Author Topic: Epic Swiftblade Archer  (Read 2528 times)

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bearsarebrown

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Epic Swiftblade Archer
« on: April 07, 2010, 08:43:45 PM »
Level 26. NO EPIC SPELLCASTING. Trying not to break past tier 3.

Current build stub looks something like...

XXX 15/ Swiftblade 9/Arcane Archer 2  :lol
I really don't know where to go from here. I'll be firing from a Hank's Power Bow with Splitting, and will definitely pick up Woodland Archer. Is their an equivalent to Wraithstrike for ranged attacks?  Oh, and Arcane Archer is non-racist.

I'm thinking Archivist base, because, well, they're the best. Maybe Archivist 11/Swiftblade 9/ Arcane Archer 2/Abjurant Champion 4? that's nice and simple and leaves me with 21st level spellcasting. But I can do a lot better then that I think. And this assumes I'll be okay'd with a Divine variant of Swiftblade. DM said no to divine variant.

I'd like a way to get cheap metamagic, namely persist. Spelldancer is my goto and shares prerequisites...
Wizard 5/ Swiftblade 9/ Arcane Archer 2/ Unarmed Swordsage 1/ Jade Phenoix Mage 8/ Spelldancer 1
Thoughts? Not sure how worth it JPM is with ranged attacks. Leaves me with IL 17 but I don't have any known :lol. I guess I could buy a ton of items. WBL at level 26 is obscene.


Looking at JPM. Not worth it at all for ranged. Next to none of the maneuvers work. I'm back to...
Wizard 5/ Swiftblade 9/ Arcane Archer 2/ Spell Dancer 1/  XXX 9


:lmao
Spellthief 1/ Sorcerer 6/ Swiftblade 9/ Arcane Archer 2/ Spell Dancer 2/ Knight of the Weave 1/ Abjurant Champion 5
that might be my final unless I come up with some reason to tone it down. Should leave me with caster level 41 or so. choose Sorcerer base because Cha is easier to boost and it's just less of a headache for me to play.
this is going to be super feat intensive and might require some rearranging.

Feats are brutal...
[spoiler]Human   Point Blank Shot
Flaw   Quicken Spell
Flaw   Rapid Shot
1st   Midnight Dodge
3rd   Mobility
6th   Weapon Focus
9th   Extend Spell
12th   Percise Shot
15th   Endurance
18th   Combat Casting
21st   XXX
24th   XXX
Bought   Persist Spell[/spoiler]

Really only two left. Unless yo guys can cheese me some extra feats from somewhere.

Spell choices? I need a lot of help on these. I plan on buying an epic item which grants a free 2000xp per day to spend on spells. This allows for six free Limited Wishes. Can also fuel Alter Fortune. Also consider Imbue Arrow. Any "area" spell can be fired as a standard action from my bow. Currently awaiting approval from DM is Splitting works on Imbued Arrows.
1st[spoiler]
1. Protection from Evil
2. Shield
3. Grease
4. ???
5. ???
[/spoiler]
2nd[spoiler]
1. Web
2. Ray of Stupidity
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???
[/spoiler]
3rd[spoiler]
1. Dispel Magic
2. Mage Armor Greater [awaiting houserule to determine if this is abjuration)
3. Haste  :p
4. Alter Fortune
[/spoiler]
4th[spoiler]
1. Black Tentacles
2. Solid Fog
3. Wings of Flurry
4. ???
[/spoiler]
5th[spoiler]
1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
[/spoiler]
6th[spoiler]
1. Antimagic Field
2. Freezing Fog
3. ???
4. ???
[/spoiler]
7th[spoiler]
1. Limited Wish
2. Elemental Body
3. Force Cage
[/spoiler]
8th[spoiler]
1. Mind Blank
2. Avascular Mass
3. ???
[/spoiler]
9th[spoiler]
1. Wish
2. ???
[/spoiler]
« Last Edit: April 10, 2010, 03:42:32 PM by bearsarebrown »

kevin_video

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2010, 09:02:16 PM »
You're being allowed Splitting? That's awesome. I envy you.
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bearsarebrown

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2010, 09:03:19 PM »
It's a 26th level game. Damage output is the least of the DM's worries.

kevin_video

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2010, 10:01:53 PM »
It's a 26th level game. Damage output is the least of the DM's worries.
Fair enough.

Arcane Archer is non-race based? So you'll be a human Arcane Archer? That just feels weird, but okay.

