Archer help....

[mthor]

Just throwing the cleric archer in for fun. You can take zen archery then just buff the hell out of it. DMM persist can make a killer combo for a lot of buffs.

[mthor]

Oh and you can always go for a ranged focused Artificer. The big advantage being personal weapon agumentation(bane) for a bane weapon for every fight. At higher levels buying(or crafting) a low level scroll then using that class ability to add a metamagic persist becomes downright trivial. An if your in a really tight spot just whip out a couple wands and blow everything up.

[Dawnmor]

Thor: Already considered the Artificer, Several times as both a Blaster and Archer but I think I settled on doing a Human Fighter (Due to the Feat intensitivity), then take able learner and take Knowledge devotion.

[mthor]

Thor: Already considered the Artificer, Several times as both a Blaster and Archer but I think I settled on doing a Human Fighter (Due to the Feat intensitivity), then take able learner and take Knowledge devotion.

Interesting tell us how that works out. I still think almost any class can make a better archer but hell, what do I know. 

[Dawnmor]

If it helps, I did consider Rogue, Ranger and such already.

[Cephid Arcanis]

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Make your Hanks bow your Kensai weapon!!!

Can you imagine a Splitting, Greater Wounding, Exit wound, Discipline Hanks bow!?!?!!!
Line up your enemies and double-double your damage from any range. Take Woodland Archer and all those to-hit rolls become massive attack bonuses.

[Dawnmor]

Out of curiousity, how would you make this Archer character, Cephid?

[Cephid Arcanis]

Out of curiousity, how would you make this Archer character, Cephid?

My archer priorities:
Distance (that is your greatest defence and the entire point of bows)
Damage (Easy to get lots of full attacks, but you want them to really count)
Stealth (cause I love it and it's perfect for a long range sniper)
Defence (so you don't die)
Options (cause just shooting every round of every game is kinda boring)


If I could use Hanks bow as my Kensai weapon (and there is nothing to suggest otherwise) I'd do something like this:

Human (able learner)
Ranger 4 (for kick ass ranger spells: hunters mercy)
Cleric 1 Elf Domain (for Truestrike) FREE domain
Sword Sage 1 (Nice defencive manuvers and good skills)
Kensai 10 (Surge ability, +10 intimidate, EPIC bow)

Distance
Max spot ranks.
Swapped animal companion for a Hawk familiar to scout enemies useing his spot bonus and your skill ranks.
All abilities work at max range (unlike nearly every archer build out there)

Damage
Surge gives +8 str.
Power shot rocks with True strike.
True strike +Surge +Hunters mercy +Acidic burst arrow +max powershot = dead dude at max range ignoring cover and concealment.
If you can, make it a great bow (1d10 damage).
Strong arm braces (Use large bow for more damage)
Use swift action(sudden leap or belt of battle) to line up 2 or more enemies then full attack them all with Exit wound!
Scroll of Arrow storm to attack every enemy within range (max=character level)

Stealth
Max hide and stealth with a dex based character.

Defence
ebon eyes spell (cleric 1) lets you see in any darkness. Get an item to make magic darkness and slaughter everyone in the dark. (This is especially good becaue darkvision, truesight, blind sence etc all have ranges MUCH less than your bow.)
Sword sage Manuvers: Sudden leap, Swift invisibility, Counter Charge, Perfect mind, Shadow Jaunt, Emerald Razor.
Withstand: Concentration check in place of Ref save.
Max concentration & +5 item to use with Ref and will saves and Surge ability.

Options

[Cagemarrow]

Don't forget the beauty of Serpent Tongue arrows for trick shot shenanigans, and if you can fit in ranged disarm, sunder, pin all the better. These become especially useful if you end up in a piracy based campaign with ship to ship combat. Enemy ship can't sail to close, or run, if you keep cutting down it's sails.

[StreamOfTheSky]

What about martial rogue from UA instead of Fighter?  Gets all the bonus feats along with rogue skills and actual class features, for medium BAB (leave before level 5 and it's only a loss of 1) and d6 HD (you're an archer, big deal!).

If you do dip cleric 1, make it cloistered cleric, too.  The poor BAB will stil just be +0 anyway, and it's only one grade lower HD for an extra domain (or swap it for Knowledge Devotion) and 4 more skill points.  Or just don't dip cleric.

I don't think Swordsage really adds that much to a non-sneak attacking archer, and it adds yet aother painful +0 first level BAB to the build.  Woodland Archer is BAB +6, Improved Precise Shot is BAB +11.  You don't wnt to fall behind on BAB too much.

Also, I like Wood Elf for normal archer builds.  +2 str and dex and low-light is a good combo for an archer.

[Ivory Knight]

+1 for Feat Rogue from UA
You should try to sell your DM on allowing Daring Outlaw(Comp. Scoundrel) to work with Bonus Feats instead of Sneak Attack dice for Swashbuckler levels(making Feat Rogue 4/Swashbuckler 16 a viable Dex-based Archer, if only by houseruling.)

(Cloistered)Cleric & Swordsage cost BaB, however with Zen Archery and Swordsage 2 the benefits of a high WIS-score will make up for that.
Swordsage alone will make a fine addition to any Archer, if taken at high enough level to get some choice maneuvers, but if added to any WIS-based caster/manivester, DEX and WIS have just changed priorities. Make sure to use an Aptitude(enhancement will stack, if you get it for 2 different martial schools and use maneuvers[likely Stance + boost/strike] from both!) bow.

[Cephid Arcanis]

Feat rogue is good if your really keen for the feats.

My build uses partial BAB and saves. (which I strongly suggests everyone does.)

If you use (the broken) Complete Champion then do the cloistered cleric with knowledge devotion trick.

