3.5 Is archery any good?

[Trandir]

I was scrolling tough the feats and i noticed that most of the arcery ones suck. So I double checked the classes to see if some would incentivize (with something actually good) fighting with bows or crossbows.

But I couldn't find anything decent for martial archers. Anyone got any more luck with a build or setup? Or simply knows a class or feat that I don't

[Blackhawk748]

Scout builds with Travel devotion are nice, Rogue/Ranger does an ok job, and then there's tge classic Stack Damage Bonuses Forever strategy. Only the last on let's you engage beyond 30ft.

Archery can work but it takes some finagling

[Vizzerdrix]

Mystic ranger is good for archery. So is peerless archer.

[Crake]

I have a friend currently playing a deadeye (the dragon magazine feat, not deadeye shot the one from one of the completes)/crossbow sniper scout, which when combined lets you do precision damage out to 60ft, and add 1.5x dex to damage while using crossbows. This, combined with skirmish and rapid shot, and a smattering of swordsage for sneak attack and sudden leap allows them to do some pretty respectable damage, either using cloak of deception for a volley of sneak attack shots, or sudden leaping and throwing out a volley of skirmish shots, while staying out of immediate melee range.

[Quertus]

I mean, if you play pure RAW, including spot penalties for range, and maximize your Spot and Stealth skills, archery will let you kill things that never have a chance to hurt you. Similar with archery on a flying character. Hilarious when you combine the two.

[Particle_Man]

Greater Manyshot helps. It is in the expanded psionics handbook and also the srd. It has nothing to do with psionics though.

[Biggus]

In 3.0 there were a few decent prestige classes for archers. Order of the Bow Initiate (Sword & Fist), Peerless Archer (Silver Marches) and Deepwood Sniper (Master of the Wild) all got some worthwhile abilities. The latter two were never updated to 3.5 so are technically still valid, but OotBI got nerfed when they updated it in Complete Warrior. It still gets the ability to use bows in melee without provoking AoOs at 2nd level though so it might be worth a dip.

The Knowledge Devotion feat (Complete Champion) can help boost your damage output.

There are also some weapon properties which can help a lot. Splitting (Champions of Ruin) makes each arrow attack twice, Collision (Magic Item Compendium) adds +5 damage and Force (Magic Item Compendium) which ignores damage reduction and damages incorporeal creatures normally.

As Blackhawk said, you can build a decent archer but it takes a bit of work, they're not great straight out of the box.

[Jack_Simth]

As Blackhawk said, you can build a decent archer but it takes a bit of work, they're not great straight out of the box.Well... they pretty much need to not be great straight out of the box - because if the guy with the bow is as good as the guy with the sword at hurting things straight out of the box, there's very little reason to play the guy with the sword; being able to hit someone without closing is much better than being required to stand next to the guy you're hitting if all else is equal. So of course, all else must NOT be equal.

[elonin]

Main problem with archer builds is they are a martial class. More than that without using feats from pathfinder their damage is a limiting factor. The prestige classes dedicated to archer builds don't help much either. Then remember they get shut down by windwall.

[Jack_Simth]

Main problem with archer builds is they are a martial class. More than that without using feats from pathfinder their damage is a limiting factor. The prestige classes dedicated to archer builds don't help much either. Then remember they get shut down by windwall.

Those using Bows and Crossbows get shut down by wind wall. Those using other ranged weapons are merely hampered. Also, of course, Wind Wall is a very short duration spell. Hit & run tactics are easier when you don't need to close with your opponent.

[pabelfly]

Dragon 310, if Dragon is allowed, has some interesting options for variant fighters. Targetteer has some specific feats that improve volley archers. Kensai will let you add up to +5 attack and +5 damage per attack and give you one free weapon proficiency, including an EWP, for a Fighter 20 build in exchange for your first-level feat

[Saintheart]

The Knowledge Devotion feat (Complete Champion) can help boost your damage output.

