5400gp to spend on an Archer Cleric HELP!

[GodGoblin]

Howdy folks! Im about to play in a level 4 3.5 game with this character here (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=229438). Its an Elven Cleric focusing on archery.

But my main problem is that I have 5400gp to spend and im having trouble figuring out whats best to spend it on. Ive looked at the hand books but most of the suggestions are too expensive.

So Playgrounder any ideas?

Edit- Oh and if you have any build advice or other suggestions that would be welcomed too :smallsmile:

[Chilingsworth]

Well, I can't think of anything in particular, but you entered your racial bonus to listen checks as a -2 rather than a +2. Also, what kind of point buy did you use, or did you roll stats?

EDIT: Nvm, ntoiced you chose the inattentive flaw. Though I thought that penalized spot checks too.

[TurtleKing]

The Bowstaff from MIC can help you for 4,600 gp. The Bow of the Wintermoon is only 3,400 gp, but you want the Truebeliever feat first for full affect if you worship Corellon. If you worship Ehlonna then the Raptor Arrow is the relic you want when you can afford it. The Fountainhead Arrow lets you do an aoe of acid damage over a few rounds for only 306gp. The Arrow of Biting deals CON poison damage for 506gp. The weapon crystal Truedeath for 1,000gp deals +1d6 damage to undead. A few other weapon crystals can also help by restoring your health or dealing some elemental damage and more.

Would recommend the enchants Sacred/Holy and their burst cousins for anti-undead action. As many others may of said to get Force for bypassing damage reduction I also recommend. If you don't grab the Precise Shot feat then a the enchant Precise grants the same benefit. The Explosive enchant can help if you want to affect an area without specialty ammo.

Hope this helps.

[Flickerdart]

Splitting is the enchantment you will want to get as soon as possible, but that's obviously a little ways off. Right now, invest in a handful of silver arrows (in case of lycanthropes) and cold iron arrows (in case of fey) and maybe a wand or two of the cool SpC Ranger spells that are also on the Cleric list.

[GodGoblin]

Well, I can't think of anything in particular, but you entered your racial bonus to listen checks as a -2 rather than a +2. Also, what kind of point buy did you use, or did you roll stats?

EDIT: Nvm, ntoiced you chose the inattentive flaw. Though I thought that penalized spot checks too.

Oh must have just missed the spot check on the sheet, ill do that now.

And its set in a sand box style game so as of yet I have no idea what kind of enemies I will be facing, Force does look like a good one but costs me a whopping 8,000 I think I will be going with a +1 Elvencraft Longbow (Lets me use it as a staff) The +1 enchantment will be either Seeking or Frost as they seem the best from the DMG, any thoughts?

Also how much would a set of Magebane arrows cost?

2500 Elvencraft composite Longbow +1
2 Arrows x40
??? Mage bane Arrows
2000 Handy Havnersack
15 Longsword
250 Banded Mail
11 Bedroll, blanket, 50ft Silk rope, flint and steel

=4778 + However much Magebane arrows cost

That look good to you guys?

[Flickerdart]

A weapon needs to be +1 before you can stick enchantments on it. A +1 something weapon is 8000 gp.

[GodGoblin]

Where does it say that? I always thought you could just have a Flaming longsword for the +2000 price?

[Flickerdart]

Where does it say that? I always thought you could just have a Flaming longsword for the +2000 price?
"A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus. "
-d20 SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm).

[GodGoblin]

Ah never noticed that before, thanks. Do you know how pricing ammunition works?

[Fenryr]

Precise Shot for the bow (I couldn't find something similar in the sheet). A buckler for 1 AC and possible enchantments. Alchemical arrows or serpentstongue arrow.

[Skaven]

Just a thought, might want to swap a couple of those skill points from heal towards concentration. You have 0.. concentration can be very important.

I would also forgo that haversack for now and buy a custom +4 to concentration item. Maybe a 'headband of concentration' for 1600gp. or a +2 for 400gp. The extra dimensional storage space can come later.

[GodGoblin]

Ah yeah good point, ill put some ranks in but my carrying capacity is painfully low for a heavy armoured character so I think ill stick to the haversack

[Flickerdart]

Ah never noticed that before, thanks. Do you know how pricing ammunition works?
50 arrows, bolts or similar cost as much as one standard weapon. The enhancement rules still apply, but the enhancement doesn't stack with the bow (so shooting +1 arrows from a +1 bow is still +1, not +2).

Concentration is not very important to an archer, because if you're in melee you're doing it wrong anyway.

[The Glyphstone]

50 arrows, bolts or similar cost as much as one standard weapon. The enhancement rules still apply, but the enhancement doesn't stack with the bow (so shooting +1 arrows from a +1 bow is still +1, not +2).

Concentration is not very important to an archer, because if you're in melee you're doing it wrong anyway.

