Enligthened Archerer [3.5]

[AirGuitarGod32]

I know ranged combat is not the best for optimizing, but I want to see what sorts of damage CAN be accomplished. My only rule is no crossbows. The character is more enlightened by the difficulty of archery than some nutcase with crossbows. Also, PLEASE try and use Zen Archery (mostly for fluff than crunch, but it could work!)

This is for the campaign where I'm a PC, not my Undead Apocolypse one. Thanx

[ericgrau]

9d6ish from damage enchantments averages to 31.5, +5 from greater magic weapon (or arcane archer if you can't get that), +10ish from strength on a composite bow, +9 from bane arrows for every ocassion and DR, +4ish from fighter feats or rage or etc., +1d6 from flame arrow averages to 3.5. Total is 63 damage per arrow, bypassing most DR, though energy resistance might negate a couple d6's and drop that to 52ish. Rapid shot and haste for 3 full BAB attacks, plus a couple secondaries probably land. Full attack every round since it's a bow, so about 315 damage that bypasses most any DR (260 vs. energy resistances). More if you don't mind more expensive arrows or if you sneak attack (but remember less hits will land at medium BAB and you can't always sneak attack).

Almost none of the above is class dependent. Do you have a link to zen archery? I thought I saw that online before.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

9d6ish from damage enchantments.

Are you seriously recommending what I think you're recommending?

[Kylarra]

Play a Soulbow. Not too optimized in any sense of the word, but at least you'd get Wis to damage.

[Optimystik]

Play a Soulbow. Not too optimized in any sense of the word, but at least you'd get Wis to damage.

Seconding this. Soulbow + Zen Archery = Win.

[ericgrau]

Are you seriously recommending what I think you're recommending?

Spending 200,000 gold on your main weapon by the time you reach level 20? Yeah... that's pretty standard. This'll stack with other sources of damage. And "9d6" is a simplification. Not all of the bonus damage is d6's. Eventually you need to extend your crit range and get the bursts when you run out. Or with other books you could add collision and so on. Point is to get some kind of +9 equivalent bonus damage, I don't care what. What would help would be posting other sources of damage like collision, figure about 20% increase in base damage due to crits, and posting these enchants to improve on my damage figures.

[sofawall]

Spending 200,000 gold on your main weapon by the time you reach level 20? Yeah... that's pretty standard. This'll stack with other sources of damage. And "9d6" is a simplification. Not all of the bonus damage is d6's. Eventually you need to extend your crit range and get the bursts when you run out. Or with other books you could add collision and so on. Point is to get some kind of +9 equivalent bonus damage, I don't care what. What would help would be posting other sources of damage like collision, figure about 20% increase in base damage due to crits, and posting these enchants to improve on my damage figures.

Somehow, I think Splitting might be a better investment than Flaming Shock Frost.

[Eldariel]

Cleric Archer, obviously. Cleric 20, Zen Archer, and DMM: Persist, go to town. Rapid Shot if you can spare the feats/domains and Dex 13.

[AirGuitarGod32]

I actually thought an Insectoid Thri-Kreen/Ranger/Soulknife/Soulbow with 2 Greatbows and 2 free soulbow hands + Zen Archery could be quite devistating. Heck. I may attempt to convince the DM into letting Gestalt, which'd make this build more Viable

[FishAreWet]

Polymorph into an Arrow Demon(mm3 or 4) and go to town.

[Keld Denar]

Cleric Archer, obviously. Cleric 20, Zen Archer, and DMM: Persist, go to town. Rapid Shot if you can spare the feats/Domains.

I'll see your Cleric Archer and raise you an Archivist Archer. Dark Knowledge, Knowledge Devotion, tons of Skill Points, and on demand access to ALL of the low level ranger spells in Spell Compendium like Snipers Shot, Hunter's Eye, and Fell the Greatest Foe. Also, Divine Powah. Dip SacEx to pick up Turn Undead and take Divine Might for Cha to damage as well.

Course, its not Wis based, but meh...

[FishAreWet]

Champions of Ruin has amazing spell for rangers.

