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Froogleyboy
2009-02-15, 08:43 PM
I want to know how to be a good sniper. I need the best races (darkvision, high racial dex mod) the best weapon (highest range) and best class. Tips for sniping would be wikedly nice, plz!

Assassin89
2009-02-15, 09:07 PM
The main question for race is level adjustment.

for LA +1, chaond have dark vision and +4 racial dex mod.
Githzerai have +6 racial dex bonus and darkvision, but have a LA of +2

Some recommended feats include point blank shot and far shot.

Seffbasilisk
2009-02-15, 09:10 PM
If you dump STR, I'd grab a crossbow.

...and the Crossbow Sniper feat from PHB II.

Edit: Concealed Ambush from DR 339 wouldn't hurt either.

Froogleyboy
2009-02-15, 09:13 PM
Thx guys, (and Gals.) keep 'em comin

Graymayre
2009-02-15, 09:18 PM
have you considered spell sniping? I believe there is a prestige class for it in complete mage.

overduegalaxy
2009-02-15, 09:19 PM
There's a sniper variant for the Scout in Dragon 346. It allows you to add skirmish dice to a single attack as a full-round action, but with unlimited range.

Froogleyboy
2009-02-15, 09:23 PM
If you dump STR, I'd grab a crossbow.

...and the Crossbow Sniper feat from PHB II.

Edit: Concealed Ambush from DR 339 wouldn't hurt either.

Problem is I only have core ,the Races of . . . and the complete series

Prometheus
2009-02-15, 09:35 PM
A metamagically Enlarged (+1 spell level) spell has a range of 800ft + 80ft/level (up to 2400ft at level 20th).
A composite longbow of Distance (+1 enhancement) with the Far shot feat (requires Point Blank Shot, ironically) has a range increment of 330ft (assuming it stacks), and can shoot out up to 3300ft at a -18 penalty to hit.

Generally speaking, that distance will be too far to actually come up. If you plan on being able to stay put and follow your party as they travel than you are just redirecting the hazard to the party and will probably lose to cover. If your DM is a good one he/she will ensure that the story gives you your opportunity to start the fight with a snipe at least a couple of times.

Froogleyboy
2009-02-15, 09:52 PM
Prometheus! Your advice is that of a poet (It is always needed but rarely gotten) You deserve a cookie but I only have a brownie.

Tokiko Mima
2009-02-15, 09:53 PM
In the interests of being a 'one-shot-one-kill' sniper, have you thought about being a hellfire warlock? You could blast from up to 250' feet away with no penalty to accuracy with Eldritch Spear (375' is possible with a certain magic item), and stacking Quicken SLA (E.B.) as a Feat allows two shots in the same round. Combining Empower SLA and Maximize SLA will boost your damage by ~150%. If you use Vitriolic Blast Essence you can even ignore spell resistance, and Hellfire is a type of fire that burns even creatures normally totally immune or resistant to fire so it's very difficult to negate your attack.

Plus, Eldritch blasts are touch attacks. If you fire one at an enemy that isn't aware it's under attack (flatfooted) you'll be rolling against an AC of 10 + Size modifier + Deflection AC. Not exactly a tough attack roll to make.

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-02-15, 09:53 PM
Keep in mind the 3.5 Hide rules for Sniping. You can spend a standard action to fire, then a move action to hide again, and you get a -20 to your Hide check for this. The spell Camouflage adds a +10 Circumstance bonus to Hide checks, it's a 1st level Ranger and Druid spell in both CD and SC and lasts 10 minutes/level, so it should be easy to get potion or wand of it for any character. The psionic power Chameleon adds a +10 Enhancement bonus to Hide checks, it's a 1st level Psychic Warrior or 2nd level Egoist power and also lasts 10 minutes/level, and should be easy to get a Psionic Tattoo or Dorje of it for any character. Those two combined add a +20 bonus to Hide checks for 10 minutes per 100 gp (potion/tattoo) or per 30 gp (wand/dorje). Just be sure you have some sort of concealment or cover so you'll actually be able to make the hide check.

I think the longest range base weapon is still a Dragonbone Bone Bow. Bone Bow is an exotic weapon from Frostburn, Dragonbone is a special nonmagical quality from the Draconomicon. That weapon has a 140 ft range increment, which with the Distance property and the feat Far Shot would have a range increment of 420 ft, for a max range of 4200 ft without any special race or prestige classes. Get a Third Eye: Sense (XPH) so you can scout out your target ahead of time.

