Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 DukeGurren Jun 11, 2013 23:20:28	(3.5) Well, to start with, i can't seem to find anything in the players handbook, the dungeon masters guide some things about prestige classes. These mostly include gaining feats, the proper amount of skill points per level (i'm assuming it's off your starting class {Such as an archers 6+int/lvl}. I already assume that you gain feats and SP as a character, not class, but it would be good to make sure before constructing a build involving a prestige class that might not be suitable. My original plan was to create an elf archer out of a ranger and go into deepwood sniper prestige when it suited me, but the more i look at it, the less i like it. I want my character to be able to sneak and take planned and powerful shots to innitiate an ambush, as well as going back into hiding after firing. However, the one thing i want to be able to do is still have a decent close combat, but just in using dual Rapier combat (I prefer rapier as a choice for the character no comment on it please) and taking up just two feats. also, in order to compensate, it looks like the ranger gains a bonus feat at each level that he gets a new favored enemy (not including level 1).  Some feats that i've been looking into are: Able Sniper, Quick Draw, Sharp-Shooting, Woodland Archer, Precise shot, and probably the first 2 two weapon fighting feats (more to be either added or switched out)
#2 StevenO Jun 12, 2013 0:35:29	Sorry but is there a question in there? A prestige class (PrC) is just like a base class except for two things.  The first is that there are some requirements you need to meet BEFORE you can levels in the class.  The second is that PrCs never count against you when looking at an XP penalty for multiclassing.  Each PrC should have its own HD, class skills, skill points, and class abilities. It seems you already realize that general feats, ability score increases, and XP requirements are based on your overall character level which is the sum of your class levels.  Now you must have a class to get the feat but these things are independant of what you gain from classes.
#3 Wyvernhand Jun 12, 2013 0:43:07	Careful splitting your focus.  You become bad at doing two things.  Archery and TWFing in particular are GRUELINGLY feat intensive.  Trying to do both and do them well will only result in heart break. My biggest comment here is that a rapier is a 1 handed weapon, not a light weapon.  If you try to TWF with a pair of rapiers (rapieii?) you will suffer some pretty brutal penalties (-4 with main and offhand).  Really, the best weapon style that couples with archery is using a big 2hander.  You need 1 feat to be good with a 2hander, and that is Power Attack.  If you get a weapon like an Elvencraft Bow, you don't even need to switch weapons to beat people in the face with your bow.  There is also the magical Swordbow in the MIC that works as both a melee and bow type weapon.  I know you want to use rapiers, but I think you'll be very disappointed with how that works.  At the bare minimum, use a shortsword as your offhand.  It's the same damage die, just with 1 less point of crit threat range.  Critting with an offhand is generally lackluster anyway because you only get 1/2 +str bonus with it.  1 less crit range on your offhand is a SMALL price to pay for +2 to hit with both hands. Able Sniper is kinda crappy, especially in a party with non-stealthy companions, but Woodland Archer is very nice.  If you go with the Elvencraft Bow mentioned above, you don't need Quick Draw, either.
#4 Slagger_the_Chuul Jun 12, 2013 2:51:21	You need 1 feat to be good with a 2hander, and that is Power Attack.  If you get a weapon like an Elvencraft Bow, you don't even need to switch weapons to beat people in the face with your bow. And if you did really still want to use two-weapon fighting, an Elvencraft Longbow has that covered as well, since the quarterstaff can be wielded as a double weapon.
#5 Andarious-Rosethorn Jun 12, 2013 8:56:47	Only ways I think you'd probably justify two weapon fighting and archery would be via Weapon Finesse and Shadow Blade which would require a major build restructure, or by going with something like an Inspire Courage Bard which is a different build altogether. Othwerise just Archery with a two hander. Anything else is going to have really bad returns.
#6 DukeGurren Jun 12, 2013 12:03:20	hmm...ok, i'll reconsider that rapier thing to replace with the elvencraft bow or the Swordbow, but i don't know where it is in my books and google/bing are not being helpful at all. i'll look into other feats as well. My intention is not to be great in hand to hand combat, but to be just good enough to be able to survive such encounters. also, the elvencraft bow and swordbow sound like things to come later, and while that's all fine to plan for, i also need to think of how i will perform in lower levels, otherwise the higher levels will be meaningless because the character will be...well, dead.
#7 Syltorian Jun 12, 2013 12:51:42	Elvencraft Bow is in Races of the Wild. Swordbow (the magic item) is in Magic Item Compendium (MIC, as Wyvernhand says).
#8 DukeGurren Jun 12, 2013 12:52:47	Elvencraft Bow is in Races of the Wild. Swordbow (the magic item) is in Magic Item Compendium (MIC, as Wyvernhand says). Tank you
#9 draco1119 Jun 12, 2013 12:56:39	A) Elvencraft bows are also automatically masterwork weapons, so you don't have to pay extra for that quality. B) Judging by your goal description in the OP, you really need to take a look at the "Swift Hunter's handbook".
#10 frost.fire Jun 12, 2013 13:29:41	Swift ambusher could also work for that one big precise hit, although the movement is the sticky bit with both those builds