Enchantment Advice: Composite Longbow

[Darrin]

I've got a 5th level Cleric of Phaulkon (optimized for Composite Longbow) getting ready to level up, and I'm considering dipping into Fighter at 6th to pick up Precise Shot, and then getting Craft Weapons & Armor. I'd like to enchant my bow at that point, but I'm a bit short on funds. I'll probably only have around 2000 GP or so. Right now I've got:

Masterwork Darkwood Mighty Composite Longbow (+2 Str bonus)

I can't really afford something like shocking or frost at the moment (8000 GP base price), but I was thinking:

+1 enhancement (2000 GP base price)
use-activated 1st level spell-like effect (2000 GP base price)

My DM is using CORE ONLY (PHB, DMG, MM), so my pick of 1st level spells is a bit short. Here's what I've been considering:

1) Command: Fall. Some nice secondary damage to flying opponents, but last night I realized that in the unlikely event that a target actually fails the easy DC 11 Will save, prone targets get -4 AC bonus against ranged attacks, so follow-up shots might be harder.

2) Doom. DC 11 Will save or become shaken. Longer duration (10 rounds) but while a target can fall more than once, a follow-up hit on a shaken target doesn't make them more shaken (although it might increase the duration).

3) Color Spray. For a "Stun" effect, with some help from a PC/NPC gnome illusionist, another DC 11 Will save. Shorter duration than Shaken (only 1 round) but makes follow-up hits easier and synergizes nicely with our rogue, who would get Sneak Attack damage.

Your recommendations?

[Bears With Lasers]

Use-activated spell cost depends on the duration. I'd slap a +1 on there.

Why don't you have precise shot yet, as an archer-cleric? In any case, just take Precise Shot as your 6th level feat.


Here's how an archer-cleric usually goes:

Elf, with Elf and War domains (Elf grants PBS), or Human with War and other (worship a "cause", take longbow as your favorite weapon).

1: PBS (Elf domain or human bonus feat), Precise Shot
3: Rapid Shot
6: Zen Archery.

[Darrin]

Why don't you have precise shot yet, as an archer-cleric? In any case, just take Precise Shot as your 6th level feat.

My feats:
1: PB Shot, Rapid Shot (Human), WF:Longbow (Phaulkon = War and Air)
3: Craft Wondrous Items (yeah, yeah, okay, I thought it would be useful)

I was going to dip into Fighter earlier for Precise shot, but kept sticking with Cleric instead. I'm still considering if I should just stick with it, take Precise shot at 6th, and worry about enchanting the bow later. This gets me to Cleric 7 and Divine Power quicker, at which point I could just say forget the fighter levels, who needs 'em (other than the feats, but Improved Rapid Shot, Greater Manyshot, and Zen Archery aren't available).

I guess I should have picked up Precise before Rapid, must've been sucked in by the shiny "extra attack" thing. Craft Wondrous Item was also probably a mistake, but at the very least I can just do the Pearl of Power factory thing if I'm short on cash.

[Bears With Lasers]

Yeah, Precise should've gone before Rapid. As is, take it at 6th, then Quicken at 9th--PBS, PS, and RS are all you really need to be a solid archer. That, and your spells. Mm, Divine Favor.

[cupkeyk]

So the bow is also a wand with the spell trigger component of knocking the bow? I think there is already a weapon ability like this, I thought it was in Races of the Wild but I checked and it's not. I know its a +1, aside from the fact that you have to spend for the wand anyway. So that's 8000 for +2, and 750 for the first level wand cost, 500 for masterwork and the price of the bow and the additional price of a mighty composite.

[JaronK]

Grease is first level, right? That's a hilarious one to use. Makes it hard for your party members to get in there, but it means that anyone who doesn't have at least 5 ranks of balance is flat footed, even if they pass the save. Very helpful when working with a rogue, and it makes your later shots easier too.

JaronK

[Darrin]

So the bow is also a wand with the spell trigger component of knocking the bow?

No, a spell-trigger would require a standard action to activate, which would kill any full-attack (you may be thinking of the bow in Masters of the Wild with True Strike as a spell-trigger effect). I want a use-activated spell effect whenever someone gets hit by an arrow. I'm leaning towards stun (using Color Spray and ignoring the HD-based blindness/unconcious). Spell caster x spell level x 2000 = 1 x 1 x 2000 = 2000 GP base price. Balanced mostly by the rather pathetic will save (DC 11).

[Bears With Lasers]

Darrin, there's a spell duration multiplier--x4 for Rounds/level spells, x2 for minutes/level, x1.5 for 10 minutes/level, and x1 for hours/level.

[Were-Sandwich]

Magic Missile? 1d4+1 extra Force damage will stack up over time.

[Darrin]

Darrin, there's a spell duration multiplier--x4 for Rounds/level spells, x2 for minutes/level, x1.5 for 10 minutes/level, and x1 for hours/level.

Aha, that footnote is not in my 3.0 DMG.

However... Color Spray's duration isn't in rounds/minutes/hours, it's instantaneous. The stun effect lasts a round, but there are plenty of spell effects that last beyond whatever the duration might be.