Are there any nifty tricks that you can do with arcane archer imbue arrow feat? I have thought like million ideas that possibly could do some major mishap to enemies or hamper them big time, but there always has been a sentence in imbue arrow description that makes it pointless.

so basically: good spells/combinations/tactics to use with it, perhaps some loopholes?
and please note that we are talking about PnP, not NWN.

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"At 2nd level, an arcane archer gains the ability to place an area spell upon an arrow. When the arrow is fired, the spell’s area is centered on where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. This ability allows the archer to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. It takes a standard action to cast the spell and fire the arrow. The arrow must be fired in the round the spell is cast, or the spell is wasted. "

Hmm.. Symbol of Pain/death/sleep/etc.
Delayed fireball to cause rocktumbles. (Works especially well when you can get them to swallow the arrow)
Earthquake with the enemy in the center.

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"Most assume that all the followers of Lathander are great morning people. They're very wrong."
"I think we are the only group where AD&D stands for Attention Deficit Disorder."

wall of force and the gizzard of some large nasty creature >.>

watch the thing explode with a shower of entrails, as the carcass slides down
each side of the wall like a fruit pie running down a plate glass window.

*a little graphic, but you get the idea*

PnP Powerbuilding?


....eeeehehehehehehee. This is my field.

Okay, you're an Arcane Archer, this means your primary ranged ability is Damage per Round accurately. Using AoE damaging effects is counter intuitive - you're better off with 5 accurate attack rolls per round, than you are by having one AoE that has a Reflex Save for Half Damage to do less than you usually would do, and waste a spellslot in doing so.

Thus, you really want to be using Status, Effect, and Utility AoE's for the most part. Remember your material components will sometimes prevent you from using your standard ideas outright, such as Magic Circle Against ALign requiring you to spill silver dust in the area to be affected.

I'm going to assume you used Sorc or Wizard as your Arcane Base Class, have a few caster levels to be viable (This is why Wizard / Eldritch Knight / Arcane Archer is a good combo), and that you don't have any accessory books like the Spell Compendium or the Complete Mage / Complete Arcane.


Grease is very useful for this at lower levels, and against some higher level enemies. Even if they pass the save, all creatures within the field must move at 50% speed by passing DC10 Balance Checks. Slower Enemies = Longer before they get to you and your buddies = More time to attack.

Likewise, it's good for saving an ally from a pin. IF you read it - a Grease spell on any object of clothing will give the target a +10 to Escape Artist, and +10 to any Grapple Check to escape a pin or grapple. A smart AA for this reason keeps a few arrows which purposefully do extremely -little- damage, because sometimes you will need to hit a mate to transmit an effect beyond your range.


That logic can be applied to alot of spells, by the way. Most colleagues will be happy to take 4 damage from your arrow, if you're giving them Haste at an obscene range, or some other effect that'll save their arse from the 50 damage incoming each round from their real opponent.


Burning Hands is good, too. It's a directional spell, so you can use it as a decoy, depending on your DM's style. Fire a shot at a wall, have the fire come out from an unseen angle, and suddenly your opponents are unaware of where, exactly, the damage is coming from.


The same goes for Color Spray. It allows you to use a coned effect from unseen directions, and also well beyond your standard range for negative effects on your opponents.


In regards to attacking someone with a buffing spell like earlier, there's one that you can use for raw amusement value that always draws a smirk. Imbue your arrow with Protection from Arrows, and then shoot your buddy with it.


Dispel Magic of course deserves an honorable mention. Any AA worth their salt can safely shoot to 500ft. Dispel's range is only 100ft+10ft/casterlevel. Usual concept.


Reduce / Enlarge Person, Mass, is also great for both enemies and allies. In a confined area? Cast Mass Enlarge Person on your enemies, and watch them take Reflex, AC, AB, and Movement Speed penalties for being caught in an area too small for them to move freely. And that's before counting in the usual AC and AB penalties for being of a larger size. Inversely, making your opponents smaller if you're in a situation where hitting isn't a problem, is quite useful - reduce their damage output considerably if they're STR based, and drop their speed, too.


