Gestalt Swiftblade Archer

[Darius Rae]

For the next campaign (d&d 3.5) that I will be playing in I have decided to try to remake one of my original character builds. The concept is an archer who is increda-fast. This includes initiative, move speed, and arrows per round. I beseech yea, Giants, to help me trick out the following gestalt build...

Grey Elf
Scout 4/Ranger x//Wizard x/Swiftblade x

Ranger and Wizard will both use Elf substitution levels. Ranger will trade in spells for the Complete Warrior acf and animal companion for something else. Wizard will take a hummingbird for a familiar and the fighter bonus feats acf.

One flaw will be used to gain the following starting feats: Point Blank Shot, Improved Initiative (wizard), Dodge (flaw)

Any suggestions that would improve this build are welcome. As it stands this character will be the skill monkey for the group so I will be taking all the relevant skills except for social skills and open lock (knock spell).

[Krazddndfreek]

There's a fighter bonus feat acf for wizards? Huh, I never knew. Anyways, the only thing left that I can see is to get the Agressive trait if your DM allows traits (which he should, as he's allowing flaws). Aggressive gives you +2 to init for a -1 penalty to AC. You should also grab expeditious retreat and haste at later levels, nice spells. Cat's Grace will also be useful, since it'll increase your init by another +2 and help your ranged attacks.

EDIT: Expeditious Retreat is a first level spell, grab it now. You may also want to rethink picking dodge. It's a really weak feat and so is anything else you need it for. You also really need precise shot if any of your allies are melee fighters so you should take that instead.

[Darius Rae]

Dodge and Mobility are both required for Swiftblade.

[Krazddndfreek]

I totally forgot about that, sorry. That's really lame . How many feats will you be getting before then? Not having precise shot is going to tank your attack modifier into the ground.

[Darius Rae]

I can always delay taking improved initiative until a later level, or see about getting another flaw.

[Mongoose87]

Dodge and Mobility are both required for Swiftblade.

Try to pick up Desert Wind Dodge or Expeditious Dodge, instead.

[Greenish]

Try to pick up Desert Wind Dodge or Expeditious Dodge, instead.

And Mobility as an Armor enhancement, if that'll fly by your DM.

[Critical]

I'd sooo advice you to go Dragonwrought Kobold, just for the Slippers of Battledancing, plus, you can get a free sorcerer level using one of the web enhancments. More haste, too. Also, don't lose the animal companion, instead, have it bull rush you every turn and purposely fail the opposed check, now you have skirmish damage every round on full-attacks!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Definitely get Ranger first, along side the Wizard levels, and then take the Scout levels along side Swiftblade. That way you won't lose out on any BAB. I'd also take Wizard along side Swiftblade at the levels where it doesn't advance spellcasting. Your skills can catch up, you won't lose any BAB, and you can never get back a lost level of spellcasting. You should also consider taking more Scout instead of Ranger on those Swiftblade levels, since its class features are so much better.

Ranger gets some spectacular archery spells, plus you'd be able to use wands such as Entangle, Camouflage, and Cure spells. If you can use Mystic Ranger from Dragon 336, it gets 5th level spells by the 10th level, though the other class features are somewhat delayed in exchange. This would be the only reason to keep taking Ranger past the 6th level.

I should point out that only a specialist Conjurer can get a hummingbird as his familiar. The article that introduces it gives an additional familiar option for each school of specialization, and the hummingbird is exclusive to conjurers. If you plan on taking the generalist Elf substitution level, you can't get the hummingbird. I would get the Abrupt Jaunt ACF from PH2, and take the feat Obtain Familiar at 3rd level so your levels in prestige classes that advance spellcasting will be counted for its benefits. I'll also recommend substituting out your Animal Companion for the Distracting Attack ACF in PH2, and if you want a companion pick up Wild Cohort and see if your DM will let you use the Elf Ranger substitution level to get an Elven Hound via that feat. Also consider using Fire Elf since you won't have a Str penalty. Definitely get the feat Otherworldly (PGtF) if possible, so you can use (Draconic) Polymorph to take the form of Outsiders such as an Arrow Demon (MM3).

What level is this character starting out at, and how high do you expect the character to get?

[Andion Isurand]

I should point out that only a specialist Conjurer can get a hummingbird as his familiar. The article that introduces it gives an additional familiar option for each school of specialization, and the hummingbird is exclusive to conjurers.

