Hey there,
Im making an arcane duelist archer and I would love some input on my build. Its not optimized and Im not really trying to munchkin it or something, Im just confused about a few rules questions and whatnot.
Stats
STR 14
DEX 17
CON 14
INT 14
WIS 15
CHA 18
The stats are pretty high, but my DM rolled them after I rolled something like 3 stats below 6.
My race choice was Aasimar because they have some nice bonus stats and they have a few alternate traits that I chose for flavour. Also, with bard as my favoured class, I can add 1/2 my class level to my performances which I thought would be fantastic. The problem is, I didn't notice that bladethirst caps at +5. does that include epic levels?
If that's the case, should I prestige out into something else at some point? I'm not sure what to do.... I would really like to work with prestige performances, I think that's a neat feature for a celestial singer.
Also. I had planed on taking two levels of arcane archer at some point so I can imbue my arrows with thinks like confusion, is there an optimal level to do this at? I took magical knack so I wouldn't lose caster levels for the prestige.
Anyhow, any help would be greatly appreciated!
P.S. just hit level 5. first feat was skill focus knowledge (planes) to qualify for eldritch heritage. second feat was eldritch heritage (arcane bloodline) to get a familiar. I'll start working on archer stuff next. 11th level feat has to be improved eldritch heritage for the extra wizard spells at 11, 13, and 17. I was thinking of getting some of the AoO archer feats... is this a good idea with combat reflexes, heck, do I even have the feats...?
Archery is powerful but costs many feats to pull off. If you want to be a good archer, spnding your feats on anything but archery is a bad idea, even more so for a Race/Class combination without any bonus feats.
You need about 5 feats to make archery really worthwhile, even more if you want it to be as good as possible. Frankly, I don't see how you can fit in a skill focus and the eldritch heritage line. You do have enough feats, but not before around level 15 or 17. But in the early to mid levels, your archery abilities will be pretty unimpressive.
My advice: Take the archery feats FIRST. Get Point-Blank, Precise, rapid, deadly aim and manyshot. At that point, you'll be a decent archer and can worry about eldritch heritage or other stuff. Getting arcane strike for free will help your damage. If possible, change your race to half-elf for the free skill focus or human for the free feat and extra spells known.
What about going with the AoO line and ignoring some of the other feats. I could set myself up somewhat closer and hold actions. wait for people to move?
Changing now isnt going to work. But I havent taken any archer feats as yet. Maybe I'll have to go melee then and dip somewhere else for the extra base attack.... not sure what to do with that though. Something with martial proficiency so I can use one of the better melee weapons... Not sure what to do, though I think having 3 wizard/sorc spells at 4th, 5th, and 6th spell levels will be good. Just got to figure out where to go with it now. good thing I have good stats all around.
Getting a few AoOs isn't going to do you any good if your ranged attacks are weak because you lack feats. Even on their own, the snapshot feats also require quite heavy feat investment as you need point-blank shot, rapid shot and weapon focus. And for them to actual be useful, you need improved snapshot (which you can't get before level 13 because of the BAB +9 requirement) and combat reflexes. Those feats are for fighters and rangers who can afford them and take them somewhat early. I'd totally ignore them as a bard and pretty much any other 3/4 BAB class.
I'm not really sure what to tell you, to be honest. One thing though: Do NOT dip into something unless you are VERY sure you want to do it. The Bard already has goood weapons for any combat style. Rapier/Longsword for Sword&Shield, Longsword for Two-Handed, Longspear for Reach, Shortbow for ranged. As Arcane Duelist, you also get medium and heavy armor later. Dipping will mostly weaken you.
Best advice I can think of if rebuilding your character is not an option: Start taking the ranged feats now and don't stop until you have AT LEAST rapid and precise. Forget about Snapshot. Use Arcane Strike and Inspire Courage for damage until you can fit in deadly aim somewhere. Also get Manyshot as fast as possible (even before Deadly aim). Delay the later eldritch heiritage feats if necessary. That might also allow you to pick some higher level spells.
Alternatives:
- Take a Longsword/Rapier/Longspear as your bonded weapon and enchant it as high as possible. With a Belt of Strength and your bardic buffs and performance, you should still be able to be decent in melee combat. Good thing about melee is that it only requires power attack and maybe weapon focus. Being in melee also makes use of your free feats Disruptove and Spellbreaker.
- Forget about combat and focus on spells/performance with appropriate feats. Of course being a caster focused Arcane Duelist is probably not the best choice.
I'll talk to my DM and see if I can take a mulligan on the skill focus and just take the heritage feat. It's kind of important for role play and I've already used the familiar a bunch.
Move heritage to one and take point blank shot and precise shot now as I haven't finalized this levels feat. At seven I'll take rapid shot and at nine I'll take many shot. I am a little worried about deadly aim as I already have a low base attack and rapid shot really doesn't help. I guess I'll have to look at armor on monsters.
as far as dips go, with an Aasimar I can take 2 levels of fighter and have celestial full plate and have no casting issues and no loss of caster level. I will also have an effective level 26 inspire courage and hopefully an even more buffy bladethirst.
(magical knack and Aasimar favoured bard 1/2 per level to performance)
I'll talk to my DM and see if I can take a mulligan on the skill focus and just take the heritage feat. It's kind of important for role play and I've already used the familiar a bunch.
Move heritage to one and take point blank shot and precise shot now as I haven't finalized this levels feat. At seven I'll take rapid shot and at nine I'll take many shot. I am a little worried about deadly aim as I already have a low base attack and rapid shot really doesn't help. I guess I'll have to look at armor on monsters.
How can you mulligan the skill focus feat it is a prereq for eldritch heritage?
I think you are trying to do too many things with the Bard, archery and casting. With the Eldritch Heritage feats you are basically trying to become a better caster, you basically went in with the mindset of must get wizard spells.
So why not focus on casting instead. Obviously arcane duelist is probably not the best archetype for casting but it isn't horrible.
Get spell focus, spell penetration. Get some metamagics, you have a good charisma so go nuts with that. Do archery as a back up to conserve spells.
For the skill focus thing? The DM doesnt usually care about stuff like that. It doesnt really effect role play and it certainly has almost no impact on the heritage feat. I got the heritage feat for character building, Im pretty sure my DM will agree that the skill focus is kind of meaningless in that regard. I guess he could be a hardass, but he never has been in the past *shrug*.
Personally, I think the skill focus is required because eldritch herigate is such a powerful feat. Getting it basically for free without any prerequisites would be too much in my opinion. But I'm not your GM, so ask away.
And while I'm not a big fan of weakening a bard's abilities with multiclassing, if you want to do this, consider the weapon master archetype. You get Weapon Training at level 3 and can get a total of +3 to attack and damage with the gloves of dueling. Add a 4th level for weapon specialisation if you feel like it.
Fair enough I guess. I will work on making a melee character with an agile weapon. maybe I'll look at making a mounted dude.... "Sally forth!"
I still have no idea if performances improve when you get into epic levels though. Is that one of those things that no one knows the answer to?