One Shot, One Kill (Ranger Archetype)

[Demonic Kitten]

Sniper
Some Rangers fire off lots of shots, volleys of arrows or bolts to hit their targets with as many shots as possible. Not so the Sniper. He knows that true attack power lies in taking one shot with the utmost focus and precision.

Snipers are ranged specialists, who function best at very long range. They offer great support as a backline warrior, and get along well with frontline classes they cover.

The Sniper is a Ranger archetype. A Ranger who take this archetype loses all spellcasting, and does not gain Track, Combat Style Feats, Swift Tracker, Quarry, Improved Quarry, or Master Hunter. In addition, he changes the progression of Favored Enemy and Favored Terrain so that whenever he would gain a Favored Enemy normally, he gains a Favored Terrain, and vice versa. Lastly, he must choose his companions for his Hunter's Bond.

Class Skills: Snipers gain Balance (Dex) and Disguise (Cha) as class skills, and lose Spellcraft (Int)

Hit Die: A Sniper's hit die becomes d6



Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Snipe


1
+1
+2
+2
+0
Snipe, 1st Favored Terrain, Wild Empathy, Good Eye
3 Rounds/+0x


2
+2
+3
+3
+0
Far-Shot
3 Rounds/+0x


3
+3
+3
+3
+1
Endurance, 1st Favored Enemy
2 Rounds/+0x


4
+4
+4
+4
+1
Hunter's Bond, Critical Master
2 Rounds/+0x


5
+5
+4
+4
+1
2nd Favored Terrain, Sniper Talent
2 Rounds/+0x


6
+6/+1
+5
+5
+2
-
1 Round/+0x


7
+7/+2
+5
+5
+2
Woodland Stride, Critical Master
1 Round/+0x


8
+8/+3
+6
+6
+2
2nd Favored Enemy
1 Round/+0x


9
+9/+4
+6
+6
+3
Evasion
1 Round/+1x


10
+10/+5
+7
+7
+3
3rd Favored Terrain, Critical Mastery, Sniper Talent
1 Round/+1x


11
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+3
-
1 Round/+1x


12
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+4
Camouflage
1 Round/+2x


13
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+4
3rd Favored Enemy, Critical Mastery
1 Round/+2x


14
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+4
-
1 Round/+2x


15
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+5
4th Favored Terrain, Sniper Talent
1 Round/+3x


16
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+5
Improved Evasion, Critical Mastery
1 Round/+3x


17
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+5
Hide In Plain Sight
1 Round/+3x


18
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+6
4th Favored Enemy
1 Round/+4x


19
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
Critical Mastery
1 Round/+4x


20
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
5th Favored Terrain, Sniper Talent, One Shot One Kill
1 Round/+4x



Proficiencies: Snipers are proficient in light and medium armor, all simple weapons, all martial and exotic ranged weapons, and all firearms.

Snipe: The primary ability of the Sniper. At 1st level, the Sniper may study an opponent without moving for three full rounds, at the end of which he may fire a single arrow, bolt, bullet, or thrown weapon at his highest base attack bonus at the studied foe. On a successful hit, the Sniper deals damage as if he had confirmed a critical hit. If the target he is studying ends its turn out of his line of sight during this time, the time already spent is wasted, and he must start again. If the target studied is one of his Favored Enemies, he adds his Favored Enemy bonus to the critical multiplier of his weapon for that hit. A Sniper may not opt to do nonlethal damage on a Snipe attack, not even with the usual -4 penalty.

At 3rd level, he need only study his opponent for 2 full rounds, and at 6th level for one full round.

At 9th level, and again every three levels thereafter, his critical multiplier when using this ability is treated as one higher. This stacks with all other critical enhancements. Add this bonus to his critical multiplier after all other modifiers have been calculated.

If the Sniper gets sneak attack dice (or a similar effect) from any source, he may make such an attack using Snipe so long as he still meets all prerequisites for it, but his sneak attack is not multiplied on a successful Snipe attack, nor is it modified by any Sniper Talents.

Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to being attacked with Snipe, but still take regular attack damage when hit. If the Sniper has taken a foe immune to critical hits as a Favored Enemy, he is treated as having the taken Eagle Eye Sniper Talent once for that type of enemy, granting him a 25% chance to do critical damage to them.

Good Eye: At 1st level, a Sniper gains a bonus equal to his class level on all Perception checks.

Long-Shot: At 2nd level, a Sniper gains Far Shot as a bonus feat, ignoring the prerequisites. Additionally, at 4th level and every even level thereafter, he adds +10 feet to the range of all bows, crossbows and firearms, and +5 feet to the range of all thrown weapons. Additionally, at 2nd level the Sniper counts his class levels as levels in Fighter for the purpose of qualifying for feats. Lastly, a Sniper never needs to meet the Point Blank Shot feat prerequisite of any feat he takes.