Froogleyboy
2009-02-15, 10:04 PM
As I have explained ealier. I don't have Frostburn

Riffington
2009-02-15, 10:40 PM
The key is True Shot. It takes a round, but all snipers should be spending a round aiming. If you don't want to be a spell-class, it's still a darn cheap potion or wand.

Now, with +20 to hit, you can consider range. The first is long-distance: with +20, you can use the weapon's maximum range with impunity.
But if you are able to get closer, consider straight rogue. You get great sneak/hide/spot, which are key for a sniper. If you've done your job correctly, your target is flat-footed and you get loads of extra damage. Assassin doesn't hurt, of course; you get a death attack, sneak attack damage if that fails, and a bit more safety with poisons.

If you know your target in advance, make sure to get Bane arrows for them :)

Eldariel
2009-02-15, 10:49 PM
Bone Bow is only a 120' weapon. Composite Greatbow is a 130' weapon. So Dragonbone Greatbow has 150' increments. That said, since Draconomicon isn't available, just plain Composite Greatbow takes the cake at 130'.

Best race would likely be Whisper Gnome (Races of Stone); they have massive bonuses to stealth, are small, have Dex-bonus, racial Spot-bonus, Darkvision, Low-Light Vision and have a 30' movement speed. Oh, and handy racial spell-likes (Silence, most importantly). Seems ideal here. Same book also has Cragtop Archer; one level of it vastly increases you efficiency at extreme ranges. 3 levels would allow you to fire up to 15 increments away (at mere -15 to attacks).


How to actually deal damage is another question entirely though. Whisper Gnomes have a Strength-penalty and precision damage is hardly applicable at such ranged without magical support (that's mostly in Spell Compendium and PHBII). You could try some dip for Poison Use or so; Poison could be rather effective. You'll probably want to go base Ranger as precision damage is little good if you intend on sniping people from far away. Ranger spellcasting adds seamlessly to all that. In fact, if you can use Crystalkeep, I'd play a Mystic Ranger to play out the spellcasting abilities of a Ranger further. Able Sniper and all that seems natural.

Guided Shot+3 levels of Cragtop Archer would mean that provided you have means to detect your target, you can easily do a full attack without penalties at a target 2900' away. Also, between being small and your racial Hide-bonus along with Dex-bonus, you can easily make for a stratospheric Hide-check even using just mundane means.

EDIT: I was wrong. Sniper's Shot is a spell in Complete Adventurer; you can do ranged Sneak Attacks at any range. Now you just need to figure out a way to get Sneak Attack while maintaining your spellcasting and archery-abilities and you're golden. Mystic Ranger could do it rather easily. However, it does run into the source problems.

Prometheus
2009-02-15, 11:21 PM
I forgot to mention that lying prone confers a +4 bonus to ranged attacks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatModifiers.htm) (its one everyone seems to forget).

Flickerdart
2009-02-15, 11:46 PM
Darkvision is only up to a certain distance. Low-light vision is forever.

Hat-Trick
2009-02-15, 11:52 PM
The +4 bonus for prone is for AC, not Attack.

Baron Malkar
2009-02-16, 12:04 AM
I seem to remember that there were some gnomish crossbow sights somewhere that allowed you to ignore the first two range increments.

Also there is nothing more amazing than a sniper with a Great crossbow or balista.:smallamused:

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-02-16, 12:07 AM
I seem to remember that there were some gnomish crossbow sights somewhere that allowed you to ignore the first two range increments.

Also there is nothing more amazing than a sniper with a Great crossbow or balista.:smallamused:A well-built sniper, a scry spell, and a +1 Ghost Touch Ballista are the keys to true happiness. happiness being defined as "an empty dungeon and a clear route to the exit"

SoD
2009-02-16, 12:13 AM
Check. It. Out. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75248)

Harperfan7
2009-02-16, 02:21 AM
Pathfinder has two feats you should be aware of, Focused Shot and Sniper Shot. Sniper Shot requires Focused Shot, and I don't remember exactly what the prerequisite feats for both were, but I know you need 13 Int and Wis.

Focused Shot lets you add your Int Mod to damage if you spend a full round action on one shot, and Sniper Shot lets you extend any precision damage out to the weapons range (so with a Heavy Crossbow you could sneak attack at 120ft.) if you spend a full round action on the shot.

If you get these, consider being a rogue/assassin. Black Lotus Extract on a Greater Arrow of Slaying on a Death/Sneak attack...bamf.

Draz74
2009-02-16, 02:31 AM
Black Lotus Extract on a Greater Arrow of Slaying on a Death/Sneak attack...bamf.

