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Ok, so I come here often for specific PFS advice. Most often things come back to my main character, an archer ranger.
He just hit level 4. I have 3,000 GP and 14 Prestige sitting around, and I wanted some ideas of how to spend or save it.
I own a +1 Composite Longbow with the appropriate Str rating. I also own a +1 Breastplate.
I have a wand of CLW.
I am considering the following:
Cloak of resistance: I can't afford to spend a feat on Iron Will until level 9, probably.
Efficient quiver: Considered a must for archers.
Doing this would spend all my current gold, if I also bought a couple low-level potions, like Magic Weapon.
2 PP: Wand of Longstrider - make up for not waiting until I could afford Mithral BP
Oil of Daylight - I'll need it sooner or later.
I suppose I should share my current feats and planned progression as well:
1 - Point-Blank Shot
1 (human bonus) - Precise Shot
2- Rapid Shot
3 - Toughness
5 - Deadly Aim?
6 - Improved Precise?
7 - Manyshot?
9 - Iron Will?
For the bow, I plan on buying the seeking enhancement and later go to +2, +3 or maybe hold out for holy.
So, any thoughts? Thanks!
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I would personally avoid iron will.
Get a wayfinder with a clear spindel. This makes you immune to mind control from evil sources. This will remove a great deal of that threat. This is like 4500.
I would also avoid toughness if it is not too late. You are a behind everyone shooter, you will targeted less. So HP is not as important.
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I do agree with an Efficient Quiver. Smeg, sometimes I want to get a 2nd for my character because once you start doing rapid shot with manyshot while hasted with 2 attacks to start with, that's 5 arrows a round. And sometimes I just don't want to spend a turn casting Abundant Ammunition. But that's me.
Beyond your thoughts there, I'd suggest:
1) Special ammunition. As you don't look to be getting the Clustered Shots feat (Ultimate Combat) at any point, DR can be a problem for you. Keep a few quivers of 10 or 20 arrows of special ammunition: adamantine arrows, blunt arrows, cold iron, etc. That said, maybe look at grabbing Clustered Shots when you can so you won't necessarily need all those different arrows.
2) A spare non-composite OR adaptive longbow. If you get reduced, you will have difficulty using your bow. Always keep a spare (in your efficient quiver, of course!)
3) Headband of Wisdom. Expensive for a +2 to Wis starting out, but it helps your spell casting as well as your Will saves, not to mention your Perception checks. Similarly:
4) Belt of Dexterity. Little boost to your Dex to give that little nudge in attack. Again, expensive for so little a bonus, that's why it's down the list a ways.
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I highly recommend adaptive for your bow. It's a +1000gp enhancement that means you never have to worry about the strength rating on your bow ever again.
Cloak is always a good purchase.
Wand of longstrider and oil of daylight are both good purchases. Ask yourself how often you felt you needed the extra movement before purchasing the wand. On the quiver, unless encumbrance is a problem, you don't technically NEED it (just lots of quivers all over with your different arrows and since you didn't say you had a back up bow or other items the quiver is useful for...). I'd actually go for a handy haversack first if you have lots of miscellaneous items.
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Take the question mark away from Improved Precise Shot at 6th level. Getting this feat five levels before anybody else can is just golden.
I hear people recommend the clear spindle ioun stone/wayfinder trick but I don't personally don't think that it is cricket. I prefer just generally boosting my saving throws. cracked pale green prism ioun stone for a +1 competence bonus to saving throws.
For your situation, I'd start with the +1 cloak of resistance. As Katie said don't get the efficient quiver unless encumbrance is an issue. Movement generally shouldn't be an issue, so I also wouldn't worry about the wand of longstrider.
While archers have the least problem with DR of any character types thanks to weapon blanches (invest in ghost salt, silver, and adamantine blanches) Clustered Shots is worth it for those times where you can't bypass DR (an alignment DR, DR/-, or DR/epic). Along those lines don't bother using normal arrows. For 1gp more per 20 arrows you can shoot cold iron arrows all of the time (and when you apply weapon blanches to them they count as cold iron and the weapon blanch applied).
