The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
Thousand-Arrow Archer
While all martial adepts know the legend of Reshar and the Temple of the Nine Swords, and of the nine martial disciplines Reshar united there, not all know of the lost disciplines, the hidden disciplines, the secret disciplines. Either developed after the great Temple’s fall or kept secret even from the blademaster Reshar, these disciplines hold only a few practitioners, adepts trained in their esoteric ways. The Falling Star discipline is one of these, a martial school that focuses on archery and bowmanship, making use of devastating ranged attacks. Its champions are the Thousand-Arrow Archers, martial adepts who have mastered the discipline and the art of archery, said to be able of firing a single arrow with the force of a thousand behind it.
Hit Dice
d10
Requirements
To qualify to become a Thousand-Arrow Archer, you must fulfill all the following criteria.
BAB: +6
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Skills: Martial Lore 10 ranks, Spot 5 ranks
Martial Maneuvers: Must know at least one 4th-level maneuver of the Falling Star discipline.
Class Skills
The Thousand-Arrow Archer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skill Points per Level
4 + Int modifier.
NAME OF CLASS
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers<br>Known|Maneuvers<br>Readied|Stances<br>Known
1st|+1
|+0
|+2
|+0
|Archer Adept|0
|0
|1
2nd|+2
|+0
|+3
|+0
|Rain of Arrows|1
|0
|1
3rd|+3
|+1
|+3
|+1
|Bonus Feat|1
|1
|1
4th|+4
|+1
|+4
|+1
|Nock the Sword|2
|1
|1
5th|+5
|+1
|+4
|+1
|Unerring Aim|2
|1
|2
6th|+6
|+2
|+5
|+2
|Bonus Feat|3
|1
|2
7th|+7
|+2
|+5
|+2
|Strike True|3
|2
|2
8th|+8
|+2
|+6
|+2
|Reflexive Shot|4
|2
|2
9th|+9
|+3
|+6
|+3
|Bonus Feat|4
|2
|2
10th|+10
|+3
|+7
|+3
|Loose a Thousand Arrows|5
|2
|2
[/table]
Class Features
All the following are class features of the Thousand-Arrow Archer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Thousand-Arrow Archers gain proficiency with the composite longbow, the composite shortbow, the hand crossbow, the heavy crossbow, the light crossbow, the longbow, and the shortbow.
Maneuvers
At each even-numbered level, you gain one new maneuver known from the Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, or Falling Star, disciplines. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisites to learn it. You add your full Thousand-Arrow Archer level to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and the highest level of maneuver you can learn. If you have levels in an initiator class that allows you to exchange out maneuvers at certain levels, your Thousand-Arrow Archer levels stack with your levels in that class for determining when you may exchange maneuvers. At 3rd and 7th level, you gain an additional maneuver readied each day.
Stances
At 1st level, and again at 5th level, you gain a new martial stance known from the Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, or Falling Star disciplines. You must meet a stance’s prerequisites to learn it.
Archer Adept (Ex)
At 1st level, you have trained yourself in the art of archery, and can perform martial strikes with bows or other ranged weapons. Whenever you initiate a martial maneuver that allows you to make a melee attack, you may make a ranged attack in its place. You take a -2 penalty to your attack roll when doing so. You cannot use this ability when the attack can only be made normally as a melee attack, such as the attack at the end of a charge. In addition, the target of your attack must be within the first base range increment of your weapon.
Rain of Arrows (Ex)
At 2nd level, you learn to shoot your weapon in long arcs to rain down arrows on your foes. As a standard action, you may make a single attack with a ranged weapon, targeting a single square 30 ft. or further away from you. You must roll a total of 20 or higher on your attack roll to accurately hit the square; if you roll less, you hit another square, determined using the table on page 158 of the Player’s Handbook. All creatures occupying the square hit take damage from the attack, though they may attempt a Reflex save, DC 10 + your class level + your Dexterity modifier, for half damage. A projectile shot with the rain of arrows class feature ignores obstacles between it and its target, except those that have a height greater than or equal to 10 ft. times your class level.
