Arcane Archer build

[Jackofalltrades]

Hello again everyone, i will be playing a Gestalt campaign within the next few weeks. As some of you might know i already built a sneaky whisper gnome Rogue/unarmed sword sage. but just to be safe, I've decided to build a back up character just in case this one dies or TOB is not allowed (just call me paranoid) he going to be a grey elf Ranger/some kind of arcane caster. i know fighter might work better but the having all good saves+6 skill points+ full BAB is seems a better and rangers get some some extra feats depending on there weapon style. here is the question, is it better to part wizard or warmage? wizards basically can change the universe, but war mage gain armor mage and get a few meta-magic feats (wizards do get more though) honesty i would go wizard but i feel like my character is under armored. the 9 HP he has does make me feel a little better, but i would like to hear what opinions you guys/gals have to offer.

note: he'll will try to be a Arcane archer because i really what him to put his spells on his arrows without the one time uses items. I'm going to try and talk to my DM to see if he can somehow Buff the Arcane Archer. there seems to be little love for them due to them being somewhat underpowered. also i might try to see if a could covert the arcane archer from pathfinder into the game, from what i've heard that was what the arcane archer was suppose to be.

[Rebel7284]

Would Mystic Ranger from Dragon Magazine be allowed? They get most of the ranger goodies, albeit delayed, and they get casting progression as a sorcerer until level 10. If you then take Sword of the Arcane Order feat, you can cast both ranger and wizard spells while having better HP and full BAB. Hell you can even get trapfinding and limited wildshape if you take the right alternate class features.

[heavyfuel]

Arcane Archer in a gestalt character is decent, as the main complaint is that class doesn't progress Caster Levels. Going Ranger//Wizard 7, then picking a few levels of Arcane Archer//Wizard before returning to Ranger//Wizard, or better yet, Ranger//Abjurant Champion, if just to get Evasion from the 9th Ranger level.

The second largest complaint is that Arcane Archer has a lot of 1/day abilities, which is rather bad, because there's no way to give these abilities more uses per day like the feat Extra Rage for the Barbarian.

If you can get the Mystic Ranger from Dragon approved, it's outright better, even though it technically doesn't qualify for a lot of Ranger goodies like Sword of the Arcane Order and Wild Shape (your DM might allow it if the rest of the party is playing at higher OP). If not, join the Order of the Shooting Star and get all the substituion levels so you can get a bit for punch for your Ranger spells, especially since some of them are really good for Archers. Sword of the Arcane Order won't be particullarly useful, because you'll be casting as a Wizard already, so the feat slot is better spent elsewhere

[Jackofalltrades]

Would Mystic Ranger from Dragon Magazine be allowed? They get most of the ranger goodies, albeit delayed, and they get casting progression as a sorcerer until level 10. If you then take Sword of the Arcane Order feat, you can cast both ranger and wizard spells while having better HP and full BAB. Hell you can even get trapfinding and limited wildshape if you take the right alternate class features.

Dragon magazine is not allowed and TOB/TOM might be allowed (DM has never dealt with those classes before) half of the stuff in Dragon Magazine seems to be a bit OP if you ask me, but Mystic Ranger would have been great to play, but I'm not going to to try and convince him to allow a stuff he is unfamiliar with.

Trap finding is covered, if TOB/TOM is not allowed my brother will be playing a 3.5 a trap crazed web enhanced kobold rogue/factotum+something that gos well with rogue/factotum that will focus on creating/disarming traps and magical traps. also my older brother might or might not play a druid that can do some healing, (druid and bard are his favorite classes) and my other friend, if allowed gestalt might play a melee Fighter/wizard (his favorite classes). that's why i'm going for the whole range ranger/wizard thing since most bases are now covered.

[Snowbluff]

Okay, here you go. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=1059703)

Just replace Eldritch Archer with Arcane Archer 2.

Ranger gives Arrow Split and then you grab the Mystic Fire Knight abilities. This will give you Arrowsplit, the single best spell for an AA. For the other side, just do the standard caster.

If 2d4+2 Wings of Flurry or Fell Drain Hail of Stone isn't enough for you, you're out of luck.

I've had a chat about this recently. Iaijutsu focus with the Elvencraft bow will be pretty sweet. Going Iaijutsu Master with a Sorcerer and AA (sans Incantatrix) on the other side will pretty much wreck everything without magic. In dire need, you could add some Wyrm Wizard or use Extra Spell to add Arrowsplit to your Sorcerer spell list.

[Jackofalltrades]

can some one clear up something for me? I think I've been reading the arcane archer Enhance arrow ability wrong. i thought it only gave a +1 magic attack bonus to attack. but now i think it means i can put a +1 enchantment on the the arrow, like bane or holy? if so that makes it a little more appealing.:smallsmile:

edit: whoops! holy is a +2. also I'm not seeing any significant difference between arcane archer for D&D and the one from Pathfinder, the one from PF only has increased health or is there something I'm missing?

[Xerlith]

You only get numerical bonuses, not special qualities.

[Jackofalltrades]

You only get numerical bonuses, not special qualities.

ahhh, so that answers two of my questions. pathfinder arcane archer is better because of getting a numerical bonus they receive the ability to put enchantments like bane, holy, shocking Etc. hope my DM will at least allow it then.

[Rebel7284]

Pathfinder Arcane Archer gets a caster progression. Looks like it only loses 3 caster levels.