At first glance, your Wizard 5 only gets you +2, and you need +3 for Swiftblade and +6 for Arcane Archer. The martial weapon would be covered if you went elf. You're down six spellcasting levels already, but that can partially "covered" by the Praciticed Spellcaster. What about fighter? Take a level in that, and then go Eldritch Knight? That'd give you the bonus feats for Dodge and Mobility that you need for two of the classes, and get you that much closer to the BAB you need Arcane Archer and Swiftblade. Not to mention, if you needed that 2nd level of Fighter, you could go Dodge or Endurance. As well, you could take the wizard variant where instead of Scribe Scroll and wizard bonus feats, you get fighter feats. It'll also give you a good Fort save as well as right the base Fort is lacking somewhat. Not that that'll matter too much over all. The +1 existing arcane spellcasting after 1st level would help with getting up to 3-9th level spells.

That perform (dance) 6 ranks could be fun for the Spelldancer, but if you've got the INT you should be able to eventually cover that base. The tumble of 4 ranks shouldn't be too hard. Just do a Cityscape switch out for the Fighter's ride and make it tumble. Or do it for the Eldritch Knight.

Point Blank Snot and Precise Shot are never bad ideas, but you're already kind of short on feats, but can probably make it up somehow with something else.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2010, 06:33:42 PM by kevin_video »
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Anklebite

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2010, 10:11:10 PM »
screw eldritch knight, you want abjurant champion levels.  :D

I personally recommend wizard5/full BAB with proficiencies1/swiftblade10/abjurant champion5/arcane archer2/epic swiftblade3
remember, epic classes means more epic feats.

BAB +19
arcane casting 16+ whatever you rule 3 levels of epic swiftblade gives.  another fun choice would be to use those last three levels on uncanny trickster, progressing abjurant champion(for the auto-quickening and AC boost).
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kevin_video

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2010, 11:10:26 PM »
There's an epic swiftblade now?
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bearsarebrown

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2010, 11:15:51 PM »
Technically there is an epic progression for all prestige classes. But I don't want to ask the DM to homebrew something. Feat suggestions anyone? I've got a nasty 7 feats dug into prerequisites. I'm getting one from a Domain(ACF in CC).

I have three feats open, two of them are epic. What now?  :shrug

kevin_video

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2010, 11:39:47 PM »
ACF in CC for a Domain feat? What?

Instead of epic swiftblade, what three are you taking? Fighter for the marital weapon proficiency? That'll open another one for you. Also, I didn't get an answer for my previous question. Are you going human because of the fact that AA's not race based now?

What feats are all taken so far? Your main seven are Combat Casting, Dodge, Endurance, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, and Weapon Focus (longbow). You get Spring Attack and Bounding Assault from Swiftblade, and Scribe Scroll from Wizard. Do you really want that last one? You could trade it out for a fighter feat (which again opens up another feat). And one feat that's open is the wizard bonus feat which is a metamagic, an item creation, or Spell Mastery. Personally I'd go with Quicken Spell. You can never go wrong with that. Or, if you switch out Decipher Script, that bonus feat at Wizard 5 becomes a Fighter feat too. However, Quicken Spell is still a good one to take, and can be done as an HD bonus feat. Nothing like casting a swift action spell that'd normally take a standard action. Especially something that's lvl 7+. Not only that, but if you can somehow get 30 ranks in Spellcraft, Automatic Quicken Spell would be damn well deadly. Maybe Skill Focus Spellcraft? Practiced Spellcaster isn't a bad plan, especially with you already being down a few levels. You have the prereqs so maybe Combat Archery. This way you won't have to memorize, or have a wand of, Arrow Mind. There's usually ways around it, but if you've got a CON of 25, get Fast Healing. That'll come in handy. Of course, you might have a ring that'll do that anyways. And if you're going wizard, Collegiate Wizard should definitely be a big consideration. Gain +2 spells each level? Yes please.

Other than that, what kind of feats are you wanting? Combat? Social? Skill? Spellcaster? Class specific? There's oodles upon oodles that you can take. It's just a matter of what you're going for.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2010, 06:34:05 PM by kevin_video »
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Anklebite

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2010, 12:06:18 AM »
I do recommend picking up the swiftblade 10th level capstone, though. improved spell capacity can make it rather rediculous, and you will be the only person with a time stop that can't be spell stowaway'ed.
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Hijax

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2010, 03:01:35 PM »
I do recommend picking up the swiftblade 10th level capstone, though. improved spell capacity can make it rather rediculous, and you will be the only person with a time stop that can't be spell stowaway'ed.

+1. in preepic, the level is pretty meh. in epic, that level is awesomesauce.
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bearsarebrown

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2010, 11:32:19 PM »
Imbue Arrow + Splitting = Awesome!

Why not Swiftblade 10? Because I dislike Time Stop. I recognize that it is a less optimal choice. I just dislike the spell.

Anklebite

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Re: Epic Swiftblade Archer
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2010, 11:45:07 PM »
Imbue Arrow + Splitting = Awesome!

Why not Swiftblade 10? Because I dislike Time Stop. I recognize that it is a less optimal choice. I just dislike the spell.

fair enough, but it just seems like a waste not to use the coolest aspect of an epic swiftblade.  :D
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