If you have a high Dex it is. Dex Wis & Cha is all you need.
I'm in a campaign with a cleric/archer (dipped two levels of Ranger, but otherwise straight archer), and my general impression is that it's feasible in the early-to-mid levels, but as you get higher up, you're going to feel some pain, as your lack of access to the best archery feats/abilities starts to take its toll. I'd recommend avoiding any multiclassing so you can still maintain full spellcasting. Make full use of cleric buffs like divine favor, etc. to get your attack/damage values high.
If the goal is to create a character that can do reasonably well (but not overhwelmingly well) at range and still provide healing, you can probably manage this. The only problem might be that the cleric could end up a bit too far from the front lines to get in crucial heals.
Played one through LoF.
Eloy Oakwood: Cleric of Gozreh (Air/Weather) Lvl 12
I think my stat line looked like this...
11,16,10,12,16,14
1. Point Blank Shot
3. Precise Shot
5. Deadly Shot
7. Selective Channeling
9. Vital Shot
11.Spell Penetration
I played up making one shot at a time and hitting my marks for "big" damage. Ultimately found that battle field control and mobilization spells had a larger affect on battles.
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@Blodox, are you the GM?
Cos it might be better for this player to go as a normal cleric and make use of a "Guided" weapon. (Guided weapons makes use of WIS in place of STR or DEX to attack and deal damage.)
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/magic-weapons-non-core/we apon-property---guided
That way you can have a player that is able to function as a normal full spellcasting cleric, while still able to do range attacks.
is this a good idea for a World of Warcraft player who wants to deal lots of damage, be ranged, doesn't like taking damage, and hate's mages?
Yes
YesYes
NO.
A full spellcaster who prepares doesn't seem like the best introduction to the game. Especially if he hates mages.
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I think you are missing out on feats going the Cleric route...and will ultimately be an "average" character as both healing and archery. As far as a healer goes I think you will be better off making a Ranger or a Divine Hunter and using scrolls or wands to do the healing for the party. Most of the healing should be done outside combat anyways, but a spring loaded wrist sheath with a wand of cure moderate should be a life saver for those rough times. Either that or you can make a decent Alchemist to perform this job as well.
As for the reason this is getting looked into...are you guys readying actions for the fly by attacks? Buy some nets and ready an attack for when the drake gets within 10 ft of you and make a ranged touch attack with the net to drop the creature and then just murdify it.
A net is used to entangle enemies.
Benefit: When you throw a net, you make a ranged touch attack against your target. A net's maximum range is 10 feet. If you hit, the target is entangled. An entangled creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty on Dexterity, can move at only half speed, and cannot charge or run. If you control the trailing rope by succeeding on an opposed Strength check while holding it, the entangled creature can move only within the limits that the rope allows. If the entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make a concentration check with a DC of 15 + the spell's level or be unable to cast the spell.
An entangled creature can escape with a DC 20 Escape Artist check (a full-round action). The net has 5 hit points and can be burst with a DC 25 Strength check (also a full-round action). A net is useful only against creatures within one size category of you.
A net must be folded to be thrown effectively. The first time you throw your net in a fight, you make a normal ranged touch attack roll. After the net is unfolded, you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls with it. It takes 2 rounds for a proficient user to fold a net and twice that long for a non-proficient one to do so.
The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.
I've never played a cleric or other divine spellcaster at very high levels. I do play a level 9 archer druid. I have found the archer druid to be a highly effective party member. My druid has 10 strength so doesn't benefit from strength adjusted composite bows,but even so does pretty good damage with her bow. But that's because she took the archery feat tree (PBS, precise shot, rapid shot, many shot). That means she doesn't have normal druid feats. If you want your archer cleric to be viable, I think you'll be in the same boat.
But, even after focusing your feat selection on becoming an effective archer, you are still a 3/4 BAB, full armor wearing, full time spellcaster.
Just based on my experience with my archer druid, I would not hesitate to play an archer cleric. I would recommend putting some ranks into Use Magic Device though, there are some great ranger spells for archers that you can get from a wand.
Now, having said all that, do I think archer clerics are an optimized build? Nope. But again, based on my druid, they can be very effective and shooting a bow from behind the lines meshes pretty well with casting heals, battlefield control or buffing the party.
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I've never played a cleric or other divine spellcaster at very high levels. I do play a level 9 archer druid. I have found the archer druid to be a highly effective party member. My druid has 10 strength so doesn't benefit from strength adjusted composite bows,but even so does pretty good damage with her bow. But that's because she took the archery feat tree (PBS, precise shot, rapid shot, many shot). That means she doesn't have normal druid feats. If you want your archer cleric to be viable, I think you'll be in the same boat.
