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Hello,
i need a little advice about feats. I´m want play in the Kingmaker-AP a magical archer. We are starting at the 2nd level, so I choose as starting-classes Fighter (Lore Warden) and Wizard (Enhancer).
My traits will be Magical Knack and Noble Born: Orlovsky (for the flav).
Stats: (25 points;Human)
Str: 14, Dex: 17 (18 Enhancer), Con: 14, Int: 16, Wis: 8, Cha: 10
Classes
Level 1: Fighter
Level 2-6: Wizard
Level 7-11: Eldritch Knight
Level 11-14: Arcane Archer
Level 15-16: Eldritch Knight
Feats (allowed all Paizo books)
1: Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot
2: Scribe Scroll
3: Arcane Strike
5: Deadly Aim
6: Craft: Wondrous Items
7: Craft: Arms & Armor, Arcane Armor Training (for a Mithral Chain Shirt)
9: Craft: Rod (I need a Rod of Extend and Quickening)
11: Weapon Focus (Longbow)
13: Many Shot, Weapon Specialization (Longbow)
15: Point Blank Master
But there are a few feats/discovery which are nice, but there is no space:
Reckless Aim
Improved Critical
Blinding Critical
Greater Weapon Focus (Longbow)
Opposite Research
Toughness
Extend Spell
Quicken Spell
Forge Ring
My plan is to get the feats in this order. Is it ok, or must I change something?
Greetings
I'd never take 3 crafting feats (not counting scribe scroll) for a build that needs lots of feats.
Choose the most important and skip the other two would be my advice.
Then arcane strike and arcane armor training don't mix well.
If you want a magic archer, why not go straight magus till you reach eldritch knight?
You may not be able to use every magus ability with your bow but you have no ASF with light armor and it's similar to Fighter Wizard.
First off i would switch wisdom and charisma scores and drop it too 7... If your gonna have a dump stat u might as well go all the way. Additionally the bonus from wizard is an enhancement bonus, so will not stack with magic belts etc, and since ur only goin wizard 5 thats a +2... Your better off putting it towards con or str, because by 8th or so you should be ina +4 belt of dex. I would do stats like
str-14
dex-15+2human bonus
con-15+1enhancement
int-16
wis-10
cha-7
Feat wise i understand kingmaker gives amply time to craft, but i think ur stretching to much with 3 craft feats. I would drop craft arms/armor because armor is cheap.. Celestial Armor is your bread and butter and at 23k gp ur better off pickin another feat. I would go
1st- PBS, PS, RS
3rd- Weapon Focus
5th- Deadly Aim
6th- Craft Wonderous
7th- Manyshot, Arcane Armor Training
9th- Clustered Shots
11th- Craft Rod, Weapon Spec.
13th- Improved Precise Shot or Arcane Strike
15th- Point Blank Master
Arcane Strike imo isnt really worth is until its a +3 bonus and that would be at 10th level, if u wnat it i think 13th is the best level for u to take it... Improved Precise Shot is an absolute must for a dedicated archer unless um dm is soft on the cover rules..
Hope this helped gl
As far as the Arcane Strike and Arcane Armor Training i wouldnt say they dont mix well.. U have a swift action every round depending on what ur doing.. Casting = Arcane Armor Training, Shooting Bow = Arcane Strike, i am in aggrement that craft rod might not be neccessary, but if u want rods to use itll definetly save u a lot of golds.. Check out Dazing Rod, Elemental Rod, and Persistant Rods as well as the ones u want..
Or get a haramaki and enchant it to +5. only 25k for a +6 to AC
Just throwing this out there, but why not an arcane duelist bard archer? I'm playing one in a Carrion Crown game (currently level 4) and I like the versatility of the character. Good luck!
You don't need a feat to craft a mithril chain.
I would focus on the martial feats straightaway, as you're going to want a solid foundation for your magic enhancements (which needs far less feat support than martial combat). That is if you want to be a magic archer. If you want to be a wizard with some bow skills, you'll prioritize a little differently.
Just a thought: You might look at the myrmidarch magus archetype. I haven't combed through it very well myself, but IIRC, they can cast and use ranged weapons with it.
