Advice for scout/ranger character build!! (Shower of Arrows)

[rangers.matter.]

I'm starting a 3.5e campaign with some friends and I'm really interested in building the "Shower of Arrows" scout/ranger character build. I would post a link of the build but the site won't let me. (If you search "shower of Arrows" in google the first link is what I'm basing my character off)

I've only played one other D&D campaign and i choose a Ranger that went into arcane archer PRC. Unfortunately the campaign only lasted to lvl 11 for the party so i didn't get a chance to dive deep into my character but i do have a basic understanding of how the game and character building works.

Our party has a rogue and a cleric with domains in trickery and insanity. I'd really like to make my character a shoot on the run type of archer and not just someone who hangs in the back and snipes enemies. Any advice on optimizing this build would be great. I feel like there might be some better choices i could make instead of 100% following the "SOA" build i could be wrong though. We haven't started playing yet so I still have time to rebuild and re-roll ability scores and all of that good stuff. Thanks Everyone!

My character so far:
"Proteus' Sharp"
Weapon Longbow
Human/Scout 1
Feats: Improved Initiative and Point Blank Shot.
Class feats: Skirmisher +1d6, Trapfinding
Ability Scores:
Str: 11
Dex:14
Con:13
Int:14
Wis:13
Cha:9

(Also, I posted this in the wrong thread the first time sorry lol first time user here. Thanks goes out to "goaty14" and "aimlessPolymath" for correcting me.)

[lylsyly]

Have a handbook.

Simplest build is scout 3/ranger 17, choosing feats wisely.

[FelineArchmage]

Scout/Ranger is super fun! (I'm currently playing one now)

Some feat ideas (that I am also currently using)

Swift Hunter - Can be chosen as one of the scout's bonus feats. Will allow you to stack your ranger and hunter levels to determine skirmisher AC/damage as well as favored enemy progression. That way you're not missing out on Scout skirmishing abilities when you're taking levels in ranger.

Travel Devotion - Allows you to move additionally as a swift action. Which will allow you to move, then make a full round attack (great when your BAB is high enough for 3 attacks).

Improved Skirmish - If you move 20ft, your skirmish damage increases by 2d6 and AC increases by 2.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Or an even better handbook!

Greater Manyshot isn't bad, but it's not great either. Not only does it take a lot of feats to hit that point, you're tanking your to-hit something fierce and relying purely on BAB for extra attacks. It's rough. Instead, I recommend a one-level Cleric dip to pick up Travel Devotion (Complete Champion) and a few Turn Undead uses. Each use of the feat gets you move-as-a-swift-action for a full encounter, which is way nicer than "shoot two or three arrows at a huge penalty," and gets you some other nice stuff besides.

[Skuli]

I would advise You to go through this handbook. As I'm looking at it, build You try to follow isn't that well optimized and this handbook actually tells You what is what and why.
Are you at point buy? You are doing a MAD class. And high DEX is a requirement for most feats. Also, with point buy, don't do things like CHA 9 or STR 11, that doesn't matter. You'll be increasing Your DEX at every 4th lvl. STR and CHA are Your dump stats. You need DEX and CON most, WIS to 14 (that's including items) and INT is optional over 10, or maybe 13 if You need it for some feats. Don't try to fill all the roles. On the other hand, skirmish isn't that good of damage source, so be sure You know what You are going into. Skirmish ranger is more fitted for a skill monkey, but rogue in Your party already fills that role, so You'll have a tough time trying to keep up with him either on damage or skills.

[Seharvepernfan]

My character so far:
"Proteus' Sharp"
Weapon Longbow
Human/Scout 1
Feats: Improved Initiative and Point Blank Shot.
Class feats: Skirmisher +1d6, Trapfinding
Ability Scores:
Str: 11
Dex:14
Con:13
Int:14
Wis:13
Cha:9

Where are you getting longbow proficiency?

[rangers.matter.]

Where are you getting longbow proficiency?

i dont get weapon focus until my 3rd lvl i was just listing the weapon I'm using lol

[rangers.matter.]