In my view, Knowledge Devotion only reliably and substantially helps your damage output if it's teamed up with either maxed-out Knowledge skill ranks in the crucial five - Nature, Arcana, Religion, The Planes, and Local - or a Cleric using Lore of the Gods -- combined with the Collector of Stories Skill Trick. And ideally, all of the above. None of which are terribly easy to pull off for a martial type.

Admittedly I'm bitter about this because in one of the online campaigns I'm in, I'm running a Cloistered Cleric at level 4 and the dice have really, really been hating me. That said: you really have to think about those numbers or do some rolls on this.

Okay, Knowledge Devotion will give you a minimum of +1 to attack and damage - if you're trained in the right Knowledge skill, so to cover the most common monsters, it's a minimum investment of 5 skill ranks in one Knowledge skill to qualify for K.D., which in reality is 10 skill points since for most martials it's cross-class. So we're looking at a skill point investment of at least 18 skill points, 10 in one to qualify for Knowledge Devotion, 2 points in the four other common ones, just to get yourself a +1 against most common monsters. And as said, without significant skill point investments or a loaded d20, you're not going any higher than +1 to attack and damage on a consistent basis. All right, maybe you can trade off the "free" bonus via some ranged equivalent to Power Attack for a reliable bonus to damage that way, but if you don't have a lot of skill points to burn it's a pretty steep price at low levels at least. Also, it's not magical damage, so it can be sloughed off via DR in most cases. Maxing it to +5 goodness - again, reliably - requires that you pull constant Knowledge checks above 36.

Sure, you can say "But you're just playing at low levels and you suck as a player." Go right ahead; but then, just go and try out your skill throws on an online dice generator and do the calculations for yourself.

At level 4, where I'm playing, with a +3 to INT (another point for martials: INT synergises best with Wizards, it's another score you have to max out.), maxed skill ranks in most Knowledge and a +2 or so via random tools or synergies, with Lore of the Gods switched on and Collector of Stories skill trick in effect, that's a +3 (INT) +2 (Random tool bonus) +7 (Max skill rank) +10 (Lore of the Gods) +5 (Collector of Stories skill trick) = +22. So even with all that piled on, it's pretty much an automatic +2 to attack and damage, which is kind of nice, but less than a 50/50 chance of getting the +5 to attack and damage sweetness. And again: that's with everything switched on, everything maxed out, Cloistered Cleric with a god that has the Knowledge domain to raise Lore of the Gods from its default +5 to +10. I guess I could Skill Focus it for even more, but there's no way that's worth 5 feats. And remember, those rolls aren't getting substantially better unless you throw enough skill points each level to keep your Knowledge skill ranks maxed out. The +5 only becomes assured for most common monsters after a minimum 5 skill points, or 10 cross-class, invested per level until you can hit 36 on a 1 roll ... which, assuming Lore of the Gods and Collector of Stories and a +4 INT and a Random +2 tool, you aren't going to do until at least level 12.

Far as I can tell, it's all downhill from there without shenanigans or optimisation via Guidance of the Avatar or similar. Don't get me wrong, apart from the hateful dice I enjoy playing it, but I can think of a few better options for ranged than necessarily pursuing Knowledge Devotion - unless you're going cleric, in which case, thanks to the abysmal 2+INT skill points a default cleric gets, it looks like it's Cloistered Cleric and backline fighting since on top of simple weapon proficiency only, they don't get heavy armour either.


Dragon 310, if Dragon is allowed, has some interesting options for variant fighters. Targetteer has some specific feats that improve volley archers. Kensai will let you add up to +5 attack and +5 damage per attack and give you one free weapon proficiency, including an EWP, for a Fighter 20 build in exchange for your first-level feat

Targetteer's most common build is to get yourself a massive number of attacks and then give up a number of those attacks to extend your critical hit range. It's not fantastic, but I love the feel of a character who foregoes attacks for a big, beautiful shot.

[MisterKaws]

There are ways of making it work. Swift Hunter builds using ranger spells to buff damage, Soulbows with Kensai(weapon: brain) into Legacy Champion(Mau-Jehe, advancing Kensai) for arrows with effectively +30 worth of enhancements, Anthro-Squid archers with Opposable Eight-handed Composite Footbows for 4.5x Strength to damage, PsiWarrior builds with (Greater)Psionic Shot into Greater Manyshot and Zen Archery, among others. There's a lot of builds that work for making archers, but they're usually a bit complicated, because it's not very optimal normally.