I personally don't think the extra feats for making a wis based character are worth it.

Swordsage adds heaps:
Counter charge !!! best ever with your nice dex.
Swift invis so you can escape and/or hide when ever you need.
Concentration in place of will saves (Kensai uses concentration for reflex saves)
Shadow Jaunt to get to a nice high place quickly where you can snipe from.
+1 initiative

[Dawnmor]

Welp, this just ruined my day slightly.  The new guy is playing an archer and I dont wish to go and make him change his concept build so I told him to just stick with it (Im too nice), SO! Archer HELP!....Has turned into something else .

SO! who knows anything about Blasting ?, I ask because my fall back idea were Artificer/Alchemist Savant Warforged, with a big adamantine shield, and take Imp Homunculus and get a packmate, turn him into an invisible flying object and have him help heal while I have a wand and blast away!......Totally make my group who fights the big bad dragon mad! when big bad dragon dies .

OR! Pixie Swordsage with dual weapon fighting, and feat trees, with shadowblade.

Supposedly simple isnt being totally simple as I thought.

[StreamOfTheSky]

If you want to be a good blaster, be a sorcerer (if Races of the Dragon stuff is allowed, which if your DM is sane, will not be true) or an Evoker Wizard.  Get Empower Spell, Easy Metamagic (Empower) to reduce it to a +1 cost.  Consider if you'd be ok spamming the same spell or two repeatedly.  This is the optimal path for a blaster (and sorcs can do it slightly better, especially if one of your spam spells is Wings of Flurry) and the damage you can deal is quite crazy.

Grab Arcane Thesis feat for each spell you plan to spam.  Due to the feat costs of this build, no more than two spells.  My friend made a sorc with AT for Scorching Ray and Wings of Flurry and it seemed to work pretty well.  AT reduces the cost of metamagic feats applied to that spell by -1, to a minimum of +0*.  Now with Easy meta empower is free for that spell.  Anything that's +1 like Silent and Still are also free.

Get Still Spell, and if you can, Silent Spell (if not, a rod of Silent Spell works fine).

Get Sculpt Spell.  For +1...make that +0 level, you can make an area spell a completely different shape.  Very toolboxy.

If spamming Scorching Ray, grab Searing Spell from Sandstorm.  Another +1 feat (aka free) that makes a fire spell ignore all resistances and the immunity of all but those with the actual fire subtype, iirc.

Similarly, if using Scorching Ray, Raging Flame is a level 1 spell that makes all within its area take +1 damage per die from fire spells.

Finally, work towards entering the Incantatrix prestige class.  These are just some ofthe things you can do to make a very, very terrify blaster.

[Jackinthegreen]

A sane DM?  Isn't that along the lines of finding someone with common sense?

If we're talking about BAB issues, I think there's either a UA or even DMG variation where you treat each level as its proper +1/2 or +3/4 progression, adding up the fractions to wholes when they come up.

[Ivory Knight]

Since a Blaster needs some things to throw on mooks/summons, possibly without wasting spellslots:
Consider one or two(at most) of the reserve feats from Complete Mage.

Warlock / Sorcerer / Eldritch Thaumathurg can make for a decent blaster, if you can stomach not getting 9th level spells(or are using Dragonwrought Kobold Loredrake cheese, which you should, considering blasting is already subpar, compared with a lot of other things you could do with arcane spells like Summoning).

[zugschef]

Finally, work towards entering the Incantatrix prestige class.

you recommend incantatrix after saying that rod won't be allowed by a sane dm?^^

[X-Codes]

Since a Blaster needs some things to throw on mooks/summons, possibly without wasting spellslots:
Consider one or two(at most) of the reserve feats from Complete Mage.

Warlock / Sorcerer / Eldritch Thaumathurg can make for a decent blaster, if you can stomach not getting 9th level spells(or are using Dragonwrought Kobold Loredrake cheese, which you should, considering blasting is already subpar, compared with a lot of other things you could do with arcane spells like Summoning).

I see Eldritch Thaumaturge as a Warlock PrC, not a Sorcerer PrC.  Get in with Precocious Apprentice and use some sort of CL cheese with Wings of Flurry (maybe a Spellthief dip?) to swing some solid blasting, UMD use, and a few Dark Invocations.

Something like... Sorcerer 1/Warlock 4/Spellthief 1/Eldritch Thaumaturge 10/Hellfire Warlock 3/Mindbender 1

[StreamOfTheSky]

Finally, work towards entering the Incantatrix prestige class.

you recommend incantatrix after saying that rod won't be allowed by a sane dm?^^

Eh, it's not on the level of gamebreaking as Wings of Cover and Wings of Flurry (or the Wizard's Abrupt Jaunt, for that matter).  If it's too strong for your DM, any full casting PrC will work for a Sorcerer to gain actual class features.  Not sure of any specificaly helpful for blasting, though.  What's Force Missile Mage give?

[PhaedrusXY]

Finally, work towards entering the Incantatrix prestige class.

you recommend incantatrix after saying that rod won't be allowed by a sane dm?^^

Eh, it's not on the level of gamebreaking as Wings of Cover and Wings of Flurry (or the Wizard's Abrupt Jaunt, for that matter).

Wow... I've always considered most of the things you've posted in the past to be quite sane... Did someone insane hijack your account?  

Have you not looked at the level 3 ability of the Incantatrix, and what it can do when paired with the Persistent Spell feat and an amped up Spellcraft check? Or are you perhaps only familiar with the old version of Incantatrix (Player's Guide to Faerun has the newest one)?

The things you mentioned aren't even in the same ballpark of crazy as the Incantatrix PrC...