With a high Int bonus, Focused Shot might be worth looking into, especially if your DM allows retraining of old feats after X levels.
I play a magic archer too, it's been alot of fun. Clustered shots is one of my favorite feats. Especially the last 3 or 4 levels (we're 14 now). I'm also a transmuter (enchanter threw me for a bit, but I guess they're the same). I did pick up arcane strike, but I often forget to use it or have other swift spells that I'd like to cast. I picked up extend spell for my wizard 5th level feat. I'll cast greater magic weapon and keen on my bow and they'll be up for most combat during day. I do wear armor, heavy in fact. Either I'll cast at beginning of day, or cast flexarmor (1001 spells) for asf. Abundant ammo is also one of my favorite spells, and gravity bow. I think your build is fine to start, just be open to adjustments as it plays out.
As far as Crafting get your equiment wish (for you only) list. Cut it in 4 by type add up the cost and get big2 in GP cost. If it was me Wondous item and Arms & armor.
Bow, Armor, Belt, Bracers, Pearls of power, ect that is where your money is going.
Improved Critical Drop due to Keen Spell or Weapon Enchament
Toughness Drop due Craft woundus item Belt of CON second STAT +2 for 6K
Improved Critical & Blinding Critical Drop Due to the Weapon with keen is 19 or 20 crital not going to happen enough to make it worh while.
Opposite Research You are never a 9th level Wizard so you can not take this feat.
Reckless Aim Do not know what that is???
Extend Spell What spell level will want to extend and how many times I buy rod of it myself.
Quicken Spell to good to lose keep short list but watch swft action list keep it sane.
Greater Weapon Focus Is just +1 you can get that with Craft Woundours item. Belt of dex , Bracers of archey, or spells.
what spells do you plan on quickening?
Reckless aim comes from the new teifling book. It gives you a +2 competence bonus on stack rolls vs. enemies who are engaged in combat with a friendly. Also, it takes a -2 to your AC, to do this. The feat really sucks because a) its a competence bonus, that overlaps with bracers of archer greater (which also gives a damage bonus), or inspire courage from a bard; b) it can only be used against enemies who are engaged in combat, which means not a lot of the time; c) it gives you a -2 to AC which for archers is typically low to begin with.
I highly recommend clustered shots. It is just that good, and when you go up on level, notice how hasn't suited your firing into your enemy, and add up the damage you wouldn't have done for not having the feat. It adds up quickly, especially at higher levels.
I have to be honest here, what are you trying to do? If you want to be an archer with magical talent, great, but why all the crafting feats? If you want to craft, I don't recommend being an archer, because archery is extremely feat intensive. 2-3 craft feats, could go to imp. Precise shot, snap shot, and imp. Snap shot. Or imp. Precise shot, toughness, master alchemist (to craft your specialty arrows ((from the elves of golarion book), Kobold quarterly #20 has new site types, that use craft bows st high DC, LIKE 21 and 23.
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@ Grizzly
I agree you about Clustered Shots. It is very good in the late game. I badly forget it in my chart.
Many players say as archer you MUST take the Snap Shot-Line (incl. Combat Reflexes). Why? I mean it is as a pure archer ok but not a must have. All that feats need an enemy in your small threaten area (15 ft.). --> The archer must go next to the frontline, and there must be many enemies to use these feats. And four feats for 5-6 additional attacks in a whole combat are too much for me. If you are in the backyard of a combat, there is no reason to take this feat-line. Additional you mustn´t take Point Blank Master, because a free 5ft. step is in the backyard easy to go.
I see "Must Haves" for an archer:
Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Precise Shot, Deadly Aim, Weapon Focus, Many Shot, Clustered Shot
If you have the requirements:
Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus
Nice to have:
Toughness, Snap Shot Feats, Hammer the Gap, Improved Initiative, Arcane Strike, Point Blank Master
The crafting DC I could match at Level 2 with a tools, Crafter´s fortune and take 10.
@ Tom
Improved Critical Drop due to Keen Spell or Weapon Enchament
--> That´s right. I tend to the Spell “Keen Edge” (10 min/Level). There are better enhancements for weapons.
Toughness Drop due Craft woundus item Belt of CON second STAT +2 for 6K
-->A belt with only one stat is ...simply bad. As archer you must have Dex as additional stat. So the belt cost minimal 10k.