That's only going up to level 4 spells, since most AAs don't have many caster levels. Hopefully that'll all give you some food for thought, though.

Enjoy.

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Mostly Retired

okay for starters, why would I want to use delayed blast fireball, fireball or earthquake with the arrows, since their range is 400 +40/lvl, and even those with 100 +10/level are far enough to simulate longbow(in higher levels, even longer).

hellscourge: symbol spells! thanks for that! That is a nifty idea, thanks.

maughter: ummmm.... wtf? gizzard? wall of force? You mean you shoot the big thing and the wall of force explodes it from inside?

"The caster can form the wall into a flat, vertical plane whose area is up to one 10-foot square per level. The wall must be continuous and unbroken when formed. If its surface is broken by any object or creature, the spell fails." --> doesn't work that way.

WonWon: okay, cone spells which cannot be cast onto a distance in any other way, sounds good. but the imbue arrow states it has to be AREA spell, so object targeted grease doesn't work. but you're also saying that it depends on DM if he/she allows cone spell direction choosing?

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Yeah. ALot of those depend on your DM's style. For example - I, as a DM, always classify a Cone as an Area Effect - it's simply shaped. Widen Spell works on it just the same, afterall, and all the rest. That said, other DMs classify it as an individual type. Also depends on how your DM handles Cones. I typically use the Richochet Rule when it comes to Cones via AA Imbue - equal and opposite angle to what you hit. You hit the ground in front of an enemy, cone goes up and forward. Hit a left wall with it, cone'll go right from that point.

That's just me, though.

Grease works, btw;

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/grease.htm

Read the spell, it's quite eligible.

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Mostly Retired

yes, the area version onto the ground of the grease would work, but not the one targeted at single target.(object)

and by the way, earthquake is cleric or druid spell only. not for wiz/sorc

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Read this. It's a marvellous guide for wizard spells, and should help you lots.

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2009's Second Most Overall Contributing Player

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DA:O and NWN2 classfiy Cone based spells as AOE spells that stretch out to the length of the spell in a cone shape. The narrowest point being the point where the spells is being cast from, and moving out in a cone shape gaining width. The spells can only spread out from the point it is being cast at, usually from the wizards outwards. It cannot be made to encircle the wizard, or take another shape.

It effects an area, and the targets within' the area, thus suggest it is an AOE spell. Simply not a spell with a large AOE.

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I keels u with my axe!

"Do ye know where the Holy-Flamin' Frost-brand Gronk-slayin' Vorpal Hammer o' woundin' an' returnin' an' Shootin'-Lightnin'-out-yer-bum is?"

tensers floating disk doesnt suck

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Mount is the same level, lasts twice as long and can carry a lot, especially with your fighter. There are occasions where Floating Disc could come in useful, but I know at least for me they are very, very rare.

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Hijacking this! Sorry Tero!



WonWon, what can I do with a Sorcerer, currently level 7, whose main spells are of Abjuration (RP-speaking, she wants to protect her friends) to make her better?

The stats I rolled for her are awful. I wanted to go Monk or Cleric, multiclassing, yep, but it would never work. T_T

Her stats?

STR 12
CON 13
DEX 14
WIS 9
INT 12
CHA 16

Probably because the DM felt pity, she has some cool items, but still, I miss some Melee and even Ranged attack without needing spells. Especially because her Offensive Spells are, currently: Magic Missile, Shocking Grasp and Scorching Ray.

*sigh*

I do not think there is a way to make this PC better?

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BlackDahlya

Once Upon A Time Played
Adr'ael Ken'rahel, Auron Teken’ath, Aurora Mesodias, 'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym, Eilin'ira, Helena Rios, Layla Faircurrent, May'Une Do'Ndar, Mellinda Tellus, Michael of Cliffside, Rizzen of Twilight, Valkirya d'Claddath

Spell selection applies for sorcerer too.

How good a caster build is can be determined by what spells you have - with a good selection f spells you can give the DM nightmares or be a clawless kitten. I strongly suggest reading that link.

