Order of the Bow Initiate entry

[Nightraiderx]

A perfect case of Written vs Intended to demonstrate to my friends...

Aw don't take it away, archery needs nice things too in 3.5

[DEMON]

Aw don't take it away, archery needs nice things too in 3.5

Though Power Shot as a generally available feat and nonexistence of Wind Wall would be much more preferred to a RAW abuse of Iaijutsu Focus :)

[Invader]

Any advice for making a front line meat shield kind of archer. High AC, high hps, etc. I know it's not optimal but I'm trying to tone things down for the group I'm in which consists of an unoptimized bard, a first time monk with improved init and improved grapple, a multiclass rogue, wizard who's looking into prestige classes and the DMs Fighter/wizard who's going abjurant champion or some gishy class.

I'd really like to play a crusader bc I find them really fun but I think he'd overshadow everyone else even with average feat choices.

[Crake]

Yes, since the skill calls out only drawing a melee weapon. If the arrow doesn't work, just carry a bunch of daggers and draw them with quickdraw before attacking. Or flip a Quickrazor. Or anything really.

Relevant bit:

The thing is, an arrow isn't a melee weapon. It can be used as an improvised melee weapon, but it's weapon type is ammunition, so drawing an arrow does not count as drawing a melee weapon, it counts as drawing ammunition.

[DEMON]

Any advice for making a front line meat shield kind of archer. High AC, high hps, etc. I know it's not optimal but I'm trying to tone things down for the group I'm in which consists of an unoptimized bard, a first time monk with improved init and improved grapple, a multiclass rogue, wizard who's looking into prestige classes and the DMs Fighter/wizard who's going abjurant champion or some gishy class.

I'd really like to play a crusader bc I find them really fun but I think he'd overshadow everyone else even with average feat choices.

I'm sure someone out there will come up with a build that can accomplish this, but I'm just gonna say that tank archer sounds a bit weird to me.

If you want to support your team on the front line and are afraid that a 2HF build would outshine them all, why not try a Sword and Board build? Maybe a Knight, which I'm having a hard time picturing as stealing all the spotlight. Yet he can do his job of getting and keeping aggro and offering flanking opportunities to his team mates.

[Troacctid]

When I think "Tank Archer" I think thrown weapons. The short range increment already forces you to get close to your enemies, so why not take it to the logical conclusion? Or even better: thrown shields. You could totally make a character based on throwing your shield.

[Invader]

I'm sure someone out there will come up with a build that can accomplish this, but I'm just gonna say that tank archer sounds a bit weird to me.

If you want to support your team on the front line and are afraid that a 2HF build would outshine them all, why not try a Sword and Board build? Maybe a Knight, which I'm having a hard time picturing as stealing all the spotlight. Yet he can do his job of getting and keeping aggro and offering flanking opportunities to his team mates.

Mainly because I really want to play a ranged character and because it's something that's different than what you normally see. I can't bring myself to play a knight, I've always really dislike the flavor of the class.