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View Full Version : Ambushing Scouts, Oh My! [3.5, Feat(s), PEACH]



Amechra
2013-01-29, 01:13 PM
Peerless Archery [Fighter]
You are pretty obscene when it comes to hitting people with your arrows.
Benefit: Whenever you make a ranged attack, you may ignore any bonus to armor class that would be granted by concealment; in addition, you take no penalties to your ranged attacks for attacking a creature within your first two range increments, and gain a +2 to attack rolls with your ranged weapon against creatures within your first range increment.
Special: This feat counts as the Precise Shot, Point-Blank Shot, and Far Shot feats for the purposes of prerequisites.

Archer's Momentum [Fighter]
You allow the momentum of an arrow you fire to serve as a kick-off point for skirmishing.
Prerequisites: Precise Shot, Skirmish +1d6/+1
Benefit: Whenever you make a ranged attack from hiding, you gain the benefits of your Skirmish class feature, even if you didn't move this round. In addition, the penalty you take on your Hide check to conceal yourself after your attack is reduced to 10.
Special: A Scout may take this feat as a bonus feat.

Improved Archer's Momentum [Fighter]
By taking a moment to breath, you can fire off a shot that can easily cost a man his life.
Prerequisites: Archer's Momentum, Improved Skirmish
Benefits: Whenever you use the Sniping function of the Hide skill, you may use any feat that enhances your Skirmish ability as if you had moved a number of feet this round equal to your weapon's Range Increment. In addition, the penalty you take on your Hide check to conceal yourself after your attack is reduced to 5.
Special: A Scout may take this feat as a bonus feat.

Passing Blow [Fighter]
You have specialized in hindering people you strike on the go.
Prerequisites: Skirmish 1d6/+1
Benefit: You may treat bonus damage from your Skirmish ability as if it were Sneak Attack dice for the purposes of qualifying for and using Ambush feats. In addition, whenever you deal any amount of damage to a creature with your Skirmish class feature, they take a -4 circumstance penalty to their armor class until the beginning of their next action.
Special: A Scout may take this feat as a bonus feat.

Ambush Expertise [Fighter]
You have specialized in hamstringing and humiliating people with carefully aimed blows.
Prerequisites: Two Ambush feats.
Benefits: The number of Sneak Attack dice that you need to sacrifice to use a given Ambush feat is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 0.

Hawkeye Shot [Fighter]
You've gotten really good at hitting people at a distance.
Prerequisites: Precise Shot, Far Shot, Dexterity 13
Benefits: You may deal precision damage to creatures that are within your first range increment. In addition, reduce the penalties you take for attacking a creature beyond your first range increment by your Dexterity modifier.
Special: A Scout may take this feat as a bonus feat.

Superior Sniper [Fighter]
You have become specialized at murdering people from very, very far away.
Prerequisites: Hawkeye Shot, Dexterity 15
Benefits: You may deal precision damage to creatures with a number of range increments equal to your Dexterity modifier; in addition, on any round in which you successfully hit a creature with a ranged weapon, you gain a +5 Circumstance bonus to your Hide checks until the end of the round.
Special: A Scout may take this feat as a bonus feat.

Old Versions
Archer's Momentum [Fighter]
You allow the momentum of an arrow you fire to serve as a kick-off point for skirmishing.
Prerequisites: Precise Shot, Skirmish +1d6/+1
Benefit: You may deal precision damage to any creature within the first range increment of your ranged weapon. In addition, you gain the benefits of your Skirmish class feature on every ranged attack you make, as if you had moved 10' that round. This does not stack with actual movement for the purposes of effects that increase the effectiveness of your Skirmish class feature based off the distance you have moved.
Special: A Scout may take this feat as a bonus feat.