Critical Master: At 4th level, the Sniper gains the feat Critical Focus, ignoring the prerequisite.

At 7th level, and every three levels thereafter, the Sniper may pick one of the following critical feats, ignoring Base Attack Bonus prerequisites: Bleeding Critical, Sickening Critical.

At 10th level, he adds Crippling Critical, Deafening Critical, Destroy Identity, Staggering Critical, and Tiring Critical to the list he can choose from.

At 13th level, he adds Blinding Critical, Critical Mastery, and Exhausting Critical to the list he can choose from.

At 16th level, he adds Accursed Critical, Dispelling Critical, and Stunning Critical to this list, ignoring any spellcasting prerequisites. For the purposes of this class, the Sniper may make an Accursed Critical or Dispelling Critical on a ranged attack a number of times per day equal to one quarter his class level rounded down, and his caster level is equal to his Sniper level. (If you are playing with additional critical feats, add them in at appropriate levels.)

A Sniper may add any critical feat he knows to his attacks made using his Snipe ability, following the normal rules for critical hits and critical feats for such attacks. Critical Focus has no effect on his Snipe attack.

Sniper Talent: At 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, a Sniper gains a Sniper Talent. Each talent can only be taken once, unless stated otherwise in the talent's text. Sniper Talents are listed below.

One Shot, One Kill: At 20th level, a Sniper has perfected his shooting. He gains an additional Sniper Talent. In addition to this, any time he rolls within the threat range of his weapon when using his Snipe ability and actually hits, his foe must immediately make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ Sniper class level + Dex modifier) or be slain instantly; treat this as a death effect. On a successful save, the target still takes damage as normal for the Snipe ability. Creatures who are immune to critical hits are immune to this ability, unless the Sniper has take the Eagle Eye talent.
_________________________________

Have I mentioned how much I despise the new tables? Because I despise the new tables.

[Demonic Kitten]

Sniper Talents:

Called Shot: Some Snipers aim for specific body parts. The Sniper gains access to the optional Called Shot rules. He may not use this talent when using his Snipe ability initially, however he may take this talent a second time to do so.

Deflecting Shot: A Sniper can shoot arrows and bolts, and even bullets, out of the air. When the Sniper is the target of a ranged attack, he may attempt to shoot the attack out of the air. Upon a successful attack against the Sniper, the Sniper may make an attack against the shot fired at him; treat this as an attack of opportunity. The Sniper must make an attack equal to the original attack roll against him plus 10. Upon a successful shot, the attack is knocked out of the air, and the Sniper takes no damage. This ability has no effect on large ammo, such as stones from a catapult. A Sniper may not use this ability if he is in the middle of studying an opponent to Snipe; doing so wastes the time spent studying his opponent, and he must start studying them anew to Snipe them.

Devastating Sniper: A Sniper's shots leave their opponents crippled. Whenever the Sniper adds a critical feat to his Snipe attack, he may add one additional critical feat. A Sniper must have the Critical Mastery feat to select this Sniper Talent.

Distracting Shot: A Sniper can distract his foes at critical moments. Whenever an ally of the Sniper is targeted by an attack of opportunity, the Sniper is within one range increment of the ally, and he has line of sight to the foe attacking the ally, he may make a distracting shot. This counts as the Sniper using an attack of opportunity. The Sniper rolls an attack as normal against the foe making the attack of opportunity; on a successful hit, the foe takes damage as a normal, but is also distracted. Add the Sniper's critical modifier for his weapon (including the bonus he gets for the Snipe ability and from the Powerful Critical talent) to your ally's armor class for that single attack. A Sniper may not use this ability if he is in the middle of studying an opponent to Snipe, unless the opponent he is studying is the opponent making the attack of opportunity; even then, doing so wastes the time spent studying his opponent, and he must start studying them anew to Snipe them.

Eagle Eye: The Sniper is such a sharp shot he can Snipe even things normally immune to critical hits. Upon taking this talent, the Sniper has a 25% chance of dealing critical damage to creatures normally immune to critical hits. This talent can be taken up to three times. Each time increases his chance to do critical damage to these creatures when sniping by 25%. A Sniper who has taken a foe as a Favored Enemy is treated as having this talent once, but may still take it three times to allow him a 100% success rate when trying to deal a critical hit them. Against non-Favored Enemy foes, he does not gain the additional 25% success rate, making his maximum success rate 75% normally.

