Post/Author/DateTime	Post
tebernok 10-01-05, 02:45 AM	I'm starting a new campaign and I want to fill in as the party's fighter, only problem is that I want to specialize in ranged combat, specifically the longbow. My fellow PC's hate this idea, any suggestions on how to make the most out of this without being a maxer would be helpful.(NO PRESTIGE CLASSES).
atog_eater 10-01-05, 04:52 AM	just make sure you pack some non ranged weapons for when you need to get upclose and personal. i happen to love ranged characters but if the parties fighter refuses to go winthin 20ft of the enamy and the other players have to go in the party will usually end up dead. you just cant do that much damage with a bow. id suggest rapid shot if i were you, i prefer it to multi shot. point blank shot, precise shot, weapon focus, ranged disarm (if it still exists, i just skimmed the PH and couldnt see it) are all things to consider. but like i say dont neglect your hand-to-hand duties!
Nom 10-01-05, 09:40 AM	Take a step back and consider your party composition and tactics. Is your party built around skirmish, standoff, or close combat? What tactics do you (plural) typically use. How will your character contribute. An archer in a close combat party is not as bad as a full-plate tank in a stealth party, but you still need to consider how you will work together. For example, if the party tends to go for melee and you already have some close-combat characters (battle cleric, barbarian, paladin, melee fighter), then you need to focus on abilities that will let you shoot into a melee. Precise Shot is a must, as is Impoved Precise Shot when you qualify for it. You probably should also consider Quick Draw to allow a rapid transition from bow to melee. In contrast, in a party that mainly utilises ranged attacks you will get more mileage from Far Shot and Shot on the Run. If the party expects you will act as a blocker, then you either need to reconsider your build or train your fellow PCs in fighting a more mobile style of combat. Summary: pick your feats to fit your party's combat style.
Ni! 10-01-05, 09:18 PM	I'm starting a new campaign and I want to fill in as the party's fighter, only problem is that I want to specialize in ranged combat, specifically the longbow. My fellow PC's hate this idea, any suggestions on how to make the most out of this without being a maxer would be helpful.(NO PRESTIGE CLASSES). What exactly does everyone have against min-maxing? Min-maxing is just making a the best character possible within the limits of the rules. Why try to make a character less powerful than possible? Having a character that is good at something doesn't make you a bad roleplayer. It makes you someone who has a character that is good at something. Min-maxing is not munchkinsim. Muchkinsim is trying to make an 1_11331Z 1337 1-1/-\}{()1Z regardless of the rules. Back on topic however... I think Nom more or less hit it on the head.
JD 10-01-05, 09:35 PM	I'm starting a new campaign and I want to fill in as the party's fighter, only problem is that I want to specialize in ranged combat, specifically the longbow. My fellow PC's hate this idea, any suggestions on how to make the most out of this without being a maxer would be helpful.(NO PRESTIGE CLASSES). If you end up with a good strength score (and, as a fighter, it seems likely that you will), you should consider sinking a good lump of cash into a composite longbow. Our party's fighter has a composite longbow +4, and it really is a personal weapon: hardly anyone else can pull the string back!