so I saw a Build that called for 1 level of sorcerer with the (Empyreal) Archetype. and then going in to Zen Archer monk
I am wondering a few thing would some levels in arcane archer when i'm able to be worth it?
Secondly my Feats are giving me some trouble
as is my race as i think i plan to go half-elf but not sure about it
My feats are as follows
Feats
Level(1) Deadly Aim (Range power attack)
Race:(Half-elf Ancestral Arms Horn-bow)
Level(3)
Level(5)
Level(7) Clustered Shots
I really need help filling in the feats
also how should i spread my stats the game is point buy 20
You would want 3 levels of Zen Archer (no more than that) and only 2 levels of arcane archer (to get imbue arrow, the rest is actually terrible). The best thing to do is to dip 1 level of fighter and go into eldritch knight (you need some class that gives all martial weapon proficiency to get into EK).
As for feats, you need the standard ranged feats.
Also, you're really only taking the Zen-Archer levels so that you only need Wisdom, Strength, and Con.
Feats uou will want:
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Rapid Shot
Deadly Aim
Improved Precise Shot
Many Shot
By the way, you don't qualify for Deadly Aim at level 1 as a Monk (you don't have a BAB of 1).
For ability scores I'd do something like:
STR: 14 DEX: 10 CON: 12 INT: 10 WIS: 17 CHA: 10, to be modified by race as normal.
You don't want rapid or many shot, doesn't stack with zen archer flurry.
Zen archer adds goodies through 6th level at least, with improved precise shot basically another free +4 to hit with allies in the way all the time.
If you are asking about optimal, go dwarf, but half elf, orc, human, or anything with a wisdom bonus works fine.
Note that depending on how long you'll be playing, you can't really get to arcane archer at level 7 anyway, and if you're using a hornbow the weapon focus requirement would be wasted. The extra 1.5 damage isn't important tbh.
However, you do get martial weapon proficiency from arcane archer.
For level 7, 6 zen archer and 1 empyreal sorcerer is pretty fun.
level 1) zen archer bonus point blank shot, regualr level precise shot
level 2) weapon focus ZA bonus, ZA bonus pick your favorite: Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Far Shot
level 3) deadly aim, ZA bonus point blank master
level 4) ki pool: note with this and far shot you can shoot anything you can see...
level 5) who cares you have almost every archery feat
level 6) weapon specialization ZA bonus because why not
level 7) don't even need clustered shots, switch arrows (blunt, cold iron, silver, etc) to break DR and/or have an enhanced bow. Also you don't qualify for it because even though you have a full bab 99% of the time it matters, it's still virtual. Take your sorcerer level for funsies so you can cast mage armor, shield, and other fun things on yourself (use a wand mostly).
other feats you could throw in there:
snap shot
Honestly the main reason to multiclass out of ZA after about 6th level is boredom, you just get better and better and shooting things with a bow.
blashimov wrote: You don't want rapid or many shot, doesn't stack with zen archer flurry. He does with my build because he's only taking 3 levels of Zen Archer. Unless he takes at least 6 levels, he's going to want rapid shot and many shot. But he really shouldn't take that many levels.
Claxon wrote: blashimov wrote: You don't want rapid or many shot, doesn't stack with zen archer flurry. He does with my build because he's only taking 3 levels of Zen Archer. Unless he takes at least 6 levels, he's going to want rapid shot and many shot. But he really shouldn't take that many levels. Why not? You get free flurry at level 1. So rapid shot does nothing for you and you can't even take many shot until like 9th level and it's not on the list of feats you can get with zen archer at levels 1 or 2. So for two levels you've wasted a feat for no reason...since flurry is better than using rapid shot because it's full bab...Spending two feats to get one manyshot attack and take a -1 penalty to hit (and later iterative (you don't have an iterative if you aren't using flurry at level 7 unless you went 3 zen archer and 4 full BAB-something) makes no sense.
Spending two feats for manyshot and -1 to hit *absolutely* makes sense.
