:

Elemental Aura(Su): At 4th level, the Arcane Archer can choose one element (Fire, Ice, Acid, or Lightning). Every arrow which is affected by his Enhance Arrow class ability deals an extra 1d6 of this element type. The Arcane Archer may change the element type as a move action. At 8th level, he may do so as a swift action.

Change Phase Arrow (which currently sucks) into the following:

[b]Phase Arrow (Su): At 6th level, the Arcane Archer can hit Incorporeal creatures as though his arrows had the Ghost Touch enhancement.

Ditch Hail of Arrows. Negate the -2 penalty to Rapid Shot, and basically do a TWF chain for it, letting it shoot an extra shot for every shot he'd normally have. Thus a +16/+11/+5/+1 would have a +16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1/+1. If that's too powerful, then do something like Greater Flurry so he gets an extra two shots rather than an extra one shot, at no attack penalty.

Arrow of Death. Increase DC to something based on the caster stat of the caster class used to get into the PrC. Something like 10+ AA level + Casting Stat Mod

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ZocckCastlestorm 03-31-07, 03:20 PM	What's you Favorite Archery-Based Prestige Class? Why is it your Favorite(or the one you love to HATE)?
jansteenstra 03-31-07, 03:23 PM	What's you Favorite Archery-Based Prestige Class? Why is it your Favorite(or the one you love to HATE)? I hate both the arcane archer and the order of the bow initiate. Both prestige classes suck. (order of the bow initiate just sucks big time and arcane archer isnt worth it beyond second level). My favorite archery based prestige class is any good cleric prestige class or just plain fighter.
The_Shaman 03-31-07, 04:32 PM	The peerless archer sounds quite good (and I like sneak attack), but I haven't really tried it yet as I haven't played a game that has lasted so long and those I played in start at low levels. Aside from it, I'm a little torn between the deepwood sniper and it's long-range marksmanship slkills and the Justice of Weald and Woe with its archer-assassinish tricks. As for the OotB initiate, I don't like him much either, sorry - the idea that a master marksman will make great shots only if the target is no more than 10 (20 at lvl 10) meters away seems more than a little absurd, and that's next to all that class gives.
ZocckCastlestorm 04-01-07, 05:32 PM	I keep hearing about this "Peerless Archer" PrC, but I have no idea where to find it? What is it's core differences vis-a-vis OBI PrC? Thanks.
Lotus Crane 04-01-07, 05:40 PM	Deepwood Sniper (Masters of the Wild) is probably still the most powerful, and should technically be usable as written even in a 3.5 game.
Halflingtoes 04-01-07, 05:47 PM	I think the feat 'Swift Hunter' from complete scoundrel has created an unofficial prestige class that's pretty powerful. It allows you to combine your scout and ranger levels for both favored enemies and skirmish damage. It also lets you critical and apply skirmish damage to your favored enemies even if they are normally immune to criticals. So a Ranger 1/Scout 19 would have the skirmish damage of a 20th level scout, and five favored enemies. if those were undead, construct, elemental, plant, and ooze, he would be able to apply skirmish damage to them all.
The_Shaman 04-01-07, 07:32 PM	I keep hearing about this "Peerless Archer" PrC, but I have no idea where to find it? What is it's core differences vis-a-vis OBI PrC? Thanks. Silver Marches, FR campaign setting. It's got ranged SA (1d6 at lvl 1,4,7,10, something like power attack, better shooting vs concealed targets, makes enhanced arrows (not for free, though - unlike the Arcane Archer) and can use it's shots as a reach weapon of sorts (i.e. threatening squres etc), as well as some smaller stuff. @Halflingtoes: I think Ranger 16/17 and then some scout might be better still. Having some form of additional damage is even nicer when you have the BAB and a bit of casting to back it up.
ZocckCastlestorm 04-01-07, 11:02 PM	Silver Marches, FR campaign setting. It's got ranged SA (1d6 at lvl 1,4,7,10, something like power attack, better shooting vs concealed targets, makes enhanced arrows (not for free, though - unlike the Arcane Archer) and can use it's shots as a reach weapon of sorts (i.e. threatening squres etc), as well as some smaller stuff. Thanks, The_Shaman. I don't really FR, maybe I just 'forgot' about those Realms.Still, maybe I'll take a look at it. I still like the OBI. Just my opinion.
The_Shaman 04-02-07, 11:14 AM	NP, I like it so I'm usually interested in what it offers. The Archer doesn't come with any particular setting restrictions, though, so it can easily come in any other campaign.
Halflingtoes 04-02-07, 07:01 PM	@Halflingtoes: I think Ranger 16/17 and then some scout might be better still. Having some form of additional damage is even nicer when you have the BAB and a bit of casting to back it up. Yeah, definately viable. To qualify you need to be a Ranger 1/ Scout 3. You can then use your fourth level scout bonus feat to take swift hunter (the fastest method to get the benefits of the feat). I tend to like the speed and abilities of the scout more, but taking ranger as the higher of the two is certainly viable. Heck, if you want to get really ludicrous with it, add in a level of monk and train with a Sparring Dummy of the Master (Arms and equipment guide). This permanently increases the free 5' adjustment to a 10' adjustment. So you just moved far enough to skirmish... as a free action. You're now free to launch a full round attack with improved rapid shot and haste or speed weapon, all getting the extra skirmish damage. No one in my group seems to have realized that quite yet, and I'm not going to point it out (because I like a little balance in the game). As an off topic, I hate that stupid magic item. Two of the last three monks created in our group have tried to write that 30,000 GP item into their background for free (the monestary I was at happened to have one and we all trained on it.) Yeesh.
Barloch 04-03-07, 01:25 PM	House rule the training dummy can only confer its benefits to one recipiant, much like the tomes of stats.
ShneekeyTheLost 04-03-07, 05:01 PM	I just wish the Arcane Archer didn't... suck. I had a few ideas for this class, though... Change Imbue Arrow so you can load up touch attacks, and if your regular archery attack hits, the target is affected. Drop Seeker Arrow. That's what Improved Precise Shot is for. Change it to: Elemental Aura(Su): At 4th level, the Arcane Archer can choose one element (Fire, Ice, Acid, or Lightning). Every arrow which is affected by his Enhance Arrow class ability deals an extra 1d6 of this element type. The Arcane Archer may change the element type as a move action. At 8th level, he may do so as a swift action. Change Phase Arrow (which currently sucks) into the following: [b]Phase Arrow (Su): At 6th level, the Arcane Archer can hit Incorporeal creatures as though his arrows had the Ghost Touch enhancement. Ditch Hail of Arrows. Negate the -2 penalty to Rapid Shot, and basically do a TWF chain for it, letting it shoot an extra shot for every shot he'd normally have. Thus a +16/+11/+5/+1 would have a +16/+16/+11/+11/+6/+6/+1/+1. If that's too powerful, then do something like Greater Flurry so he gets an extra two shots rather than an extra one shot, at no attack penalty. Arrow of Death. Increase DC to something based on the caster stat of the caster class used to get into the PrC. Something like 10+ AA level + Casting Stat Mod