Cleric Archer

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StompyKobold
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Cleric Archer

Post by StompyKobold » Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:38 pm

Hello all, I'm looking to make a cleric archer. Main things I'm looking for are drow race, as many CL's as possible, ESF Necromancer and use of a longbow. Any help on build or links to builds would be greatly appreciated. Looking for a good optimal build. Thank you all for any suggestions and build ideas.

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Baron Saturday
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Baron Saturday » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:11 pm

Maybe something like cleric 27/monk 3, divine might, zen archery?
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StompyKobold
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by StompyKobold » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:14 pm

That sounds cool, do you think I need a Full AB class for the 4 attacks? Or is the access to Monk bonuses better? I had originally thought about Cleric 25/ Ranger 5 for the 4 attacks, or 5 fighter for epic weapon spec. Not sure if one is better than the other

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Baron Saturday
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Baron Saturday » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:50 pm

I'd imagine you'd just use Divine Power to get 20 BAB and Divine Might for damage.

That said, I've never tried a zen archer cleric, so I can't really say if this suggestion is optimal.

Knowing me, it probably isn't.
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Shadowy Reality
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Shadowy Reality » Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:36 pm

The usual Cleric23/Fighter4/Bard3 should probably work. You don't want to reach 16 BAB pre-epic, as it screws your Divine Power potential.

I have played a Zen archery cleric before, it worked fairly well and that was without Divine Might/Shield feats. You will probably be dishing out quite a lot of damage at a distance with all the buffs running.

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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by StompyKobold » Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:05 am

Awesome, thanks! So is it pure cleric pre-epic? Then 4 fighter post for Epic Weapon Spec? and bard at the end for skill dump?

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-XXX-
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by -XXX- » Tue Jan 23, 2018 12:44 am

I'd say that this is more of a PvE oriented character build concept though. Most PvP encounters will be long over by the time you buff up.

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Baron Saturday
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Baron Saturday » Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:16 am

If you go the fighter route, you'd want it from 20-23 so you can pick up WS & EWS. Note with the fighter route that you probably still want to grab zen archery so that you don't need to worry about both Dex and Wis.
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Shadowy Reality » Tue Jan 23, 2018 1:29 am

-XXX- wrote:I'd say that this is more of a PvE oriented character build concept though. Most PvP encounters will be long over by the time you buff up.
The same can be said for any other cleric then, or mage. I have seen fully buffed archer clerics deal well over 100 damage in a critical, with 4 attacks at maximum AB. Zen archery also synergises well because it increases both AB and spell DCs, all in a single stat.

Harasha
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Harasha » Tue Jan 23, 2018 4:48 am

Surprised this wasn't said already but, wouldn't a crossbow be a better choice for a drow? The 5d6 sneak attack crafted crossbow would probably put any longbow you could get to shame.

Crossbows can also be used by healer clerics so a high Wis cleric/monk would be a possibility. Longbows would be out for healers otherwise.

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Baron Saturday
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Baron Saturday » Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:59 am

Stuff to keep in mind if you try crossbow:

1) Rapid Shot mode (+1 APR, -2 AB) doesn't work with crossbows.
2) Almost nobody makes crossbow bolt bundles.

This means that your damage will be HOT GARBAGE until you get your hands on a Grand Masterly crossbow at like level 16 (and eventually the Sithyrr'tyne at 21), since you can neither get an extra attack in there, nor buff your arrow bundles with temp essences & enchants - unless you feel like making bolt bundles yourself, which is an exercise in masochism.
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Opustus
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Opustus » Tue Jan 23, 2018 3:31 pm

Full armor heavy crossbow divine mighting clerk. Hawwwt! Best be mindful of your own pain tolerance as Baron points out, though.
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Rabbid
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Rabbid » Mon Jan 29, 2018 4:39 am

There is a cleric AA build floating around that I may be able to dig up. No promises I can find it though.
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Baseili
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Baseili » Mon Jan 29, 2018 12:00 pm

Baron Saturday wrote:Stuff to keep in mind if you try crossbow:

1) Rapid Shot mode (+1 APR, -2 AB) doesn't work with crossbows.
2) Almost nobody makes crossbow bolt bundles.

This means that your damage will be HOT GARBAGE until you get your hands on a Grand Masterly crossbow at like level 16 (and eventually the Sithyrr'tyne at 21), since you can neither get an extra attack in there, nor buff your arrow bundles with temp essences & enchants - unless you feel like making bolt bundles yourself, which is an exercise in masochism.
As someone who is currently forcing himself to play a sniper path ranger, I can confirm that making your own ammunition is like removing your own fingernails, even the simple bronze bundles.

You'll need at least 12 ranks in forging to make your starting bronze bolts/arrows, a single rank in art crafting for the mold, 10 ranks in carpentry to make the shafts and finally a further 13 ranks in forging to make the arrowheads and damask.

So you'll be firing bronze until level 16 unless you take the crafting gift, though you'll still be using up half your crafting skill points just to function on a basic level (provided you want to use damask). Even then you'll be cutting down two trees every time you need to make a bundle above bronze as 3 softwood makes 1 arrow shaft and it takes 3 shafts per bundle (efficiency be damned), 2 pieces of clay for the mold and finally two ingots plus the 10 coal needed to smelt it all.

So yeah, a few points of strength and a handy bulls spell will be needed.

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Sockss
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Sockss » Mon Jan 29, 2018 1:37 pm

In the same vein as above, a warning is in order.

Don't play an archer unless you're prepared to make a significant investment in playtime crafting arrows. It's possibly the most arduous grind that exists and has resulted in more frustrated -delete_characters than anything else.

If you're not prepared for that, a standard battlecleric will do better in most cases anyway

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Opustus
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Opustus » Mon Jan 29, 2018 2:23 pm

On Amia we had "Magic Arrow Bags" that replicated any single arrow/bolt into a whole 99 stack of them at a predefined cost. You could use this 3/day per Magic Arrow Bag. It made playing an archer actually tolerable. Anyone nifty with technical stuff know if this might be at all doable on Arelith?
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ForgottenBhaal
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by ForgottenBhaal » Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:04 pm

There is a path that solves this issue. :) Ranger, archer.

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Hunter548
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by Hunter548 » Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:06 pm

Almost certainly. The issue with archers having a tolerable existance has never been a technical one, but rather a dev-will one as I understand it. For whatever reason, forcing every archer to spend three hours a day making arrows is seen as helping the player economy (Even though it doesn't, in any way).
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One Two Three Five
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Re: Cleric Archer

Post by One Two Three Five » Mon Jan 29, 2018 3:11 pm

Yeah. I've suggested near-on word for word the Amia arrow thing (and several other solutions) and so has most people that have tried playing archers here, for years. We've still got the Very Bad arrow situation instead.
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