Adapting Peerless Archer to 3.5 (cover/concealment issues)

[erok0809]

I'd like to use the Peerless Archer prestige class from Silver Marches in a 3.5 game where I'm the DM. I don't think this has already been updated, but correct me if I'm wrong. Most of the abilities port over just fine, but I don't think the Sharp Shooting feature does, and I'm not really sure how to fix it.

In a nutshell, it says that it reduces the Peerless Archer's targets receive reduced bonuses for cover and concealment by one step, and then later two steps, and even later three. The examples they give are someone who has "three-quarters cover" would be treated as having "one-half cover" against the Peerless Archer. Later, when this is improved to two steps, it goes from "three-quarters cover" to "one-quarter cover." It doesn't give any examples for concealment, but it seems to say it works the exact same way for that, reducing it by one (or two, or three) steps. It also says it doesn't function against someone with total cover, but doesn't mention anything about total concealment.

I'm not really sure how cover worked in 3.0, but I know it doesn't work that way any more. I'm not sure concealment works the same way as back then either.

Can someone recommend a reasonable change to this that keeps with the level of power it originally had?

[Firest Kathon]

I do not have the book, so I do not know at which levels they get these abilities. My suggestion, based on what you describe:

Concealment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatModifiers.htm#concealment)
One step ➔ Ignore concealment
Two steps ➔ Ignore concealment, drop total concealment to 20% miss chance
Three steps ➔ Ignore concealment and total concealment
Keep in mind that not all miss chances are concealment, e.g. the miss chance from Displacement would not be affected

Cover (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatModifiers.htm#cover)
One step ➔ Target gets only 1/2 cover bonus (except total cover)
Two steps ➔ Target gets only 1/2 cover bonus, ignore soft cover (i.e. the cover provided by other creatures)
Three steps ➔ Ignore cover (except total cover)

Regarding levels, my benchmark would be the Pathfinder Improved Precise Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/improved-precise-shot-combat---final) feat which lets you ignore cover and concealment at a BAB of +11 (so level 11 for a full-BAB class). If the "three steps" ability is around that (effective) level, I think it would be OK power-wise.

[Mongobear]

Just give them the feat from Complete Warrior, Sharp-Shooting.

IIRC it cuts the AC bonus targets with cover gain in half. And if you want to compensate the class for the other levels that lose a feature, a Feat would be fine for a lost ability.