Arrowsong Minstrel / Ranger Build

[PiedPiper]

Arrowsong Minstrel Focused Performance Bard X/Hooded Champion Wildhunter Ranger 1

Stats

Human (20 Pt. Buy)

Str: 10
Dex: 18
Con: 10
Int: 12
Wis: 8
Cha: 16

Level 1 (B): Bardic Performance, Arcane Spells, Point-Blank Shot, Lingering Performance
Level 2 (R): Animal Focus (Tiger, Eagle), Deed: Dead Aim, Other Deeds, 3 Panache Points
Level 3 (B): Precise Shot (Free), Precise Minstrel, Deadly Aim
Level 4 (B): +1 to Cha
Level 5 (B): +1 Arcane Spell, Intensified Spell
Level 6 (B): +2 Inspire Courage
Level 7 (B): Arrowsong Strike, Arcane Strike
Level 8 (B): Move Action Performance

Traits: Reactionary, Magical Knack (Bard)

Arcane Spells
1st Level
Shocking Grasp
Gravity Bow
Ray of Frost
4th Level
Scorching Ray

The idea is at level 7 you use Arrowsong Strike with the Dead Aim Deed to make a touch attack with a bow to deliver the touch spell. Here we use Intensified Spell to make Shocking Graps up to 10d6. You do need a round for buffs, but you will make your party happy with Bardic Performance.

Example Level 8

Assuming
Base Attack +6
+1 Longbow
20 Dex +5 (Belt of Dex)

Total of +12

Buffs
Pre Fight: 80 Min Heroism +2 to Attack, 80 Min Flame Arrow 1d6 Fire
During Fight
Round 1: Swift Action: Tiger Focus +2 Dex, Move: Lingering Bardic Performance +2 Att/Damage, Standard: Gravity Bow 2d6
Round 2: Swift Action: Arcane Strike +2 att/dam, Standard: Arrowsong Strike With Dead Aim (Vs. Touch), Deadly Aim (-2 Att, +4 damage), and Intensified Shocking Grasp attached (8d6)

That's +15 for 2d6+10 Physical + 8d6 Electric + 1d6 Fire

+15 at level 8 Vs. Touch on 1 attack
11d6+10
43 damage on touch

Vs. 3 Rapid Shot Attacks instead of Intensified Spell at 2d6+10 Physical + 1d6 Fire

+13/+13/+8 Vs. Standard
9d6+30
19/38/57 Damage assuming they all hit.

Thoughts?

[avr]

Arrowsong strike doesn't work with melee touch spells.

arrowsong strike wrote:

At 6th level, an Arrowsong minstrel can use spellstrike (as per the magus class feature) to cast a single-target ranged touch attack spell and deliver it through a ranged weapon attack. Even if the spell can normally affect multiple targets, only a single missile, ray, or effect accompanies the attack. She cannot use spellstrike with normal touch attacks or melee attacks.

You could use reach spell but that's another feat of course. The Snowball spell would work better.

10 Con is pretty low. At 8th level that's about 47 HP if you put all the favored class bonus into HP, ~43 if you use the human alternate to grab a few extra spells. Your character could kill their double in a round with intensified snowball loaded onto an arrow, which means they're leaning a bit too heavily on offence over defence IMO.

[PiedPiper]

avr wrote:

Arrowsong strike doesn't work with melee touch spells.

arrowsong strike wrote:

At 6th level, an Arrowsong minstrel can use spellstrike (as per the magus class feature) to cast a single-target ranged touch attack spell and deliver it through a ranged weapon attack. Even if the spell can normally affect multiple targets, only a single missile, ray, or effect accompanies the attack. She cannot use spellstrike with normal touch attacks or melee attacks.

You could use reach spell but that's another feat of course. The Snowball spell would work better.

Ah yeah, It would be level 9 to get the reach/intensified combo. Unfortunately, Bards don't get Snowball with the archetype. There would not be a way to get it without multiclassing into Sorcerer/Wizard 1 level.

avr wrote:

10 Con is pretty low. At 8th level that's about 47 HP if you put all the favored class bonus into HP, ~43 if you use the human alternate to grab a few extra spells. Your character could kill their double in a round with intensified snowball loaded onto an arrow, which means they're leaning a bit too heavily on offence over defence IMO.

Not too worried about 10 con as a backliner. I've played plenty of 10 con characters and was fine.

What alternate trait is that? I may not have it in Herolab.

[avr]

The alternate FCB for a human bard is the same as the human sorcerer one - add one spell known, at least a level below the highest you can cast.

Edit: ah, conjuration. OK, maybe a ring of spell knowledge II would be useful to you.

[Quentin Coldwater]

I'm pretty hesitant about a 10 CON character as well, but if you're fine with it, I won't comment on it.

I have an Arrowsong Minstrel as well, I love him. What I did was neglect his Charisma slightly. I started as an Azata-blooded Aasimar (PFS, I had a boon) with 16 DEX and 14 CHA, bumping those to 18 and 16. Dumped INT to 8 (I lost Bardic Knowledge anyway), so I had enough point-buy to boost my STR slightly and have a healthy CON. This way, I could get a composite longbow.

The Ranger dip doesn't do much, I think. Hooded Champion works as avr already said, and animal focus is an enhancement bonus, so they don't stack with your belt.

I think for this build to work, you have to sacrifice some CHA, I'm afraid, you're spreading yourself too thin. Dual Talented Human also gives you the option of getting two +2, ending up at 16 CHA as well. It's not as high as you would want, but that's the tradeoff for being a kickass archer. I still had enough skill points to have decent face skills and do other stuff. Do prioritise DEX over CHA, though. I had my first +2 headband when I was level 9 or so. Your to-hit is way more important.

[Brother Fen]

I'm currently running an arrowsong minstrel in Curse of the Crimson Throne. I maxed out CHA to enable a wider selection of arrowsong evocation spells. So far, it is working well.

[Brother Fen]

Using the Arrowsong Lament masterpiece would allow a bard to add Snowball to their daily spell list.

[pestilenz]

Hey there.
I'm planning an arrowsong minstrel / arcane archer for PFS. So: good choice! ^^

But the ranger-dip doesn't work as you wish it to. I see 2 problems:
1. the 2 archetypes don't stack, because both of them replace the favored enemy class ability.
2. the deed 'dead aim' refers to 'a single ranged attack (not a full attack)' while spellstrike casts a spell and adds the delivery through an attack. I'm just not sure, this will work well with each other.

Further there are not many evocation spells, that qualify for the spellstrike. So my advice: Just take it as a gimmick and get sure, you have a spell on your list of spells known that is qualifying for spellstrike. But don't focus on this ability.