3.0/3.5 help optimize for Melee-Archer

[relytdan]

pretty much what it says - looking at a 20 level build - trying to optimize for as high of touch AC/ flatfooted AC/ base AC as is possible and have an outstanding Melee-Archer type as well.
What not allowed - dragon magazines or 3rd party - all official 3.0 / 3.5 materials . what needs to be avoided at all costs is any form of caster casting ( SLA's may be allowed )
level buy back upto LA+5 is allowed.

*Edit No Undead *Edit

weapons: bastard sword, long sword or other 1 hand swords
composite bow, crossbow or other decent ranged bows ( no hanks energy bow )

other party members are cleric type, sorcerer type, ranger type, rogue type -whats needed is a Melee-Archer type and to that end high AC is important.

Soulknife / Soulbow are being considered for the archer portion but will look at other options

[Urpriest]

What the hell is a Melee-Archer? The whole point of archery is that it's ranged. How are you proposing to use archery in melee?

[Dusk Eclipse]

I'm guessing a character that can switch from melee to ranged if he needs to (like the Switch-Hit ranger build that Treatmonk recomends (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/community-creations/treatmonks-lab/test2/treantmonk-s-guide-to-rangers))

Personally I would go with a Bloodstorm blade build, since it's main schtick is to allow the use of melee tricks at range.

[Emperor Tippy]

Dark (the Cormyr: Tearing of the Weave version) Necropolitan Evolved Undead Gray Elf Rogue 1/ Factotum 8/ Invisible Fist Decisive Strike Monk 2/ Mindbender 1/ Swashbuckler 3/ Fighter 2/ Swordsage 1/ Crusader 2

The last 3 levels can mostly be replaced with whatever.

Max Int and Dex with 1 point in Con and the rest of your points in Strength. Then age to Venerable before becoming a Necropolitan. Then get a +5 Inherent bonus to strength, you want it positive but its actual value doesn't really matter.

Feats: Craven (+HD to sneak attack damage), Shadowblade (+Dex to damage when in a Shadowhand stance), lots of Font of Inspiration, Mindsight, Carmendine Monk.

Your standard in combat should be to use Cunning Surge to gain an extra standard action, move within melee range of your opponent, use Decisive Strike (along with Cunning Insight to ensure a hit), and then spend IP on Cunning Surge to make lots of melee attacks (each at full AB and each deals double damage because of Decisive Strike). You can easily drop over a thousand points of damage on a foe in one turn.

For ranged against a lot of foes you use Cunning Surge to attack each foe. Against one foe you either do the same or spend lots of IP on Cunning Strike for a very powerful sneak attack.

AC wise, you get Int to AC (which should be 38 or so) and can wear Bracers of Armor along with having a very high dex.

HP wise you get all d12's and have Fast Healing.

AB wise your probably have all 4 attacks and you get Dex and Int to attack rolls.

[mabriss lethe]

If you do go for soulknife/soulbow, Spring for the 2K to pick up an adamantine minde blade gauntlet. Not for the adamantine quality, though that has uses. Due to the way it's written, it allows a soulknife to swap out the enhancements on the mind blade every time it's summoned, as opposed to taking 8 hours to do. And while not specifically called out, you could talk to your DM about having its effect work on Mind arrows as well.

[relytdan]

well the Bloodstorm blade idea while good doesn't quite fit what I was looking for.
the Necropolitan Evolved Undead Gray Elf - while looks interesting the party cleric would turn the character to dust fairly quick - guess I need to add - no undead to the list.

the adamantine minde blade gauntlet - is a great suggestion and I can't see a reason for it to not work with the soulbow Mind arrows ..

The switch hitter ranger is more or less exactly what I am looking for but that materials is pathfinder and as such out-

so if there is a good way in 3.0/3.5 to do the switch hitter as a good melee archer then I am all over it.

warblade
ranger

soulknife / soulbow still being considered

[mabriss lethe]

I've got something fairly simple, elegant, and still has plenty of wiggle room to customize. You won't be the biggest baddest beatstick on the block, but you'll be able to reliably hit your target at range and do a respectable amount of damage. (Also note that following this build will make you ineligible for Soulbow since you'll be swapping out psychic strike for a bonus feat.

soulknife 6 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a)(using both Hidden Talent and Bonus Feat ACFs)/ Sonokineticist 9 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625e)/ ???? 5
Feats:
1.Master of Posions, (B) Hidden Talent: Psionic Minor Creation
3.Martial Study (Shadow Hand strike of choice), (B) Power Attack
6.Martial Stance (Assassin's Stance)
9.Craven
12. Psionic Meditation
15.Ability Focus (Heat Death)
18. -Open-

Skills of note: Autohypnosis, Concentration, Craft:Poison, Craft:alchemy



What can this skeleton of a build do?
-psionic minor creation allows a character, among its more mundane uses, to create a ridiculous volume of any plant based poisons. You'll still need to make the craft check, since it's a complex item. Master of poisons will allow you to apply it to your mindblade as a swift action without risking poisoning yourself. Once you enter sonokineticist, you can poison your sound lash as well.

Of all the variants, why sonokineticist? Two reasons: 1. It's the least common energy type, so few enemies will have resistance or immunity to it. 2. a Sono's energy attacks overcomes Hardness of unattended items. You become a living wrecking ball that no barrier can stop. You'll pay for it, though, with reduced damage dice. Your lash will do d6 instead of d8 damage and your bolts will do d4s. It's really worth it, though.

