One shot one kill archer

[Whisperknives]

Ok so here is the situation.

I have always wanted to play a sniper type character in D&D. However nobody that runs games where I live would ever allow firearms use, until now. However I know that is not the only option.

He are the guidelines.

Stats: 16, 14, 14, 12, 12, 10 Before Racial. (Given not point buy or rolled.)

Available races:
Human
Elf
Halfling
Kobold: (Stats are +2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Str, all other radials the same.)
Halfling
Tengu
Ratkin (Stats are +2 Dex, +2 Int, -2 Str, all other radials the same.)

Gold: 25K, no weapon or armor over a +3.

Lets say starting level is 7, but feel free to make one higher.

I love the look of the the Phantom Ammunition enchantment for ammo.

Looking for the best one shot a round sniper. Damage is key, survivability is nice.

So what looks better, Bolt Ace Gunslinger, Ranger, Spell-less Ranger (3rd part book), Fighter, Slayer, or something I have missed. I am looking for a guy built around taking just 1 shot a round, whether from crossbow, bow, or rifle.

P.S THIS IS NOT A PFS GAME SO IGNORE SOCIETY RULES.

[Whisperknives]

One further question...

A double musket, have they ever clarified what action it takes to reload both barrels.
Further, have they clarified if it is both barrels get all your bonuses that aren't precision, or do you just add an extra die of damage for the extra barrel?

[Claxon]

I don't really know how to help you here. Archery as a combat style in pathfinder is really heavily reliant on making multiple attacks to deal damage.

Deadly Aim and Point Blank Shot are the only feats that add damage to individual shots, besides Weapon Spec and Greater Weapon Spec. You could also take vital strike line to get extra weapon damage.

But no matter what you do, you're not really every going to do enough damage in a single shot to kill an enemy. It just wont happen, I'm sorry.

I have a fairly optimized ranger archer, and right now with favored enemy, deadly aim, and point blank shot 1d8+15. If you played fighter, you would loose favored enemy and gain greater weapon spec (which would keep damage the same here since my FE bonus is +4). Vital Strike and Improved Vital Strike would get you to 3d8+15 damage per shot, roughly. Which is about 28 damage per shot. It's just not enough to one shot kill things.

[Cheapy]

Make sure every single one of your targets is a motionless bunny...?

[wraithstrike]

The idea of a one shot one kill archery would be reliant upon a SoD ability . It won't be done with damage.

[Aratrok]

The best I can think of is an Eldritch Knight with two levels in Arcane Archer. Imbued Arrow with a heavily damaging spell, gravity bow deadly aim, and Kirin Strike. With a 13 in Str and a 15 in Int, you'd end up with 24 Strength and 26 Int. With a +5 weapon, that's 2d6+38 damage plus a spell. Not enough to one shot anything level appropriate with damage, still.

Without spellcasting you could do it with a Slayer, but it's going to take until 10th level before you get Assassinate.

Edit: Thanks. :)

[Claxon]

wraithstrike wrote:

The idea of a one shot one kill archery would be reliant upon a SoD ability . It won't be done with damage.

Actually yes. You could sort of simulate it by making an arcane archer.

Go, 1 level human fighter(for the extra feats). However many levels of wizard as necessary. Two levels of arcane archer, and then Eldrtich Knight. The stuff you get from arcane archer isn't all that great except the ability to place some spells into the arrow. Taking levels in Eldritch knight advances your caster level and spell casting more the Arcane Archer does.

There's got to be a least 1 save or suck/save or die that will work here.

Aratrok, you need 2 levels in arcane archer for imbue arrow.

[Bandw2]

you could go Kobold and get some of their racial feats and use a class like slayer or rogue to apply sneak attacks and try and stealth a lot during combat. they have a lot of feats to do ranged attacks well. otherwise, give up now, I guess? You could see if a teammate can go into dirty trick and try to blind people and such so that you can get sneak attacks in.

because bigger and better weapons don't get you much damage, it's the enchantments and feats and additional attacks that do, and the feats want you to be firing all over the place.

I would recommend not making yourself a one-trick-pony and try to get some other combat/non-combat options covered, or you may end up falling short of your intended goal.

stuff for thought
class
feat1
feat2
feat3
feat4

[Bob Bob Bob]

Well, until it gets errated out of existence, Pummeling Style lets you make a full attack and count it as a single attack. It's clearly not meant to do this, but as written you totally can shoot one super arrow with an arrow full attack behind it.

[Whisperknives]

Bob Bob Bob wrote:

Well, until it gets errated out of existence, Pummeling Style lets you make a full attack and count it as a single attack. It's clearly not meant to do this, but as written you totally can shoot one super arrow with an arrow full attack behind it.

It does not have to out right kill with 1 shot, keeping up with the rest of the group would be enough.

