Author Topic: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character  (Read 4830 times)

Offline Snowbluff

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PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« on: March 29, 2014, 01:40:26 PM »
So I want to do some magic archer of some type in Pathfinder Society. My regular table is full of guys I play with at other events, so I pretty much get a consistent part each time. This set of characters just hit level 2.

Gunslinger: This guy always plays a gunslinger.
Cleric: He's doing a channeling style build.
Magus: This guy always plays a magus.  :tongue
Ninja: This guy would play a rogue, but they suck in PF.

It's probably a small chance that anyone here ever plays with the strict PFS rules, but I think it's worth a shot asking. The gunslinger is pretty much a melee character the way he fights, so I was thinking of filling in as an archer.

What I got right now for build ideas:
Aasimar Foresight Wizard1/Fighter1/EK5/Arcane Archer. Shoot Emergency Spheres at people. Gravity Bow + Keen Edge + Enlarge Person.
Bard. Maybe a detective to assist with trapfinding.

Can I get some help with this?
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Offline StreamOfTheSky

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2014, 10:41:02 AM »
So I want to do some magic archer of some type in Pathfinder Society. My regular table is full of guys I play with at other events, so I pretty much get a consistent part each time. This set of characters just hit level 2.

Gunslinger: This guy always plays a gunslinger.
Cleric: He's doing a channeling style build.
Magus: This guy always plays a magus.  :tongue
Ninja: This guy would play a rogue, but they suck in PF.

It's probably a small chance that anyone here ever plays with the strict PFS rules, but I think it's worth a shot asking. The gunslinger is pretty much a melee character the way he fights, so I was thinking of filling in as an archer.

What I got right now for build ideas:
Aasimar Foresight Wizard1/Fighter1/EK5/Arcane Archer. Shoot Emergency Spheres at people. Gravity Bow + Keen Edge + Enlarge Person.
Bard. Maybe a detective to assist with trapfinding.

Can I get some help with this?

I would not go Foresight Diviner, the diviner features are more worth the cost (having to use your bonus slots for div. spells) if you go to higher levels for its capstone ability, I think a more front-loaded school like Teleport Conjuror would be better for someone who will have few actual wizard levels.

See if you can get Esoteric Training.  It's super-broken, it's not even a feat or trait, just a background.  And in return for the zero cost, you get +3 to your CL up to HD, which will help with all the lost CL nicely.  Except...it's even better than Magical Knack or 3E's Practiced Spellcaster.  It not only boosts CL for spell parameters, it actually advances your spells known and per day by three levels, too:lol

If it is PFS, does that mean you will cap at level 12?  That makes it MUCH harder to get good use out of Arcane Archer's Imbue Arrow.  In any case, EK is worth going all the way to 10 once you take the 1st level hit.  AA should be entered when you can to go for level 2's imbue arrow.  You can go up to 4 and not lose another CL (but I think I'd rather max out EK first before doing that), but you definitely don't want to take AA beyond 4th level.

If you want to do a Bard build and assist with trapfinding, you could make an Archaeologist.  Their swift action activation for luck (their inspire courage replacement) plays nicely with Rapid Shotting and they get better Trapdinfing.  If you do so, spending a feat on Lingering Performance (so you can get 3 rounds of luck for each round spent) is basically mandatory to fix their horrible 4 + cha rounds per day (that NEVER increases).  And getting the Fate's Favored trait is practically mandatory, too.  The good thing about Archaeologist is it's less painful to ditch for a PrC than normal bard if you wanted to.  Level 6 is a great breakpoint to leave after.

Offline Snowbluff

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2014, 12:25:53 PM »

I would not go Foresight Diviner, the diviner features are more worth the cost (having to use your bonus slots for div. spells) if you go to higher levels for its capstone ability, I think a more front-loaded school like Teleport Conjuror would be better for someone who will have few actual wizard levels.
Hm... Yeah, I think I can swap it out. Thanks.
Quote
See if you can get Esoteric Training.  It's super-broken, it's not even a feat or trait, just a background.  And in return for the zero cost, you get +3 to your CL up to HD, which will help with all the lost CL nicely.  Except...it's even better than Magical Knack or 3E's Practiced Spellcaster.  It not only boosts CL for spell parameters, it actually advances your spells known and per day by three levels, too:lol
*spit out drink* WHAT?!  :lmao

Unfortunately, it's not allowed. Only the archetypes and feats made it out of the books, according to the Additional Resources. I would pay a feat for only ONE level progression. :shakefist

