Is it a long shot?

[Shadwen]

Im thinking of making a Cleric.

The cleric will be an archer of a good alignment.

He is a faithful guardian of the woods.

Our dm isnt letting us have access to alot of magical items and I want to be able to forge my own arrows and enhance my bow while doing some amazing damage.

Can someone guide me through the start of the character and move towards the end.

Ive been leaning towards Human or Dwarf. If something is better please let me know.

Thinking about this being the best survivablility.


Also:

Can I enchant an arrow with a heal and put a soft tip on it so when it hits the target it heals them?

[Escheton]

feat: zen archery, wis to ranged attacks instead of dex

Prestigeclass: arcane archer, tweak for clericversion

to start things off a bit

[Flickerdart]

Arcane Archer is terribad and a Cleric can't take it anyway. What you want is to DMM Persist a slew of sexy buffs, the reason that Clerics make excellent archers.

[The Glyphstone]

Prestigeclass: arcane archer, tweak for clericversion

Arcane Archer is Elf-only, and he wants to be Human or Dwarf.

If you can get around this, though, do not take more than 2 levels of the class (to get imbue arrow).

[Shadwen]

Doubt I can get around it.

I think zen archery would be a good choice.

So the idea is simply buff up and fire away?

[HunterOfJello]

check out the Cleric Handbook for build information


and don't forget the Elf Domain. you get one of those archery feats for free

[Eldariel]

Depending on deities, you'll want ones that grant bonus feats. Elf-domain is indeed a good one, giving you Point Blank Shot. If you happen to be a Cleric of a deity that favors Longbow and grants War-domain, War-domain to pick up WF: Longbow along with proficiency is also good.

Human is definitely the best race (or Elf for free bow proficiencies) for the bonus feat. You'll probably want:
- Zen Archery
- Rapid Shot
- Craft Magic Arms & Armor (by the sound of it; Craft Wondrous Items is also good)
- Extend Spell
- Quicken Spell

And Divine Might if you have impressive Charisma. It's a fcking awesome ability to go with a bow. Then just Divine Favor and Blessed Aim and Cat's Grace/Bull's Strength/Owl's Wisdom it up and go to town.

[Flickerdart]

Doubt I can get around it.

I think zen archery would be a good choice.

So the idea is simply buff up and fire away?

Yeah, grab Extra Turning, a nightstick, Persist Spell and DMM: Persist, persist your favourite buffs in the morning (Divine Power is a classic) with a Bead of Karma for increased caster level, and then mow down anything that moves.
The Animal Bonus spells suck because of their short duration and Enhancement bonus. You're better off buying an item unless you're willing to Persist them.

[Eldariel]

The Animal Bonus spells suck because of their short duration and Enhancement bonus. You're better off buying an item unless you're willing to Persist them.

Except Shapechange and Antilife Shell. Those two are excellent. I think he forgot to mention it, but AFAIK he's still playing 3.0 so Animal-domain comes with basically Druid's Animal Companion as a domain feature, making it quite strong actually.

[Flickerdart]

I meant the Owl's Wisdom, Fox's Cunning and such spells, not the domain.

[Shadwen]

Yes i am still 3.0 but allowed to take some 3.5 if i can show it to him (not sure why).


Ok thank you for the suggestions. Im trying to make him right now. level 5 cleric archer.

From my dm for the game i will be playing tomorrow night so im in a rush to pop something out.

Your rolls are 18,18,17,15,15,13

[Lord Vukodlak]

And if its 3.0 then +5 bows and arrows stack, if I recall correctly.

[Eldariel]

And if its 3.0 then +5 bows and arrows stack, if I recall correctly.

And this, my friends, is the reason why every Archer should be capable of casting Greater Magic Weapon in 3.0!

[OracleofWuffing]

Also:

Can I enchant an arrow with a heal and put a soft tip on it so when it hits the target it heals them?

For what it gets you, Masters of the Wild has Arrows of Cure Light, Moderate, Serious, and Critical Wounds. They don't need to have a soft tip on them, I presume a sharper tip grants easier access to injuries.

[Shadwen]

At above guy.

The sharp tips seem like they would do dmg and cut down the heal.

If they stack my cleric is gonna be Godlike. I hope.


I wonder in 3.0..is there a duskblade?

[Eldariel]

I wonder in 3.0..is there a duskblade?

No. 3.0 doesn't really do extra base classes. But on the flipside, Clerics, Wizards and Druids kick even more ass than in 3.5.

[Shadwen]

Ok, sounds good. I really think the backfield assist cleric might do good in the campaign. I thought archer would allow me to do more and it seems like it would be a decent setup to improve damage output and be good at multiple solutions.

[EagleWiz]

Yeah, grab Extra Turning, a nightstick, Persist Spell and DMM: Persist, persist your favourite buffs in the morning (Divine Power is a classic) with a Bead of Karma for increased caster level, and then mow down anything that moves.
The Animal Bonus spells suck because of their short duration and Enhancement bonus. You're better off buying an item unless you're willing to Persist them.

Although this might make the DM hit you with the DMG. Or just drop a Psusdonatural Paragon That Damned Crab on you.

[Flickerdart]

Although this might make the DM hit you with the DMG. Or just drop a Psusdonatural Paragon That Damned Crab on you.

Without stacking Nightsticks, he can only persist two or three things, so it won't be too bad. Many common Clericzilla buffs are less useful to an archer, like Righteous Might or Divine Power.

[Shadwen]

Yeah, grab Extra Turning, a nightstick, Persist Spell and DMM

Please Explain this to me in easy terms. Or how it works. Im not quite sure on what DMM means and all that.

[Eldariel]

Yeah, grab Extra Turning, a nightstick, Persist Spell and DMM

Please Explain this to me in easy terms. Or how it works. Im not quite sure on what DMM means and all that.