But, even after focusing your feat selection on becoming an effective archer, you are still a 3/4 BAB, full armor wearing, full time spellcaster.
Just based on my experience with my archer druid, I would not hesitate to play an archer cleric. I would recommend putting some ranks into Use Magic Device though, there are some great ranger spells for archers that you can get from a wand.
Now, having said all that, do I think archer clerics are an optimized build? Nope. But again, based on my druid, they can be very effective and shooting a bow from behind the lines meshes pretty well with casting heals, battlefield control or buffing the party.
Oh and don't forget Clustered Shots as soon as you can take it.
As has been said.. not the best choice from a BAB point of view but as a way to stay off the front line and still be effective? Indeed.
Anyone can take the archer feat line and be reasonably effective.
I'd suggest building an Oracle of Battle.
They are easier to use than Clerics (although you might want help the newcomer to pick new spells every level), have easy access to heavy armor and all martial weapons (including longbows) without spending any feats, get more skill ranks per level (the Int penalty doesn't hurt as much.), get Perception as a class skill and they don't really need Wis, so you can pump up his Dex, Str or Cha a bit more.
I think a ranged inquisitor might be a better fit, less healing but between him/her and the paladin they might be able to handle it just fine, with a limited selection of spells and faster buffs it might be more fun to play for this particular player.
Bards would be great too. Specially since this is a rather large party.
Bards would be great too. Specially since this is a rather large party.
I have never played an archer bard, but I think that will be my next character. I hear they are very effective and they should be very flavorful too.
I'm a PF newbie so I can't comment on the power levels but look at the Eagle domain under the druid animal and plant domains. These are available as alternative Cleric domains. You get a hawk/eagle familiar, Hawkeye (add your cleric/druid level to a ranged attack or perception check 3+WIS/day), and the first level spell is Aspect of the Falcon which gives +3 perception, +1 on ranged attacks, and gives you a x3 critical for bows. If you made a cleric of Erastil (should be OK since Animal is one of Erastil's domains) you would get proficiency in longbow.
I've found that archer-clerics can be quite useful PCs. They typically start out each fight as archers, then segue into the healer role as their allies get banged up. They don't use as many buffs as other clerics, but can switch to that role when its needed.
When building that type of cleric, make sure that you have someone in the party to control enemy movement. If you'll be outdoors a lot, the Plant domain and entangle work well for the purpose.
You don't want to multiclass more than one (or at most two) level(s), but one level of fighter or two levels of paladin (divine hunter), barbarian (urban barbarian), or ranger can alleviate the build's feat shortage. Paladin synergizes well with some types of oracle, if you would like to consider trying one of those instead of going with cleric as your main class.
Ah, indeed! Wolfwaker reminded me of a another nice option.
A Cleric/Inquisitor of Erastil has access to longbows and the Feather domain, which gives him a bonus to perception equal to 1/2 his Cleric/Inquisitor level and an Animal Companion (Tigers are awesome! Rocs are awesome! Boon Companion is awesome!).
Aasimar Clerics can further boost his pet with the Celestial Servant feat.
What is golden, holy and has DR, darkvision, SR and Smite Evil 1/day? A Celestial Servant Lion Animal Companion.
As if Aasimars were not good enough Clerics... -.-'
I think Cleric is the way to go over Oracle for a new player. Having all spells known means that if he messes up his spell selection he can fix it the next day. An Oracle with bad spell selection is basically screwed.
True. That's why I suggested he helped the new-comer to pick up new spells whenever he goes up a level.
Also, I think you can now buy extra spells known, thanks to Ultimate Equipment (not sure, thouh. Sadly, my book hasn't arrived yet) so it helps diminshing that problem. Also human oracles can get up to 17 extra spells (assuming he doesn't pick extra cantrips). so that is actually a pretty good deal.
Personally, I wish spontaneous caster didn't have nerfed spell casting, but that's another topic.
Bards would be great too. Specially since this is a rather large party.I have never played an archer bard, but I think that will be my next character. I hear they are very effective and they should be very flavorful too.Human bard (Arcane Duelist)
Feats :
1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot (human bonus feat), arcane strike (archetype bonus feat)
2 - Combat Casting (archetype bonus feat)
3 - Rapid Shot
5 - Improved Initiative
6- Disruptive (archetype bonus feat)
7 - Deadly Aim (not that interesting with your Medium Bab before that)
9 - Manyshot
10- Spell Breaker (arch. bonus feat), Medium armor proficiency (arch.bonus feat).Awesome buffer, very good archer, medium healer. The most players you've got, the most useful a bard is.