Long Shot: A Sniper is all about killing his foe from a distance. A Sniper with this talent has no maximum number of range increments with ranged weapons or firearms, and his maximum number of increments with a thrown weapon increases to 10.

Perfect Shot: A Sniper can sometimes focus on a target so well he hits perfectly. A number of times per day equal to half his class level, a Sniper may spend an additional round studying an opponent to treat all damage dice for his Snipe attack as having rolled the maximum result. A Sniper must be at least 10th level to select this talent.

Piercing Shot: Snipers are adept at hitting where it hurts. When a Sniper with this ability uses his Snipe ability, reduce any DR his opponent may have by an amount equal to half his Sniper level, rounded down.

Pop Shot: Some Snipers learn to shoot a quick shot without aiming well. A Sniper with this ability may make a Snipe attack as a standard action, but this attack is made at a -10 penalty to hit. He may not modify this attack with any Sniper Talents, such as Perfect Shot. A Sniper must be at least 10th level to select this talent.

Powerful Critical: Some Snipers have mastered the art of increasing the power of their critical hits, even when not using their Snipe ability. A Sniper with this talent adds +1 to his critical multiplier when making a critical hit, even when not using Snipe. Add this bonus after all other multipliers have been added. This bonus stacks with the bonus granted by the Snipe ability when he uses it. This talent may be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, add an additional +1 to his critical multiplier.

Run and Gun: Some Snipers learn to shoot as they go. Such Snipers may make one move action per round while studying an opponent to Snipe, which may only be used to move up to his maximum speed.

Sniper's Nest: Snipers are used to hiding out in one spot for long periods of time. A Sniper may add half his class level to the DC of all Perception checks to notice him when firing from partial cover, or his full class level to the DC when firing from full cover. So long as he is in one of his Favored Terrains, a Sniper may also spend a full minute to make a true sniper's nest. While in his nest, a Sniper is considered to have partial cover, and to be invisible as the spell for the purposes of noticing and attacking him. Attacking does not end the invisibility effect, but he is treated as having moved while invisible for the purpose of his Stealth checks. The invisibility effect is negated for any creature that spots him. See Invisibility and True Seeing will not see through this effect, but do grant a +20 bonus on the perception check to see the hidden Sniper.

Spotter: Some Snipers have an ally assist them with their aiming. A Sniper with this ability may have an ally within 5 feet of him make a Perception check as a full round action when he Snipes to assist him (DC 10 + 3 * the distance of the foe in range increments). On a successful check, the Snipe attack gains a +4 bonus to hit, plus an additional +1 for every 5 points the ally beats the DC by.

[Camman1984]

that sniping seems insane, at level 20, if he is fighting his main favoured enemy he will basically wait 1 turn then crit for with upto a x19 crit modifier (x3 for long bow x4 for improved crit at 9 and every 3 levels, x8 for his main favoured enemy and x4 for the talent you can take multiple times) then on top he gets free critical effects and a potentially very high DC save or die effect.

When you add that to several free feats, a +20 potential modifier to perception, +10 to hiding, lots of ways of getting feat like effects without spending a feat this class just seems waaay beyond anything else power wise.

If you want to build a one shot one kill sniper, isnt that kind of what the rogue is for?

[Demonic Kitten]

x8 for his main favoured enemy

Does Favored Enemy increase your critical multiplier against a foe? I don't think it does. I certainly can't find it on the SRD anywhere. Where are you getting that from?

I got him up to x12 with some optimization, but if you can get him above that, you really need to let me know how.

[Camman1984]

From your rules above as part of the snipe rules

"If the target studied is one of his Favored Enemies, he adds his Favored Enemy bonus to the critical multiplier of his weapon for that hit"

[Camman1984]

just by way of example, a level 20 ranger with 20 dex versus his highest favoured enemy will crit for (using 20x mod if you got 12 and i got another 8)

20× (1d8 + 5(dex) +10(deadly aim) +3(reasonable magic bow) +8(favoured enemy)

Average damage is 610 by my calculations, every other round.

[Demonic Kitten]

Herpaderp, yeah, that. I need to sleep more than once a week...

That sounds about right on the math. 610 every other round isn't that bad, considering you've gotten rid of 20 levels and focused on one type of enemy your whole career for that output. Against most other foes, you're doing a little more than half of that. Power should increase with focus.

[dragonjek]

If you want to build a one shot one kill sniper, isnt that kind of what the rogue is for?
Rogues can't snipe. They have to be really close to the target to Sneak Attack. A rogue can't pull off good attacks from the within the outer range of the first range increment of a bow, let alone from 200-300 ft. away.