Scout/Ranger is super fun! (I'm currently playing one now)

Some feat ideas (that I am also currently using)

Swift Hunter - Can be chosen as one of the scout's bonus feats. Will allow you to stack your ranger and hunter levels to determine skirmisher AC/damage as well as favored enemy progression. That way you're not missing out on Scout skirmishing abilities when you're taking levels in ranger.

Travel Devotion - Allows you to move additionally as a swift action. Which will allow you to move, then make a full round attack (great when your BAB is high enough for 3 attacks).

Improved Skirmish - If you move 20ft, your skirmish damage increases by 2d6 and AC increases by 2.

So at what point should i take the level in cleric for travel devotion?

[DarkSoul]

So at what point should i take the level in cleric for travel devotion?

If you're alright with only having the Travel Devotion ability once a day, don't take a cleric level at all and just take the feat.

[BowStreetRunner]

If you're alright with only having the Travel Devotion ability once a day, don't take a cleric level at all and just take the feat.

Travel Devotion has a 1 minute duration, so should last for a full encounter in many cases.

Additionally, if you have ranks of Use Magic Device and acquire Nightsticks (from Libris Mortis) then a DC 21 check to emulate a class ability will net you 4 additional uses of Turn Undead which you notably cannot use to actually turn undead but you can spend to activate Travel Devotion additional times per day.

[FelineArchmage]

So at what point should i take the level in cleric for travel devotion?

There is no prerequisite for taking Travel Devotion, so you don't have to take any levels in cleric to take the feat. You just get extra goodies if you're a cleric (extra turn undead attempts).

[AnimeTheCat]

i dont get weapon focus until my 3rd lvl i was just listing the weapon I'm using lol

I think what @Seharvepernfan was asking was because Scouts don't come out of the box with Longbow proficiency. They only come with Shortbow Proficiency.

As for travel devotion, I'll echo what others have said:
- you don't need cleric levels if you're ok with spending a feat for a 1/day 10 minute movement buff
- you can "Emulate Class Feature" with a UMD check of DC 21 on a nighstick, but that's kind of a big investment for something you don't plan on being able to take 10 with

Those two points being said, I recommend you take a level of cloistered cleric at level 2 and go one of two ways:
1. Thematically (with scouting and wilderness and ranger and such) take the Travel domain and replace it with Travel Devotion (as per the "Clerics and Domain Feats" section of Complete Champion on pg 53) without expending one of your feat slots, and then select a nature based domain (such as Plant, Nature, Storm, Windstorm, etc.) that you like and couple that with your Knowledge Domain.
2. Versatility: Take the Travel domain and replace it (as above) but take the Magic Domain to be able to use any spell trigger activation items (wizard/sorcerer wands/staffs) without a check (as a level 1 wizard) and any level 1 or 0 wizard/sorcerer scrolls without a check. This would, in essence, give you nearly full access to any spell (via magic items) on the cleric, wizard/sorcerer, and Ranger spell lists for one level, in addition to the additional uses of Travel Devotion from spending 2 uses of Turn Undead, plus not UMD check for Nightstick use for the purpose of powering your feat, PLUS the Knowledge Domain (which, with a reliable INT and Knowledge check, you can use to stack further additional damage on each arrow by replacing with Knowledge Devotion).

Two options, one is more "Chill Game" and one is more "Challenging/Powerful Game". Depending on your group composition, some people may not like you being able to use wands from 3 different classes, move at your speed multiple times per day, and get bonus damage for being smart.... Or that may be the expectation. You know your group better than we do, so you'll have to decide what you think is appropriate.

[Darrin]

So at what point should i take the level in cleric for travel devotion?

If you want to get Greater Manyshot or Improved Rapid Shot at the earliest possible level (9th), then the best route to that is Scout 3/Ranger 6/Cleric 1. Otherwise, I'd recommend:

1) Scout 1. Feat: PB Shot.
2) Ranger 1. Bonus: Track. Favored Enemy: Undead.
3) Ranger 2. Feat: Precise Shot. Bonus: Rapid Shot.
4) Cloistered Cleric 1. Travel Devotion, Knowledge Devotion, Magic or War domain (worship Io or the Asgardian pantheon).
5) Scout 2.
6) Scout 3. Feat: Swift Hunter.
7) Scout 4. Bonus: Improved Skirmish.
8) Ranger 3 -> Ranger 15.