Vital Strike chain, Deadshot deed, (if only they could stack), other things that I might not be thinking about.

I might could talk my DM into letting Deadshot deed work like Pummeling Strike, maybe.

Depending on how you read Deadshot Deed, I could feasibly get it up to damage enough to stack up with other people.

P.S. If it matters, the group is so far:

A strength based Magus/anti-Paladin going Dragon Disciple
A dual wielding ninja
and
A Dragon Bloodline Sorcerer.

I will crack the math on a "Pummeling strike" style Deadshot deed Gunslinger 7. with the rest in some other class.

[thegreenteagamer]

I'm actually surprised nobody suggested a sniper archetype rogue. You get further and further sneak attacks, which is nice, and sneak attack is one way to pop enemies in single-shot situations. Since you like firearms, you can get proficiency with a single rogue talent.

A neat combo would be something like Gunslinger (musket master) 5, Rogue (sniper) X. You get dex to damage with muskets, then tag some sneak attack onto that for more damage.

Kobolds also have the Bushwacker archetype gunslinger which lets them get sneak shots and shifty shot; it's essentially sneak attack with a gun only.

So, with a Bushwacker 5, you get dex to damage AND 2d6 bonus damage to flat-footers, then you can finish off with sniper to get even more.

Guns have pretty decent damage, so using the Vital Strike chain of feats isn't a bad idea to keep with your "One Shot, One Kill" approach.

[TheBlackPlague]

Since you mentioned a 3p class earlier, I will assume your DM is open to... influences.

Milk called shots for all they're worth ;)

[Whisperknives]

TheBlackPlague wrote:

Since you mentioned a 3p class earlier, I will assume your DM is open to... influences.

Milk called shots for all they're worth ;)

All 3P things have to be OKed. I just know that Spell Less Ranger is ok because someone played one already.

Our DM has an odd set of rules.

He hates combat maneuvers such as trip, and disarm, but is ok with like bullrush and the like.

Hates grappling and summoning even more than that, and will not really let a animal companion be useful.

Rolling a 1, is a crit fail and ends your turn, and has a bad side effect. (Thus why I am aiming for 1 attack a round, my rolling skills suck)

A few other rules that are strange here and there.

It would be nice if they would errata Deadshot Deed and the like to work like Pummeling Style.

[houser2112]

Psionics. The Marksman class has a Sniper style that is all about making single shots count. For feats, there is (Greater) Psionic Shot that lets you add dice when you expend focus, Fell Shot to turn ranged attacks into ranged touch attacks when you expend focus, and Psionic Meditation so you can regain focus as a move action.

[Zilfrel Findadur]

A musketmaster gunslinger is more than able to do this, period. with the deadshot deed. no need to weird class combs.

[Whisperknives]

houser2112 wrote:

Psionics. The Marksman class has a Sniper style that is all about making single shots count. For feats, there is (Greater) Psionic Shot that lets you add dice when you expend focus, Fell Shot to turn ranged attacks into ranged touch attacks when you expend focus, and Psionic Meditation so you can regain focus as a move action.

That does not sound bad, might take come convincing, he has bad memories of Psionics due to old 3.5 games.

[Zwordsman]

Uh.. if psionics are open

I like the aegis+the psycic sword class(forget what its' claled) and the combination one-but go for the soulbolt archetype Or justthe aegis class.

the aegis stuff allows armour, but also allows various effects that help you increase your size "perminetly" so I think the two size increases from the aegis class would increase the size of your shots properly (unlike enlarge person which the weapon resizes after being fired). Could do that then gravity bow, and try the vital strike shenanagans.

I would second the "save or die" thoughs, either with slayer + assassinate, or arcane archer built from any caster, or a myrdermitch magus, and add in some damage spells to it.

[Bandw2]

Whisperknives wrote:

Bob Bob Bob wrote:

Well, until it gets errated out of existence, Pummeling Style lets you make a full attack and count it as a single attack. It's clearly not meant to do this, but as written you totally can shoot one super arrow with an arrow full attack behind it.

It does not have to out right kill with 1 shot, keeping up with the rest of the group would be enough.

Vital Strike chain, Deadshot deed, (if only they could stack), other things that I might not be thinking about.

I might could talk my DM into letting Deadshot deed work like Pummeling Strike, maybe.

Depending on how you read Deadshot Deed, I could feasibly get it up to damage enough to stack up with other people.

P.S. If it matters, the group is so far:

A strength based Magus/anti-Paladin going Dragon Disciple
A dual wielding ninja
and
A Dragon Bloodline Sorcerer.

I will crack the math on a "Pummeling strike" style Deadshot deed Gunslinger 7. with the rest in some other class.

no comment on my kobold stuff? sneak attack is generally the way to go for burst damage, even if it is hard to obtain.

