Any good oracle archer builds out there for Kingmaker?

[SmiloDan]

We're playing the Kingmaker campaign, about to begin the 2nd chapter. It looks like our regular healer (aasimar cleric of Erastil, archer build) might have difficulty making sessions.

I GMed the 1st chapter, so I'm going to be a new PC. I was going to play a dwarf barbarian 1/magus 3, but if the party needs healing, I can step in. We have a cavalier, so I don't want to play a paladin. We also have a ranger (archer) and a rogue/witch, both with wands of CLW.

So I was thinking of playing an oracle archer, or maybe an elf druid archer. Possibly a bard, since there are 4 PCs, 2 animal companions (horse and leopard), and a familiar, so there is a lot of buffing bang for the buck.

[Havoq]

If there is, I haven’t seen it. If you multiclass your first 4 levels of Human fighter then go Oracle of Battle the rest of the way you’d have something fun, but lose two spell levels. Oracle of Wood looks promising, but it’s full of Mehhhh. If you go with Water you can pick up the ability to see through Fog for X/rounds a day, then cast Obscuring Mist. Pretty situational but nifty none the less. Bigger issue: the Oracle spell list isn’t Archer friendly as there is next to nothing for it.

If you’re looking for a unique Archer check out Pally or Monk. Those are both popular and strong but off the beaten path. Cleric Archer I hear is decent, but I haven’t done a thing with it to know how good those are.

Also, if you're the healer and don't go Life Oracle, you'll probably end up adding Heal, and the Resoration spells back to you list, whereas they're included with Life. Something else too that doesn't come to mind...the one that Battle Rezzes. Not a huge deal, though.

[Havoq]

Kingmaker: How about the nifty Pally(hospitalar) built? It's pure mele and focus' on you taking Fey Founding at level one. It's not a pure healer build but with the correct feats/play style it's definately viable...and fun.

[Rashagar]

I'm determined to make a divinely imbued archer build at some point but it's so feat intensive that I just couldn't get a wood oracle to work, as much as I actually enjoy the mystery.

The best I could come up with was by taking 2 levels of divine hunter paladin first (partly for precise shot, partly for smiting once per day), then the rest as wood oracle.

I don't know anything about Kingmaker itself but all of the things that make aasimar oracles amazing could also work for an ifrit if it's a valid option (pluses to dex and charisma, half level to a revelation as class bonus, choosing the one that adds attack bonus to attacks with wooden weapons maybe?).

It could be an interesting slant on a wood oracle, in the way that forest fires actually aid in the life cycles of forests and such. So taking the blackened curse to add a bunch of fire spells to your list would be thematically interesting, and split your early career time between blasting, buffing and shooting, focusing on one or the other later. If you want to switch hit the boost to wooden weapon attacks will work just as well with a (reach?) spear, so it's a very versatile character if built right.

*Edit*
COMPLETELY forgot about the blackened curse's penalty to weapon attacks, but you get the idea. The core of the concept is still sound.

[Havoq]

If you take Wood, you also give up Channel Energy.

Though, you could take Elf or Feat for the Bow. At level 4, you could be +8/ 1D8+4 or +1/+1 more with Divine Favor running before Feats like Point Blank shot. I am just not fond of the Woon revelations but if KM sets up for it then you're in luck. Really, what matters most is if you think it's fun.

[deuxhero]

Nope. Oracle just isn't too great an archer. Archer's biggest problems are needing some source for more damage and needing bonus feats, Oracle offers neither.

You do NOT need a healer in 3.5/PF, the wands of Cure Light Wounds are generally more than enough.

[SmiloDan]

I'll probably keep my dwarf barbarian/magus, and only worry about making a healer if my guy dies from lack of healing. :-P

Actually, I just remembered I had a cool idea for an elf archer-alchemist. And alchemists can heal! So that will probably be my back-up PC. We even lack a blaster....

[Dragonchess Player]

Elf oracle (wood mystery) makes a great archer. 1) Take the Wood Bond revelation. 2) Use the alternate favored class bonus for elf oracles (+1 effective oracle level for one revelation) to gain an increasing +1 competence bonus "on attack rolls when wielding a weapon made of or mostly consisting of wood (such as a bow, club, quarterstaff, or spear)" [emphasis mine] every 2 or 3 levels (+1 at 1st, +2 at 3rd, +3 at 5th, +4 at 8th, etc.).

If you don't mind a slight hit in BAB and oracle spell progression, you can even take the Magical Lineage trait (gravity bow), one level of sorcerer (wildblooded/groveborn; disrupt undead, flare*, prestidigitation, spark*, gravity bow*, true strike*), and Still Spell. The spells marked with * can be cast without a chance of failure in armor (gravity bow with Magical Lineage and Still Spell). Groveborn even lets you affect plant-creatures as if they are humanoids when casting "mind-affecting or language dependent spell[s]."

Invest in wands of cure light wounds (either purchased or using item crafting feats) and just heal everybody back to full health after each combat. Dedicated, in-combat "heal-bots" are a crutch that aren't really needed, IMO.

[Rudolf Kraus]

Honestly, most archer builds revolve around taking Point Blank, Precise, and Rapid shot as quickly as possible, and having a good dexterity.

The class really doesn't matter TOO much, but it can add icing to the cake.

Inquisitor and Paladin also offer divinely inspired archery, less spell casting, more beat-down.

[SmiloDan]

I'm thinking of an elf alchemist with Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Focused Shot (adds Int to crossbows and bows), then Rapid Shot, maybe Manyshot, etc.

For discoveries, Feral Mutagen, Explosive Missile (add bomb to arrow), Dispelling Bomb or Wings, Fast Bombs, etc. etc.

[Duxx Allard]

I've been playing around with an idea for a dual cursed life oracle with the blackened curse. Depending on how high you think your game will go, scorching ray can be quite effective through the low teens. The misfortune revelation is absolutely amazing and can help control the flow of a fight.

For an archer oracle, I'd choose the wood mystery as Dragonchess suggested but would play an elf with the Ancient Lorekeeper archetype. Cherry picking a few good arcane spells would be a substantial boost without dipping.