Poll: Is a ranged gish a thing?

[sengmeng]

The title pretty much says it: in your mind, does the term gish apply to ranged characters? I see it as "a character built around using magic to enhance their martial skill" which would apply to melee or ranged attacks, but I can see someone also saying the concept applies only to melee-based characters. What does the playground think?

[Tinkerer]

I wouldn't normally use it for such. I don't really have much to support that, it's just what my gut says.

[Esprit15]

I played a pretty competent ranged gish, if you count divine casting as gish. Archivists dipping into other classes for rebuking and turning make for really strong DMM Persist abusers, and the Ranger spell list is full of awesome arrow-oriented spells.

[JAL_1138]

A "gish" is a Githyanki Fighter/Mage (demihuman multiclassing rules from AD&D). F4/M4 if I recall. Unless my memory is faulty (which it may well be), there was nothing in the demihuman multiclassing rules that prevented a multiclassed Fighter/Mage from using darts for that sweet, sweet, OP dart rate-of-fire.

[Esprit15]

A "gish" is a Githyanki Fighter/Mage (demihuman multiclassing rules from AD&D). F4/M4 if I recall. Unless my memory is faulty (which it may well be), there was nothing in the demihuman multiclassing rules that prevented a multiclassed Fighter/Mage from using darts for that sweet, sweet, OP dart rate-of-fire.

Gish has evolved to mean a martial character who also casts spells.

[redwizard007]

The title pretty much says it: in your mind, does the term gish apply to ranged characters? I see it as "a character built around using magic to enhance their martial skill" which would apply to melee or ranged attacks, but I can see someone also saying the concept applies only to melee-based characters. What does the playground think?

I mean, sort of...

If you are using the martial/caster hybrid definition, then sure.

If you are using the melee/arcane definition, then obviously not.

It's symantics either way. Why does it matter what a group of random strangers on the internet think?

[JAL_1138]

Gish has evolved to mean a martial character who also casts spells.

Which is why I like to remind people what the original definition was whenever a thread comes up about what a "gish" is.
Now git off my lawn, ya dagnabbed whippersnappers! :smalltongue:

[Thrudd]

Wasn't there a prestige class called arcane archer? Does that not fit? Also, any fighter/magic user can use a bow. So the answer is yes? Fighter/magic users can focus on archery/ranged weapons if they want to.

[Kane0]

Yeah I've done archer gishes a couple times now. Same sort of base function as a blaster or arcane archer, just more things that they can do on the side.

They often make for great switch-hitters actually.

[Florian]

The Magus is already a popular gish-in-a-can in PF and the Eldritch Archer archetype regularly pops up in discussions. So, yes, they´re "a thing".

[Anonymouswizard]

A "gish" is a Githyanki Fighter/Mage (demihuman multiclassing rules from AD&D). F4/M4 if I recall. Unless my memory is faulty (which it may well be), there was nothing in the demihuman multiclassing rules that prevented a multiclassed Fighter/Mage from using darts for that sweet, sweet, OP dart rate-of-fire.

Darn you, you beat me to it. Although I was going to use a bow instead of darts, as they've lost their power in more recent editions.

[sengmeng]

So it sounds like the playground is open to ranged characters being called gishes. Thanks!

[LibraryOgre]

My instinct would be no; someone who uses magic to enhance their ranged combat is more likely to be called an Arcane Archer or Ranger.

[2D8HP]

Which is why I like to remind people what the original definition was whenever a thread comes up about what a "gish" is.
Now git off my lawn, ya dagnabbed whippersnappers! :smalltongue:


Change is bad, almost as bad as using bluetext which I would never do, no not even once. Both however are better than sarcasm THE MOST VILE ACT EVER!!!
Anyway for:

TSR D&D? Play an Elf Fighter/Magic-User. Boom done.

5e D&D? Play a High Elf Fighter or Rogue with the Firebolt Cantrip. Boom done.

Call of Cthullu? Have a Tommy gun and read a book. Boom done.

Traveller? Have a Laser and get trained at the Psionic Institute. Boom done.

Pendragon? You'd never do something so unknightly.

[Xuc Xac]

Change is bad, almost as bad as using bluetext which I would never do, no not even once. Both however are better than sarcasm THE MOST VILE ACT EVER!!!

Could you dial it back a notch, please? I despise hyperbole with the fury of a thousand suns!

[Knaight]

I've never actually seen the term used for this, but I also don't see any reason not to use it. This is particularly true if the arcane archer archetype (which involves specifically using magic arrows) doesn't apply. If you instead cast an aim buff, give yourself enhanced size and strength, then make your bow huge to act like a one person ballista the "gish" label fits better (although in that specific case I quite like "siege archer").