I think Death Attack has to be melee. So unless Pathfinder declares Death Attack to be "precision damage" ...

overduegalaxy
2009-02-16, 02:48 AM
I seem to remember that there were some gnomish crossbow sights somewhere that allowed you to ignore the first two range increments.

It's in the Arms and Equipment Guide.

Ricky S
2009-02-16, 05:04 AM
Repeating Heavy Crossbow. take point blank shot, farshot. doing 1 d10 at a range of 130ft (I think its 130) + 50% which is 195ft range plus if you add the flight quality to the bolts 2gp per bolt it adds +25 % and its stackable so thats a range of 243 ft. Plus buy a bipod for you crossbow and the gnommish sights Bipod adds +2 to hit when prone.
Acrobatic Skirmisher
[General, Scout]
(DR346 p86)
Skirmish class ability
Dexterity 13
Tumble: 5 ranks
If you move through an opponent’s square and successfully use Tumble to avoid an Attack of Opportunity,
you receive +1d6 Skirmish damage against that opponent until the start of your next turn.
Crossbow Sniper
[General, Fighter]
(PH2 p77)
Base Attack Bonus +1
Weapon Focus (any
crossbow)
When firing a Crossbow with which you have Weapon Focus, you receive the following:
1. +˝ Dexterity modifier damage;
2. Sneak Attack & Skirmish class abilities may be used at a range of 60’ (instead of 30’).

Deadeye Shot
[General, Fighter]
(PH2 p78)
Skirmish or Sneak
Attack class ability
Base Attack Bonus +4
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Follow these steps to use this feat:
1) Ready an Action to make a Ranged Attack on an opponent when any of your allies hit it in melee.
2) If the Action is triggered, the opponent looses its Dexterity bonus to AC against your attack only.

Hinder
[Ambush, Scout]
(DR344 p103)
Skirmish class ability
with at least +2d6
Improved Initiative
On a successful Skirmish Attack, you may reduce the Skirmish dice by 1d6 to reduce your foe’s base land
movement by 10’ for 1 minute. Multiple ‘Hinder’ attacks stack, though a foe cannot be reduced to slower
than 5’. Does not affect foe other forms of movement.

Improved Acrobatic
Skirmisher
[General, Scout]
(DR346 p86)
Skirmish class ability
Dexterity 13
Acrobatic Skirmisher
Tumble: 10 ranks
If you move through an opponent’s square and successfully use Tumble to avoid an Attack of Opportunity,
you receive +2d6 Skirmish damage against that opponent until the start of your next turn (instead of the
+1d6 from Acrobatic Skirmisher).

Improved Skirmish
[Scout] (CSco p078)
Skirmish class ability
with at least +2d6 / +1
If you move at least 20’ are part of a Skirmish attack, your damage improves by +2d6 and your Competence
bonus to AC improves by +2.

Ranged Skirmisher
[General, Scout]
(DR346 p87)
Skirmish class ability
Dexterity 13
Wisdom 13
Point Blank Shot
Far Shot
You apply your Skirmish damage to ranged attack made on opponents within 60’ (instead of the normal 30’).

Telling Blow
[General] (PH2 p83)
Skirmish or Sneak Attack
class ability
When you confirm a Critical Hit with either a melee or ranged weapon, add your Skirmish or Sneak Attack
dice to the damage after the multiplier has been applied

Able Sniper
[General]
(RotW p148)
Dexterity 13
Hide: 5 ranks
When using at ranged attack on a flat-footed opponent who is at least 30’ away, you gain a +2 bonus on the
attack roll.
Gain a +4 bonus on Hide checks to hide again after making an attack roll from hiding (PH p76).

Bow Feint
[General, Fighter]
(DR350 p90)
Intelligence 13
Point Blank Shot
You may make a ‘Feint in Combat’ action with a ranged weapon (this feat is not bow-specific). Your target
must be within 30’ and be able to see you. This action requires a Standard Action with a loaded weapon.
Normally, you may only ‘Feint in Combat’ with a melee weapon.

Bowslinger
[General, Fighter] (Und p24)
Base Attack Bonus +1 +2 bonus on your attack roll when you fire or throw a ranged weapon at a Flat Footed opponent.
Brutal Throw
[General, Fighter] (CAdv p106)
— Use your Strength modifier instead of your Dexterity modifier as a bonus to attack rolls with thrown
weapons.

Concealed Ambush
[General]
(DR339 p87)
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Hide: 10 ranks
Move Silently: 10 ranks
When attempting a Hide check after making a ranged attack while hidden (i.e., ‘Sniping’), you only receive
a –10 penalty on your Hide check (instead of the standard –20).

