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__Azrael
2008-03-20, 09:16 PM
The dwarf was exhausted. The freeze was punishing his braked bones. He cleaned the blood in his nose and looked proudly to the orc chieftain and his guards. Balancing one more time his axe over his head he thought, “This puny elf will not be any help in this cave, I’m doomed”.

His recently met companion seemed to divine the sad thought and smiled him ironically, preparing an arrow.

The drums accelerated. The dwarf decided to front his destiny once for all. Three steps. He placed himself forward, protecting the elf. The archer didn’t say a word.

The drums suddenly stopped. The chieftain roared and the other followed. The charge begins. The dwarven warrior prepared the shield and waited for his last stance.

But no charger reached the warrior. Like lightings, three arrows flew from behind him. A leg, a head, a throat. Two orcs died before advancing two much. A third was howling in the floor. The others just stopped, surprised, while the exalted eyes of the chieftain opened with fury.

Just an instant later the dwarf saw how the elven archer jumped over him, landing over the wounded orc. Running to his enemies, dodged three deadly blows and rolled with grace avoiding other grunts. He was then at just six feet of the chieftain, aiming his head.

The dwarf laughed revitalized and started running against the shocked orcs. The elf smiled again. A deadly arrow flew.


The running archer it’s a fast, intuitive and flexible adventurer who lays on agility and mobility to overcome his foes with quick and precisely timed arrows. Many of them use their abilities to gain access to different places or escaping their enemies without entering too much combat. But when it’s unavoidable the running archer may become an outstanding opponent. Usually there’s no time to aim carefully … he’s place it’s in the middle of the storm, creating havoc and quickly reaching the most dangerous of his enemies.

Running Archer:

Requirements:
Race: Elf, Half Elf, Halfling or Human.
Feats: Point Blank Shot; Shot on the Run; Weapon Focus (any bow); Evasion or Lighting Reflexes.
Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Skills: Balance 8, Jump 8, Spot 5, Tumble 8.

Basics:
Base Attack Bonus: Medium (like rogue).
Saves: Weak Will, Strong Reflexes, and Weak Fortitude (like rogue).
Hit Die: D6.
Skill Points per Level: 6 + Int Modifier.
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features:

Proficiencies: The running archer gains no proficiencies.

Steady Feet: Once per day, the running archer may re roll any failed control of Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble. If the archer chooses to re roll a check, he must keep the second result even if worse. He may use this ability and additional time per day for every two class levels beyond the first. This is an extraordinary ability.

Steady Eye: When attacking with a bow, the running archer suffer no penalty for shooting from strange positions or unstable surfaces as long as he’s able to use two hands to shoot. This is an extraordinary ability.

Superior Point Blank Shot: At 2nd level the running archer excels in short range combat. He gets a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls when firing at ranges of up to 30 feet. This bonus stack with the Point Blank Shot feat, and increases in +1 every three level after (5th and 8th).

Improved Steady Eye: At 3rd level, the running archer doesn’t suffer any penalization on his attack rolls for shooting a bow while running or mounting. This is an extraordinary ability.

Improved Steady Feet: At 3rd level, when a running archer uses Steady Feet he can choose the best of both rolls.

Quick Hawk: At 5th level, the running archer gains a +4 bonus in his initiative checks if he declares only bow attacks and/or movement actions on his round. The running archer can declare this ability after his initiative check. This bonus stacks with the Improved Initiative feat and other similar bonuses. This is an extraordinary ability.

Quick Serpent: At 6th level, the running archer doesn’t suffer any AC and attack (with bows) penalties for being prone. Also, he can quickly stand up as a standard action without provoking opportunity attacks. This is an extraordinary ability.

Combat Adaptation: Starting at 7th level, the running archer it’s an expert using his bow in chaotic and dangerous combat situations. He may use his bow as a quarterstaff and as a bow with quick sequencing and without damaging the weapon, even if he doesn’t have the proficiency to use a quarterstaff. At the DM’s criterion, any magic enhancement bonus of the bow may apply when it’ used as a quarterstaff.

With this ability, the running archer becomes able to perform opportunity attacks with his bow and threaten an area in the normal way for melee weapons, even if he’s using the bow to shoot in the same round. Also, the running archer becomes able to use his Mobility feat bonus to AC to opportunity attacks generated by shooting a bow.