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Thanks everyone! I guess I need to buy the APG and UE to access some of these things.
I already use only cold iron arrows, and I have the PS Field Guide so I was going to throw down the cash for Ghost Salt blanch.
Now for my next question: Does the adaptive enhancement count as a +1 bonus?
I ask because I have my +1 bow now (a 2,600 GP item - 100 + 300 for MW + 200 for +2 Str + 2,000 for first enhancment). If I want to add the seeking enhancement, that's another 6,000 GP, because the cumulative cost of +2 of enhancements is 8,000 GP. Does adaptive even figure into this math?
I don't know if it's worthwhile if it pushes off other extremely useful enhancements. If it's really just dropping 1,000 GP I think I'd do it right away.
That said, would any of you care to rank the following enhancements in order or usefulness?
adaptive
seeking
bane
holy
elemental (i.e. flaming, shock)
Thanks again!
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Adaptive is a flat 1,000 gp enhancement, so it doesn't factor into how expensive it is to add the next +x enhancement (though it is added in to calculate the total value of the item for fame purchase limits).
For the enhancements, I suggest holy as your number one enhancement. I wouldn't bother with elemental damage unless you find individual arrows on chronicle sheets. My advice for seeking and bane arrows is to get the Custom Order boon and purchase a few (ten maybe) of each type (following the rules for changing the type of ammunition on the chronicle) and only use them when there is somebody in your group who can cast make whole to repair your magical ammunition.
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elemental is for a monk with that style allowing him to add additional wisdom damage to the arrow.
Holy is awesome. Espcially with demons in season 5.
Bane is too selective. They are good arrows to use
Weapon blanche saves from adventure to adventure if you apply it. SO if you find weapon blanch in one adventure USE it.
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Currently saving up for my holy enchant. Its a doozy. Need to hqve the fame for a +3 weapon and 16k on hand. I plan on working into arrow masters bracers and a selection of slaying arrows for higher level.
Derp posted o nmy bros account. He forgot to log off. My level three feat was deadly aim. My level five feat was boon companion. Currently level six.
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Currently saving up for my holy enchant. Its a doozy. Need to hqve the fame for a +3 weapon and 16k on hand. I plan on working into arrow masters bracers and a selection of slaying arrows for higher level.
IMO arrows of slaying aren't worth it (the DC is too low and they are way too expensive).
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My advice for seeking and bane arrows is to get the Custom Order boon and purchase a few (ten maybe) of each type (following the rules for changing the type of ammunition on the chronicle) and only use them when there is somebody in your group who can cast make whole to repair your magical ammunition.
Does [i]Make Whole[/] work on magic ammunition? I thought magic arrows were one use, and then the magic faded. Although I guess you could use it for special material arrows (such as adamantine)
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IMO arrows of slaying aren't worth it (the DC is too low and they are way too expensive).Currently saving up for my holy enchant. Its a doozy. Need to hqve the fame for a +3 weapon and 16k on hand. I plan on working into arrow masters bracers and a selection of slaying arrows for higher level.
true the dc is low but the best way to use it is on enimies with low fort saves. Undead bbegs are decent targets. Though i wouod spring for the dc 23 greater slaying arrows above level 5
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I for one would skip on the seeking enchantment and go straight to holy (after adaptive first of course, assuming you own Ultimate Equipment). Like Michael said, it's just dropping 1,000 gp (assuming you have enough fame for the new total cost of the bow: 2,600 + 1,000 = 3,600).
Improved Precise Shot has overlap with seeking which is why I would skip it. I do have a bard with seeking but it also has limning on top to help out allies.
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For your bow: I would get adaptive first then work on getting holy. I have a level 12 archer and holy has been useful in most fights. After holy work on increasing your enhancement bonus.
For feats: this is my suggestion based on my experiences.
5 - Manyshot
6 - Improved Precise Shot (this is a must)
7 - Weapon Focus (longbow)
9 - Clustered Shots
I would retrain toughness into Deadly Aim when you get the chance. As an archer you shouldn't be getting hit much so the extra hps aren't quite necessary. You can delay clustered shots because you should be using blanches to help overcome DR. Any bonuses you can get to hit are a must. With a full BAB class your deadly aim will ramp up quickly so you will need to overcome the minus to hit. I have had many times where I needed to not use deadly aim to make sure I hit.
