The last 2030 feet - can we reach we reach a mile with only mundane effects?

[Voidstar01]

So I was calculating the max range of my lvl 3 archer when he reaches 20, I calculated he range of 3,250 ft, without any magic items. I was wondering if we could reach a full mile without resorting to magic/psionic items

What I have:

dragoncraft bone bow - 140ft range increment
Farshot - 1.5x range increment
cragtop archer 1 - you make shots at 15 range increments (as opposed to 10)
Deepwood Sniper - flat 10ft increase to range per class level

Since This an existing character we miss out on some chance for optimization, my race is goliath, my first 3 levels are taken, but I get a feat at ranger 4 since I went with champion of the wild.

this DM doesn't allow the absolutely broken stuff. Suggesting a better (non-magical/psionic) ranged weapon is completely allowed, desired even.

[martixy]

I remember a rule somewhere where size increases gave you +25% to the range increment. Maybe AEG?
Size increase via powerful build, and any other way to weild larger bows...
Composite also gives an increase in range increment.

[Thurbane]

I remember a rule somewhere where size increases gave you +25% to the range increment. Maybe AEG?

I think that was a 3.0 rule, dropped in 3.5.

[Voidstar01]

Composite also gives an increase in range increment.

Bone bows have a larger range than composite longbows, also whats AEG? i'm not familiar with all the acronyms but that rule sounds great.

EDIT: aww the rule got droped

[Thurbane]

Ranged Weapon Mastery feat (PHB2) increases range increment by 20 ft.
Aerial Avenger PrC (Dragon Compendium) increases all range increments by 50% when flying. A Goliath could get a fly speed with the Dragonborn template.

[Saintheart]

Ranged Weapon Mastery takes up too many feats, but it also increases the range increment of a weapon by 20 feet.

Hawkeye is Ranger 1, and explicitly increases the range increment of projectile weapons by 50%.

Dragon 358, Long Range weapon quality, increases range increment of a weapon by 20 feet for a flat gp cost. Not magical, it's a mundane weapon quality.

Distance weapon quality from the DMG doubles range increment for a +1 bonus.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Bone bows have a larger range than composite longbows, also whats AEG? i'm not familiar with all the acronyms but that rule sounds great.

Arms and Equipment Guide, one of my favorite sourcebooks. It's got giant island turtles, it's got flying whales, it's got loads of vehicle themed magic items, it's got price lists for dozens of alcoholic beverages (including the rules for intoxication), it's got rules for domesticating a hydra and riding a gelatinous cube... it's got it all!

EDIT: Not an option for this character without magic, but do multi-handed bows have increased range increments? If so, Insectile Thri-Kreen using all those hands for a single bow would get you some impressive range (in addition to impressive damage). Alternatively, Anthropomorphic Giant Octopus/Squid, though that would probably require the Opposable weapon property (+1) (and at that point, Changeling Totemist 6/ Warshaper 1 is probably the better option, though you could throw on Insectile Creature too for even more absurdity).

[Saintheart]

And speaking of A&EG, it's got something else that can help us: Flight Arrows (p. 5): increase the range increment of a bow by 25 feet!

EDIT: Also, make sure it's a Composite Greatbow (Complete Warrior/Complete Adventurer). That starts at 130 feet range increment, Dragonbone (Draconomicon 117) increases that by 20 feet to 150 feet range.

Composite Greatbow: 130
Dragonbone: +20
Long Range: +20
Flight Arrows: +25
Ranged Weapon Mastery: +20
Deepwood Sniper: +100 feet from 10 class levels
-------
315
Far Shot: x1.5 range increment = 472.5
Cragtop Archer: 15 range increments = 7087 feet maximum shot.

A mile and a bit, done.

EDIT THE SECOND: Indeed on my rough calculations you'll hit just over a mile with a Composite Long Range (+20) Dragonbone (+20) Greatbow (+130), firing Flight Arrows (+25), with about 5 levels in Deepwood Sniper (+50), Cragtop Archer(*15), with Far Shot (*1.5) and no need for Ranged Weapon Mastery. 5512.5 feet.

