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Jackolas
2010-08-25, 11:05 AM
Hi guys,
Our dm only allows phb and dmg when it comes to character classes,races ect.
Im thinking about making a legolas style character and was wondering if arcane archer is any good?
Also any advice about CORE feats and stuff would be very much appreciated.
ty

Saph
2010-08-25, 11:06 AM
Short answer: no.

Long answer: The Arcane Archer prestige class requires casting but gives no caster level advancement, which is a strike against it. In exchange for that, it gives you magic arrows, which are overriden by the magic of your bow anyway, making them worthless unless your bow enhancement is lower than the arrow enhancement, which will rarely happen in a typical game. So all you really get from the prestige class are the special arrow abilities, which are fun, but not worth what you give up.

Core archery feats are very basic: you want Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, and Precise Shot. Manyshot is optional but recommended. Shot on the Run would be nice, but unfortunately requires too many prerequisites.

Kzickas
2010-08-25, 11:07 AM
It's also not in the phb unless I've gone crazy

Coidzor
2010-08-25, 11:13 AM
Arcane archers just aren't worth it. It's too much of a dip into caster for a fighting/ranged type and too much of a loss of casteriness for castery types. Ninja'd by Saph.


It's also not in the phb unless I've gone crazy

But it is one of the DMG PrCs.

Be much better off going Archmagey

Greenish
2010-08-25, 11:15 AM
It's not.


Enhance Arrow does the same thing as a magic bow.
Imbue Arrow would be nice if you actually had spells, but the PrC doesn't progress casting.
Seeker Arrow is one arrow, disallows full attack for the round, 1/day (and can't be combined with Imbue Arrow even if you had a spell you wanted to imbue).
Phase Arrow is one arrow, disallows full attack for the round, 1/day (and can't be combined with Imbue Arrow even if you had a spell you wanted to imbue).
Hail of Arrows is decent only if there are more targets than you have attacks in a full attack (at this point, 3, 4 with rapid shot). Oh, and once per day again.
Arrow of Death is an once per day SoD if you hit with the arrow. By level 17, any target you'd really want to use it will most likely make the save (if you hit). If you miss, well, too bad.


Best core archer is probably ranger/fighter (or maybe a cleric).

[Edit]: Bah, swordsage'd thoroughly.

Torq
2010-08-25, 11:17 AM
It's also not in the phb unless I've gone crazy

It's in the DMG. He's allowed to use that.

I second the above. Arcane Archer is no good. You'd be better off playing a straight fighter or maybe ranger - they get some pretty good archery spells but I'm not sure if the PHB has the best spells or not. If you go that route, try to ask the DM to allow Spell Compendium. It wouldn't make his life any harder, and it'd make your character a whole lot funner to play.

DragoonWraith
2010-08-25, 11:21 AM
If you can talk your DM into giving the Arcane Archer full casting, make all of its 1/day abilities just require standard actions (which in itself will make them not worth using the overwhelming majority of the time, but at least you can feel free to use them when they'd be useful), make Arrow of Death take a lot less time to make and have some kind of scaling DC, and make the bonus from Enhance Arrow into a non-enhancement bonus, it would be... OK. The ability to sling AMFs over there is probably worth the three feats. Probably.

Otherwise, it's a waste of time for any spellcaster. Compared to non-casters, it doesn't need all of that to measure up, but... that's the PHB for you.

Even as it is, it's a waste of time for anyone though. Enhance Arrow can be replaced by a +5 bow, or a single casting of Greater Magic Weapon. Imbue Arrow is meaningful on only a very few spells, most of which are higher level than you're going to get. Seeker Arrow, Phasing Arrow, and Hail of Arrows are all worse than what you could be doing with a full-attack, and are each 1/day anyway. Arrow of Death requires spending a full day making it, for an easy save against an effect that a great many things are immune to.

true_shinken
2010-08-25, 11:29 AM
Yeah, arcane archer sucks.

...though every once in a while in non-core threads we hear a few tricks an Arcane Archer could pull off.

Killer Angel
2010-08-25, 11:34 AM
Here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165246&highlight=arcane+archer)'s a recent thread on the subject, that analyze the weak points of the PrC.
Hope it helps.

Saph
2010-08-25, 11:40 AM
Yeah, arcane archer sucks.

...though every once in a while in non-core threads we hear a few tricks an Arcane Archer could pull off.

Arcane Archer can be fun in gestalt. Go Wizard on one side of the gestalt, then Ranger into Arcane Archer on the other. All good saves, full BAB, and you actually get to use the Imbue Arrow tricks.

Alternatively, you can use the Pathfinder Arcane Archer. It gets 7/10 casting, which still isn't great, but it's a whole lot better than the 3.5 version.

Coidzor
2010-08-25, 11:48 AM
If you're a ranger... entangle is a pretty good spell to use against melee types, as it locks 'em down pretty good, less good against casty/ranged types as it also delays your guys from getting at them while not inconviencing their schtick too much, esp if they made their save. Has a bit of a radius to it, though, so, watch out for your own meatshieldy types. Other than that, calm animals and animal messenger are probably the picks out of the 1st level Core Ranger spells.

2nd level, wind wall shuts down anything that's more impressive than you in terms of ranged damage, which can allow you to get your beatsticks to advance without getting their health whittled away. As unlikely as that scenario is to be a factor... Though there's also Barkskin (+2 minimum natural armor when usually one doesn't have any source of it, especially not without the rules for doubling up amulets of natural armor and other neckslot items from Magic Item Compendium), Protection from Energy in case the wizard/cleric doesn't have enough spell slots to devote do it for a particular known challenge, Spike Growth+Entangle can be a nasty combo...

Not too much in the way of things that synergize with archery though, aside from maybe the summons giving you things to distract 'em so you can precise shot 'em or the entangling to keep 'em in place/away and possibly the spikes to cut off escape and make 'em pay for getting out and trying to close.

bobspldbckwrds
2010-08-25, 11:49 AM
you may want to check out the horizon walker, rather than arcane archer. no abilitities that focus on archery, but you gain tremendous mobility (shifting planar terrain mastery) you can get senses almost on par with a dragon, what with it giving you options for darkvision and tremorsense, and you can even get some elemental defenses. it is probably the best non-caster prestige class in core.

Eldariel
2010-08-25, 02:12 PM
Arcane Archer can be fun in gestalt. Go Wizard on one side of the gestalt, then Ranger into Arcane Archer on the other. All good saves, full BAB, and you actually get to use the Imbue Arrow tricks.

Alternatively, you can use the Pathfinder Arcane Archer. It gets 7/10 casting, which still isn't great, but it's a whole lot better than the 3.5 version.

Arcane Archer is a fine 2-level dip in some normal builds too. For example, Bard 8/AA 2/Sublime Chord 2/Abjurant Champion 4/Sacred Exorcist 4. Or just a Wizard.

Rixx
2010-08-25, 02:56 PM
Pathfinder Arcane Archer is delicious.

IdleMuse
2010-08-25, 03:02 PM
Arcane Archer is a fine 2-level dip in some normal builds too. For example, Bard 8/AA 2/Sublime Chord 2/Abjurant Champion 4/Sacred Exorcist 4. Or just a Wizard.

Yeah, I think that it's only really relevant ability is Imbue Arrow; might be useful with certain spells, so not too bad as a dip. Annoying entry requirements though; some people just don't like elves, and who likes Weapon Focus?