currently level 5
elven wizard conjuration/ opposition spells divination/necromancy
traits
magical lineage burning hands
metamagic mastery flaming arrows.
familiar raven....
background scholar skill focus perception...now a class skill...
stats
str 15
dex 18
con 13
int 21 (with +1 from lvl 4...will continue +1 for every ability gain)
wis 14
cha 14
feats
spell focus lvl 1 conjuration
scribe scroll wiz 1
craft wondrous item lvl 3
weapon focus longbow lvl 5
intensify spell wiz bonus lvl 5
not great with a bow yet...but my plan follows.
going lvl 12 before I swap too arcane archer. for 2 levels...
but lvl 7 point blank shot
Lvl 8 +1 int again
lvl 9 precise shot
lvl 10 heighten spell
lvl 11 focused shot...add int too damage with bows...
lvl 12 +1 int now qualify for arcane archer ie +6bab...
lvl 13 12wiz/1 arcane archer enhance arrow...all arrows +1 bab jumps too a 7/2 and feat rapid shot.
that's firing as a full round action with a prior casting of say flame arrow+ abundant ammunition....3 arrows, with a
7/2 -2 rapid shot....5/0/-2
+4dex+1wf+1point+1marrow+x if using a magic bow… even better 12/7/5 too hit...
damage rocks...1d8*x3+1wf+1point+1marrow+6int +1d6 fire....if it crits great if not that's 3 arrows...each one doing 1d8+1+1+1+6=10-17 possible crit x3 +1d6x3 that's like throwing a fireball if everything hits.....30-68
10-17 possible crit.x3+3d6 fire vs one target...
hopefully I got the math right...
lvl 14 12w/2 arcane archer...imbue arrow....
deliver arrow...say intensified burning hands.....
that would be 1d8x3 possible +1+1+1+1+6+1d6flame arrow+10d6burning hands.......if I am wrong let me know...that's pretty sick....
I am fuzzy on the rolls ie spell origin with imbue arrow...can I direct it...
and of course I know point blank and precise affect my rays...
lvl 15 13w/2 aa preferred spell burning hands , craft arms and armor....gotta enchant my bow....and my parties stuff. let me know your thoughts....
goal I have read trent monks guide...loved it and well using preferred spell plus my traits...I could really be a true god, but also a great damage dealer once I control the battlefield....
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
Waiting until level 13 to become an arcane archer is not great (IMO), since your BAB will be so far behind (+6 at 12th, max +14 as wizard 12/arcane archer 8). Remember that arrows have to hit the full AC of the target ("If the arrow misses, the spell is wasted."), instead of touch AC for spells (acid arrow, scorching ray, etc.). On the plus side, you only lose two levels of spell progression (still 9th-level spells).
Taking two levels of fighter (or ranger, Archery Combat Style) lets you qualify for arcane archer at 10th level (wizard 8/fighter or ranger 2). Your BAB as wizard 8/fighter or ranger 2/arcane archer 10 is +16, although you lose a total of five levels of spell progression (8th-level spells).
Fighter gives two bonus feats, which can be used on Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot (allowing you to pick up another feat at 9th character level). Ranger only gives one bonus feat, but Favored Enemy or Ranger's Focus (guide archetype) gives a +2 on attack rolls against certain foes, as well as the ability to use wands of barkskin, wands of cure light wounds, etc. without Use Magic Device checks.
Alternately, wizard 6/fighter 1/eldritch knight 2/arcane archer 10/eldritch knight +1 qualifies one level earlier, ends up with BAB +17, and still only loses five levels of spell progression.
The biggest question is whether 9th level spells are that important to how you want the character to develop.
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
On feats: Personally, I don't think Focused Shot is worth it. It's a standard action to use, which really sucks for an arcane archer (no full attack, no Imbue Arrow, etc.). Pick Deadly Aim or another feat instead.
If the game will actually get that high and continue playing past it for a while, it is a fine build. Not losing any more CL than absolutely necessary and getting Imbue Arrows + Anti-magic Field about as early as is possible.
Just don't go past AA 4th level...
And don't think of Imbue Arrow as a good way to "deal damage." All the direct damage area spells already tend to have very good ranges. It's best with AMF, color spray, etc...
I played this character in 3.5, back when archery wasn't as boss, and Arcane Archer didn't give any caster levels. (High-level Elf Wizard X/Arcane Archer 2). It was a fun character. I'm not sure I ever actually used Imbue Arrow for anything great, and the dropped caster level caused some issues that wouldn't have been a problem for a full caster.
