Changing a few feats on my build

[Cybernet21]

So i made this build before the archer path was merged,but now that happened so i am with three feat spots open on the build (Because Rapid Shot,Point Blank Shot and Called Shot i get for free now):


Ranger(16), Arcane Archer(11), Rogue(3), Elf

STR: 14
DEX: 19 (26)
CON: 12
WIS: 14
INT: 14
CHA: 8

Elf: (Hardiness vs. Enchantments, Keen Sense, Low-light Vision, Skill Affinity: Listen, Skill Affinity: Search, Skill Affinity: Spot, Sleeplessness)
01: Ranger(1): Weapon Focus: Longbow, Favored Enemy: Elves, {Dual Wield}
02: Ranger(2)
03: Ranger(3): Weapon Finesse
04: Ranger(4): DEX+1, (DEX=20)
05: Ranger(5): Favored Enemy: Outsiders
06: Ranger(6): Point Blank Shot
07: Arcane Archer(1)
08: Arcane Archer(2): DEX+1, (DEX=21)
09: Arcane Archer(3): Called Shot
10: Arcane Archer(4)
11: Arcane Archer(5)
12: Arcane Archer(6): DEX+1, Rapid Shot, (DEX=22)
13: Ranger(7)
14: Ranger(8)
15: Ranger(9): Blind Fight, {Improved Two-Weapon Fighting}
16: Ranger(10): DEX+1, Favored Enemy: Dragons, (DEX=23)
17: Ranger(11)
18: Ranger(12): Improved Critical: Longbow
19: Ranger(13)
20: Ranger(14): DEX+1, (DEX=24)
21: Ranger(15): Epic Weapon Focus: Longbow, Favored Enemy: Aberrations
22: Ranger(16)
23: Arcane Archer(7)
24: Arcane Archer(8): DEX+1, Armor Skin, (DEX=25)
25: Rogue(1)
26: Rogue(2): {Evasion}
27: Rogue(3): Epic Skill Focus: Discipline, {Uncanny Dodge I}
28: Arcane Archer(9): DEX+1, (DEX=26)
29: Arcane Archer(10)
30: Arcane Archer(11): Epic Prowess


Since i am really bad with build i want some advice on wich feats i should get on levels 6;9 and 12,pretty please.

[The1Kobra]

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that you probably have a few too many Ranger levels. 11 AA gets +6 AB and damage to your bow attacks, but if you got 19 AA, that would be +10 AB and Damage, a +4/+4 extra. Now, archer gets +2 damage at Ranger 12, and you do get more spells with ranger 16, but honestly, I'm not sure it's worth it unless you planned on crafting ranger wands and selling them.
I do admit that 16 ranger's HIPS is nice, though.

If you want to be able to freely make the Damask bundles, you could do something like: 10/17/3 Ranger/AA/Rogue. It only gets +9 AB/Damage but hey, the bundles are nice. You'd have to drop to 8 ranger to get the +10, which would mean spending a feat on called shot.

If you're really set on 16 Ranger though, I'd grab: Craft Wand, Great Fortitude, Iron Will. Alternatively you could substitute one of the latter for toughness.
Craft wand allows you to make blade thirst and FoM wands, which are both quite handy. Since you don't have a lot of spellslots on a ranger you can supplement them with your wands, and sell them too for quite a handy profit.

[Cybernet21]

I know a few things can be suboptimal on this build but after much consideration i decided to stick with it,i just wish for help on choosing what new feats should i take that optimize the build to its full potential since i now get Called Shot,Rapid Shot and Point Blank Shot for free.

Craft Wand does seem useful since i will only be 16 Ranger

[The1Kobra]

Craft Wand it is, then!

I'd probably use the remaining feats on Iron Will, Great Fortitude, and/or Toughness. You could alternatively get Focus and IMPR crit in a melee weapon, but you probably won't spend a lot of time in melee, so it wouldn't warrant it. Getting KD/IKD could get you some breathing room but again, probably isn't worth it.

Weapon Focus and Knockdown could work to your benefit if you really want to use a melee weapon in a pinch, but this character will be much better off ranged, and with HIPS you shouldn't have to worry too much about getting forced into melee.

