Question on Archery Builds

[Gale]

I found this build for an Arcane Archer on dandwiki.com (Link to the build.) (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Arcane_Archer_%283.5e_Optimized_Character_Build%29 )
It says one of the first things you should do at level 1 is take Weapon Focus: Longbow. But then at level 3 it tells you to take Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Greatbow and at level 6 get Weapon Focus: Greatbow. The entire build seems to be based around the assumption that you're using a Greatbow.
So why bother taking Weapon Focus in the Longbow at all? If you're starting a campaign at level 4 you will never use it because you'll already be able to use the Greatbow at that point. It seems like a waste of a feat in my opinion.

Also as a side question I'm just wondering if anyone knew of any other archery based builds. I'm planning on making a new character soon and I would love to have it be built around shooting arrows at people.

[gorilla-turtle]

First of all, most people tend to steer away from dandwiki. It isn't as condusive as other sights for the sake of adjudication, and mistakes tend to be caught less easily because of it.

Second of all, unless such proficiencies stack and the second feat was meant to be Weapon Specialization or something, then it probably was a mistake or an outright waste.

Third, there are a few decent ways to go about archery: A Cleric (or other Wisdom Casting/Power Class of your Choice) tends to be good with Zen Archery added to it. A Ranger/Scout multiclass, usually known as a Swift Hunter due to the feat that makes it work, tends to also be fairly decent at mid-ranged shooting (so long as you can keep triggering Skirmish). The Soulbow Prestige Class is a substantial upgrade to the Soulknife Class, giving it the ability to actually be decent at something (in this case, Archery). And there are a few prestige classes here and there (some being slightly questionable in their sourcing) that help improve archery a bit.

Dig around a little; there should have been an archery thread a little while ago from the last time I remember looking around, actually.

[Eldariel]

It has Weapon Focus: Longbow because Arcane Archer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/arcaneArcher.htm) requires Weapon Focus: Shortbow or Longbow as qualification. The rest is just nonsense, that's a bad build.

Arcane Archer is a class that only has one good ability, the level 2 Imbue Arrow which is not restricted by uses/day. As such, to use the class you should generally just try to get full spellcasting and make the most out of Imbue Arrow; easiest build is Bard 8/Arcane Archer 2/Sublime Chord 2/Sacred Exorcist 4/Abjurant Champion 4. This way you actually have spells worth imbuing.


Other archery builds, well, I like the Warblade Archer with Ranger 2/Barbarian 1/Fighter 1/Warblade 6/Eternal Blade 10 (Eternal Blade not strictly necessary but it's okay). It works decently and doubles as both, melee and range (though mind, you need to shuffle the actual level order around a bit).

KSBSnowOwl's Archer Build Compendium (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=653.0) is a pretty good resource if you have access to 3.0 material. They're mostly martial Archers that don't rely overtly much on spells and have decent output.

Other great options include Cleric Archer (basically use Cleric-buffs for incredible Archery potency while also having spellcasting and all the good stuff) and variants where the casting class is Archivist or Mystic Ranger instead.

Ardent also makes for decent Archers and Factotums can Manyshot-spam with the best of them. Soulbow is also a decent option, and Psions or Psychic Warriors work too (I would usually prefer Ardents for this tho).

Swift Hunter is okay, if short-range, and Rogue or Rogue/Wizard/Unseen Seer can work great in some circumstances (Sneak Attack is best equipped to bypass immunity with spells). Just few options off the top of my head.


I can of course extrapolate if you have something specific you're interested about.

[ddude987]

As a rule of thumb, stay off of danddwiki. A lot of the things on their are outright wrong. As for archery, handbook (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=75cvtm6ioqsrfgk72clb6naca3&topic=2892) and builds (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=194)

My favorite way to approach archery is the swift hunter (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/09/swift-hunters-handbook.html) with mystic ranger. You get good spells, good damage, and good utility, as well as some other fun things. The biggest problem with archery is how feat intensive it is, though I am playing an archer in a current campaign and its going quite well.

[gorilla-turtle]

It has Weapon Focus: Longbow because Arcane Archer (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/arcaneArcher.htm) requires Weapon Focus: Shortbow or Longbow as qualification. The rest is just nonsense, that's a bad build.

Quite honestly, I thought the Greatbow shared such feats with the Longbow. Turns out I was wrong. Though why waste essentially 2 feats?

[Eldariel]

Quite honestly, I thought the Greatbow shared such feats with the Longbow. Turns out I was wrong. Though why waste essentially 2 feats?

Because the build is bad.

[gorilla-turtle]

Because the build is bad.

That's rather comically straightforward.

[ddude987]

That's rather comically straightforward.

and often true about danddwiki

[Piggy Knowles]

Yeah, what everyone else said. You can also check out my sig for my own take on several different archery builds and some general archery thoughts, with and without magic. That said, if you don't like dips, I recommend scrolling past the Chaneleon builds I start the thread off with - they're pretty diptastic (which my phone keeps trying to autocorrect to "supra stoic" for some odd reason).