Barbarian Archer

[ExemplarofAvg]

I don't see any major problems with it, Thoughts?
Specifically thinking Goliath Barbarian/Cragtop Archer with Monkey Grip, Huge Composite Greatbow with a Pull so high he needs to Rage and possibly a homebrewed feat "Power Shot" the feat every archer build wants, a Ranged Power Attack.

[Big Fau]

Whirling Frenzy is your best friend here.


There's Hank's Energy Bow from WotC's articles, which has Power Shot built in.

[Runestar]

Monkey grip technically won't stack with powerful build, and I am not sure if its benefit would stack with you becoming large while raging.

You may also want to replace rage with the adrenaline rush variant from the cityscape web enhancement, which gives bonuses to str/dex (instead of str/con). This would improve both your damage and attack bonuses.

Otherwise, barb doesn't seem to add much to an archer, though I suppose you could just splash barb for the rage and then go ranger/fighter or something.

[ExemplarofAvg]

Whirling Frenzy is your best friend here.
There's Hank's Energy Bow from WotC's articles, which has Power Shot built in.

Explain.


Monkey grip technically won't stack with powerful build, and I am not sure if its benefit would stack with you becoming large while raging.

You may also want to replace rage with the adrenaline rush variant from the cityscape web enhancement, which gives bonuses to str/dex (instead of str/con). This would improve both your damage and attack bonuses.

Otherwise, barb doesn't seem to add much to an archer, though I suppose you could just splash barb for the rage and then go ranger/fighter or something.

Same as above, Explain.

[Baka Nikujaga]

Hank's Energy Bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a).

[Flickerdart]

Whirling Frenzy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy ) gives you an extra attack instead of a Constitution bonus, plus some other changes.

Runestar means Ferocity (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) which sucks compared to Whirling Frenzy.

Monkey Grip does not stack with Powerful Build. Frankly, both are inferior to Strongarm Bracers. Go Human instead, you'll need the feats.

If you don't want to buy Hank's bow, there's a PrC in Silver Marshes called Peerless Archer who also gains the Power Shot ability, along with nifty things like Sneak Attack, crafting your own magic arrows and ignoring cover.

[Dumbledore lives]

Technically monkey grip says you can use a weapon one size category larger than you are, which would mean large in your case. It's a perfectly reasonable houserule to allow it, and I think I would, I mean it's not like it's too powerful.

Hank's energy bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a) was from a wizard's article a while back, and allows a power attack with that specific bow essentially. Wouldn't really work with what you're doing, but you could use it as a basis for the feat.

[ExemplarofAvg]

Hank's Energy Bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a).

Thank You, that's one thing figured out.


Whirling Frenzy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy ) gives you an extra attack instead of a Constitution bonus, plus some other changes.
Runestar means Ferocity (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) which sucks compared to Whirling Frenzy.
Monkey Grip does not stack with Powerful Build. Frankly, both are inferior to Strongarm Bracers. Go Human instead, you'll need the feats.
If you don't want to buy Hank's bow, there's a PrC in Silver Marshes called Peerless Archer who also gains the Power Shot ability,

Goliath and Cragtop Archer are both set in stone for this idea. Fortification is nice for this, and as I had read Monkey Grip seemed to work as pointed out by Dumbledore and Hank's Bow is going to work just fine it seems for my idea, will be resiszed and reworked but needs no more mention.

[Seerow]

Monkey Grip doesn't work with Powerful Build, but it DOES work with large creatures. A Goliath with the racial sub level becomes large while raging. So a Goliath Barbarian with Monkey Grip CAN use a huge weapon.

I am not sure however if Whirling Frenzy is compatible with the Barbarian Racial sub. I'm not aware of any reason why it wouldn't be, but I'd double check before saying to go for that for sure.

[Flickerdart]

Technically monkey grip says you can use a weapon one size category larger than you are, which would mean large in your case.
Mraap! Wrong. Unless he swaps out Rage for Mountain Rage, is is never actually Large, and Mountain Rage sucks for an archer.

And letting virtual size increases like that stack would get absurd fairly quick - Powerful Build, Strongarm Bracers, Monkey Grip...

[Seerow]

Mraap! Wrong. Unless he swaps out Rage for Mountain Rage, is is never actually Large, and Mountain Rage sucks for an archer.

And letting virtual size increases like that stack would get absurd fairly quick - Powerful Build, Strongarm Bracers, Monkey Grip...

Other than the standard -1 to hit and ac from being large, why does mountain rage suck? I just double checked it, and it's literally rage+. An extra 2 str and large size.

Though I would agree that strongarm bracers would be a better choice than Monkey Grip, I see no reason not to use them with the mountain rage sub level.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Unfortunately, by RAW, to use the special abilities of Hank's energy bow, you have to be named Hank. :smalltongue:

[ExemplarofAvg]

Unfortunately, by RAW, to use the special abilities of Hank's energy bow, you have to be named Hank. :smalltongue:

Easily Overcome.

[Baka Nikujaga]

There's no problem with being called Hank is there?

[Flickerdart]

Other than the standard -1 to hit and ac from being large, why does mountain rage suck? I just double checked it, and it's literally rage+. An extra 2 str and large size.

Though I would agree that strongarm bracers would be a better choice than Monkey Grip, I see no reason not to use them with the mountain rage sub level.
Because now you're hitting less, you're a bigger target, and you're not using Whirling Frenzy? :smalltongue:

[Seerow]

Because now you're hitting less, you're a bigger target, and you're not using Whirling Frenzy? :smalltongue:

hitting less and being a bigger target are pretty minor drawbacks. And even after rereading it, I'm not sold on the two rages being incompatible. Mountain Rage gives you +str and size, no penalties. Whirling Frenzy gives you +attack -con. There's no inherent conflict there....

[ExemplarofAvg]

Because now you're hitting less, you're a bigger target, and you're not using Whirling Frenzy? :smalltongue:

I'm Powershotting anyways so I'll be hitting less for a different reason, (I view a Bow as a Two-Handed item, lol) Not that much bigger, only 30-40% bigger. I lose 1 to AC. And I think with all that whirling I'd be too dizzy to hit anything in the first place :smalltongue:

[Runestar]

Technically monkey grip says you can use a weapon one size category larger than you are, which would mean large in your case. It's a perfectly reasonable houserule to allow it, and I think I would, I mean it's not like it's too powerful.

Then the next problem would be you having to carry 2 bows, one large (for normal use) and a huge one (for when you rage). This is the exact same reason why they ruled that mountain rage did not stack with powerful build, because it did not increase the size of your weapon (unlike the enlarge person spell).

[ExemplarofAvg]

Then the next problem would be you having to carry 2 bows, one large (for normal use) and a huge one (for when you rage). This is the exact same reason why they ruled that mountain rage did not stack with powerful build, because it did not increase the size of your weapon (unlike the enlarge person spell).

Would Sizing work?

[Taelas]

Definitely; you can freely designate it's new size.

[King Atticus]

Strongarm Bracers are awesome...but not for this build. They specifically say that The effect of these bracers doesn’t stack with the powerful build trait such as that possessed by the half-giant and goliath races).