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If it is PFS, does that mean you will cap at level 12?  That makes it MUCH harder to get good use out of Arcane Archer's Imbue Arrow.  In any case, EK is worth going all the way to 10 once you take the 1st level hit.  AA should be entered when you can to go for level 2's imbue arrow.  You can go up to 4 and not lose another CL (but I think I'd rather max out EK first before doing that), but you definitely don't want to take AA beyond 4th level.
Yep. I was considering going full EK, but we have a magus already. I was only going to take 3 AA levels, anyway.
Quote
If you want to do a Bard build and assist with trapfinding, you could make an Archaeologist.  Their swift action activation for luck (their inspire courage replacement) plays nicely with Rapid Shotting and they get better Trapdinfing.  If you do so, spending a feat on Lingering Performance (so you can get 3 rounds of luck for each round spent) is basically mandatory to fix their horrible 4 + cha rounds per day (that NEVER increases).  And getting the Fate's Favored trait is practically mandatory, too.  The good thing about Archaeologist is it's less painful to ditch for a PrC than normal bard if you wanted to.  Level 6 is a great breakpoint to leave after.
Hm... very good. I think I'll do this. Loss of versatile performance sucks, but then again I don't have put points in perform.  :D

Aasimar isn't needed, and the Favored Class bonus is incompatible with the Luck ability (break points aren't helpful)... I might be choosing another race. I can use variant Aasimar and Tieflings, though. Azata Aasimar, or maybe Human so I can start with rapid shot...

1: PBS
3: Rapid
5: Lingering
7: Arcane Strike (Use the round after Luck)
9: Deadly Aim.

I might fiddle with this order...
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Offline StreamOfTheSky

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2014, 04:54:32 PM »
What about Precise Shot? You like taking a -4 to hit?

I'd drop Arcane Strike, you're going to be using your swift at least every 3 turns, and since your round 1 will basically always be for Luck, AS just doesn't seem as useful.  Half the benefit is getting it at low levels when DR magic is a thing you actually might have concern about anyway.  9th level should probably be Clustered Shots or Manyshot.  Assuming it's compatible with Luck, *every* bard's 11th level feat should probably be Discordant Voice.
EDIT: Another nice thing about Archaeologist for archer bards is that you can use the rogue talents at every 4th level to help out with the harsh feat load of archery.  Combat Trick if nothing else...

It's a shame PFS is so strict that you can't use Aasimar's favored class towards Luck (are you sure?  it seems odd that it "counts" for Lingering Performance, but not for the favored class...); Muse-touched (Azata) is so good.  Is Fetchling an option?  They have some cool abilities and are +Dex/Cha, -Wis.

Also, for your luck-optimizing needs:
Headband of Fortune's Favor
Jingasa of the Fortunate Soldier
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 05:08:57 PM by StreamOfTheSky »

Offline Snowbluff

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2014, 05:44:33 PM »
Between combat trick and human, I should be able to fit in Precise Shot, yes.

Discordant voice? Sounds good. I was taking a look at it. Pretty cool.

As for Aasimar, the bonus would only improve if I were to stay in Bard past 6, and I would lose the feat, class bonus skill points, etc. I'm still thinking about race options.

EDIT: Playing a fetchling would require a boon I don't have. Just like Tiefling, this will probably be changed right after I finalize a character that I would rather play as that race.  :tongue
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 07:11:09 PM by Snowbluff »
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Offline StreamOfTheSky

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2014, 06:40:47 PM »
It's not optimal and it will impose annoying alignment restrictions on you, but dipping Divine Hunter Paladin at 1st level is pretty also helpful.  You get Precise Shot for free and 1/day smite evil for +cha to attack rolls and ignore damage reduction (and +1 damage...) plus at will detect evil.  If you later decide to take a 2nd level, you would further get cha to all saves.

Offline Snowbluff

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2014, 10:31:03 PM »
Yeah, I can see that.

Wasn't there a trait that improve the duration of morale bonuses?
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Offline StreamOfTheSky

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2014, 02:25:09 AM »
Wasn't there a trait that improve the duration of morale bonuses?

You mean Opportunistic Gambler?  What use would that be for you, exactly?  Plus, the added duration is a random die roll.

Side note: I don't know WHEN d20pfsrd decided to change their traits page layout to that godawful table format, but using it made me want to stab someone in the throat.  Why must that site continue to make the user experience worse and worse and worse?

Offline Snowbluff

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Re: PFS Magic Archer or ranged character
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2014, 10:16:08 AM »
You mean Opportunistic Gambler?  What use would that be for you, exactly?  Plus, the added duration is a random die roll.
IN case I end up doing a morale build sometime. The bard will probably cover his morale using Heroism.
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Side note: I don't know WHEN d20pfsrd decided to change their traits page layout to that godawful table format, but using it made me want to stab someone in the throat.  Why must that site continue to make the user experience worse and worse and worse?

This is true for most websites. Facebook, youtube... even GitP has added a bunch of space between the buttons I use. :l
Clerics are my game!