It's a feat from Complete Divine. And that's the issue, it doesn't exist in 3.0. Basically, it allows you to spend turn attempts instead of paying metamagic costs of a metamagic feat. Persistent Spell (it's in 3.0 too) makes a spell last 24 hours instead of its normal cost, but is a +6 meta feat.

Nightstick is a Rod from Libris Mortis that gives you +4 Turn Undead-uses; very useful to pay for Divine Metamagic. That said, it's probably not allowed and it's not very feat-economic either way. Since 3.0 has a vastly larger number of all-day buffs than 3.5, I suggest you instead just go with metamagic (Extend Spell, Quicken Spell, maybe Empower Spell) the old-fashioned way along with the Rapid Shot/Divine Might/Craft Magic Arms & Armor-line.

Human or Elf; probably Elf with Elf-domain getting you Point Blank Shot for free (along with Longbow proficiency). Then you can pick Rapid Shot on 1, Precise Shot on 3, Zen Archery on 6 and be set.

[Shadwen]

Sounds great.

I think I might go elf if it turns out to be the better. I talked to him and if human I can follow the elf deity since my gf is going to be an elf druid I am able to have lived in a elf areas so have access to the elf domain. It aint that big of a deal to him.

[absolmorph]

For what it gets you, Masters of the Wild has Arrows of Cure Light, Moderate, Serious, and Critical Wounds. They don't need to have a soft tip on them, I presume a sharper tip grants easier access to injuries.

-scratches head-
Is this the same sort of concept as a healing shank?

[Eldariel]

Sounds great.

I think I might go elf if it turns out to be the better. I talked to him and if human I can follow the elf deity since my gf is going to be an elf druid I am able to have lived in a elf areas so have access to the elf domain. It aint that big of a deal to him.

Wild Elf is probably the best option. Bonus to Dex (inconsequential), penalty to Int (inconsequential). Wood Elf would have an Str-bonus, but the 3.0 version had penalty to all mental stats (and you want Cha anyways) so it's a no-go. At least it helps you qualify for the archery feats thanks to the Dex-bonus.

So yeah, you can actually skip Precise Shot early on and take Craft Magic Arms & Armor or Craft Wondrous Items instead. And yeah, Zen Archery on level 6. Elvenship gets you Longbow Prof and Elf-domain (should be open at least from Corellon if nothing else) gets you Point Blank Shot.

[Shadwen]

Ok so let me get this right

Stats are:
Main Wis
Second DEX
Third Con?

Then go Human married to Elf

cleric archer

Take Elf doman and get free point blank shot?

Next take

Precise Shot (free)
Craft magical arms/armor (1)

ManyShot (3)?

Zen Archery (6?)



DM is giving me:

Prof Longbow
Access to Elf Domain

[Sinfire Titan]

Arcane Archer is terribad and a Cleric can't take it anyway. What you want is to DMM Persist a slew of sexy buffs, the reason that Clerics make excellent archers.

And 5 different pools of Turn Undead replacements that can fuel DMM.

[Eldariel]

Main Wis (it's the absolute greatest prerequisite bar none; you may even want to consider being a bit older, maybe middle-aged, to get mental bonuses at the cost of your physicals but that depends on your phys), second Str (it's your damage), third Cha/Con (you need less Con than your average Cleric due to being archer, while Cha adds to your Divine Might which you'll probably want to pick up). You need 13 Dex to qualify for Rapid Shot but no more than that.

Domains:
- Elf
- Something that suits your purpose and character; Planning would be excellent as it grants Extend Spell (a feat you'll want eventually) but don't know how it fits here. Animal is quite good provided you make heavy use of Animal Friendship. Travel offers you some mobility options later in the game.

Feats:
B. Point Blank Shot
B. MWP: Longbow
H. Rapid Shot
1st. Precise Shot

Now, here-in lies the issue: Zen Archery requires BAB +3. By level 3, your BAB is only +2, which means you'd have to wait until level 6 to pick it. Which sucks as you start on level 5. Same with Craft Magic Arms & Armor. It requires caster level 5th which you don't have on level 3.

You could pick Craft Wondrous Items and it's likely somewhat stronger than CMA&A, but it doesn't help you craft your own bows and arrows. If you can't get your DM to loosen the prerequisites of either, you have few options:
3rd. Power Attack (this is prerequisite for Divine Might, which is what you really want)
6th. Zen Archery

You could also skip Precise Shot and just avoid shooting at enemies engaging allies in melee. Alternatively, you could craft a Precise bow which takes care of that for you. That would allow:

H. Power Attack
1st. Rapid Shot
3rd. Divine Might
6th. Zen Archery

Alternatively, skipping Divine Might for now, you could have:

H. Extend Spell
1st. Rapid Shot
3rd. Craft X
6th. Zen Archery

or Precise Shot. Much depends on how lenient/tight your DM is with the prerequisites and how quickly you expect to gain levels.

[Shadwen]

I might go with this one to start

H. Power Attack
1st. Rapid Shot
3rd. Divine Might
6th. Zen Archery


It seems to have the best flow and I can always grab precise later.

It also seems to give me the most perfection.

Ill call him about loosening.

He says I would only be allowed to craft +1s (tops) and it would cost me .5 more than usual to do it until i meet the reqs.

[Eldariel]

Don't bother Crafting then. You can do very well with just spells to first enhance your fighting skills and later, to enhance your weapons (once you gain Greater Magic Weapon tho you can of course use Magic Weapon already); +1s aren't really useful to you anyways due to those spells.

[Shadwen]

Oh, just making sure but those were until i meet the prereqs then I can craft as wanted.

But if I dont need it cool. Bet I can join a church and get some eq for free.