For purchases: blanches are a must in my opinion. Get about 10 of each and make sure to have an abundant ammunition spell memorized just in case. A wand of gravity bow is very useful for when you have time to prep for a fight. Efficient quiver may not be necessary now but when your putting out 4-5 arrows a round you will need the carrying capacity. A cloak of resistance is a good purchase and of course snag a belt of dexterity as soon as you can and upgrade it when you can. The extra initiative and to hit are priceless. There are a lot of other good purchases that others have mentioned.
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Does Make Whole work on magic ammunition? I thought magic arrows were one use, and then the magic faded. Although I guess you could use it for special material arrows (such as adamantine)
A magic arrow, bolt, or bullet that successfully hits a target is automatically destroyed after it delivers its damage.
Make whole can fix destroyed magic items...
Make whole goes on to say that it does not work on single use magic items, however magical ammunition is not single use as there is a 50% chance that it breaks, and if it survives then it is reusable.
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Arrows need to be bought in units of 50. Therefore you wouldn't be able to purchase slaying arrows until you amassed 202,000g.I'm pretty sure that slaying arrows are priced per each and can be bought one at a time.
You are correct, and I misspoke (miswrote?). I was confused between purchasing +X equivalent ammunition, which I believe must be purchased in units of 50, and buying named items (e.g. Arrows of Slaying).
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I also vote for the Adaptive enhancement. This lets you make use of strength buffs AND protects you from attack penalties if you get strength drained/damaged.
For spells, there's two that I consider "must haves" for my archers:
Falcon's Aim (+3 to Perception, +1 to attack rolls, and crit on a 19-20) and Gravity Bow (treat your bow as one size larger for damage). These are both first level ranger spells, and wands cost 750/2pp. Abundant Ammunition is nice, but arrows aren't that expensive.
For ammunition, weapon blanch is much more cost-effective than actual adamantine or silver. Also, PFS just allowed most of the special arrows from the Elves of Golarion book: I use durable arrows with cold iron heads for my "default".
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This is a lot to take in! Thanks for all the advice. A question I had was regarding invisible foes. Does improved precise help there? Seeking would, but maybe it's not common enough to enhance a whole bow for.
Gravity Bow does seem like a huge plus. Source books are a problem right now. I'll need to buy APG to use Gravity Bow and blanches, and UE to get the adaptive enhancement. PDF's are only $10 each, but it starts to add up, since this is my first year playing and I've already spent a bunch of money on rulebooks, scenarios, and miniatures.
Nevertheless, these are all great ideas, and thanks again!
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Does improved precise help there? Seeking would, but maybe it's not common enough to enhance a whole bow for.
Invisibility is treated as total concealment, so improved precise would not help. Seeking would only help if you aimed at the correct square, so usually the easier option is have someone else in the party cast glitterdust first. ;)
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Invisibility is treated as total concealment, so improved precise would not help. Seeking would only help if you aimed at the correct square, so usually the easier option is have someone else in the party cast glitterdust first. ;)
If you have the scratch you can also pick up a hand of glory which among other things lets you cast see invisibility once per day.
You can also have your friendly neighborhood cleric cast invisibility purge. If you are a 5th level or higher cleric then don't leave home without it.
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Make whole goes on to say that it does not work on single use magic items, however magical ammunition is not single use as there is a 50% chance that it breaks, and if it survives then it is reusable.
Sadly, magic on ammunition is "discharged" on use (on a hit). You can recover a used magical arrow and make whole it, but it would be a non-magical arrow at that point.
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Make whole goes on to say that it does not work on single use magic items, however magical ammunition is not single use as there is a 50% chance that it breaks, and if it survives then it is reusable.Sadly, magic on ammunition is "discharged" on use (on a hit). You can recover a used magical arrow and make whole it, but it would be a non-magical arrow at that point.
I've looked through the ammunition rules several times, and I've been unable to locate any such rule. Where is it located?
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I've looked through the ammunition rules several times, and I've been unable to locate any such rule. Where is it located?
I'm checking if I can find the clarification on it, but it is noted in the description of durable arrows:
Benefit: Durable arrows don’t break due to normal use, whether or not they hit their target; unless the arrow goes missing, an archer can retrieve and reuse a durable arrow again and again. Durable arrows can be broken in other ways (such as deliberate snapping, hitting a fire elemental, and so on).
Drawback: If crafted with magic (such as bane), the magic only lasts for one use of the arrow, but the nonmagical arrow can still be reused or imbued with magic again.
I'm pretty sure the text is applicable to all arrows, and clarifying how that would work for durable arrows.
Additionally, the CRB does include the line:
Generally speaking, ammunition that hits its target is destroyed or rendered useless, while ammunition that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost.
To me that also qualifies that it is smashed and the enchantment destroyed. I would not be mad if a GM ruled that arrows that hit are unrecoverable (unless durable).
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The text on durable arrows is not listed in a "Normal" entry (as you'd find on a feat), which would indicate that it's a general rule. Rather, it's a drawback that specifically pertains to durable arrows.
The PRD quote, the other hand, is much more relevant. It's from page 141, in the section that discusses ammunition. Note, however, that it specifically states that it's a general rule. But if you turn to the magic item section...
When a magic arrow, crossbow bolt, or sling bullet misses its target, there is a 50% chance that it breaks or is otherwise rendered useless. A magic arrow, bolt, or bullet that successfully hits its target is automatically destroyed after it delivers its damage.
Thus, a magical arrow, bolt, or sling bullet that hits its target is clearly destroyed, which make whole specifically fixes. Magical ammunition of the specified types that misses, however, is a bit more challenging. There no listed method for determining whether a shot that misses is destroyed or "otherwise rendered useless." In PFS, I'd expect some table variation. And, funnily enough, magical blowgun darts, shuriken, and firearm bullets are treated as nonmagical ammunition for these purposes and are in this grey area, hit or miss.
Improved Precise Shot at 6, for sure. Sucks that you can't get Point Blank Master at 4. Not taking PBM at 6 means you have to wait until 10. And since PFS is played on postage stamps -- well -- have fun trying to 5-foot step into a safe spot every shot.
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If you are doing straight ranger weapon focus at 3rd level becuase you need it for point blank master at 10th, take improved critical at 9th level instead of iron will.
A ranger doesn't need Weapon Focus to get Point Blank Master, because rangers ignore prerequisites for bonus feats.
The prerequisite for Point Blank Master is Weapon Specialization, which is technically only available to fighters at 4th level. (Weapon Focus is itself a prerequisite for Weapon Specialization.)
The only other ways that I know of to get Point Blank Master are take 3 levels of Zen Archer (gets it as a class feature) or take 6 levels of Ranger with Archery or Crossbow weapon style (gets it available a bonus feat; the next opportunity to take it is level 10). Neither of those methods has any prerequisites.
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If you are doing straight ranger weapon focus at 3rd level becuase you need it for point blank master at 10th, take improved critical at 9th level instead of iron will.A ranger doesn't need Weapon Focus to get Point Blank Master, because rangers ignore prerequisites for bonus feats.
The prerequisite for Point Blank Master is Weapon Specialization, which is technically only available to fighters at 4th level. (Weapon Focus is itself a prerequisite for Weapon Specialization.)
The only other ways that I know of to get Point Blank Master are take 3 levels of Zen Archer (gets it as a class feature) or take 6 levels of Ranger with Archery or Crossbow weapon style (gets it available a bonus feat; the next opportunity to take it is level 10). Neither of those methods has any prerequisites.
Not quite. ...
Special: Starting at 6th level, a ranger with the archery combat style may select Point Blank Master as a combat style feat, but he must have Weapon Focus instead of Weapon Specialization in the selected weapon.
Ranger's do not completely ignore the prerequisites for PBM. A ranger does need Weapon Focus.