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2009's Second Most Overall Contributing Player

يمكنني استخدام مترجم جوجل

@Yurell

Thank you!

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BlackDahlya

Once Upon A Time Played
Adr'ael Ken'rahel, Auron Teken’ath, Aurora Mesodias, 'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym, Eilin'ira, Helena Rios, Layla Faircurrent, May'Une Do'Ndar, Mellinda Tellus, Michael of Cliffside, Rizzen of Twilight, Valkirya d'Claddath

It's really hard to muss up an arcane mage. Keep levelling up your charisma and if you like Abjuring, look at Complete Mage and consider going into Abjurant Champion.

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Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds
Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham

oh noooo i've been hijacked! I feel so used...
WonWon: how the heck do you get 500 ft range with bow?

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My favourite sniper loadout: Huntsman, jarate, bushwacka.
Team Fortress 2 is FREE TO PLAY!

Read the rules in regards to ranged weapons.

You can exceed the range increment 5 times with a thrown weapon, 10 times with a projectile weapon - taking a -2 Attack Penalty for each increment. Therefore.

Longbow (100ft) -

0ft - 100ft = -0
101ft - 200ft = -2
201ft - 300ft = -4
301ft - 400ft = -6
401ft - 500ft = -8

etc, etc, etc. This is made better by things like Far Shot. Example; Far Shot with a Longbow turns your increments into 150ft. Thus turning your maximum range from 1,000ft to 1,500ft, and stalling your penalties.

0ft - 150ft = -0
151ft - 300ft = -2
301ft - 450ft = -4
451ft - 600ft = -6

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Mostly Retired

Oh, will do. ^^

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BlackDahlya

Once Upon A Time Played
Adr'ael Ken'rahel, Auron Teken’ath, Aurora Mesodias, 'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym, Eilin'ira, Helena Rios, Layla Faircurrent, May'Une Do'Ndar, Mellinda Tellus, Michael of Cliffside, Rizzen of Twilight, Valkirya d'Claddath

holy crap WonWon just made me imagine for me to shoot enemies without others even ensuing into battle.

all like "bwahaa we are orcs we come and kill u!"
*shoot shoot shoot*
other party members: "hey you didn't leave anything for us!"
"whops?"

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My favourite sniper loadout: Huntsman, jarate, bushwacka.
Team Fortress 2 is FREE TO PLAY!

Two words for you:

Archers. Rule.

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BlackDahlya

Once Upon A Time Played
Adr'ael Ken'rahel, Auron Teken’ath, Aurora Mesodias, 'Daniel' Daoskinaxarijikkym, Eilin'ira, Helena Rios, Layla Faircurrent, May'Une Do'Ndar, Mellinda Tellus, Michael of Cliffside, Rizzen of Twilight, Valkirya d'Claddath

Not really. Archers have their flaws. Greater Distance means lower AB, potential for more obstacles, larger penalties for miss chances, and then there's all the rest that the DM might throw in themselves.

That said - you want awesome bowmen? If your DM ever runs a Woodland based campaign, here's what you do.


Ranger / Fighter. More Fighter than Ranger, but not by much (8ranger/12fighter works well for this). Get as many of the Archery feats as humanly possible. Manyshot, Rapid Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, Ranged Weapon Mastery (Complete Warrior), Far Shot, Improved Rapid SHot, etc etc etc.

With your Ranger Levels - keep your Hide and MS maxed out where possible, as well as Spot.

You are now a Sniper. You can hit a target, effectively, at around 600ft. If you choose to do so, in a round, you can do this;

Manyshot 4 Arrows (Standard Action) at a range of less than 150ft to take no penalty. You're hidden, so your opponent is Flatfooted - making the AB penalty somewhat redundant.
Using your Move Action - re hide. You take a -20 penalty to this check (since you attacked that round), but with the right gear, you'll be fine.

Your opponent will never know what keeps on hitting them. Used right, you can also corrall them into traps, setups, flanking positions, and ambushes.

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Mostly Retired