Enhanced Crit Range for a Bow

[Mutantbaker]

Hi Everyone!

I'm trying to build a cleric archer character that I really want to have as large of a threat range as possible. I want to be based on divination magics, so for the flavor of the role-playing, I intend to play off critical strikes as a blessing from my god. I am currently thinking either a keen collision bow or the improved critical feat, but I don't know if I want to give up key feat space for my improved critical and both options will only give me 19-20 and they don't stack together from what I understand. I will be an elf to get access to longbows and take the zen archery feat to base it on Wisdom.

Any Suggestions? any spells open to cleric to increase threat?

[Saintheart]

Hi Everyone!

I'm trying to build a cleric archer character that I really want to have as large of a threat range as possible. I want to be based on divination magics, so for the flavor of the role-playing, I intend to play off critical strikes as a blessing from my god. I am currently thinking either a keen collision bow or the improved critical feat, but I don't know if I want to give up key feat space for my improved critical and both options will only give me 19-20 and they don't stack together from what I understand. I will be an elf to get access to longbows and take the zen archery feat to base it on Wisdom.

Any Suggestions? any spells open to cleric to increase threat?

It's not quite as easy to maximise crit range on ranged weapons, but if you have some item that gives you access to the ranger spell Hunter's Mercy it does largely the same thing - if you hit, it's automatically a critical hit. A permanent rune of this spell, affixed to your bow, will cost around 2,000 gold at cost price and give you this forever - as a standard action, tap the rune, next round, attack your target. If it gets past the AC, automatic crit. If you'd rather just have access to the spell yourself, one level in Archivist and scribing a ranger scroll of the spell to your prayerbook does the same thing.

[Extra Anchovies]

It's not quite as easy to maximise crit range on ranged weapons, but if you have some item that gives you access to the ranger spell Hunter's Mercy it does largely the same thing - if you hit, it's automatically a critical hit. A permanent rune of this spell, affixed to your bow, will cost around 2,000 gold at cost price and give you this forever - as a standard action, tap the rune, next round, attack your target. If it gets past the AC, automatic crit. If you'd rather just have access to the spell yourself, one level in Archivist and scribing a ranger scroll of the spell to your prayerbook does the same thing.

So you can spend a standard action every other round to get a guaranteed crit every other round. You'll be dealing less damage per round than you would be if you just full attacked every round as long as you hit with two or more attacks per round (one attack for triple damage plus one attack for normal damage every 2 rounds = 2 attacks for normal damage every round, and the more rolls you make the higher your chances are of rolling a threat anyways).

Also, table 7-33 (Magic Item Gold Piece Values) is only ever referred to as a guideline, so your DM has the ability to change the price of a custom item without resorting to rule zero:

Each of the magic items presented here was examined and modified based on its actual worth. The formulas only provide a starting point. The pricing of scrolls assumes that, whenever possible, a wizard or cleric created it. Potions and wands follow the formulas exactly. Staffs follow the formulas closely, and other items require at least some DM judgment calls. Use good sense when assigning prices, using the items in this book as examples.
I have no idea how expensive an item that applied Hunter's Mercy

[Saintheart]

So you can spend a standard action every other round to get a guaranteed crit every other round. You'll be dealing less damage per round than you would be if you just full attacked every round as long as you hit with two or more attacks per round (one attack for triple damage plus one attack for normal damage every 2 rounds = 2 attacks for normal damage every round, and the more rolls you make the higher your chances are of rolling a threat anyways).

Also, table 7-33 (Magic Item Gold Piece Values) is only ever referred to as a guideline, so your DM has the ability to change the price of a custom item without resorting to rule zero:

I have no idea how expensive an item that applied Hunter's Mercy

Runes are direct RAW, no custom magic item calculation required; 2,000 gold = 1 [spell level] x 1 [CL] x 2,000 gp. Activation of the rune (as with the spell itself which is a standard action) is a standard action unless you can convince your DM of some way around it, of which there are a few. Don't know if a custom magic item would allow you push-button access to a spell at will without it being more expensive than 2,000 gp.

As for comparative damage, the analysis depends on the enemy's AC, not to mention crit range isn't as easy to optimise for ranged weapons. A 20 is an automatic hit, but an enhanced threat range only raises the chance of a crit. You still have to confirm the crit, which might not be so easy if the opponent has a high AC. Hunter's Mercy says if you hit, it's automatically a crit, no confirmation roll required. Spamming attacks is a viable approach if your opponent has a pedestrian sort of AC, particularly when the chance of those iterative attacks hitting drops with each roll. It's up to the player to decide whether he wants certain damage once every 2 rounds.

[Extra Anchovies]

Runes are direct RAW, no custom magic item calculation required; 2,000 gold = 1 [spell level] x 1 [CL] x 2,000 gp. Activation of the rune (as with the spell itself which is a standard action) is a standard action unless you can convince your DM of some way around it, of which there are a few. Don't know if a custom magic item would allow you push-button access to a spell at will without it being more expensive than 2,000 gp.

Fair enough. What's the source on this item type?


As for comparative damage, the analysis depends on the enemy's AC, not to mention crit range isn't as easy to optimise for ranged weapons. A 20 is an automatic hit, but an enhanced threat range only raises the chance of a crit. You still have to confirm the crit, which might not be so easy if the opponent has a high AC. Hunter's Mercy says if you hit, it's automatically a crit, no confirmation roll required. Spamming attacks is a viable approach if your opponent has a pedestrian sort of AC, particularly when the chance of those iterative attacks hitting drops with each roll. It's up to the player to decide whether he wants certain damage once every 2 rounds.

It's not certain damage, although you are right that it's a matter of preference. I'd rather (over the course of two rounds in both cases) roll four times and deal 20 damage with each hit than roll once to deal 60 damage and once to deal 20 damage, because it's more reliable and isn't dependent on a magic item. However, if you can reliably hit with three attacks per round, it's a matter of six hits for 20 each (120 total) vs one hit for 60 and two hits for 20 each (100), in which case the former option pulls ahead. Using the rune is also higher-damage if you can only reliably hit one attack per round. It would still be worth investing the 2000 GP on a rune of Hunter's Mercy once it's a trivial cost, though, because it will be useful against foes with DR/– and is a nice way to spend a surprise round.

[Saintheart]

Fair enough. What's the source on this item type?

Forgotten Realms (where else?) Campaign Setting, p. 64 or so, and/or Players Guide to Faerun - self-promotion, but my Runecaster handbook in my sig goes through rune magic and the sort of shenanigans you can pull with it. The foundation feat is Inscribe Rune, which is the item creation feat involved. Any divine spell you have prepared can be cast as a rune. To make a permanent rune you'd have to find an eighth-level Runecaster who has the ability to make permanent runes; the cost of making those runes is level x CL x 2,000 for permanent runes, or level x CL x 400 gp for use-per-day runes.


It's not certain damage, although you are right that it's a matter of preference. I'd rather (over the course of two rounds in both cases) roll four times and deal 20 damage with each hit than roll once to deal 60 damage and once to deal 20 damage, because it's more reliable and isn't dependent on a magic item. However, if you can reliably hit with three attacks per round, it's a matter of six hits for 20 each (120 total) vs one hit for 60 and two hits for 20 each (100), in which case the former option pulls ahead. Using the rune is also higher-damage if you can only reliably hit one attack per round. It would still be worth investing the 2000 GP on a rune of Hunter's Mercy once it's a trivial cost, though, because it will be useful against foes with DR/– and is a nice way to spend a surprise round.

Fair enough.