Arcane Archer Build

[IZ42]

Hello Playground! I'm currently considering a build which seems powerful at first glance, but needs some secondary thoughts. It's going to be a Gestalt character for reference and I haven't exactly decided what my full martial class is going to be.

The Build is looking like this Arcanist 20//Something Full Martial X/Arcane Archer X(not sure if I want to I want to fully progress the PrC or take only a few levels).

Does anyone have thoughts/comments/criticisms/questions about this build? I'm open to suggestions from 3.5(in moderation), feat suggestions, etc. Note: I want this character to be a strong character, but not ridiculous cheese. Thanks!

[grarrrg]

The Build is looking like this Arcanist 20//Something Full Martial X/Arcane Archer X(not sure if I want to I want to fully progress the PrC or take only a few levels).

First thing I notice is that your Arcane Archer casting progression will be going to waste. Two suggestions are to drop some Arcanist levels and apply AA-casting to Arcanist casting, other suggestion is to dip something arcane on the AA side of things. 4 levels of Bloodrager would be Full Bab and let you apply AA casting to it. A few levels of Magus would work as well, but would be a small hit to Bab.

[avr]

Like Grarrrg I dislike letting the casting advancement of AA go to waste. I'd suggest something from 3.5 though - a duskblade is an int-based caster with full BAB, see the PHB 2. Use that as your martial class and you gain some handy abilities.

You'll find that archery can suck up all your feats if you let it so be careful to spare a few for Quicken Spell and other magical stuff.

[IZ42]

Thanks for the suggestions, grarrg and avr, I hadn't though of the lost casting progression. My thoughts were using Zen Archer to pick up all the bonus feats I need, but that means I have to have a Good INT, CHA, and WIS, which would be mildly hard to pull off. I'm slightly considering Fighter or Ranger, since they supply the bonus feats needed for archer. I'll take a peek at Duskblade, avr, thanks. As for Bloodrager, are there any good ways to pick up ranged stuff from it? Magus also seems like a slightly good idea, but yeah, that means I lose some BAB, which I'm hesitant to do.

Suggestions for races, feats, etc.?


Edit: Took a look at Duskblade. That actually seems excellent for the character I have in mind. Is anyone aware of ways to get INT to hit? If not, that's fine, I'm just wondering.

Just had this suggested to me: Arcanist 20//Fighter 2/Duskblade 3/Spellthief 2/Arcane Archer 8/Hawkguard Warder 5, and taking the Master Spellthief and Craven feats.

[CGNefarious]

If you do third party, Dreamscarred Press' Harbinger gets Int to hit (and reflex, fortitude, and damage).

[grarrrg]

My thoughts were using Zen Archer to pick up all the bonus feats I need, but that means I have to have a Good INT, CHA, and WIS, which would be mildly hard to pull off.

Nothing says a Monk dip "needs" good WIS to pull off.
The WIS-to-hit with the bow is optional, and there really aren't any other Monk features that you'll want/need WIS for anyway. Maybe the AC bonus while naked, for Arcane Casting, but you didn't seem worried about that to begin with.

Speaking of which, I assume you're going for the Armored Kilt/Haramaki method to have Armor with no spell failure?


Magus also seems like a slightly good idea, but yeah, that means I lose some BAB, which I'm hesitant to do

Well, just 4 levels of Myrmidarch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/archetypes/paizo---magus-archetypes/myrmidarch) Magus would support your 'ranged spells' build by allowing you to fire Ranged Touch spells as arrows in addition to the AA Area Spell arrows.
It would only cost you 1 Bab in the long run too, and gives you somewhere to shove your AA casting.

I don't think there is much/any Bloodraged>Ranged support right now though, so 3.5 is really your only chance for "Arcane Full Bab".

[IZ42]

@CGNefarious: That takes 7 levels to effectively pull off, and 10 if I want damage, while that full BAB is going to be more useful to me.

@grarrrg: With the Master Spellthief Feat, I can choose to have my Spellthief and Duskblade levels stack for some Spellthief abilities, and be able to ignore ASF for Light Armor. Maybe take some Mithral Twilight on a Medium armor if I feel like it. With the build I put forth I should have a BAB of 19 I think.

[Tohsaka Rin]

I suggest taking Soulknife, Armored Blade variant for a few levels, until you qualify for the Soul Archer PrC.

Armored Blade nets you armor (natch) that, with a feat, counts as NO ARMOR at all. Thus works with Monk.

Soul Archer generates its own arrows, works exactly like a composite longbow, and gets wis to damage by default. Works well with Monk. It also effectively boosts your Soul Knife levels, too.

If you've got a way to get wis to hit, you can effectively dump str entirely. You'll have access to all the Monk-y ways, with armor you never have to pay for, and wielding a bow you'll never have to pay for, either.

[IZ42]

I suggest taking Soulknife, Armored Blade variant for a few levels, until you qualify for the Soul Archer PrC.

Armored Blade nets you armor (natch) that, with a feat, counts as NO ARMOR at all. Thus works with Monk.

Soul Archer generates its own arrows, works exactly like a composite longbow, and gets wis to damage by default. Works well with Monk. It also effectively boosts your Soul Knife levels, too.

If you've got a way to get wis to hit, you can effectively dump str entirely. You'll have access to all the Monk-y ways, with armor you never have to pay for, and wielding a bow you'll never have to pay for, either.


See, I'm not aiming for WIS to hit or damage, so I don't really want to take that archetype/PrC. The premise of this build is the Arcane Archer PrC, not the Soul Archer. Also, relying on all 3 mental ability scores being relatively high is kind of silly, and to do so effectively, I would require to be an Aasimar or something, which then has the added problem of not supplying the bonus feat I need from Human. Also, at level 20, I've got enough gold kicking around that I don't need to worry about not having enough for armor and a weapon.

I'd also request that the build I mentioned a post or 3 back be looked at for help/guidance.

[deuxhero]

Celestial Sorcerer (Wildblooded, Bloodline Familiar) 8/Zen Archer 8/Sorcerer 4//Zen Archer Qingong Monk 20

18/20 casting (9th level spells), very SAD (Wisdom runs your spells, your AC, and your to-hit with a bow), 4 skill points/level with a familiar (which can heal a decent amount on top of the normal uses), gets most of the needed feats free, and effectively has full BAB

With the Zen Archery feat from 3.5, you could probobly replace the Monk side with any other archery focused base class

For a non-wisdom based...

If DSP stuff is open, Warlord (swap Primal Fury for Sleeping Goddess through tradition)//Sorcerer 6/Arcane Archer can work. Not as SAD (can't always get charisma to hit) but pretty SAD