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View Full Version : Boosting ranged combat [PF E6]



Altair_the_Vexed
2013-08-26, 07:11 AM
Ranged combat looses out to melee in d20 - even in E6 games. The issue seems to come from needing too many feats to be any good at range.

Here's some rationale:
Pathfinder helps a little, in that we get Deadly Aim (the Power Attack equivalent for ranged), but whereas Power Attack opens up a whole chain of feats, Deadly Aim gets you nothing - and Point Blank Shot, being the root of the ranged tree of feats, is not nearly as good as Power Attack.
So I've added the benefits of Deadly Aim to Point Blank Shot - the root of the ranged tree should get the same sort of benefits as the root of the melee tree.

Far Shot increases the range at which the bonuses of Point Blank Shot and Sneak Attack apply.

Precise Shot seems to me to have the same in-game skill requirement as Deadly Aim - if you can shoot really accurately into melee, how is that different to shooting really accurately to get more damage? I've merged these two as well.

I merged Rapid Shot and Shot on the Run - from my own and my friends' experience in a variety of world martial arts, I believe it is easier to shoot while moving than it is to make a melee strike while moving. There's no need for shot on the run to be a feat on its own, like Spring Attack.

So here are some re-written feats, to give some more love to ranged attacks for an E6 game:

FAR SHOT
You are more accurate at longer ranges.
Prerequisite: Point-Blank Shot.
Benefit: You only suffer a –1 penalty per full range increment between you and your target when using a ranged weapon.
You may apply the bonuses from the Point Blank Shot feat and ranged Sneak Attacks to attacks up to 60 ft range.
Normal: You suffer a –2 penalty per full range increment between you and your target. Point blank shot and Sneak Attack bonuses are only applied up to 30 ft range.


POINT BLANK SHOT
You are especially accurate when making ranged attacks against close targets.
Benefit:You get a +1 precision bonus on attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons at ranges of up to 30 feet.
Within this range, you can choose to forego this bonus on ranged attack rolls to gain a +2 precision bonus on ranged damage rolls.
When your base attack bonus reaches +4, you may choose to take a –1 penalty to increase the bonus to damage by +2.
You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that cannot deal Wound Point damage.


PRECISE SHOT
You are adept at firing ranged attacks into melee.
Prerequisite: Point-Blank Shot.
Benefit: You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without taking the standard –4 penalty on your attack roll.
You can choose to take a -1 penalty on ranged attack rolls to gain a +2 precision bonus on ranged damage rolls.
When your base attack bonus reaches +4, you may choose to take a –2 penalty to increase the bonus to damage by +2.
You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that cannot deal Wound Point damage.


RAPID SHOT
You can make an additional ranged attack.
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Point-Blank Shot.
Benefit: When making a full-attack action with a ranged weapon, you can attack one additional time this round. All of your attack rolls take a –2 penalty when using Rapid Shot.
When your base attack bonus reaches +4, you may make a ranged attack while moving. As a full-round action, you can move up to your speed and make a single ranged attack at any point during your movement.