Swift Reaction: Starting at 8th level, the running archer may perform a Swift Reaction twice per day when an opponent declares a charge against him while he has his bow at hand. By declaring a Swift Reaction, the running archer performs a free special attack action just before the charging enemy attack.

The running archer must make a Reflexes save against DC 20 to shoot at time. If he succeeds automatically hits the target (all normal damage modifications with the equipped bow apply) and the damage must be rolled normally. The charging enemy must make his attack roll. If his result its lower than the Reflex save of the running archer, the archer's automatic attack it’s considered a critical hit and the enemy automatically fails his charge attack (even if the roll would reach the archer's AC).

For every level beyond 8th, the running archer may perform an additional Swift Reaction per day (maximum 4 times per day at 10th level). A Swift Reaction isn’t an opportunity attack and doesn’t count for the maximum opportunity attacks of the running archer. Using a Swift Reaction is an extraordinary ability.

Quick Guardian: At 10th level the running archer becomes a true master of the use of the bow in chaotic skirmishes. As a full round action, the running archer may declare he’s Waiting for the entire round.

When waiting, the running archer becomes ready to react against any and all of the following situations: a) an opponent charges against him or against an ally at 10 feet or less; b) an opponent at 40 feet or less cast a spell; c) an opponent at 40 feet or less shoot him or an ally at 10 feet or less.

When any of these conditions happens during the round, the running archer performs a free Swift Reaction against the corresponding target, until a maximum of Swift Reactions equal to the Dex modifier of the running archer. In the case of casting opponents, they risk disrupting spells instead of losing the attack, and they must perform Concentration checks instead of attack rolls. If at any time during the round the running archer suffer damage or fails a Reflexes save, he stops waiting for any more opportunities for free Swift Reactions in that turn (but he still may use Swift Reaction in the normal way). Note that an opponent which makes various shots on a turn may generate various Swift Reactions against him.

keyboardboy101
2008-03-20, 10:13 PM
First, Formatting. Always makes for a better presentation.

It seems like a lot of feats for prerequisites, and possibly only doable by a rogue (or monk) because of the evasion requirement. Shot on the Run requires Mobility, PBS, and Dodge already.

Steady Feet - is the character forced to keep the second roll? and can he use one of he rerolls on an already rerolled fail.

Superior Point Blank - needs to be a feat for all classes. Good idea.

Overall it's good, it just needs better formatting. Swift Reaction has limited uses, but when the situation arises, it should be almost an automatic critical hit/prevention of charge, which may make it overpowered. The only reason I say this is because the creature is making an opposing check to the archers, which could be extremely high.

Quick Guardian comes up with the same problem but in more situations. By doing this, and just having a high Dex/Ref (which an archer usually does), the archer could prevent almost any attack, especially spellcasters. I would decrease the number of possible Swift Actions in one round. Maybe you meant it to be this powerful (the opposing check is what makes it potent)

But hey, we have the same icon.

Stycotl
2008-03-20, 11:10 PM
i second the format idea. go to the stickied guide to homebrewing by fax celestis and others, at the top of the homebrew page.

my eyes get lost in the monotonous, gray text...

__Azrael
2008-03-21, 03:13 PM
Hi

Thanks for the feedback.

I've formatted (also added some flavour text to explain the concept) and tried to balance the swift reaction ability.

About the requirements, I think they're adequate. I added the option to replace evasion for lighting reflexes, but anyway the tumble requirement will mainly restrict the prc for monks and rogues (probably multiclassing rogues).

About swift reaction, I've decided to compare it with the attack roll or (if spellcaster) the concentration check of the victim, to give him a better chance of getting a good roll.

I'm tryng to make an archer class util for adventuring. At high levels archers usually get really weak and most intents goes for giving them more damage, which quickly becomes disbalancing with some buff. The idea its to give the archer some "tactical utilities" and more flexibility to cover different roles in the adventure. Some kind of archer/acrobat who could defend the other adventurers from dangerous attack or quickly reach critical objectives.

EDIT: I also fixed the steady feet issue. Now its clear. He can't choose the roll until reaches level 3.