Turn an arrow into 1d4+1 arrows?
Make an arrow strike two targets?
Make an arrow a no save 1d6 Str damage?

[AirGuitarGod32]

Thanks for the ideas y'all

[Eldariel]

I'll see your Cleric Archer and raise you an Archivist Archer. Dark Knowledge, Knowledge Devotion, tons of Skill Points, and on demand access to ALL of the low level ranger spells in Spell Compendium like Snipers Shot, Hunter's Eye, and Fell the Greatest Foe. Also, Divine Powah. Dip SacEx to pick up Turn Undead and take Divine Might for Cha to damage as well.

Course, its not Wis based, but meh...

Ah, but Cleric Archer has Domains which effectively adds up to 2 extra feats in a feat-starved build...and no reason you can't go Cloistered Cleric for Knowledge Devotion. I...think in this case Cleric works better. Wood Elf/Wild Elf, Cloistered Cleric, Planning & Elf-domains (granting you PBS & Extend Spell), picking up Persistent Spell & Divine Metamagic, Rapid Shot, Knowledge Devotion and a lot of Extra Turnings.

Certainly, flaws would help a lot too as feats tend to be in sparse supply indeed, especially if Nightsticks are not there to aid thee in thy persistence. Extra Turnings are quite heavily needed and there are certainly many other feats you would not mind (though with Precise weapon ability, Nightsticks and such, you can obviate some of those needs).

[Alysar]

What is everyone's opinion of Order of the Bow Initiate?

[Person_Man]

Do we need to use arrows? Because if your goal is simply to be interesting at ranged combat, I think that a Dragonfire Adept, Incarnate, Warlock, Psion, or any full caster might be a better bet.

What is everyone's opinion of Order of the Bow Initiate?

Complete and utter garbage. Their primary ability takes a Standard Action to fire ONE arrow. The entire class is a poorly written joke.

[faceroll]

Somehow, I think Splitting might be a better investment than Flaming Shock Frost.

By level 20, 1d6 fire, cold, and lightning is going to be an average of zero damage vs. a whole mess of monsters you encounter. So yeah, splitting is ftw.

[Optimystik]

What is everyone's opinion of Order of the Bow Initiate?

*waits for Pharaoh's "It's A Trap!" image macro*

[Thalnawr]

Complete and utter garbage. Their primary ability takes a Standard Action to fire ONE arrow. The entire class is a poorly written joke.

Not to mention the fact that that it requires Rapid Shot for some incomprehensible reason, to qualify.

On that note, what's everyone's thoughts on the Marksman from Untapped Potential? If non-Wizards material is allowed, it seems like it could be decent at the very least.

[Cieyrin]

I actually thought an Insectoid Thri-Kreen/Ranger/Soulknife/Soulbow with 2 Greatbows and 2 free soulbow hands + Zen Archery could be quite devistating. Heck. I may attempt to convince the DM into letting Gestalt, which'd make this build more Viable

Why bother with Greatbows? Multiweapon Fight those soulbow hands for more mind arrows every which way.

[AirGuitarGod32]

Why bother with Greatbows? Multiweapon Fight those soulbow hands for more mind arrows every which way.

so 6 soulbows?

[BenTheJester]

Or a gestalt Ranger//Ranger to dual-wield your dual-wield. With bows and arrows.

[Coidzor]

Or a gestalt Ranger//Ranger, wielding 4 bows

...No, I don't think that works that way. Or would be very good compared to some kind of skirmisher.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

Scout/Ranger with Swift Hunter and Travel Domain. Maybe a dip somewhere to get turn attempts, and a few Nightsticks to fuel it. Improved Manyshot makes this build not only viable, but very much so.

The best part is that if you take as your Favored Enemies all those things which are normally immune to precision-based damage (constructs, undead, plants, oozes, and elementals primarily), you get to pretty much bypass that immunity and continue to deal full damage output.

[Kylarra]

...No, I don't think that works that way. Or would be very good compared to some kind of skirmisher.

Yes it does.

[ericgrau]

That's an exalted feat right?