[Blackhawk748]

Well... they pretty much need to not be great straight out of the box - because if the guy with the bow is as good as the guy with the sword at hurting things straight out of the box, there's very little reason to play the guy with the sword; being able to hit someone without closing is much better than being required to stand next to the guy you're hitting if all else is equal. So of course, all else must NOT be equal.

You aren't wrong but the disparity is far to high. Frankly if they had let archers use Dex for damage without splat digging they still would be fine as they still wouldn't be equalling greatsword damage

[RNightstalker]

Scout builds with Travel devotion are nice, Rogue/Ranger does an ok job, and then there's tge classic Stack Damage Bonuses Forever strategy. Only the last on let's you engage beyond 30ft.

Archery can work but it takes some finagling


I have a friend currently playing a deadeye (the dragon magazine feat, not deadeye shot the one from one of the completes)/crossbow sniper scout, which when combined lets you do precision damage out to 60ft, and add 1.5x dex to damage while using crossbows. This, combined with skirmish and rapid shot, and a smattering of swordsage for sneak attack and sudden leap allows them to do some pretty respectable damage, either using cloak of deception for a volley of sneak attack shots, or sudden leaping and throwing out a volley of skirmish shots, while staying out of immediate melee range.

Wand Chamber with a Wand of Sniper's Shot fixes the issue of range limitations.

[Mato]

But I couldn't find anything decent for martial archers.Like tome of battle archers or just normal archers?

Because normal archers have several advantages, such as firing spell storing poison tipped arrows that gain extra enhancement bonuses from the weapons they are fired from or how you can assault creatures that cannot reach you.

[StreamOfTheSky]

For some reason archers took a hit in 3.5, they had better options in 3.0 as was previously mentioned. Those PrCs either don't exist in 3.5 or were nerfed heavily, to the point that they're pointless to take.
The one good PrC that 3.5 added is the Cragtop Archer, but it's only a 4 level class (5, but the 5th level is worthless), and focused entirely on LONG shooting, which won't be much benefit in the typical party ("we don't want to engage enemies from a mile away, then the rest of us can't do anything") nor usable at all in a dungeon.

You can do a Swift Hunter or a Rogue-based sneak attack archer, but it's very demanding in class levels and/or magic items, and locks you into an even narrower schtick than a typical archer. But even for the generic "volley" archer, the build is very feat intensive and the end result just...does damage. I love archers in other media, but in D&D it just gets boring rolling a bunch of attacks and damage, round after round. No options to do combat maneuvers or ToB strikes or anything else to shake things up. Well, there's some feats to do that stuff w/in 30 ft, but they're generally pretty bad compared to doing it w/ melee and a Bloodstorm Blade will just completely outshine you at it to a ridiculous degree.

[Trandir]

Thanks you all for the help and some setup seems decent but ultimately underperforming (as far as my noob judgemt can tell).

[Ramza00]

Hanks Bow is pretty good.

Gives you the force weapon enhancement (+2 in MIC), and thus automatically overcome Damage Reduction
Boosts your Damage to 2d6
Gives you a ranged version of power attack.
It is also a +2 Magic Weapon and thus you can swap out a weapon enhancement that is +1 for do you really need a +2 to attack and damage, or is +1 to attack and damage plus a weapon enhancement is better. (Especially when your allies can cast greater magic weapon on your bow.)

http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a

It is a bargain for 22,600 GP or 11,500 gp + 888 XP if you craft it.

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Throw on the Splitting Weapon Enhancement (+3) and now you can do some serious damage.

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You need an ally spellcaster to deal with windwall though, for a 3rd level spell literally shuts you down with 3.5 rules. Seriously archers need some form of feat or GP ability to give an ability to bypass Wind Wall.