It requires 17 dexterity though, so it's probably out for that reason. You'll probably want at least 13 dex to qualify for deadly aim.
Zen archer 3/Empyreal Sorcerer 6/Fighter 1/Arcane Archer 10 for a 20 level build.
Feats(half-elf)
1 - ???
1M - Perfect Strike
1M - Precise Shot
1M - Improved Unarmed Strike
2M - Weapon Focus: Longbow
2M - Point Blank Shot
3 - Deadly Aim
3M - Point Blank Master
4S - Eschew Materials
5 - ???
7 - ???
9 - Favored Prestige Class: Arcane Archer
10F - Clustered Shots
11 - Prestigious Spellcaster: Arcane Archer
13 - ???
15 - Prestigious Spellcaster: Arcane Archer
17 - ???
19 - Prestigious Spellcaster: Arcane Archer
You cast as a 16th level sorcerer, with a BAB of +16.
Edit: just actually read the OP.
Suppose you're an empyreal sorcerer 1/Zen Archer 8, is it worth going Arcane Archer?
Probably. I'd say if you intend to go on all the way to level 20, Arcane Archer is probably the most powerful way to go. 5th level spells is nothing to sneeze at.
That said, when you're level 9 or so, it'll be more powerful to take level 10 of zen archer than level 1 of arcane archer. If the temporary tradeoff is something you can live with, then go for it.
Good catch Ierox, you will want at least 13 dex, for some of the archery feats.
But yes, Rapid Shot and Many Shot are worth it unless you're going to take a majority of levels in Monk (which isn't worth it beyond level 3).
Arcane Archer is really only good for 2 levels to get Imbue Arrow, everything else it grants isn't actually that good. That's why you go into Eldritch Knight afterwards.
So you'll take 9 levels in EK, 2 levels in Arcane Archer. At least 6 levels in sorcerer (for 3rd level spells to qualify for EK), 3 levels of Zen Archer. Early in your character build you take a level of fighter (for martial weapon proficiency) but you retrain it later.
Claxon wrote: Good catch Ierox, you will want at least 13 dex, for some of the archery feats.
But yes, Rapid Shot and Many Shot are worth it unless you're going to take a majority of levels in Monk (which isn't worth it beyond level 3).
Arcane Archer is really only good for 2 levels to get Imbue Arrow, everything else it grants isn't actually that good. That's why you go into Eldritch Knight afterwards.
So you'll take 9 levels in EK, 2 levels in Arcane Archer. At least 6 levels in sorcerer (for 3rd level spells to qualify for EK), 3 levels of Zen Archer. Early in your character build you take a level of fighter (for martial weapon proficiency) but you retrain it later.
I still don't know what you have against ki pool, improved precise shot 5 levels early, and weapon specialization.
And again, arcane archer grants martial weapon proficiency. You don't need a fighter level. Arcane archer also gives a caster level, so you don't need 6 sorcerer. And yet again, you *can't have many shot until 9th level*. In your build, not until, 11th level.
The OP was wondering if a) a couple levels later of arcane archer are worth it and b) feat suggestions. Rapid shot on a zen archer at level 7 makes 0 sense. Furthermore, compare a level 3 ZA + 4 sorcerer vs 6 ZA + 1 sorcerer:
The 4 sorcerer has second level spells. The 6/1 has: improved precise shot (+4 to hit most of the time), +1 bab, +2 damage, ki pool for more attacks and range etc, +2 fort and re, +3 hp (or +6 if ZA favored class), +6 skill pts, an extra 10 ft of movement, +1 AC, slow fall and high jump or traded out abilities, 3 extra uses of perfect strike..
The fighter level is to get levels in Eldritch Knight/Arcane earlier.
As you need either martial weapon proficiency (EK) or BAB 6 (AA).
Claxon wrote: The fighter level is to get levels in Eldritch Knight/Arcane earlier.
As you need either martial weapon proficiency (EK) or BAB 6 (AA).
A level in AA will give you martial weapon proficiency.
|
