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Jack Zander
2009-04-21, 11:26 AM
Stand alone we all know that arcane archer is sucktastic. However, would it be viable to use in a gestalt fighter/wizard build where you can still take wizard to level 20? Or is this character still pretty much a wizard with extra hp?

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-04-21, 11:39 AM
The problem you run into then is that Gestalt is entirely based around action economy. Other than Imbue Arrow, none of the abilities synergize with spells for actions.

That said, AA is only slightly weaker than a straight Ranger. The proper entry is based on that(probably using SotAO) rather than Wizard.

papr_weezl8472
2009-04-21, 11:42 AM
It's a wizard with extra hp and BAB that can shoot antimagic fields and prismatic spheres at people. Being able to cast Antimagic Field not centered on yourself is useful, to say the least.

Sstoopidtallkid
2009-04-21, 11:46 AM
It's a wizard with extra hp and BAB that can shoot antimagic fields and prismatic spheres at people. Being able to cast Antimagic Field not centered on yourself is useful, to say the least.2 levels does not a decent class make.

Eldariel
2009-04-21, 11:47 AM
The two first levels of Arcane Archer are fine. The rest are still obsoleted by Greater Magic Weapon. Same is true in Gestalt and in normal game - Bard 8/Arcane Archer 2/Sublime Chord 2/Sacred Exorcist 3/Abjurant Champion 5 is a fine character. Wizard 5/Eldritch Knight 3/Abjurant Champion 1/Arcane Archer 2/Abjurant Champion +4/Eldritch Knight rest is likewise ok. Sneak Attack Thug Fighter 1/Wizard 4/Unseen Seer 4/Arcane Archer 2/Unseen Seer +4/Spellsword 1Abjurant Champion 5 is likewise fine.

Basically, Arcane Archer is a two-level PrC for archer-builds engineered to not lose more than 1 caster level outside the AA levels. Gestalt really changes nothing - it means you don't need to lose casting (much like the Sublime Chord build offered above), but it doesn't make the Arcane Archer class features any more useful.

RebelRogue
2009-04-21, 04:02 PM
I've playesd a character build like that (Wiz//Ftr/AA) and I think it worked marvellously well. For action economy I think it worked well: in each round, I'd either imbue an arrow with a battlefield control spell or use my Boots of Speed to just fire a bunch of arrows. All while flying, usually. Then again, we never really optimize much (at least not in the light of what I know is possible or sometimes even considered standard in this forum).

It's true that there's no need to take more than the two levels, though. Even if you don't use Greater Magic Weapon to replace the enhancement bonus, there's much better choices out there.

Draz74
2009-04-21, 04:08 PM
Gestalt really changes nothing - it means you don't need to lose casting (much like the Sublime Chord build offered above), but it doesn't make the Arcane Archer class features any more useful.

I'd just like to point out that the Level 4, 6, and 8 abilities of the Arcane Archer, while not strong, aren't useless either. They're fun, and they're not easy to duplicate with other classes. Arguably, Gestalt could make it less-unoptimal to spend levels getting these abilities than in non-Gestalt.

Still probably not worth it, though, because levels 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10 will still suck.