[Blackhawk748]

Wand Chamber with a Wand of Sniper's Shot fixes the issue of range limitations.

Of course this works but having to UMD it (if not a ranger) gets annoying real fast. Also you will be burning through that fairly quickly as you are using it fairly often. It's not huge but constantly buying it is gonna get old


Thanks you all for the help and some setup seems decent but ultimately underperforming (as far as my noob judgemt can tell).

I wouldn't say it underperforms, it just takes more work

[Trandir]

I wouldn't say it underperforms, it just takes more work

It is just my impression or with the same work almost any build offers better results?
For what I've seen TWF and two-hand fight are bot easier and stronger options.
Yes the master can just introduce flying monsters to shut them down but he can also put some grunts that cast some wind spell to counter an archer.

[Anthrowhale]

Thanks you all for the help and some setup seems decent but ultimately underperforming (as far as my noob judgemt can tell).

Archery is kind of frustrating because it doesn't work out of the box---you really need feat/item/spell/psionic support to make it work. Nevertheless, if you accept this and build towards it, it can be a solid vehicle for delivering damage and sometimes unique special effects. The Archer build thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?284283-Piggy-Knowles-Archer-Build-Thread) is a good reference. Here's another build (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?584417-Optimization-Showcase-in-the-Playground-Zen-in-the-Art-of-Archery) by Piggy Knowles. I ended up picking archery for killing Pit Fiends (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22350680&postcount=1481) as a core fighter 20 and archery is a straightforward way to make factotum highly combat effective (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=22832003&postcount=7).

[Blackhawk748]

It is just my impression or with the same work almost any build offers better results?
For what I've seen TWF and two-hand fight are bot easier and stronger options.
Yes the master can just introduce flying monsters to shut them down but he can also put some grunts that cast some wind spell to counter an archer.

Yes, but no. The TwF has similar attack numbers with similar ish damage, while the THF will do more damage but has less attack.

Archery has the advantage of being not next to nasty things that want your face eaten and also having lots of attacks. Also not being charge based is nice.

[Efrate]

Dragonfire inspiration on something that can keep it up helps your damage and your parties quite a bit, especially with volley archery. Choose a good draconic bloodline for great additional damage (sonic ideally). Ranger spells help quite a bit so swift Hunter and the like are great.

The old char op at wotc had a build called gun fu that used dual splitting hand crossbows for a number of attacks a round that needed scientific notation to track.

Or talk to your dm about allowing pf1e stuff. pf1e supports archery great, including 2 ranged specific tob-style disciplines from dream scarred press. Even just the archery feats is a huge boon.

[Anthrowhale]

It is just my impression or with the same work almost any build offers better results?
For what I've seen TWF and two-hand fight are bot easier and stronger options.
Yes the master can just introduce flying monsters to shut them down but he can also put some grunts that cast some wind spell to counter an archer.

Wings+ranged attacks are significantly more common than Wind Wall in my experience. Even if you encounter Wind Wall, there are many ways in the game to bypass it starting with just repositioning.

TWF typically only works well with precision damage which some things are immune to. Collecting ways to bypass immunity to precision damage and reliably triggering precision damage requires some significant effort as well.

The numbers generated by a THF ubercharger are very high, but charging can be disrupted in several ways and you need a trick to be able to dump all BAB into power attack and reliably hit. Of the tricks available, Shocktrooper's AC tanking is not particularly robust and persistent wraithstrike approaches involve similar levels of optimization effort as required for archery.

Archers also have a nice trick: they can choose their arrow based on the opponent. So archers can basically always bypass damage resistance while other approaches are stuck sucking up 5/10/15 DR per attack because multiple high-enchantment melee weapons are just to expensive.

[RNightstalker]

TWF typically only works well with precision damage which some things are immune to. Collecting ways to bypass immunity to precision damage and reliably triggering precision damage requires some significant effort as well.

Swift Hunter lets you add precision damage (skirmish) to favored enemies, even if they're immune.

[MisterKaws]

Swift Hunter lets you add precision damage (skirmish) to favored enemies, even if they're immune.

