Perfect loot for an Arcane Archer

[Krohm]

Hi dudes.

I'm currently running a campain and one of my PC is an Arcane Archer.

It is currently a (large) bit behind other PCs in term of raw power, even if nicely balanced, far from uneffective and kind of deadly for ennemy casters. Mainly, it does far less damage than both the contact characters and the casters.

I'm currently thinking of giving him some kind of power item as a loot to fill a bit of the gap.

I'm thinking of some kind of "bow of the elements", lets say Flaming, Frost, Shock and Seeking, which would basically double the damage output of the PC and be about in the average cost of other "big" items in the campain (+4).

Do you have suggestions of something more usefull for an arcane archer ?

Just to be sure, I currently rule that the enhencement bonus from the Arcane Archer stacks with other magical improvement of the arrow (for example, flaming arrow and keen edge spells) or the bow. Is that the way it is ment to be working ?

Thanks for your feedback.

[Demonic_Spoon]

Arcane archer isn't useful beyond the first two levels. He should have arcane archer 2 and the rest caster levels.

[Killer Angel]

I'm thinking of some kind of "bow of the elements", lets say Flaming, Frost, Shock and Seeking, which would basically double the damage output of the PC and be about in the average cost of other "big" items in the campain (+4).

The bow you'd listed would be a +5.

[Krohm]

Depends of what you're aiming at.

His point was more to make a ranged fighter that a mage with a bow, so he has bascially created a Bard (4) Ranger (1) Fighter (2) Arcane Archer (7).

The only BAB point lost is more or less counterbalanced by Bard Singing in most cases.

It is working fine so far, with the limitation that the other character are a bit more optimized.

[ILM]

Arcane archer isn't useful beyond the first two levels. He should have arcane archer 2 and the rest caster levels.
Hell, he shouldn't be an arcane archer at all! He should be a Batman wizard because everything else loses!

a) the OP didn't say how many levels the PC has in arcane archer (edit: ok, well now he has)
b) the PC is "nicely balanced, far from uneffective and kind of deadly for ennemy casters," so it's not like he's the basketweaving blind cripple guarding the mules while the rest of the team fights
c) the PC should be whatever the hell he wants to be
d) that wasn't the question anyway.

With that off my chest, might I suggest an energy bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a)? It deals force damage unless you nock an actual arrow, its mighty +X, and it allows power shots. And you can always make it Frost/Seeking/whatever on top if you like, though you'll have to wing it in terms of item creation rules and pricing.

[Krohm]

The bow you'd listed would be a +5.

True. Forgot that rule again ...


A weapon with a special ability must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus.

In think I'll have to remove the seeking, then.

[Downysole]

The key to giving him more damage is to allow power shot (power attack for a bow) or to put it on the weapon somehow.

[Larkas]

Just in case you missed ILM's post, you are looking for Hank's Energy Bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a).

[Waddacku]

Alternatively, Splitting is a nice special ability. Twice the attacks is pretty enjoyable.

[Killer Angel]

True. Forgot that rule again ...

In think I'll have to remove the seeking, then.

Give him a nice bow, but don't be too much fixed on it... the risk is that your AA will be too much dependent on a single item.
Proceed to houserule some of the worst things of the PrC, for example you can erase the whole "once a day" clause from all the class features.


Hell, he shouldn't be an arcane archer at all! He should be a Batman wizard because everything else loses!

Why the sarcasm? the advice was very helpful!

[ILM]

Alternatively, Splitting is a nice special ability. Twice the attacks is pretty enjoyable.
Bear in mind it requires Precise Shot to work though.

[Telonius]

Is the character a Wizard/Archer or Sorc/Archer?

If they have Scribe Scroll already, a unique item that allows the character to use an equivalent power to the Artificer's "Item Creation" on an arrow, treating it as though the arrow were a scroll. (The scroll uses the normal "Imbue Arrow" rules otherwise). Works for spells of a level equal to their Arcane Archer level. That will give them a whole lot more versatility, while maintaining some kind of cost (gold/xp/time).

[Larkas]

@Telonius: Unfortunately, the player used bard to qualify.


His point was more to make a ranged fighter that a mage with a bow, so he has bascially created a Bard (4) Ranger (1) Fighter (2) Arcane Archer (7).

[Flickerdart]

Drop him the Energy Bow - being able to Power Attack and deal DR-ignoring force damage will help him out.

[Phase]

I saw the title and cried out "Energy Bow! I'll save the day with this information!"

Then I saw I was late to the party and got all sad.

[Telonius]

@Telonius: Unfortunately, the player used bard to qualify.

I suppose it wouldn't have to be keyed to Scribe Scroll, that just would have made sense thematically. You could have it be a Bard-ish theme instead. Something that required some number of ranks in Perform to use. (If it were a non-serious campaign, I'd require the Bard to play some of the William Tell Overture in order to use it).

[dspeyer]

Archers need versatility as much as power. Presenting the (slightly homebrew) Ambusher's Bow:

An Ambusher's Bow deals an additional 4d6 precision damage, unless the wielder chooses one of following special attacks:

{table=head]attack|trade away|in order to
Concussion Attack|2d6|apply -2 penalty to opponent's Int checks and Wis checks
Deafening Strike|3d6|deafen target for 3 rounds
Disemboweling Strike|4d6|deal 1d4 Con damage
Eldritch Erosion|3d6|reduce SR/PR by 5
Impeding Attack|3d6|apply -2 penalty to opponent's Str checks and Dex checks[/table]

An Ambusher's Bow does not work on creatures without discernible anatomy.

It seems roughly a +4 item, maybe a little stronger.

[Dark Elf Bard]

Alternatively, Splitting is a nice special ability. Twice the attacks is pretty enjoyable.

Splitting is definitely a great ability.

[Vizzerdrix]

Ranger wands would help. Look up the archery related ranger spells from Champions of Ruin and give him a few wands of those.

A +1 splitting Collision (total+5) is decent and ends up dishing out an extra 12 damage on top of whatever else is used. Use a bow of the Wintermoon for the chassis so Str buffing becomes a valid option as well.

[marcielle]

Just make it sonic and electricity instead of electricfireice. A bow that shoots lightning bolts complete with thunder is pretty awesome and really handy when you need an instant dramatic weather moment.

[Duke of URL]

True. Forgot that rule again ...

You're the DM. Feel free to rewrite the rule. (It doesn't make sense anyway, other than to make magic items cost more.)

[ericgrau]

Boots of speed, lesser bracers of archery, nice bow.

Boots of speed are the best by far. But that's true for any weapon using class. In more casual gaming groups arcane archers can excel in damage later on once they start getting a nice magic bow. The thing is, giving him all 3 items above including a minor bow for 25k seems a lot less like favoritism than a 50k bow, yet it has the same increase in power. Or if he already has an ok bow, increase it to the next step for almost the same cost. In that case you could toss him the bow or if you simply toss the party some gold he will probably pay an NPC to upgrade it. Either way you'd include the other two items in treasure.

[Kansaschaser]

Permanent Rune of Arrowsplit on a flat metal disc. If this rune was created by a Runecaster that was at least 8th level, then the rune would be maxamized for free. This metal disc can be placed at the bottom of a quiver of arrows. The rune should be activated by touch, so that each arrow in the quiver is affected by a Maxamized Arrowsplit spell. So when the Arcane Archer draws the arrow from the quiver, it's already affected by Maxamized Arrowsplit. When the Arcane Archer fires the arrow, it will split into 5 arrows. The cost of this rune is only 36,000 gold.