-The joys of the sound lash: The x-kineticist variants enjoy the benefit of a very strange signature ability. Their energy lash is a 15' ranged touch attack that may benefit from ANY feat that can be applied to a whip. That's why both Power Attack and Master of Poisons will work, along with whatever Shadow Hand strike you took from Martial Study. Since it's a touch attack, you can easily take your full penalty from PA and still hit a good % of the time even with your iteratives. Heck, since it's keyed off the whip, Power Attack 2 handed for double the bonus damage. Since you picked up Assassin's stance, you'll also be able to deal a nice bit of precision damage on top of everything else, and there are at least one or two items that can boost your sneak attack even more. Once you gain your sonic "weapon afire" analog, you can add that bonus damage to your lash as well.

If your foes aren't close enough to for your sound lash, you'll have your sonic bolt ability, which will let you launch a ranged touch attack as a standard action with damage dice equal to your Sonokineticist level. You'll be able to cause your foes a good bit of pain before you close in for the kill. You can also benefit from Sneak Attack on this, as well.

-Save or Die madness! When you hit Sono 9, you'll gain a Fort save or die attack keyed off of your charisma. The Pyro calls it "Heat Death" so I'm sure there's some clever name you can give it to make it sound more "sonic". The DC is kind of low, but that doesn't have to stop you. It's effectively an At-will ability so there aren't any resources wasted if it doesn't take. (you need to blow your psionic focus to activate it, so at best, it's an every-other-round option.) You have ways to make this work. Ability focus will give you a solid boost to the DC, and a Cloak of Charisma can top it off. If it's vulnerable to a save or die, there's a good chance it will be vulnerable to poison. Use Black Lotus Extract on your sonic lash and soften them up. If they're still alive after the initial Constitution hit, Their saves will most likely be in the toilet, Go ahead and use your Save or Die the next round.

-You're a wrecking ball: You can cut your way through nearly any physical obstacle that bars your way, and do it rather quickly. Even with reduced die type, you'll be able to pummel your way through even an adamantine door (and then carve it up for easy transport and resale as salvage.)

After it's all said and done, you still have 5 more levels you can take in whatever class or PrC you can squeeze in.


Some additional reading:

The Pyrokineticist's Handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=6073.0)

The Poison Handbook (http://www.brilliantgameologists.com/boards/?topic=4854.0)

[relytdan]

soulknife 6(using both Hidden Talent and Bonus Feat ACFs)/ Sonokineticist 9

what is the source and page for the Sonokineticis ?? are you refering to pyrokineticist ?

Soulbow
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Autohypnosis 8 ranks.
Feats: Point Blank Shot.
Special: Throw mind blade class feature.

I have not checked the acf's yet, so I am not sure why getting psychic strike would cause issues with soulbow?

[gooddragon1]

Glaivelock (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1110396)? No one suggested this?

Prioritize your dex (be an elf for 20), get a +5 gnomish twist cloth, +5 animated light mithral shield, ring of protection +5, amulet of natural armor +5, defending weapon +5, +1 ioun stone, +6 gloves of dexterity, +4 tome of dexterity. 12 dex to AC, 28 other stuff to AC, base 10 means 50 AC total. Your glaive pwns in melee and your blast works at range (eldritch glaive invocation that is). Short haft feat if you want to attack adjacent. Bonus points because you ignore DR and natural armor. Pick up weapon finesse to add dex to melee attack rolls with eldritch glaive.

[Snowbluff]

Elf Duskblade13/Arcane Archer2

Fight with an Elven Craft Composite Longbow, which is a quarterstaff and longbow. Give it an Str rating.

Take Knowledge Devotion and Power Attack, work up to Improved Precise Shot would be my regular advice, but for AC...

Since you have a quarterstaff, you can take Combat Expertise, Quickstaff, and Eilservs School. Make your Quarterstaff into a cheap staff of somekind for Eilservs. Melee Evasion, Cobalt Expertise, and Deceptive Dodge might help.

EDIT: No casting? Frak. Oh well, the Elvencraft/quarterstaff stuff still works.

For LA, Half Fey and Phrenic with Mineral Warrior. Decent Cha, DR, Str, SLAs to the max, Spell resistance, and just plain being awesome.

[mabriss lethe]

soulknife 6(using both Hidden Talent and Bonus Feat ACFs)/ Sonokineticist 9

what is the source and page for the Sonokineticis ?? are you refering to pyrokineticist ?

Soulbow
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Autohypnosis 8 ranks.
Feats: Point Blank Shot.
Special: Throw mind blade class feature.

I have not checked the acf's yet, so I am not sure why getting psychic strike would cause issues with soulbow?

My fault: For whatever reason, I was thinking Soulbow required p-strike for entry. I suppose you could fill in the last few levels with soulbow, swapping out one of the feats for PBS, but there wouldn't be much point, truth to tell. The Sono covers a good bit of the same ground.

The link to the Pyrokineticist variants including the sonokineticist was in my last post, but here it is again:

--> The Mind's Eye: Variant Pyrokineticist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625e)<--

[relytdan]

ahh that link helps I did not see that before - thanks.
soulknife 5-6(using both Hidden Talent and Bonus Feat ACFs)

Sonokineticist 9 - - edit - found the prc in xph