No, but concentration is important to a cleric, and enemies can hit from range to disrupt casting.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Get an Elvencraft bow, from Races of the Wild. Elvencraft makes it so you can use it as a quarterstaff. Each portion (bow and each quarterstaff end) must be made Masterwork and enchanted separately, but just get the bow portion masterwork for now. Later you'll probably want a Str bonus on your bow to account for Divine Power, so don't spend much on your weapon right now. Get a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend, Healing Belt (MIC), and Reliquary Holy Symbol (MIC), along with some decent armor and a masterwork elvencraft bow.

Switch the War domain for Planning, considering you are Lawful-aligned, and switch Quicken and DMM: Quicken for Persistent. You can get a Circlet of Rapid Casting (MIC) and metamagic rods for all the free quickens you'll need later on. Persistent Divine Favor, then Persistent Divine Power, is where it's at for an archer cleric. Include the 'special' prerequisites to both Ruathar (RotW) and Seeker of the Misty Isle (CD) in your character's background, get all three Ruathar for the skills to dip one level of SotMI. Take Contemplative after that and pick up the Destiny domain from Races of Destiny at your 16th level, to DMM: Persist Choose Destiny when you hit 17th. Your first Contemplative domain can be War, or whatever else you may want.

You'll want Woodland Archer (RotW) for sure, and probably also Craft Rod at 9th to make your own Night Sticks. Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) would also be a decent choice, since you could get a +1 Elvencraft bow with all of its parts Masterwork, which has the proper Strength allowance for when you have Divine Power active, then upgrade it yourself as though you possessed all the prerequisites to do so. You could make each Quarterstaff end +1 Defending and GMW them to add the bonus to AC, plus throw Eager and Warning and Spellblade (PGtF) on them without making the bow portion's properties cost any more.

[ericgrau]

Masterwork composite bow. Cleric scrolls, including cure X wounds and a handful of emergency options like magic weapon. +1 armor. Get arrows of every metal type: adamantine, cold iron and silver. You're also at just the right level where a few sleep arrows would be awesome-sauce. Ya it's a low save DC but most things of your level will fail it 40% of the time and you still get your damage either way, which as an added bonus is nonlethal. Save or no save you have someone to question.

Build: Your first two feats should be point blank shot and either rapid shot or precise shot, depending on how much melee your party has. Spiritual weapon is a good round 1 opener and then you spend the rest of the fight plinking or, in emergencies, healing.

[mabriss lethe]

If your DM will allow it, buy a mixed handful of magic arrows (instead of the full 50 in a set) Bane is a decent choice, since you could have one or two bane arrows of everything to keep for bigger encounters. An individual +1 Bane arrow should cost around 166.



Augmentation crystals are your friends. Destruction and Truedeath crystals are nice since they give you consistent bonus damage against things that archery tends to be weak against (Constructs and Undead respectively) Fiendslaying crystals are also nice for much the same reason. I'd also recommend getting a masterwork backup weapon for melee and equipping it with a least crystal of return (300gp to get quickdraw with that weapon) You don't know how many times they've saved my characters' lives in low level games. For 600gp you can pick up a least energy assault crystal, which nets you a +1 to damage (energy)

Baatorian Greensteel is also nice around this level. Special material costs +1000, but grants a +1 to damage on slashing and piercing weapons that stacks with magical enhancements.

[GodGoblin]

Ok so thats a lot of info to think through but thanks for all the advice.

So now I have taken my ranks out of heal an put them into Concentration, I cannot afford any magical arrows at the moment but I will pick up some special substance ones like Adamantine and silver ect.

As for feats I know I need either rapid shot or Precise shot but I just cant find the room in the build at this time.

I could get rid of Extra turning in favour of Rapid shot but then I could only quicken once a day. Thinking about it this is what I will do :smallsmile:

And one last thing regarding the ammunition- Does the price in the table add to each arrow or a bunch? Adamantine is +60, silver +2 and cold iron is x2 usual price. It seems to be per arrow but I just wanted to make sure

Edit- All done here (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=229438)it is again if you want to have another look. Thanks again guys!

[Draz74]

And one last thing regarding the ammunition- Does the price in the table add to each arrow or a bunch? Adamantine is +60, silver +2 and cold iron is x2 usual price. It seems to be per arrow but I just wanted to make sure

Yes, it is per-arrow. These prices are 1/50 of the normal prices for making weapons out of these materials.

[GodGoblin]

When you say 1/50th does that mean I need to times the price by 50? Not sure what you mean by that :smallconfused:

[Draz74]

When you say 1/50th does that mean I need to times the price by 50? Not sure what you mean by that :smallconfused:

No, it is per-arrow. I was just pointing out that the price to make an arrow adamantine is 1/50 the price to make a normal weapon adamantine, which is interesting because it's the same rule used for enhancing arrows with magic.

[GodGoblin]

Oh I see, so just to clarify a +1 arrow would cost 1/50th of that of a +1 sword? Ah that makes sense as a batch of 50 costs the same! Ah now I get it :smallcool: