Yes yes, archery is one of the best, if not the best, combat styles in PF.
My proposed rule will fix something that always has irked me.
You can make exceptionally deadly ranged attacks by pinpointing a foe's weak spot, at the expense of making the attack less likely to succeed.
Prerequisites: Dex 13, base attack bonus +1.
Benefit: You can choose to take a –1 penalty on all ranged attack rolls to gain a +2 bonus on all ranged damage rolls. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the bonus to damage increases by +2. You must choose to use this feat before making an attack roll and its effects last until your next turn. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Special: Classes with 3/4ths BAB can take this feat at character level one. If a character uses this special provision to gain the effects of the feat, the bonus to damage is only +1 until the character's Base Attack Bonus is 1 or higher.
All feats that previously had Point-Blank Shot as a prerequisite now have Deadly Aim as a prerequisite.
New Feat:
You have trained to be able to fire while threatened at all sides by your enemies.
Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, base attack bonus +3
Benefit: You get a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity caused by firing a ranged weapon when threatened. A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
Dodge bonuses stack with each other, unlike most types of bonuses.
There's some debate on whether PBS is good gateway feat to the archery line or not. I would rather have slightly more parallels to Power Attack and Combat Expertise, so I'm thinking of using the above rules.
Any constructive criticism would be appreciated.
While we're at it, let's rename "crossbow" to "arrowgun" and add a new line of weapons called "crossbow" that will fire two arrows at a time but require 4 arms to use.
Yes yes, archery is one of the best, if not the best, combat styles in PF.
My proposed rule will fix something that always has irked me.
** spoiler omitted **
All feats that previously had Point-Blank Shot as a prerequisite now have Deadly Aim as a prerequisite.
New Feat:
** spoiler omitted **
There's some debate on whether PBS is good gateway feat to the archery line or not. I would rather have slightly more parallels to Power Attack and Combat Expertise, so I'm thinking of using the above rules.
Any constructive criticism would be appreciated.
I think it looks ok. The only suggestion I have: Instead of replacing PBS with Deadly Aim, make Deadly Aim an alternative to PBS. Leave it up to the player to decide if he wants Power attack or a +1 to hit.