Improved Archer's Momentum [Fighter]
By taking a moment to breath, you can fire off a shot that can easily cost a man his life.
Prerequisites: Archer's Momentum, Improved Skirmish
Benefits: Whenever you make a ranged attack as a standard action, you may deal precision damage out to your second range increment; in addition, if you are making an attack against a creature at least one range increment away from you, increase the effective movement of your Archer's Momentum feat by 10' per range increment.
Special: A Scout may take this feat as a bonus feat.

Mephibosheth
2013-01-29, 01:42 PM
So, if I'm reading this correctly, a scout with Archer's Momentum and a composite shortbow would be able to stand still and full attack anything within 70 ft, dealing full skirmish damage. Am I reading this right? If so, while it doesn't seem mechanically overpowered in comparison to things other classes are able to do, but it does seem contrary to the spirit of the class.

I like the idea of being able to skirmish at longer ranges, but finding ways to deal with the skirmish-triggering movement limitation seems like a pretty integral part of the scout class. Again, not for mechanical reasons per se, but for flavor reasons.

For Improved Archer's Momentum, are you only able to skirmish without moving if you attack as a standard action? Or is that separate from the extended skirmish range of the feat's first clause?

Other than those things, I really like these feats! Any more scout feats are a step in the right direction, imho.

Amechra
2013-01-29, 02:33 PM
I actually think that it isn't thematically against the idea of "scout"; I've always felt that scouts should be able to snipe without moving, after all...

I might make variants on some feats so that you can use the Riposte ACF instead of Skirmish (Riposte is an ACF which basically gives you Skirmish that only works against people that attacked you last round that doesn't require moving around) for a variety of stuff. A Swift Hunter with Riposte instead of Skirmish sounds kinda fun.

Also, I'm thinking of adding some feats that give you better Skirmish when unarmed/using Stunning Fist. Because, I mean, come on.

Mephibosheth
2013-01-29, 03:46 PM
I agree that sniping isn't contrary to the scout theme in general, but Archer's Momentum, at least as I read it, completely negates the need to move to trigger skirmish. Perhaps establish a certain circumstance in which they can skirmish at longer distances without moving, so that it's not an all-the-time thing. Again, I don't think this is a damning criticism of the feats per se, just something I would think about where I implementing these feats in my games.

Also, I linked to your feats in my Scout Homebrew Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217667), though I'll happily remove the link if you so desire. I like the feats in general, more-so now that I'm thinking of them in a sniping context. I have a stunning fist feat there, too, though it doesn't do exactly what you're describing.

Anyway, great feats over all!

Amechra
2013-01-29, 04:19 PM
I don't mind being added to a compendium; I'm a bit honored, actually.

And I was actually thinking of restricting them; maybe if I changed them to work while you're hiding (i.e., sniping by the rules), and also have them lower the penalty to Hide checks for sniping?

Mephibosheth
2013-01-29, 06:43 PM
And I was actually thinking of restricting them; maybe if I changed them to work while you're hiding (i.e., sniping by the rules), and also have them lower the penalty to Hide checks for sniping?

I like that. That way there's a reason to use the sniping ability but also a reason to use normal skirmishing. Maybe including a feat somewhere in the tree that lets you make multiple attacks while sniping, too.

Amechra
2013-01-29, 08:32 PM
Modified how Archer's Momentum and the Improved Version work, and added Hawkeye Shot and Superior Sniper.

I'll note here: I agree with the houserule that Point Blank shot is a useless feat and, as such, does not exist. Any feat that requires it loses it as a prerequisite.

Say thank you, Archers.

As such, that is what I'm targeting the number of feat to get access to all of these feats to; if you want to get Superior Sniper and both of the Archer's Momentum feats, it will cost you 8 feats. Admittedly, this is for the ability to (at Dexterity 24, totally reasonable for an archer) fire an arrow 1050ft at no penalty, dealing +7d6 damage on that shot, and then hiding away like a little squirrel.

Actually, I'm editing one last feat into the OP; Peerless Archery. This is a big "thank you" for Archery in general.

By dropping Point Blank Shot, you don't get that issue.