Extend Spell, Quicken Spell
--> My thought is to take Craft: Rod. It is only one feat. For crafting the DC is 27 (DC 22+5 for missing requirement). No problem to match. (11 ranks Spellcraft +3 Class Skill +4 Int =17 take 10 --> 27)
@ Zolthux
Thanks for the good idea. (Haramaki)
Toughness Drop due Craft woundus item Belt of CON second STAT +2 for 6K
-->A belt with only one stat is ...simply bad. As archer you must have Dex as additional stat. So the belt cost minimal 10k.
We both talking same thing A +2 to one stat is 4k a +2/+2 to two stats is 10K or diference of 6k.
Extend Spell, Quicken Spell
--> My thought is to take Craft: Rod. It is only one feat. For crafting the DC is 27 (DC 22+5 for missing requirement). No problem to match. (11 ranks Spellcraft +3 Class Skill +4 Int =17 take 10 --> 27)
Ok it easy to caft it.. but is there that many rods that you want that it worth the feat. Metamagic, Extend, lesser 3,000 gp Metamagic, Extend 11,000 gp Metamagic, Quicken, lesser 35,000 gp
I would think 2 lessor extend 3k, 1 extend 11k, and 1 lessor quicken 35k that total of 52k for 1/2 = 26K vs +10 weapon 200k for 1/2=100k.
Or Woundous Item +6 Stat to Belt of physical perfection +6 144k for 1/2 =77k
Bottom line look at your wish list of items add up there cost I think the rod list will be the cheapest vs Arms & Armor or Wounderoust item.
The Only folk I see that take crakt rod and get good use out of it are full casters. Not folk that are giving up 3 levels of casting. Grade A soild build but not full Arcane role Build. Mix in any other med arcane PC in the party and you will be fine. IE Bard, Magus, Melee Draogn Disple or other Gish to help cover what you miss or spam hell out of the bad guys and you golden.
even though its mentioned sometimes, hammer the gap for an archer is bad. first off, many believe they it would with many shut since the feat describes "hit", and not attack. however, just like deflect arrows gets rid if both arrows it applies, so too do the second arrow is included in the overall. worst case scenario, its included.
second issue, a an archer your only getting at most, 5-6 attacks, 6-7 arrows a round (with taste). if your a zen archer or sohei, this feat might be good, because of the sheer number of attacks, but if the ruling stands on those two, then its nut worth it.
1+2+3+4+5+6+7= 28.... only if all attacks hit, you have haste, and the many shot arrow is included. Nite, let's see that without the cheesy ruling or haste....1+2+3+4+5=15. again, this its if all hit. the feat its better for a TWF BUILD. they can upward of 8 attacks.
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In the last weeks I read many posts about Arcane Archer, Eldritch Knight and Fighter-Archer here. So I get a better point of few about this. A big problem of the “magical archer” is his BAB. In the lower levels it is too small.
Manyshot (BAB 6): Fighter Level 6 --> Eldritch Knight Level 9
After I read a post of Sylvanite i decide to take following feats:
Level 1: Point Blank Shot (BAB 1), Precise Shot (BAB 1), Rapid Shot (BAB 1)
Level 2: Scribe Scroll
Level 3: Weapon Focus (BAB 1)
Further Levels:
Arcane Strike, Craft: Wondrous Items (CL 3), Improved Imitative, Deadly Aim (BAB 1), Manyshot (BAB 6), Quicken Spell, Weapon Spec. (FGH 4), Craft: Rod (CL 11) or Arms & Armor (CL 5), Improved Precise Shot (BAB 11)
BUT there are two interesting variations possible:
1. Level 7 additional Level Wizard
So I get better saves in the middle of the game. The spell procession will be the same, but you get the additional feats a level later.
2. Two levels Rogue (Swashbuckler) --> Level 3+4
I get many skillpoints, Evasion, TWO Combat Tricks, Weapon Focus (Rogue trick level 2) and many classskills. The character is for Kingmaker AP more versatile, but had the big disadvantage to lose a whole spelllevel.
I am not an English native speaker. My reading is much better than my writing. So I must excuse me for my rough English.