Coordinated Archery
[General]
(DR316 p84)
Base Attack Bonus +1 To use this ability, you must be adjacent to at least one other character that has the Coordinated Archery feat
and who is executing the Coordinated Archery action.
Each member of the group using the Coordinated Archery action Delays his/her action to the lowest group
member’s Initiative. Each member then makes at least one non-magical ranged attack (but may make up
to a Full Round Attack if desired) at one or more targets within a 30’ area. Each member of the
Coordinated attack receives a +2 on the Attack roll –and– +1 on the Damage roll.
Note: Since each group member ‘Delays’ instead of ‘Readying’, he/she receives a Full Round Action.

Crossbow Sniper
[General, Fighter]
(PH2 p77)
Base Attack Bonus +1
Weapon Focus (any
crossbow)
When firing a Crossbow with which you have Weapon Focus, you receive the following:
1. +˝ Dexterity modifier damage;
2. Sneak Attack & Skirmish class abilities may be used at a range of 60’ (instead of 30’).

Deadeye Shot
[General, Fighter]
(PH2 p78)
Base Attack Bonus +4
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Skirmish or Sneak
Attack class ability
Follow these steps to use this feat:
1) Ready an Action to make a Ranged Attack on an opponent when any of your allies hit it in melee.
2) If the Action is triggered, the opponent looses its Dexterity bonus to AC against your attack only.

Defensive Archery
[General, Fighter] (RotW p148)
Point Blank Shot +4 bonus to AC vs. Attacks of Opportunity provoked when you make a ranged attack.

Efficient Pull
[General, Fighter] (DR350 p90)
Point Blank Shot Treat your Strength as being +2 when wielding a Strength-rated (i.e., Mighty) Longbow.

Far Shot
[General, Fighter, Scout]
(PH p94)
(CAdv p10)+
Point Blank Shot Range increment of projectile weapons you use is multiplied by 1.5.
Range increment for thrown weapons is multiplied by 2.

Grenadier
[General, Fighter] (PH2 p79)
— You receive a +1 bonus to hit with ‘splash’ weapons and do +1 damage with them (including those only
subjected to the splash).

Improved Precise Shot
[General, Fighter]
(PH p96)
Dexterity 19
Base Attack Bonus +11
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Ranger 11th
When you are making a ranged attack, the following apply:
Ignore the AC bonus granted by Cover (but Total Cover still applies).
Ignore the miss chance granted by Concealment (but Total Concealment still applies).
When attacking an opponent that is being Grappled, you have no chance of hitting the wrong target.

Improved Rapid Shot
[General, Fighter]
(CWar p101)
Point Blank Shot
Rapid Shot
Manyshot
When making a Full Attack action with a ranged weapon, you may take one extra attack (at your highest
base attack bonus) without the standard –2 penalty.

Manyshot
[General, Fighter]
(PH p97)
Dexterity 17
Base Attack Bonus +6
Point Blank Shot
Rapid Shot
Ranger 6th
As part of a Standard Action, you may fire two arrows at a single opponent within 30’. You make a single
attack roll with a –4 penalty. If it hits, then the opponent takes the damage from both arrows, but only
takes “precision based” damage once (this includes Sneak Attack, Ranger Favored Enemy, Critical hits,
etc.). Damage Reduction applies to each arrow separately.
If your Base Attack Bonus is +11 or higher, you may shoot 3 arrows at once at a penalty of –6.
If your Base Attack Bonus is +16 or higher, you may shoot 4 arrows at once at a penalty of –8.

Penetrating Shot
[General, Fighter]
(PH2 p81)
Strength 15
Base Attack Bonus +10
Point Blank Shot
As a Standard Action, you may attack all creatures in a 60’ Line with a single projectile weapon attack.
Roll separately for each creature and special damage (i.e., Sneak Attack, Flaming weapon, etc.) only
applies to the first.

Plunging Shot
[General] (RotW p152)
Dexterity 13
Point Blank Shot
If your target is at least 30’ lower than you, your ranged attack does +1d6 damage.

Point Blank Shot
[General, Fighter, Scout]
(PH p98)
(CAdv p10)+
— +1 bonus on attack & damage rolls with ranged weapons when used within 30’ of their target.
A spellcaster receives this bonus when using a Ray or Energy Missile spell.

Power Throw
[General, Fighter]
(CAdv p111)
Strength 13
Brutal Throw
Power Attack
On your round before making an attack, you may choose a number X to subtract from all thrown weapon
attacks and add it to your damage until your next round. The number X may be no more than your base
attack bonus.