[Cybernet21]

It seems i don't have much options other than getting better savings,i guess i'll go with that then. Thanks!

[Kenji]

If you really want to do Ranger -> AA, something to keep in mind is that AAs get an extra epic feat at 18th level, but that means no dipping into Rogue or Bard at epic levels and this translates to having to take those levels pre-epic, which means a loss of BAB.

So three optimal possibilities (imo) would be:
1. Ranger 10 / AA 17 / Bard 3
Pre-epic Ranger 10 and AA 10
Bard taken from lvl28 - lvl30 for all the skill dumps.
Out of all 3, this build has 1 less Epic feat, but gets Damask Bundle and 3 FE/SE for possible +3 damage boost (I'd choose Human, Elf, and HOrc)

2. Ranger 7 / AA 18 / Rogue 5
Pre-epic Ranger 6 / Rogue 4 / AA 10
This way all the discipline, tumble, UMD, and other dumps are done at lvl27 (rogue) and lvl30 (ranger).
Out of all 3, this build has 1 less AB and 3 less effective saves from Spellcraft, but retains evasion and has higher skill points and Sneak Attacks (great for PvE grouping)

3. Ranger 7 / AA 19 / Bard 4, pre-epic
Pre-epic Ranger 7 / Bard 3 / AA 10
Take 4th level bard at 30th level for all the skill dumps.
Out of all 3, this build loses Evasion and has 1 less Fort save but retains all the AB and has 1 extra base damage from AA levels.

My opinion on bundles is that steel is good enough for the job. It's always possible to ask for free damask bundles from other archers or craft one yourself. Extra +1 damage from the bundle utility is always outshone by base BAB and dmg from AA levels.

Edit: Fixed typo

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

Level 2 rogue gets weapon finesse for free... so if you can hold out, you actually have another pre-epic feat you can re-assign. I won't lie and say it's not a QoL improvement to have it much sooner than that, but if your premise is the archer route and you can make your own arrows, you could probably also do well enough without it and make it an icing on the cake thing.

If it were me (it's cool that you just want to change the feats) I'd dunk the dexterity down to 14 and pump the points into Wisdom instead. Take Zen Archery, and max your Wisdom and spot/listen. You can't shoot a target you can't see, and turning into an Umberhulk means you aren't shooting +6 Rainbow Damask death across the battlefield. (Don't be like me, I do crazy things because I can).

Your build doesn't have E-Dodge, and at 10+14 Dex+4 Deflection + 5 Dodge + 3 Natural +3 Armor = 39 AC. You can bolster that by throwing up an adamantine tower shield for another +6 to 45, which at epics is still pretty squishy. Have you considered expertise and improved expertise to get this up to 55 when you're being pressed? It's not amazing but it'll get you a lot farther than 39-45.

Being forced into melee as an archer is absolutely non-optimal, but if you're planning for it never to happen I recommend you brace for disappointment- the ability to turn up to 55 AC (or even just +13 ac at pre-epics) and run to a safer location before switching back is life-saving.

[Cybernet21]

I did not think of having to worry about being able to turn up my AC in case things made me go to melee,should i really be ready for that? Because i heard this type of build can't do stuff solo so it wouldnt make sense for me to worry about AC so much as a solo build would it? Because if so i can switch that Great Fortitude and Iron Will out for Expertise and Improved Expertise i guess

[Aelryn Bloodmoon]

With +6 rainbow damask arrows and six shots per round when hasted, it is a very real possibility that you will draw aggro off of your tanks, so solo or not you can pretty much guarantee that unless you're only firing an occasional few shots to control mob hate you will see monsters start turning/running towards you.

I'll cede the idea of what you should do to better experts, but IMO, 13 AC (65% less chance to get hit) will probably save your life as much or more than +2 will or fortitude in these circumstances- you have access to freedom of movement as a ranger (and clarity potions) to mitigate the need for will, and death ward wands to mitigate your need for fortitude saves.

Also, I did not factor +6 ac from 30 tumble into the above calculations, but 45/51 is still a squishy place to be at epic levels when you put out enough damage to aggro a whole mob.