Didn't know that one. Good thing, get constructs, plants and undead and you've got 90% of those.

[RNightstalker]

Didn't know that one. Good thing, get constructs, plants and undead and you've got 90% of those.

I've got a Swift Hunter build going right now and all the FE are those "immune" to SA damage.

[Biggus]

In my view, Knowledge Devotion only reliably and substantially helps your damage output if it's teamed up with either maxed-out Knowledge skill ranks in the crucial five - Nature, Arcana, Religion, The Planes, and Local - or a Cleric using Lore of the Gods -- combined with the Collector of Stories Skill Trick. And ideally, all of the above. None of which are terribly easy to pull off for a martial type.

Admittedly I'm bitter about this because in one of the online campaigns I'm in, I'm running a Cloistered Cleric at level 4 and the dice have really, really been hating me. That said: you really have to think about those numbers or do some rolls on this.

Okay, Knowledge Devotion will give you a minimum of +1 to attack and damage - if you're trained in the right Knowledge skill, so to cover the most common monsters, it's a minimum investment of 5 skill ranks in one Knowledge skill to qualify for K.D., which in reality is 10 skill points since for most martials it's cross-class. So we're looking at a skill point investment of at least 18 skill points, 10 in one to qualify for Knowledge Devotion, 2 points in the four other common ones, just to get yourself a +1 against most common monsters. And as said, without significant skill point investments or a loaded d20, you're not going any higher than +1 to attack and damage on a consistent basis. All right, maybe you can trade off the "free" bonus via some ranged equivalent to Power Attack for a reliable bonus to damage that way, but if you don't have a lot of skill points to burn it's a pretty steep price at low levels at least. Also, it's not magical damage, so it can be sloughed off via DR in most cases. Maxing it to +5 goodness - again, reliably - requires that you pull constant Knowledge checks above 36.

Sure, you can say "But you're just playing at low levels and you suck as a player." Go right ahead; but then, just go and try out your skill throws on an online dice generator and do the calculations for yourself.

At level 4, where I'm playing, with a +3 to INT (another point for martials: INT synergises best with Wizards, it's another score you have to max out.), maxed skill ranks in most Knowledge and a +2 or so via random tools or synergies, with Lore of the Gods switched on and Collector of Stories skill trick in effect, that's a +3 (INT) +2 (Random tool bonus) +7 (Max skill rank) +10 (Lore of the Gods) +5 (Collector of Stories skill trick) = +22. So even with all that piled on, it's pretty much an automatic +2 to attack and damage, which is kind of nice, but less than a 50/50 chance of getting the +5 to attack and damage sweetness. And again: that's with everything switched on, everything maxed out, Cloistered Cleric with a god that has the Knowledge domain to raise Lore of the Gods from its default +5 to +10. I guess I could Skill Focus it for even more, but there's no way that's worth 5 feats. And remember, those rolls aren't getting substantially better unless you throw enough skill points each level to keep your Knowledge skill ranks maxed out. The +5 only becomes assured for most common monsters after a minimum 5 skill points, or 10 cross-class, invested per level until you can hit 36 on a 1 roll ... which, assuming Lore of the Gods and Collector of Stories and a +4 INT and a Random +2 tool, you aren't going to do until at least level 12.

Far as I can tell, it's all downhill from there without shenanigans or optimisation via Guidance of the Avatar or similar. Don't get me wrong, apart from the hateful dice I enjoy playing it, but I can think of a few better options for ranged than necessarily pursuing Knowledge Devotion - unless you're going cleric, in which case, thanks to the abysmal 2+INT skill points a default cleric gets, it looks like it's Cloistered Cleric and backline fighting since on top of simple weapon proficiency only, they don't get heavy armour either.


Wow, you weren't kidding about being wound up about this...

It's true of course that it's not easy to get reliable +5 bonuses from all 5 of the key Knowledge skills, but if it were KD would be an outrageously good value feat. Compare to Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialisation, which give +1 to attack and +2 to damage with one specific type of weapon, while KD gives up to +5 to both attack and damage with any weapon. You shouldn't be able to get up to +5 reliably without substantial investment.