[Dragonchess Player]

Elf rogue (sniper) 3/wizard (Evoker/Admixture) 3/arcane trickster 6/arcane archer 2/arcane trickster +2/arcane archer +1/wizard +3
Favored class wizard (for the +1/2 extra use of Versatile Evocation per wizard level)
Trait: Magical Knack (Wizard)

Stats: 12 Str, 18 Dex, 12 Con, 16 Int, 12 Wis, 10 Cha at 1st level after racial mods; concentrate on Int and Dex

Feats (assuming no crafting):
Rog1 - Point Blank Shot
Rog3 - Precise Shot
Wiz2 - Arcane Armor Training (pick up a mithral shirt; retrain later)
AT1 - Reach Spell (i.e., Reach shocking grasp)
AT3 - Intensified Spell (i.e., Intensified Reach shocking grasp)
AT5 - Weapon Focus (Longbow)
AT6 - retrain Arcane Armor Training for Quicken Spell (Quickened true strike before Imbue Arrow FTW)
AA1 - Widen Spell (for use with Imbue Arrow)
AT7 - whatever you feel is useful*
AA3 - whatever you feel is useful*
Wiz5 - whatever two feats you feel are useful*

*- Burning Spell, Dazing Spell, Empower Spell, Extra Rogue Talent, Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Persistent Spell, Rime Spell, Spell Penetration, etc.

Use Impromptu Sneak Attack in conjunction with Imbue Arrow (+7d6 extra arrow damage) and Surprise Spells (+7d6 extra spell damage); possibly with Versatile Evocation to use the elemental type that will do the most damage. Heroism and (as mentioned) Quickened true strike give you a good chance at hitting almost any target, even with low BAB.

[Whisperknives]

Bandw2 wrote:

Whisperknives wrote:

Bob Bob Bob wrote:

Well, until it gets errated out of existence, Pummeling Style lets you make a full attack and count it as a single attack. It's clearly not meant to do this, but as written you totally can shoot one super arrow with an arrow full attack behind it.

It does not have to out right kill with 1 shot, keeping up with the rest of the group would be enough.

Vital Strike chain, Deadshot deed, (if only they could stack), other things that I might not be thinking about.

I might could talk my DM into letting Deadshot deed work like Pummeling Strike, maybe.

Depending on how you read Deadshot Deed, I could feasibly get it up to damage enough to stack up with other people.

P.S. If it matters, the group is so far:

A strength based Magus/anti-Paladin going Dragon Disciple
A dual wielding ninja
and
A Dragon Bloodline Sorcerer.

I will crack the math on a "Pummeling strike" style Deadshot deed Gunslinger 7. with the rest in some other class.

no comment on my kobold stuff? sneak attack is generally the way to go for burst damage, even if it is hard to obtain.

I was planning to be a Kobold anyway for the bonus to sneaking and sniping/hiding bonus. Good pick though.

[Ed Girallon Poe]

Look into pummeling style. There is currently debate on it's rules as intended, but as written it works with all weapons and balls all their attacks into one shot. Clear with your DM how it will work with your critical fumbles rule. I have a zen archer that, after applying pummeling style, lets him deal 36d6+324 (when all attacks hit and at least one crits successfully; he crits approx. 46.8559% of the time) with a longbow.

[Whisperknives]

Ed Girallon Poe wrote:

Look into pummeling style. There is currently debate on it's rules as intended, but as written it works with all weapons and balls all their attacks into one shot. Clear with your DM how it will work with your critical fumbles rule. I have a zen archer that, after applying pummeling style, lets him deal 36d6+324 (when all attacks hit and at least one crits successfully; he crits approx. 46.8559% of the time) with a longbow.

I personally think it is just for unarmed strikes or things that count as them, it was just badly worded.

I just think if they are gong to have a feat like that then they should make Deadshot Deed and the like, work exactly the same.

Why should a specific class need to be 7th level to take a unique class ability that other people can just get a FAR superior version of with a feat.

[Lune]

I would suggest taking a look over this thread to see if you get any inspiration.

I might also suggest reflavoring the Clustered Shots feat as the mechanics of it support it actually coming from one shot even though it uses multiple attacks to accomplish.

I favor Dragonchess Player's build so far. It makes for the most versatile character with the focus you want. It would add a lot to a party at all levels. I would add the Vital Strike line of feats to that build.