In addition, whenever you make a ranged attack as part of a martial maneuver, you may use rain of arrows rather than shooting it normally. If you do so, that maneuver’s initiation time increases to a full round action. All creatures damaged by the attack suffer the added effects of the strike unless they make their Reflex save. Even those that fail their saves can make any saves allowed by the strike itself to reduce or negate its effect.
Bonus Feat (Ex)
At 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels, you gain a bonus feat from the list given below. You must meet the prerequisites of the feat you choose.
Bonus Feat List
Alertness, Crossbow Sniper, Dodge, Far Shot, Improved Initiative, Improved Precise Shot, Improved Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Mobility, Ranged Disarm, Ranged Pin, Ranged Sunder, Rapid Reload, Rapid Shot, Sharp-Shooting, Shot on the Run, Zen Archery
Nock The Sword (Ex)
At 4th level, your practice of archery has bolstered your strength and skill such that you can pull back your bowstring with enough strength to nock a blade instead of an arrow. You no longer take a -2 penalty on attack rolls when using your archer adept class feature. In addition, you can use melee weapons as ammunition for ranged weapons. The weapon used as ammunition must be light or one-handed, and must be of the same size or smaller as the ranged weapon you fire it from. Reach weapons cannot be fired with this ability. You must be proficient with a weapon to fire it. When using a melee weapon as ammunition, you its damage dice when rolling damage, and whichever is higher of the melee weapon’s or the ranged weapon’s critical threat range and critical multiplier. Magic weapons are treated like enchanted ammunition. Weapons fired this way never risk being destroyed like ammunition.
Unerring Aim (Ex)
At 5th level, no one can hope to hide from you. When attacking with a ranged weapon, you ignore all cover and concealment, with the sole exception of total cover or concealment.
Strike True (Ex)
At 7th level, your keen eyes can pick out your foes’ weaknesses. Whenever you successfully hit an enemy that has damage reduction with a ranged attack made as part of a martial maneuver, you may make a Spot check. You subtract the result of that check, divided by 5, from that enemy's damage reduction.
Reflexive Shot (Ex)
At 8th level, your bow is an extension of yourself, and you can fire it almost without thought. Once per round, when a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from you, you may use a ranged weapon to make that attack. You are treated as threatening all squares adjacent to you while wielding a ranged weapon.
Loose A Thousand Arrows (Ex)
At 10th level, you can fire a single arrow with the force of a thousand, an attack that drives through all foes caught in its way. Whenever you make a ranged attack, you may choose to use the loose a thousand arrows class feature. If you do, instead of targeting a specific creature, the attack is created as being a line-shaped effect, with a length equal to the base range increment of your weapon. You make a single attack roll, and any creature in the line with AC less than it is treated as being hit by the attack. You may use this ability three times per encounter.
In addition, whenever you make a ranged attack as part of a martial maneuver, you may use loose a thousand arrows rather than shooting it normally. If you do so, that maneuver’s initiation time increases to a full round action. All creatures hit by the attack suffer the added effects of the strike. You cannot use maneuvers of the highest level you are capable of initiating with the loose a thousand arrows class feature.
Adaptation: The Black Lotus Gunslinger
Spoiler
Show
Martial adepts who specialize in firearms might take a variant of this prestige class called the Black Lotus Gunslinger. The Black Lotus Gunslinger prestige class grants access to the Black Rain, Dancing Leaf, and Iron Heart disciplines, and its class features work only with firearms or ray weapons, and should be renamed accordingly. Otherwise, they function just the same.
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
Loose a thousand arrows, with, say, a Distant Shot weapon? And a high hill, a mountain? Everyone in a line as far as you can see, potentially forever with the right magical synergies. Sounds a bit much.
Perhaps 'base range increment'?
Also, this may just be unnatural prejudice, but the idea of firing off swords from a bow just doesn't sound anything but ridiculous to me.
Possibly a PrC-only exotic arrow set that deals damage as X?