Actually the text reads...

These familiars can be optional companions exclusively available to specialist wizards or additions to the list of familiars available to all sorcerers and wizards.

[Snake-Aes]

What's with the humming bird familiar?

[ex cathedra]

It gives a substantial bonus to initiative, especially if it is allowed to generalist wizards, since the racial substitution level doubles your familiar benefits.

[Snake-Aes]

How substantial? My worries about initiative are usually solved via the Elemental Familiar spell. Tiny Air Elementals are cuddlier.

[ex cathedra]

I believe that it's a +3 or +4, prior to being doubled by the racial substitution level.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Hummingbird gives +4 initiative. The Elf Wizard 3 substitution level (which you do not have to be a generalist to get) reads, "The bonus on skill checks, saves, or hit points granted by the familiar doubles." A hummingbird does not grant a bonus to skill checks, saves, or hit points, so it is not affected by the substitution level.

[Darius Rae]

I should have clarified that only PHB races and their mundane variants are allowed. So no kobolds or fire elves. How should I distribute points in a 32pt buy. I plan on trading in ranger spells for other things so I think the stats will go Dex, Int, Con. I think my DM will allow the hummingbird familiar to have the initiative boost doubled.

I will take distracting attack. What do desert wind dodge an expeditious dodge do?

Edit: We start at level one, the campaign goes up to level 30, but we might stop at 20. There will only be two other characters in the party, a Mystic Thurge//Psion and a tank/healer thing.

[Critical]

Edit: We start at level one, the campaign goes up to level 30, but we might stop at 20. There will only be two other characters in the party, a Mystic Thurge//Psion and a tank/healer thing.

Wait, what? Dual-progression classes are not allowed in gestalt. Well, since this rule is broken, are you allowing two PrC's on one side?

[Darius Rae]

Wait, what? Dual-progression classes are not allowed in gestalt. Well, since this rule is broken, are you allowing two PrC's on one side?

Woops, I didn't remember that part. So he will probably be a Wizard//Archivist.

[Critical]

Woops, I didn't remember that part. So he will probably be a Wizard//Archivist.

Okay... Say, would your DM allow this? Might be worth it for a free full-attack skirmish and a spell with your standard action, at least when your animal companion can't bull rush you. Might fit your speedy theme, too, using gust of wind.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Expeditious Dodge is in Races of the Wild, it gives you +2 AC until your next turn if you move at least 40 feet. Desert Wind Dodge is in Tome of Battle, it gives you +1 AC and +1 fire damage to desert wind discipline favored weapons until your next turn if you move at least 10 feet from your original position, but requires that you know at least one desert wind maneuver.

I'd probably go Grey Elf, Str 12 (14), Dex 18 (16), Con 12 (14), Int 18 (16), Wis 8, Cha 8, and put all your points into Int as you level up. For the class build here's one that starts out decent, but doesn't develop the main shtick until quite late but IMO is stronger in the long run for it:

1. Elf Ranger 1/ Elf Martial Wizard 1, Track, Scribe Scroll, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Improved Initiative, Flaw: Noncombatant
2. Ranger 2/ Wizard 2, Rapid Shot (style)
3. Ranger 3/ Elf Wizard 3, Expeditious Dodge, Endurance
4. Ranger 4/ Wizard 4, Distracting Attack
5. Ranger 5/ Martial Wizard 5, Mobility
6. Swiftblade 1/ Wizard 6, Woodland Archer
7. Swiftblade 2/ Scout 1
8. Swiftblade 3/ Ranger 6, Manyshot (style)
9. Swiftblade 4/ Wizard 7, Greater Manyshot
10. Swiftblade 5/ Scout 2
11. Swiftblade 6/ Scout 3
12. Swiftblade 7/ Wizard 8, Swift Hunter
13. Swiftblade 8/ Scout 4, Quick Reconnoiter
14. Swiftblade 9/ Scout 5
15. Swiftblade 10/ Wizard 9, Combat Casting
16. Abjurant Champion 1/ Scout 6
17. Abjurant Champion 2/ Scout 7
18. Abjurant Champion 3/ Scout 8, Flyby Attack, Danger Sense
19. Abjurant Champion 4/ Scout 9
20. Abjurant Champion 5/ Scout 10

At level 14 you'll get Perpetual Options from Swiftblade, which will allow you to move and Greater Manyshot twice in a single round, or single move and full attack in one round, or buff, move, and greater manyshot, etc.