[Snowbluff]

Pathfinder Arcane Archer gets a caster progression. Looks like it only loses 3 caster levels.
Be legit here. No one is interested in any of the other abilities past Imbue Arrow. Look at that sad and dejected OP. He's really sad because the arrow enhancement ability doesn't give Splitting.

Look at him, and regret.

EDIT: Seriously, you'd benefit more from Eldritch Knight or that Hell something or other.

[gorfnab]

How about a Ranger/Scout (Swift Hunter (http://www.brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=103.0)) mix // Bard 8/ Arcane Archer 2/ Sublime Chord 2/ Abjurant Champion 5/ Ruathar 3? It's a tiny bit MAD (high Cha, high Dex, okay Wis) but it at least will offer 9th level spells and some nifty buffing abilities. Skill points will be very nice too. Imbue Arrow is a standard action which means you still get your move action meaning skirmish damage on the arrow. It's also fairly easy to buff Inspire Courage (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8936.0).

[Jackofalltrades]

if i do a arcane archer (hopefully a pathfinder one). should the base caster be a wizard or a sorcerer. both get basically the same spells but a wizard gets extra magic feats while sorcerers get spontaneous casting, is preparing spells difficult? because i have never play spell caster before. also which school of magic has the most Area descriptor spells? i don't know if i should specialize in a school or not.

[Rebel7284]

if i do a arcane archer (hopefully a pathfinder one). should the base caster be a wizard or a sorcerer. both get basically the same spells but a wizard gets extra magic feats while sorcerers get spontaneous casting, is preparing spells difficult? because i have never play spell caster before. also which school of magic has the most Area descriptor spells? i don't know if i should specialize in a school or not.

Depends on the game which is better. Sorcerers have more tactical power while wizards have way more strategic power. However, since sorcerer casting is delayed, unless your DM ONLY uses random encounters, wizard is likely better.

As for original question, see my replies to this thread: http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=15008.0

[Snowbluff]

It depends. Sorcerer has one of the best area spells, Wings of Flurry.

Hail of Stone and Acid Storm are pretty good. Both are in the Conjuration school.

Evocations has a few of note, like Delayed Blast Fireball (useful in a time stop, combined with splitting arrows). Most of theses require Spell Resistance, thought. Emergency Force Sphere (PF) or whatever is handy. Iceberg is also an evocation.

Necromancy has a bunch of area debuffs, like Waves of Fatigue and Necrotic Skullbomb (which is a swift action, even though it has a fort save).

Abjuration has AMF and Maw of Chaos. AMF is a gimmicky trick, and Maw of Chaos is one of the few 9th level blasting spells that are worth it.

[ericgrau]

Normally the class is under-rated b/c you can't necessarily get a slew of buffs from party members, or even one buff, so that there are no other buff options besides GMW left. Or if you play a buffer yourself then your stats might suffer. But you are playing gestalt and could simply play a fighter // sorcerer to provide all your own buffs without losing stats. So there's not much point to the class when you could simply play a self-buffing archer. Even the PF arcane archer gives you a hair more damage and not much else. You might even be tempted to lose caster levels this way which could set you back.

Btw the gestalt rules prohibit eldritch knight.

I say sorcerer rather than wizard because you'll usually be using the same buffs and you get more spells per day this way. Either way a lesser rod of extend spell is helpful.

Some good hour/level buffs include [greater] mage armor, [empowered] false life and greater magic weapon. At high level spell compendium has some more like the Heart of X spells. That covers defense plenty well enough since you'll be in the back line most of the time anyway. Haste is nice too, though at high level you'll still want boots of speed to save you a standard action. If you do a lot of dungeons then you can get flame arrow, heroism and magic circle against evil. Or if you go with wizard instead you can put them in your spell book but don't prepare them until you hit a dungeon. Since you specialize in single target damage and arcane casting has a lot of crowd control, you don't necessarily need to do all shooting. Opening with a sleet storm, Evard's black tentacles, fireball or web can thin the enemy numbers before you switch to picking them off one by one. Black tentacles and fireball are nice because you can still shoot the enemy. Though the other 2 are still excellent because there are other targets early on, and you can shoot the trapped foes as soon as they get out too.

Besides that all the standard archer stuff applies. Bane arrows, arrows of every metal type, ranged weapon mastery, improved rapid shot, etc.

Ranger for skills are nice but really you need feats and a bunch of scrolls could cover utility even better. Putting your first level in ranger then switching might be good for the saves and skill points.

[Nightraiderx]

when in doubt, rainbow warsnake it out!

Build idea:
Side 1.
Ranger 2/Fighter 4/Arcane Archer 2/Fighter or Ranger (rest)

Warmage 4/Rainbow Servant 2/Warmage 2/Rainbow Servant 8/Warmage (prestige class) 4

Use ranger 2 to get a good skill base and rapid shot. you only need arcane archer 2 for the imbue arrow ability.
I put the rest in fighter because Idk what your DM is rulling about dual prestige classes.

Rainbow Servant is easy to get into early grabbing the versatile spellcaster feat. With Rainbow Servant 10 you can
now cast all cleric spells spontaneously. (divine agility is a nice boost to dex)

Imbue weapon feat will be your friend, you can use touch spells as well (inflict line, harm, darkflame) on your arrows for a +1 metamagic.

Rapid metamagic will help you as well.
Now with warmage you can get a shield bonus to Cha, more metamagic to mess around with and +2 per damage die, so now your 15d6 fireball does 15d6+30

Use fighter feats to gain the type of ranged goodies and since you are a ranger you can use the swift action ranger feats and throw them on wands and make
an elven craft bow so that you can hold three of the wands on your bow.