But that's mostly an aesthetic quibble.
The class does improve Archers significantly, but that's the point of falling star, so, all in all, not too shabby.
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick
Loose a thousand arrows, with, say, a Distant Shot weapon? And a high hill, a mountain? Everyone in a line as far as you can see, potentially forever with the right magical synergies. Sounds a bit much.
Perhaps 'base range increment'?
Good idea.
Quote:
Also, this may just be unnatural prejudice, but the idea of firing off greatswords from a bow just doesn't sound anything but ridiculous to me.
Possibly a PrC-only exotic arrow set that deals damage as X?
But that's mostly an aesthetic quibble.
Note that it's only one-handed and light weapons, so the worst you'd get is a longsword...which is still ridiculous, but I'm invoking Rule of Cool for that one.
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
i too can't get over the nock-the-sword idea. the rest is cool--i always like to see archers getting some love. but i wouldn't shoot a melee weapon even if i could. too impractical in my opinion. it's not gonna hurt anyone's feelings (or shouldn't anyway) if you keep it, and surely there are those out there who like the idea.
aaron out.
EDIT: also, the adding of martial maneuvers to the thousand arrows shot: was that on purpose to add maneuvers to *anyone* struck by the maneuvers? i thought i remember it only counting on the first strike, kinda like a warlock's eb or a sneak attack.
now, that said, this could potentially work. like i said, archers need some love, and i don't see anything too unreasonable in its effects. even with the 9th level save-r-die maneuvers, that is nothing more powerful than a 7th level wizard spell.
aaron out. again.
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stycotl
i too can't get over the nock-the-sword idea. the rest is cool--i always like to see archers getting some love. but i wouldn't shoot a melee weapon even if i could. too impractical in my opinion. it's not gonna hurt anyone's feelings (or shouldn't anyway) if you keep it, and surely there are those out there who like the idea.
Yeah, I'm a Fate/Stay Night fanboy...I could take that part out without hurting the class, but I think martial adepts do need the occasionall silly, uber-cinematic ability.
Quote:
EDIT: also, the adding of martial maneuvers to the thousand arrows shot: was that on purpose to add maneuvers to *anyone* struck by the maneuvers? i thought i remember it only counting on the first strike, kinda like a warlock's eb or a sneak attack.
It affects everyone. I think I will put a uses/encounter restriction and a limit on the level of maneuver you can use with it.
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
I noticed the part about Arcing arrows... does that let me shoot arrows in arcs, because standard arrows go in straight lines... this would be an easy way of bypassing LoE and such, because you can shoot the arrows in certain directions...
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neftren
I noticed the part about Arcing arrows... does that let me shoot arrows in arcs, because standard arrows go in straight lines... this would be an easy way of bypassing LoE and such, because you can shoot the arrows in certain directions...
It still fires essentially in a line, all it lets you do is target squares instead of creatures, a la English longbowmen at Agincourt, and bypass some vertical obstacles.
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neftren
I noticed the part about Arcing arrows... does that let me shoot arrows in arcs, because standard arrows go in straight lines... this would be an easy way of bypassing LoE and such, because you can shoot the arrows in certain directions...
standard arrows actually do travel in arcs. standard bullets even travel in arcs. even at short distances.
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
i'm curious as to how no one's noticed putting this together with Cragtop Archer...
Re: The Thousand-Arrow Archer [PrC]
This looks pretty awesome. I just skimmed it, but I'm aware (if not fully detail informed) about the path it comes from. I've always liked archers as characters, and thought that an archery path was a good idea. Seeing this made me really want to play an archer character who uses Falling Star...hmm...
I should go find a play-by-post game...
Also, as a side note, I play in a first edition campaign, in which there is a character, a ranger, who has the ability to shoot any object of very vaguely arrow-esque proportions as a +3 arrow. This is stuff like table legs, but I believe the DM would allow him to take it to the extent of shooting stuff like a spoon. :smallbiggrin:
We've regularly joked about shooting some halfling party members at people...