EDIT THE THIRD: Start again, damned Deepwood Sniper adds after almost everything else. Our saving grace being that it doesn't add after Cragtop Archer.

So instead:
Composite Greatbow: 130
Dragonbone: +20
Long Range: +20
Flight Arrows: +25
Ranged Weapon Mastery: +20
Far Shot: x1.5
----------
322.5
+ 100 feet from 10 levels in Deepwood Sniper. Deepwood Sniper adds to the range increment, not the maximum range. (Albeit we got lucky with the RAW on this one, I suspect the writers really meant to add 100 feet to overall range, not to one range increment.)
---------
422.5 feet range increment. Cragtop Archer gives us 15 range increments; accordingly, the maximum range is 6337.5 feet (422.5 x 15). About a mile and a quarter, shoot from the San Francisco shoreline and the shot will plunk down on the beach of Alcatraz Island.

Very elegantly, you'd hit dead on one mile at Deepwood Sniper 3 with this setup. That gives us a range increment of 352.5, multiplied by 15 = 5280 feet, precisely one mile.

If you ditch Ranged Weapon Mastery because it takes too many feats, Deepwood Sniper 5 still gets you to dead-on one mile. Definitely have to have Cragtop Archer, though, there's no way to get to that number without it.

[Voidstar01]

So instead:
Composite Greatbow: 130
Dragonbone: +20
Long Range: +20
Flight Arrows: +25
Ranged Weapon Mastery: +20
Far Shot: x1.5
----------
322.5
+ 100 feet from 10 levels in Deepwood Sniper. Deepwood Sniper adds to the range increment, not the maximum range. (Albeit we got lucky with the RAW on this one, I suspect the writers really meant to add 100 feet to overall range, not to one range increment.)
---------
422.5 feet range increment. Cragtop Archer gives us 15 range increments; accordingly, the maximum range is 6337.5 feet (422.5 x 15). About a mile and a quarter, shoot from the San Francisco shoreline and the shot will plunk down on the beach of Alcatraz Island.

Very elegantly, you'd hit dead on one mile at Deepwood Sniper 3 with this setup. That gives us a range increment of 352.5, multiplied by 15 = 5280 feet, precisely one mile.

If you ditch Ranged Weapon Mastery because it takes too many feats, Deepwood Sniper 5 still gets you to dead-on one mile. Definitely have to have Cragtop Archer, though, there's no way to get to that number without it.

Excellent, thanks for the help, a post discussing the logical next step of a build like this (Magic) will probably be up later.

[Oberron]

I'm surprised no on mentioned the special arrows from races of the wild some increase range.

[martixy]

I think that was a 3.0 rule, dropped in 3.5.

Wait, so why do we get to use Flight Arrows from AEG, but not the +25% rule from the same book?

Elaborate...

[Saintheart]

I'm surprised no on mentioned the special arrows from races of the wild some increase range.

Actually none of them do. Blunt arrows reduce range increment, and the Swiftwing Arrows just reduce the range increment penalty from -2 to -1.

[Thurbane]

As well as A&EG, "Flight Arrows" are also in the 3.5 Dragon Compedoim (p.110) and increase the bow's range increment by 25 feet: so functionally identical to the 3.0 version.

[Berenger]

d20 Modern, which is based on D&D 3.5, has scopes. On a bow, it would be a bit silly, but they would make sense for a crossbow. They add +50% of the usual range increment and stack with Far Shot for +100% to the usual range increment.


Scope

A scope is a sighting device that makes it easier to hit targets at long range. However, although a scope magnifies the image of the target, it has a very limited field of view, making it difficult to use.

Standard: A standard scope increases the range increment for a ranged weapon by one-half (multiply by 1.5). However, to use a scope a character must spend an attack action acquiring his or her target. If the character changes targets or otherwise lose sight of the target, he or she must reacquire the target to gain the benefit of the scope.

[Thurbane]

Well, there is the Gnome Crossbow Sight (A&EG, p.36): a DM may allow it to be adapted for a longbow. The user treats targets as if they were two range increments closer.

Having done a few archery lessons, a scope (especially with a compound bow), makes a big difference.