Rapid Shot

[Justin Bridou]

Hi everyone,
We are 6 buddys who started playing RP with Pathfinder. So basically we spend a lot of time on rules to all be in the same page and to be sure that everyone get the same thing.
Actually, one of the player is a ranger and we're discussing rapid shot.
I think you have to a high BAB to use it in order to make a full-attack action. For him he can use it and that create a full-attack action.
He has a bab under the +6 required to have another attack.
Can you help us and precise how to use rapid shot correctly and in which cases you can?

Benefit: When making a full-attack action with a ranged
weapon, you can fire one additional time this round. All of
your attack rolls take a –2 penalty when using
Rapid Shot.....

thank you

[williamoak]

Nope, rapid shot gives you an extra attack regardless of bab. Here are a few examples:

Bab=+5

Rapid shot:

+3/+3 (so both the extra, and the base attack are done at max bab -2)

Bab +6/+1

Rapid shot:

+4/+4/-1 (so you get your extra shot, with it and all regular attacks taking -2)

Rapid shot can be used anytime, just makes you less likely to hit, regardless of BAB.

[Krodjin]

What's important to note is that Rapid Shot requires a "Full Attack".

When a character is low enough level to not have any iterative attacks, there is very little difference between a standard action "attack" and a "full attack"; without specific exceptions they are both limited to a single attack.

Rapid Shot is one of the exceptions. Because it requires a "full attack", your friends Ranger basically has to forgo his move action in order to receive the benefit of making an extra attack. The character can still make a 5' step, and he can make that step at anytime during his full-attack; before, after, or even in between firing each arrow.

Hope this helps.

-D

[Kayerloth]

Krodjin wrote:

What's important to note is that Rapid Shot requires a "Full Attack".

When a character is low enough level to not have any iterative attacks, there is very little difference between a standard action "attack" and a "full attack"; without specific exceptions they are both limited to a single attack.

Rapid Shot is one of the exceptions. Because it requires a "full attack", your friends Ranger basically has to forgo his move action in order to receive the benefit of making an extra attack. The character can still make a 5' step, and he can make that step at anytime during his full-attack; before, after, or even in between firing each arrow.

Hope this helps.

-D

This

A Full Attack is a Full-Round Action
An Attack is a Standard Action
With a BAB from +0 to +5 the difference between them is typically only in Movement/Move Actions and other effects due to feats, spells and abilities. Haste comes to mind as another common instance where you might note the difference between Full-Round and a Standard Action in terms of the number of attack rolls you get as a result. To get an 'extra attack' with Haste you will also need to use a Full Attack Action (i.e. Full-Round Action) rather than an Attack Action (Standard Action).

[Evan Prost]

Question has come up in my game; Playing a Skirmisher, lvl 3 Dwarf, with Rapid Shot. With rapid shot can I target two different foes. This happen in game; Rolled natural 20 twenty on first arrow, killed foe, then wanted target second foe. An other player said with rapid shot I could target only one foe; I read it as two attacks, two foes. What is right?

[Calth]

You were right. Rapid shot just adds an attack to full attacks, and with full attacks you don't have to assign targets ahead of time.

[Azten]

No, you can target different foes. Many Shot would be the one where you can only target one person with two arrows.

[Evan Prost]

So when using Many Shot, as a full round action, I can target a different foe, if choose to with my second arrow.

[Calth]

Evan Prost wrote:

So when using Many Shot, as a full round action, I can target a different foe, if choose to with my second arrow.

No. Rapid shot lets you target different foes with each attack. With Manyshot, you fire two arrows with a single attack, and both must target the same thing. They are two separate, completely independent things.

[Evan Prost]

To be clear, I'm not asking about Many shot. Can I choose a second target with second arrow using Rapid shot?

[Tarantula]

Manyshot: Both arrows hit the same target at the same time.

Rapidshot: Each attack is resolved separately, and can target different targets. You could even make the first shot, find out you killed them, and not take the second shot.

[Sundakan]

Yes.

[Chess Pwn]

manyshot + rapidshot: first attack shoots the two arrows of manyshot and is against 1 target. 2nd shot granted from rapidshot can be to anything.

[Evan Prost]

Thanks all, this helps with our discussion.