So, I'm currently looking at creating a new archery-focused character. Has anyone been able to create a successful archer and, if yes, did you go for a normal non-spell user or were you successful with a semi (a warrior mage is tempting as I'd have access to haste and other spells to increase rate of fire)? Are there any particular spell lists you found useful if you were a semi?
I have both a non-spell user archer class and semi-spell user archer class, the Mystic Archer... as well as variants of the same, the Snake (Mystic) Archers.
By successful, I mean able to compete with melee characters in terms of usefulness at a higher level.
Just as IRL, people expert in archery were always waaaaaaaaayyyy better than melee characters, and are considered "unfair" by melee characters... It was even truer when I started using the AC, due to the
Trick shot skill.
Anyway, so...
1) The Archer: ST/CO
--> Weapons +3, ath +1, con +1, gen +1, med +1, out +1, perc +2,
--> Missile 1/3, ad. balance 1/3, surveillance 1/3, fletching 1/2, trick shot 1/2, body dev. 2/6, anim hand 2/8, frenzy 4/12, hostile env 2/8, symbol lore 10,
--> gets one option pt less but gains +2/lvl to OB when one rd is spent aiming at target, and all bow ranges are +25%,
2) The Snake Archer variant:
"In some snake cults, there are those who admire serpents for their beauty, some for their wisdom, and some for their abilities as predators. Within this last group are a subset that see a serpent's abilities as weapons to be used and exploited rather than worshipped or emulated. These are the serpent archers, combining the deadly powers of snakes with their own natural aptitude with bows. The serpent archers respect their scaly brethren and practice a strange way of melding their skills with the abilities of the ophidians."
As Archer with :
--> Animal handling 1/2, stone craft 4, hypnosis 1/4, increase wnds 4, use/rem poison 1/3, second aid 5, animal healing 1/3, ambush 5, ad. balance 2/6
--> gets one option pt less but serpent skills.
Serpent skills:
- A snake archer breeds snakes to use them as projectiles. Typically, he keeps them in a small cage or bag,
- At each round, a snake archer may extract a small snake from its container (similar to taking an arrow from a quiver), rigidify it through a special hypnosis (Hypnosis roll at +20) and use it as an arrow for his bow. Used that way, the snake inflicts damage similar to a normal arrow and, if it's venomous, poisons its target if a critical is inflicted as if it had bit him. After it was fired that way, the snake is stunned for 1 round (it falls normally at its victim's feet). After it recovered, it attacks its target as it would have normally; otherwise, it flees to go back to its archer. If it's not fired, a snake recovers from the hypnosis after one round.
- The snake archer breeds its snakes with a special mix, increasing the effect of their poison. An Animal Handling roll is made each month and its result is crossed with the variability table to get the poison level for the month,
- His expertise with snakes gives the snake archer a bonus of +25 in Use/remove poison when he manipulates a snake.
3) The Mystic Archer:
--> Essence, em/ag, skills as warrior-mage except prime weapon (that must be projectile) at 1/4, stalk/hide 1/5, ds 10, fletching 1/3
--> arms +3, bdev +1, general +1, perc +1, athl +1, dead +1, sub +2
--> spell lists:
Arrow of Might,
Perception’s Master,
Assassin Mastery,
Essence Wing,
Rapid Ways,
Essence Wing.
4) The Mystic Snake Archer variant:
--> options of the snake archer,
--> base list change. Merely replace
Rapid Ways with
Serpent Law, with the following particularity: a Mystic Snake Archer may cast
in the same round, though with a -20 penalty, any
Summon snake spell and fire one or several arrows (if he combines it with a
Trick shot). In the case of a multiple summon, the spell remains active until all snakes are summoned. At last, if the poison level remains the same, its victim gets a penalty to his RR of -10 on an 'A' critical, -15 on a 'B', -25 on a 'C', -30 on a 'D', -40 on an 'E' and -50 above.