I would probably replace "deadly aim" with "improved precise shot" and not have to worry about cover. Also I'd take "manyshot" before either of them.
Of course I am the guy who thinks "deadly aim" is the most overrated feat in the archery tree, and is particularly a poor choice for less than full BAB characters.
What race are you playing? An elf would be a good choice.
@Adamantine Dragon
I love both feats (way better than Deadly aim for medium Bab), butImproved Precise Shot :
Prerequisites: Dex 19, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, -->base attack bonus +11 <--and
Manyshot :
Prerequisites: Dex 17, Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, -->base attack bonus +6. <--:/
Heh. Me not play bard. Not know what me talking about.
Still, I would be hard pressed to get deadly aim for anyone without full BAB. As bad as I think it is at low levels, it only gets worse as you advance...
Heck I'd probably take a metamagic feat for a cleric before I'd take deadly aim, even for an archer.
For a pure archer cleric you could go any god you like as a crusader cleric the bonus feats help:)
Human Point Blank Shot
Lvl 1 Precise Shot
Cru 1 Martial prof Long Bow
Lvl 3 Rapid Shot
Lvl 5 Deadly Aim
Cru 5 Weapon Focus Long Bow
Lvl 7 Extra Channel?
Lvl 9 Many Shot
Cru 10 Weapon Spec.
Lvl 11 Point Blank Mastery
Lvl 13 Improved Critical or Snap Shot
Lvl 15 ???
Cru 15 Greater Weapon Focus.
Lvl 17 ???
Lvl 19 ???
Lvl 20 Greater Weapon Spec.
Or you can take the Divine Scion prestige class which opens up specialization options for clerics with their favored weapon.
Divine Power and divine favor fixes the bab problem and then some.
Or if you can find a god with bow as a favored weapon you can channel smite / Guided hand and only need wisdom at which point i'd take heavy armor at level one as you won't be bothering with much dex.
Consider dipping into Zen archer monk.
Your wish is granted. Having played both sorcerers and oracles, I can say that spontaneous spell casting is definitely not "nerfed casting".
Don't get me wrong, Sorcerers and Oracles are very powerful classes, more powerful than they should be, because nerfed or not, full spell casting still is full spell casting. But their casting is weak, compared to their vancian brothers.
There is a reason Wizard/Clerics are considered Tier 1 while Sorcerers/Oracles are Tier 2. Limited spells known, delayed spell progression and slow meta-magic is a big nerf.
I understand limited spells known. In fact, I believe all caster should have some limit. One of the things that make wizards/clerics/druids so powerful is that they have access to every single option. ever. Druids and Clerics don't even have to learn their spells!
Delayed spell progression never made much sense to me. If anything, character whose body is exploding with arcane magic should get higher spells level earlier than the guy who must study old books to get there.
Slow meta-magic is pretty weird. The sorcerer, for example, lives and breathes magic, and yet, he can't use meta-magic decently? Magic is something he does all the time! It's like a fighter dealing less damage because he is using a greatsword instead of a longsword.
I'd actually buff Oracles' and Sorcerers' spell progression, but nerf spell-casting in general. Fixing/Nerfing/Removing the most broken spells, like Gate is probably the best way to do it. But that requires a complete remake of spell lists. And that is a LOT of work.
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You can. In the same way that you can have a ranged oracle or a ranged inquisitor. They're good options. Not the best, but perfectly viable. Just be aware that of all the types of offense and builds, ranged requires the most feats to become good at what they do (which is why the best archers are people like rangers and fighters and divine hunter paladins, since they either have plenty of feats or they get parts of those feat chains for free), so, so long as you keep that in mind, I'd say you can totally go for it. Heck, if you're a cleric of Erastil, you might as well make use of that longbow proficiency or whatever. The only thing to note is that there are very few "ranged combat specific" spells (if any) in the divine spellcaster list. In other words, it's slightly easier to play a melee cleric than it is to play a ranged cleric. It is by no means unfeasible, however, and if you build it right, it can be quite effective.
I personally prefer a divine hunter paladin to a ranged cleric, but that's just my personal opinion. I am quite biased, having played clerics VERY rarely, and preferring spontaneous or combat classes than "prep" classes. Divine hunter can heal at range, which is a nice bonus, whereas a ranged cleric can't.
However, place them in a tight formation to prevent enemies from getting to the cleric (think an "x" pattern with the cleric in the middle) allows him to avoid getting AoO-ed for using range (but still staying in melee), allows contact healing, and every ally is automatically in range of your channel energy. From a tactical standpoint, that can be very neat.