Precise Shot
[General, Fighter, Scout]
(PH p98)
(CAdv p10)+
Point Blank Shot You can use ranged weapons into melee without taking a –4 penalty on your attack.
A spellcaster receives this bonus when using a Ray or Energy Missile spell.

Ranged Disarm
[General, Fighter]
(CWar p103)
Dexterity 15
Base Attack Bonus +5
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
This feat applies to one ranged weapon with which you are proficient.
You may make a Disarm Attempt with the chosen weapon as long as you are within 30’ of your opponent.
This feat does not stack with Improved Disarm.
This feat may be taken multiple times, each with a different weapon.

Fishy
2009-02-16, 06:51 AM
Unlike most precision damage, Psionic Shot and Greater Psionic Shot can be used at unlimited range. I like Elan Feat-variant Wilderness Rogue, who can hide in ambush literally indefinitely.

Heliomance
2009-02-16, 08:29 AM
Venerable Dragonwrought Kobold lets you take Distant Shot pre-Epic, though not by much due to the 20 ranks of Spot prereq. Distant Shot eliminates range penalties entirely and makes your maximum range just as far as you can see. If you have line of sight, you can shoot them with no penalty.

Eldariel
2009-02-16, 08:56 AM
Venerable Dragonwrought Kobold lets you take Distant Shot pre-Epic, though not by much due to the 20 ranks of Spot prereq. Distant Shot eliminates range penalties entirely and makes your maximum range just as far as you can see. If you have line of sight, you can shoot them with no penalty.

Same can be accomplished with a level 1 Swift Action-spell (Guided Shot) though, so the utility is rather questionable.

Heliomance
2009-02-16, 08:58 AM
Guided shot doesn't increase your max range, does it? It eliminates penalties, yes, but the feat actually increases your maximum range to line of sight.

Eldariel
2009-02-16, 09:14 AM
Guided shot doesn't increase your max range, does it? It eliminates penalties, yes, but the feat actually increases your maximum range to line of sight.

Well, seeing that you can already achieve a range of up to 3000' easily, that doesn't exactly seem necessary. Guided Shot only increase Range Increments by 50% though, that's true. So you'd be shooting at targets ~5000' away if you somehow saw them; I don't think you need much more unless you intend on shooting at the Moon/Sun.

Atelm
2009-02-16, 09:27 AM
Catfolk (Races of the Wild) is one good consideration for a sniper-race.

+4 Dex, +2 Cha, 40' movement, M-size, Low-light vision, +2 racial bonus on Listen and Move Silently, +1 natural armour to AC, and Ranger favoured class.

It does have +1 LA though.

Cainen
2009-02-16, 09:36 AM
Look up the Cragtop Archer.

Lycanthromancer
2009-02-16, 12:09 PM
JaronK's cleric can snipe virtually invisibly from a half-mile away, easily, using chain of eyes, find the gap, and guided shot, and a few feats. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=16131766&postcount=4881)

Yukitsu
2009-02-16, 02:35 PM
If DM allows use of sniper's shot to increase sniper's eye.

Whisper gnome ranger/assassin.
Take the spells snipers eye and sniper's shot for an unlimited range on your death attack.
Wear a collar of umbral metomorphosis, which gives you the dark template, and hide in plane sight.
Take a level of sorcerer, a level of cleric after all this to gain vine, golem and grave strike.
Late levels, use wraithstrike instead of true shot.

Elder Brain
2009-02-16, 06:56 PM
Sniper Shot, for sure (not sure here, but is it available in potion, wand or magical item form?)

Pick up Able Sniper, a decent Crossbow and Rapid Reload

Halfling Rouge-take increased Ranged Sneak, (Racial Variant), And Sniping Mastery (10th level Racial Variant)

After you get Able Sniper and Sniping Mastery the -20 penalty to Hides after shooting is reduced to a paltry -6, Which the +4 to hides from Small sized + Stealthy or Skill Foc. (Hide) covers. (And I think the spotter gets a distance penalty to spot too, but I'm not sure how far.)

Not to mention Shadowed armor or a Cloak of Elven Kind

Unfortunately, unless you have a decent amount of Sniper's Shot's ready your not going to be as...Well, Snipey as you'd like. Within 30ft, actually.

A more Snipey route wold be to play a Catfolk, Githyanki (or Githzeria? I can never tell), Whisper Gnome, Start out as a Wizard, or Sorcerer, pick up a level of Rouge and then go pure-on Spellwarp Sniper (CS)