If you're short on skill points but can spare a feat or two, Able Learner or Education can make all the Knowledge skills into class skills, and Nymph's Kiss gives you an extra skill point per level; any of those are better value than skill focus.

If a martial wants to get the most out of it then yes they're going to need to get Guidance of the Avatar if it's allowed, or Divine Insight if not, presumbly via UMD unless you're going to dip into Cleric (which may not be a bad idea, although of course it makes you even more MAD).

Even if you only get +1 minimum to attack and damage and +2 or +3 if you roll well, it's still worth spending a feat on for archers considering how few ways they have to increase their damage.

[RNightstalker]

If a martial wants to get the most out of it then yes they're going to need to get Guidance of the Avatar if it's allowed, or Divine Insight if not, presumbly via UMD unless you're going to dip into Cleric (which may not be a bad idea, although of course it makes you even more MAD).

A one-level dip might not be a bad idea, as it will open up using turn attempts to power divine feats, like Travel Devotion or Animal Devotion.

[Soranar]

There's always the Killoren bard build

Race: Killoren

key feats: point blank shot, rapid shot, manyshot, knowledge devotion

alternate class features : loresong (trade bardic knowledge for an immediate action +4 to hit, saves or check)

key magic item: bow of songs

Ok so here's the first part of this

-knowledge devotion is a no brainer on a bard (lots of skillpoints, all the knowledge you need)
-the killoren smite ability works on ranged attacks (since nothing says it doesn't)
-manyshot makes your killoren smite insane (every arrow gets the bonus)
-manyshot makes your bow of songs pretty good (+CHA to all your arrows)
-loresong's +4 to hit can negate the penalty of using manyshot)
-finally inspire courage works on ranged attacks too

all in all, you have a pretty decent damage output with minimal effort

or

There's the raging flying barbarian

Race: raptoran (to use a footbow)

alternate class features: whirling frenzy (works with ranged weapons too)

using a footbow gives you +1.5 times your STR to damage
rage boosts your attack number and your STR
you fly and shoot people from afar
there's a lot of funny barb class features that you can trade if you don't care about melee
using hank's energy bow solves most of archery's weaknesses (ignores DR, adjusts to any STR, lets you do power shots)


a factotum can do something similar to the bard build by using inspiration points to boost manyshot's damage (instead of using a bow of songs)
again knowledge devotion works well with a factotum
and you can combine that with a raptoran footbow
and a factotum can ignore DR for 1 round if he spends 2 inspiration points (it's the same ability that lets you ignore spell resistance too)
and if you can use the control body power somehow (through use psionic device) then you can control your own body to get INT to hit and damage
and you can grant yourself extra actions to use manyshot more often

Finally you should note that some guy did the math and a normal fighter using weapon specialization and ranged weapon mastery delivers quite a lot of damage per round.
Combine this with a crossbow sniper build (so you can concentrate on pumping DEX and you have the feats to spare)
Be a very small race (say a muckdweller because of the DEX bonus)
and use the giant killing style stance (+2 to hit, +4 to damage)
and suddenly your little crossbow is downright scary

[ayvango]

The best archers are wizards early qualified for unseen seer and taking arcane trickster further. Don't forget Arcane Disciple: War (or Competition or Celestial) to get Divine Might. Wizard could spend his 7th and 8th level slots to store persisted versions of extremely useful spells like sniper's shot, guided shot, hunter's eye. And you can polymorph to arrow demon to bows an once. In the end game you could bring damage of several thousands hit points per round from miles away. My TO archer build (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20892469&postcount=65). But still archery requires too much gold investment in both bows and quiver that produces magically enchanted arrows.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Artificer using aurorum spell storing dye arrows (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/weapons/weapon-descriptions/ammunition/ammunition-bow-arrows-common/ammunition-bow-arrow-dye/) to fire heals/buffs at allies and debuffs/damage at enemies? "Casting spells" as attack actions during a full attack with Manyshot/Rapid Shot and splitting arrows could be pretty potent, I think. Especially since they clone themselves when fired and can be collected and reconstituted after...

