Post/Author/DateTime	Post
MusashiX2 08-26-07, 09:10 PM	i am a level 3 Ranger/3 Scout Catfolk (Character Level 7) who's main focus is the skirmish ability using the Swift Hunter feat. it is just about the same as the Hail of Arrows build i have seen on the boards (i think that is what it was called). so now i have leveled up (to CL 8), and i have two options. i could take my 4th level of Scout and get the Improved Skirmisher feat (move 20ft. and get an additional +2d6 and +2 AC) through the Scout's bonus feat. or i could keep going in Ranger, and by the time i automatically get the Manyshot feat for being a ranger, i plan to get Greater Manyshot at that same level. if i get Improved Skirmisher, then i will have to wait a bit longer to get Greater Manyshot. and if i keep leveling Ranger until i get Greater Manyshot, then i will have to wait longer for Improved Skirmisher. i plan to definitely have both of these abilities, but the only question is when i will get them. also, 4th level of Ranger will give me magic abilities. since i am doing the Shooting Star substitution levels, i will get bonus spells instead of animal companion. so which do you think is better to get first? should my next levels be Ranger or Scout? (note: my character has a move speed of 60ft thanks to being a Catfolk and some character traits and flaws i added at level 1. so moving 20ft for Skirmish is nothing to me.)
jaelis 08-26-07, 11:20 PM	Well, greater manyshot improves as your BAB goes up, so it might make some sense to put that one off. Right now your skirmish is +1d6, so getting one extra "dose" with greater manyshot doesn't really gain you all that much. Seem like Imp Skirmish is just better until you can get more attacks and/or more skirmish damage.
MusashiX2 08-26-07, 11:42 PM	actually, my skirmish is +2d6 +1 AC thanks to the Swift Hunter feat. i have Skirmish equivalent to a Scout with my Scout levels + my Ranger levels. so after this level up to CL 8, i will have skirmish +2d6 +2 AC (equivalent to a 7th level Scout). getting Improved Skirmish would give me +4d6 +4 AC after moving 20ft.
dman11235 08-27-07, 12:02 AM	I say greater many shot, more chances to get skirmish. Then next feat possible (if it's a scout level you get a bonus feat!) take improved skirmish. It takes 3 levels (two from ECL 8) to get greater many shot, but I think the spells are worth it.
SylvanWoodlore 09-04-07, 02:37 PM	I am 2 ranger/1 scout and would like to know pre-req's for greater manyshot and where is that feat listed? Sounds like a lot of fun to get skirmish on more than one arrow in a round. Thanks
MusashiX2 09-04-07, 02:45 PM	greater manyshot is in the Expanded Psionics Handbook (XPH).
danste01 09-04-07, 03:36 PM	i am a level 3 Ranger/3 Scout Catfolk (Character Level 7) who's main focus is the skirmish ability using the Swift Hunter feat. it is just about the same as the Hail of Arrows build i have seen on the boards (i think that is what it was called). so now i have leveled up (to CL 8), and i have two options. i could take my 4th level of Scout and get the Improved Skirmisher feat (move 20ft. and get an additional +2d6 and +2 AC) through the Scout's bonus feat. or i could keep going in Ranger, and by the time i automatically get the Manyshot feat for being a ranger, i plan to get Greater Manyshot at that same level. if i get Improved Skirmisher, then i will have to wait a bit longer to get Greater Manyshot. and if i keep leveling Ranger until i get Greater Manyshot, then i will have to wait longer for Improved Skirmisher. i plan to definitely have both of these abilities, but the only question is when i will get them. also, 4th level of Ranger will give me magic abilities. since i am doing the Shooting Star substitution levels, i will get bonus spells instead of animal companion. so which do you think is better to get first? should my next levels be Ranger or Scout? (note: my character has a move speed of 60ft thanks to being a Catfolk and some character traits and flaws i added at level 1. so moving 20ft for Skirmish is nothing to me.) Can you tell me how skirmirsh work? I understand the principal but in the combat situation? Is there a place in the player handbook that explain it?
MusashiX2 09-04-07, 03:44 PM	it is greatly explained in Complete Adventurer under the Scout class. basically, move at least 10ft. into a different spot and you get +d6 damage and pluses to AC depending on your Scout level.
nubman76 09-04-07, 04:24 PM	what book is swift hunter in and what does it do?
MusashiX2 09-04-07, 04:27 PM	Swift Hunter is in Complete Scoundrel. it adds your Scout and Ranger class levels together to decide what level Skirmish and Favored Enemy you have.
Lucas Blackstone 09-04-07, 07:42 PM	Swift Hunter doesn't quite do what Musashi said. It has no effect on your animal companion. It counts your Ranger and Scout levels together for the skirmish ability, and favored enemy bonuses. Not only that, but it allows you to use the skirmish damage against favored enemies that are normally immune to criticals or skirmish attacks. I was bummed because I made a fighter archer type for a campaign I am in. He does great damage because of all the feats I could take to add to damage, but Complete Scoundrel came out and I was already Fighter 7/ Peerless Archer 1, so it was too late to splash ranger and scout levels for a skill monkey who could do considerable damage at range still. I'm still too lazy to do all the math, but I'm reasonably sure that even with Skirmish added in, a character based off Many Shot ends up doing less damage then a character who is using Rapid Shot because he is down a whole attack. If you factor in Haste ( which one can say isn't fair when comparing the two builds but honestly it's a staple spell for combat) the Rapid Shot build becomes awesome.
MusashiX2 09-04-07, 07:58 PM	WOOPS! yeah, sorry... that was a major error on my part. i even knew what was correct, but typed the wrong thing for some reason. i edited it accordingly. my bad.
Vaelan 09-04-07, 09:37 PM	Greater Manyshot can also be found in the SRD.