On the flipside, however, the character was a very competent archer, and was capable of outputting decent damage with a bow if her spells weren't cutting it. Her specialization was Divination, so she always had a True Seeing handy. I fondly remember a few instances where, between that and packing the appropriate arrows and knowledge skills, I was the greatest damage threat to the villain.
I think Pathfinder has made this character even more viable. Hope you enjoy it!
Well, PF did nerf Imbue Arrows, the major draw of the class.
In return for only losing 1 CL instead of 2 with the 2 level dip, Imbue Arrows is also weaker now. In 3E, using it was ALWAYS a standard action. So you could say... shoot an arrow in the villain's lair and all of a sudden it's blanketed by your guards and wards (normally a 30 min. cast time, iirc) spell!
that's what I was thinking stream, was only going too take a 2 lvl dip, and there are plenty of spells that make my bab a non issue...truestrike being the number one quickened idea....of course could just cast black tentacles and then fire into that....for the same spell slot...
focused shot....I thought it was a blanket use int for bonus damage on bows and crossbows...not a standard action well droping that and just going quicken spell....whats nice about a 2 lvl dip is my cl will be considered 19 by the end if we hit lvl 20...my main thing was staying viable for when I am not casting, ie battlefield control summons etx all done fight is a cake walk...then I fire my free magic arrows....throw rapid shot while haste is up even better...I am a elf with a 18 dex no bonus items...throw in
a nice bow perhaps with say endless ammunition with a nice bonus too hit. maybe even dueling, so high initive...combined with a spell like flame arrows....
I was taking that in mind stream, imbue arrow is too deliver a battlefield control....and damage...not just damage...
think a gravity bowed imbued glitter dusted flaming arrow....
2d6 x3 crit+ 1d6 fire and at least can't go invisible with a possible blinding thrown in....
dragon chess the thoughts on the ranger are intriquing since It gives me those great cleric wands, and my party is a
inquisitor
paladin /oracle
gunslinger
fighter (that thinks he is a rogue)
I was trying not too delve too much into multi classing only because pure classes are usually much more powerful
I will admit a 9th spell imbued arrow could be a sick thing though...
your right a missed arrow is a fizzled spell....which sucks, to bad aoe's don't go off when it hits....the ground...but what if my target is the ground....
ie it might not be raw, but a fireball can target anything why can't a arrow....
aright will remember too get rid of focused shot, too bad I couldn't add that too my hit modifier....and damage.....making that my source of making sure when I imbue I hit...
the other reasons why I was thinking about the 2lvl dip into aarcher, was the increase with bab, saves, hp, (if I roll max on both levels that's a 20hp boost+ my con...and we are using some mythic points and hero points so I will be making sure I get my max....
I have the craft wondrous feat...so a belt of con/dex +6 will be in my future...shoring up my bab/ac/hp/ etx.
same thing with my helm of vast int/wisdom...upping my saves, and of course casting
preferred spell, taken more than once...for those 3 low level spells I will love so much, gravity bow, flame arrow, haste.
so I can prepare my spells and swap out when it suits me....also of course shocking grasp and burning hands....with the intensify metamagic free......for imbueing arrows....at 15 wizard 2aa I can preffered spell twice...and throw a feat in there as well....
Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
If you want to maximize caster progression as well as BAB, and primarily only want Imbue Arrow out of arcane archer (although free elemental arrows that you can "switch" at the start of the day are nice too), then wizard 6/fighter or ranger 1/eldritch knight 2/arcane archer 3/eldritch knight +8 will still get you 9th-level spells at 20th level and a total BAB of +17. Looking at the Spell Critical capstone for eldritch knight, it isn't limited to melee... Which means that you don't always have to use Quickened Spell to cast two spells in the same round.
Also, if you have the Craft Wondrous Item feat, make your own blessed book ASAP. You will save a tremendous amount long-term in scribing costs. Hopefully, your GM will actually follow the paragraph on pg. 219 of the Core Rulebook:
Quote: In most cases, wizards charge a fee for the privilege of copying spells from their spellbooks. This fee is usually equal to half the cost to write the spell into a spellbook (see Writing a New Spell into a Spellbook). Rare and unique spells might cost significantly more. Even without "rare and unique" spells (such as limited wish or wish, in all likely-hood), there are still quite few spells that should be available.
Recent threads in General Discussion
|