[pabelfly]

Finally you should note that some guy did the math and a normal fighter using weapon specialization and ranged weapon mastery delivers quite a lot of damage per round.
Combine this with a crossbow sniper build (so you can concentrate on pumping DEX and you have the feats to spare)
Be a very small race (say a muckdweller because of the DEX bonus)
and use the giant killing style stance (+2 to hit, +4 to damage)
and suddenly your little crossbow is downright scary

Thanks for the tip. I want to combine this with Kensai Fighter for a further boost to damage per shot.

[Quertus]

For some reason archers took a hit in 3.5, they had better options in 3.0 as was previously mentioned. Those PrCs either don't exist in 3.5 or were nerfed heavily, to the point that they're pointless to take.


Anything that wasn't reprinted in 3.5 still defaults to using the 3.0 version.

(Just like the game references things, like "True Beholder", that was never defined in 3e, but does have meaning from older editions)

[StreamOfTheSky]

Anything that wasn't reprinted in 3.5 still defaults to using the 3.0 version.

(Just like the game references things, like "True Beholder", that was never defined in 3e, but does have meaning from older editions)

That's the official word perhaps, but I've seen plenty of DMs of 3.5 games not allow stuff from 3.0 material.

In any case, some of the goodies from 3.0, like Order of the Bow Initiate, were re-printed (and nerfed).

[Piggy Knowles]

Archery has a few things going for it.

You can almost always make full attacks, you can usually pick and choose who you attack and you can often do so while ignoring terrain and many forms of BFC.

You can swap in arrows that are better suited to a specific situation (to bypass DR, deal non-lethal, add specific spell effects via spell storing, etc.) far easier than most melee brutes can swap weapons.

There is real defensive virtue in being able to attack a hundred feet or more away from the thick of things.

While in my experience situations where this is relevant are somewhat rare, extreme range can allow you to begin encounters beyond the range at which it is possible for many foes to spot you.

Archery also has several things that hold it back.

Without significant optimization, damage will pretty much always lag behind melee, and the most common ways of boosting damage involve relying on precision damage, which can be unreliable.

Archery is the second most equipment-dependent fighting style, can get extremely expensive and ironically can be really bad in wilderness campaigns where you go long stretches without getting to a town where you can update your bow.

Archery has some straight up "nope!" options that are really hard to bypass, including a low level spell that completely shuts it down if not dealt with.

Archery requires a lot of build resources, including two nasty gatekeeper feats (you take significant penalties if you try to be an archer without Precise Shot, and Precise Shot itself is gated behind PBS). Other combat styles may be feat intensive to master them, but they don't require two feats just for you to avoid taking serious penalties to a decent percentage of your attacks.

Anyhow, as long as you keep all this in mind, archery can be a lot of fun. For a simple out of the box archer, swift hunters or bards would be my go-to. Both are great at capitalizing on archery's strengths while having tools to get around many of its weaknesses. Beyond that... well, as is often the case with 3.5, magic solves your problems. In addition to general buff spells, there are a ton of archer-specific spells that are a lot of fun, especially on the ranger spell list. My favorite archery prestige class is chameleon for this reason: full access to the cleric and ranger spell lists via divine focus goes a long way. And as was mentioned, artificers make great archers too for similar reasons.

[gorfnab]

There are a couple of archery handbooks that may be of some use.
Toxophilite - The Archery Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?269705-Toxophilite-The-Archery-Handbook)
The Archery Handbook (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=2892)
KSB Snow Owl's Archer Build Thread (http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=194)
Swift Hunter Handbook (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/09/swift-hunters-handbook.html)

[Malphegor]

An Arcane Archer probably can be a decent chassis for a glyph of ward minefield maker, since the imbue arrow overrides the casting time of glyph of warding. Then you don’t even need to be accurate, you can then shoot an arrow within 5ft of someone to have the stored spell in the glyph go off?

(glyph of warding specifically makes no sense if you’re shooting an arrow but eh I assume there’s a way for a magical drawing to be made via arrow shooting)