Be sure to make your composite longbow Elvencraft, in Races of the Wild, so it can be treated as a quarterstaff as well as a bow. Maybe even make it a magical staff containing spells. In any case, it can be enchanted as a quarterstaff as well. You can make the bow portion +1 Seeking with whatever else you want, and make both Quarterstaff ends +1 Defending. At level 12+ cast (Lesser Rod of Extended) Greater Magic Weapon on all three each day, and get +6 AC from the quarterstaff portion.

[Darius Rae]

Given that one on the party members will be a dual-caster, is it really best for me to go all in for int? The majority of my spells should be buffs. I realize that casting is better than archery, but if I wanted to be a caster I would play a cleric//druid.

[Snake-Aes]

Well, You need 19 anyway for lvl 9 spells. More int after that is just Wealth Investment.

[herrhauptmann]

A lot of good stuff

Don't forget the splitting enhancement.
I've really no idea how to price a bow that's also a quarterstaff that's also a wizards staff.
Would it be: lump bow and staff enhancements as if it's a single weapon? Then add on wizard staff costs?
Might as well make it sentient, I believe one of the sentient powers is an initiative bonus.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Don't forget the splitting enhancement.
I've really no idea how to price a bow that's also a quarterstaff that's also a wizards staff.
Would it be: lump bow and staff enhancements as if it's a single weapon? Then add on wizard staff costs?
Might as well make it sentient, I believe one of the sentient powers is an initiative bonus.

An Elvencraft bow's quarterstaff portion is treated as a separate item from the bow portion, just like the two ends of a double weapon are treated as separate items for magical enhancements. You would have to pay 300 gp for masterwork three times, for the bow and each quarterstaff end. All three can be enchanted separately as though they were different items. As far as enchanting it as a magical staff goes, I'm pretty sure that is also treated as though it were a separate item. Considering that it doesn't even take an item spot, it would not cost anything extra to combine multiple unrelated effects on a single item, and would actually be cheaper if the effects were similarly themed (DMG p282, sidebar).

You could make one quarterstaff end +1 Defending Eager Warning, the other end +1 Defending Parrying, get some +1 Illithidwrought armor spikes, put Displacement (OA) on any one of those, and load the bow portion with properties that increase your damage.

I also completely forgot, you should definitely take Item Familiar on every character you can. The 10% XP bonus alone is worth it, and you can upgrade your chosen item yourself as though you had all the prerequisites and item creation feats. Plus it gets treated as an intelligent item, which means it's treated as a construct, which means it functions in an antimagic field and dead magic areas, cannot be dispelled or disjoined, and can't even be sundered.

[Pechvarry]

Ranger will trade in spells for the Complete Warrior acf

I implore you, avoid that ACF. It's sorta like "hey, I gave up multiple Ranger spell slots to get exactly one slot per spell level". If you wanna ditch ranger spells, I suggest Complete Champion's substitution levels instead (4 bonus feats).

[herrhauptmann]

You could make one quarterstaff end +1 Defending Eager Warning, the other end +1 Defending Parrying, get some +1 Illithidwrought armor spikes, put Displacement (OA) on any one of those, and load the bow portion with properties that increase your damage.

Don't think you can put armor spikes on a weapon, even if it is defending and parrying.

[Eloel]

There's also Midnight Dodge that could be useful if you get Chaotic Incarnate levels for any reason.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Don't think you can put armor spikes on a weapon, even if it is defending and parrying.

No, you wear armor spikes on your armor. You're always considered to be wielding armor spikes, even if you don't make any attacks with them. Any weapon property on armor spikes that grants a passive effect to the wielder will always apply, leaving your hands free to possibly wield other weapons with passive effects.

[Darius Rae]

As far as enchanting it as a magical staff goes, I'm pretty sure that is also treated as though it were a separate item.

When you say enchanting as a magical staff, do you mean adding defending and such or is there a way to make it like a metamagic rod or wand? (other than the wand chamber)

[Human Paragon 3]

Instead of Ranger, try Barbarian. There is an ACF that trades rage for ranger's combat style. You get better HP, uncanny dodge and fast movement.