[Whisperknives]

Dragonchess Player wrote:

Elf rogue (sniper) 3/wizard (Evoker/Admixture) 3/arcane trickster 6/arcane archer 2/arcane trickster +2/arcane archer +1/wizard +3

Favored class wizard (for the +1/2 extra use of Versatile Evocation per wizard level)
Trait: Magical Knack (Wizard)

Stats: 12 Str, 18 Dex, 12 Con, 16 Int, 12 Wis, 10 Cha at 1st level after racial mods; concentrate on Int and Dex

Feats (assuming no crafting):
Rog1 - Point Blank Shot
Rog3 - Precise Shot
Wiz2 - Arcane Armor Training (pick up a mithral shirt; retrain later)
AT1 - Reach Spell (i.e., Reach shocking grasp)
AT3 - Intensified Spell (i.e., Intensified Reach shocking grasp)
AT5 - Weapon Focus (Longbow)
AT6 - retrain Arcane Armor Training for Quicken Spell (Quickened true strike before Imbue Arrow FTW)
AA1 - Widen Spell (for use with Imbue Arrow)
AT7 - whatever you feel is useful*
AA3 - whatever you feel is useful*
Wiz5 - whatever two feats you feel are useful*

*- Burning Spell, Dazing Spell, Empower Spell, Extra Rogue Talent, Improved Initiative, Maximize Spell, Persistent Spell, Rime Spell, Spell Penetration, etc.

Use Impromptu Sneak Attack in conjunction with Imbue Arrow (+7d6 extra arrow damage) and Surprise Spells (+7d6 extra spell damage); possibly with Versatile Evocation to use the elemental type that will do the most damage. Heroism and (as mentioned) Quickened true strike give you a good chance at hitting almost any target, even with low BAB.

With that build the Arcane Trickster would not have Surprise spells yet, it is only 8 levels of Arcane Trickster.

I think it would work with Rogue (Sniper) 3, Wizard (Evoker/Admixture) 3, Arcane Trickster 6, Arcane Archer 2, Arcane Trickster +4, Arcane Archer + 2

That would be caster level: 16
Base Attack Bonus of: 12 (not that it matters with true strike and other bonuses.
Get myself a set of Sniper Goggles and I should be good to go.

I will crank out some numbers on damage in a bit.

Wonder if I could fit in a level of Dual Blooded Orc/Draconic sorcerer instead of 1 level of something to really boost the damage.

Also the idea of using the Underhanded rogue talent, combined with a spring loaded wrist holster to pop out a hand crossbow and use all that would be quite interesting.

[Thomas Long 175]

What about a myrmidarch magus combined with a single level in crossblooded sorcerer, then moving into arcane archer?

Actually this brings up a curious thing. Usually you can only attach one spell to ammunition, because after you cast another spell a touch spell dissipates.

But the imbue arrow ability in arcane archer has no such wording and there's nothing for area effect spells because they're usually instantaneous. Here it specifically just calls out the spell is wasted if the arrow isn't fired before the end of your turn.

So cast 1st spell, but don't take the free attack that comes with it. Quicken a snowball and then add that on.

Mind you, you won't be able to do this until higher levels very often but intensifying and turning fireball into cold damage and then adding it to an intensified empowered snowball, plus twice the damage dice you roll on each of these as a flat bonus?

[Dragonchess Player]

Whisperknives wrote:

Dragonchess Player wrote:

Elf rogue (sniper) 3/wizard (Evoker/Admixture) 3/arcane trickster 6/arcane archer 2/arcane trickster +2/arcane archer +1/wizard +3

With that build the Arcane Trickster would not have Surprise spells yet, it is only 8 levels of Arcane Trickster.

I thought I was missing something... I got the math wrong at the end.

Go with rogue (sniper) 3/wizard (Evoker/Admixture) 3/arcane trickster 6/arcane archer 2/arcane trickster +4/arcane archer +1/wizard +1 to still get the main arcane archer goodies (Enhance Arrow (elemental) and Imbue Arrow). Personally, I think the extra use of Versatile Evocation (from hitting wizard 4 with the favored class bonus) is more generally beneficial than the one use of Seeker Arrow (which is its own standard action, meaning it can't be combined with Imbue Arrow).

[Zilfrel Findadur]

This is BAB-bad, better is a Magus (Myrmidarch)/Rogue 3/Arcane Trickster you pick the reach spell and that's it, intensified shocking grasp+sneak attack in your arrow.

[Zilfrel Findadur]

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=993936

in process sheet.

[Tex "Arcana" Johansson]

I made this Gunslinger/Wizard/Eldritch Knight for a PbP game that didn't get far. He uses a double hackbut (2d12 base damage die), plus Vital Strike to get 4d12 before bonuses. Once you get to level 9, you can cast named bullet for yourself to get some serious single shots off.

[FrodoOf9Fingers]

My two bits:

Go with the scout archetype rogue, move every round and shoot. It takes 8 levels to get sneak attacks, but you will get them. Not to mention that your past the hard parts of this build, that being 1-7. You can then pick up sap adapt and sap master, and use blunt arrows for massive amounts of non-lethal damage in a single shot.

To add even more in, get Kirin Strike and Focused Shot to add 3 times your intelligence to every shot (starting in round 3, unfortunately).

The weakness in your build, however, will be one feat: Deflect arrows. So have a back-up plan for sure.