HUMAN FIGHTER Archer Build opmization LV 12

[JuliusCromwell]

Going to see if my GM will let me rebuild my Archer since it's been a lil over a year and I no longer have the Sheet

I was a Fighter with the Archtype but will plan to Switch to Advance weapon Training

If I where to optimize My Ability To Actually land Hits and optimize My DPR what should my Numbers look like

This is keeping with in My class No cross classing and keeping with in pazio for my feats and items.

I also need way to Dea with a A Dragon DR and
Ways to Ignore wind Effects

[Kiba Kurokage]

Well, there's a couple ways to do archery builds as far as I'm aware. There's a number of feats and abilities you can take to give yourself those bumps in hit.

One of the bigger things to look at for DR is that dragons if I recall, mostly only have DR/magic, so any effect that makes your bow +1 should help there. Otherwise, look at Clustered shots feats, so your individual bow shots all count as 1 attack.

You could take archer fighter archetype for some neat bonuses like Bonuses to perception, bonus bow range, and no Attacks of Opportunity when shooting the bow without needing the snapshot feat that removes it.

Boosting damage should be easy enough with called shots, Deadly aim, etc.

As far as wind effects, there's a few ways, "Silver nocking point" is a 3k item that reduces penalty due to severe winds. The Cyclonic +2 weapon enhancement that entirely takes care of it, but it's expensive... Or there's the "Weathered Warrior" combat feat that reduces penalty as well, and might stack with the silver nocking point.

[TxSam88]

at 12th level you should be able to fire 6 arrows per turn, starting at roughly +16 to hit (depending on magic items), with 1d8+17 damage (roughly)

3+1 of the arrows all use the highest attack mod, so 100 damage per round should be easy.

IMO the Archer archetype is a trap, as the pure fighter winds up dealing more damage.

[Kiba Kurokage]

You DO lose on damage, but I feel you get some good things in exchange, like Shooting a dragon at almost 400 ft out and grappling them with the arrow, making them fall from the sky.

[VoodistMonk]

Yeah, but anyone can just take Ace Trip...

[Derklord]

JuliusCromwell wrote:

I also need way to Dea with a A Dragon DR and

Ways to Ignore wind Effects

Clustered Shots takes care of the DR, and the Cyclonic weapon enchantment (best applied via Warrior Spirit) takes care of wind effects.

Edit: Oops, didn't refresh...

[Kasoh]

This isn't even very optimized, but its the most generic good archer fighter base line. Since you emphasized hitting, The Weapon Focus line and Weapon Training (Get the Gloves of Weapon Training+) should take care of most of it.

1 Point Blank Shot
H Precise Shot
F1 Weapon Focus
F2 Rapid Shot
3 Iron Will
F4 Weapon Spec
5 Deadly Aim
Weapon Training +1
F6 Manyshot
7 Clustered Shots
F8 Improved Critical
9 Greater Weapon Focus
Weapon Training +2 (Warrior Spirit)
F10 Point Blank Master
11 Improved Precise Shot
F12 Greater Weapon Spec

[TxSam88]

Kiba Kurokage wrote:

You DO lose on damage, but I feel you get some good things in exchange, like Shooting a dragon at almost 400 ft out and grappling them with the arrow, making them fall from the sky.

Given the choice between raw damage nd limited situational use abilities, raw damage wins every time

[Mark Hoover 330]

VoodistMonk wrote:

Yeah, but anyone can just take Ace Trip...

PC from the OP is L12. Dragons at this point will be young adult or older meaning they have terrible maneuverability and low Fly skill bonuses. Most however have alternate movement types and abilities that make flying a last resort.

By young adult a dragon has survived over half a century if not more. Unless they're SUPER confident that their Frightful Presence is going to set their foes running I can't imagine why one would be floating around in the open air.

Take an adult black dragon, CR 11. This thing has a 200' Fly speed with Poor maneuverability and Fly +12. If they fail a save or are otherwise Grappled/Entangled in the air, there's little they're going to be able to do to pull out of it. They also typically live in swamps, a biome dotted with trees.

They have a Swim speed of only 60' but they can breathe underwater. Their BW, spells and other abilities can be used while fully submerged. If the dragon remains chest deep in the water they have Improved Cover and if fully submerged they have Total Cover from attacks originating on land, unless the PCs have Freedom of Movement running. There's the added bonus that land-based PCs aren't usually great in the water.

PCs enter an area of the swamp which is mostly deep, murky water with clusters of mangrove dotting the landscape. There are also hummocks here and there with rickety old foot bridges connecting some. Of course, the PCs are APL 12, they probably have the ability to fly or Dimension Door right through a lot of this but there's supposed to be a dragon around here for them to fight.

Well, the black dragon is currently submerged in the water. The creature took 10 on their Stealth and can be detected on a 30 modified by distance. The dragon starts at 60' from the shoreline. Any PCs that move in a nice, orderly line to walk over a bridge? Acid breath weapon. Do they brave the water? Melee attacks. How does the dragon know what's coming? They've been speaking with reptiles about the approaching PCs all day or their Alarm spell went off.

This dragon, if forewarned, could have cast Mage Armor on itself putting their starting AC at 32. While submerged in the water none of the PCs can even attack it from land (again, unless Freedom of Movement), but if the dragon really wants to go nuts they can surge up out of the water and make a single Bite attack with a 15' Reach.

During this one attack they would probably count as "chest deep" in the water; the dragon's AC is 40. If they just move and attack, don't Charge, the dragon can use both Power Attack AND Vital Strike. That's a Bite +17 (4d6+22). During this attack the entire party is making Fear saves (probably not a problem at APL 12 but still) from its Frightful Presence DC 19. Now the creature is at least exposed enough to attack, if the PCs can hit AC 40, but anyone that's got to get to within 10' of it likely has to get into the water unless that PC can fly.

Of course, if this dragon then decides it needs to flee for some reason, Obscuring Mist as a Standard, 60' swim speed as a Move action, and it is rare that a land-based group of PCs will give chase. If the party prepped for underwater this is a different encounter, but if not I don't see ANY reason why that black dragon is hauling up out of the marshes to soar over the battlefield.