Request 28 pt build Arcane Archer Ranger

[Tottelito]

Hi!

I am new to ranger and want to try it out like the idea of ranged bow and heard good things about it but cant seem to find a single build that is bow mostly are tempest and splash classes I want to play as elf or halfling whichever is good please help me out here with a build I dont know what feats or enchancements also and I canot afford tomes as it is now I dont know if I should play splash or pure ranger which is best??

[unbongwah]

Pure AA elf ranger build is pretty simple:

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Level 20 True Neutral Elf Female
(20 Ranger) 
Hit Points: 262
Spell Points: 360 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 14
Reflex: 18
Will: 5

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(28 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             16                    21
Dexterity            17                    22
Constitution         14                    14
Intelligence          8                     8
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma              8                     8

Level 1 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Feat: (Selected) Point Blank Shot


Level 2 (Ranger)


Level 3 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Ranged Weapons


Level 4 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 5 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant


Level 6 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness


Level 7 (Ranger)


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 9 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Ranged Weapons


Level 10 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider


Level 11 (Ranger)


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Selected) Toughness


Level 13 (Ranger)


Level 14 (Ranger)


Level 15 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Elemental
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR


Level 17 (Ranger)


Level 18 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Power Attack


Level 19 (Ranger)


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Construct
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Imbue Acid Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Imbue Explosive Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Imbue Force Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Imbue Force Burst Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Imbue Slaying Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Imbue Terror Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Master of Archery
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II
Enhancement: Elven Enchantment Resistance I
Enhancement: Elven Enchantment Resistance II
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Attack I
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Attack II
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Damage I
Enhancement: Valenar Elf Melee Damage II
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Attack I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Attack II
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage II
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage III
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage IV
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Conjure +2 Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Conjure +3 Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Conjure +4 Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer: Conjure +5 Arrows
Enhancement: Ranger Arcane Archer I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity III

Built for TWF w/scimitars; if you prefer rapiers, take Imp Crit Pierce instead of Slash and the Aerenal melee enhs instead of Valenar.

And if your first thought is "I'm an archer, why would I need to melee?" - please don't be one of those AAs who refuses to pull out his or her blades even when a monster is standing right in front of you. Your party will thank you.

[Tydeth]

QFT

Archers must have melee weapons, and Melee combatants must have ranged weapons. There are times for both. Rangers get both regardless of Pre, so get some decent swords for when monsters get in your face.

Also, Arcane Archer gets to summon ammo out of thin air, so you don't need a high +# bow. Look for good effects on +1s, they'll be cheaper and lower level than +5 equivalents.

Silver Longbow. Get it. Despite its name, it doesn't bypass damage resistance that's weak against silver, but it's a stronger than normal bow with Holy power. Silver arrows will cover vampires and devils at mid/higher levels. You'll find this bow in Church and the Cult quest in House Phiarlan. The quest is level 9, the bow min level 6. Note that most demons/devils you may find are DR/metal(silver for devils, cold iron for demons) OR good, so this bow will work on them. Boss devils like Harry, Sully, and Horoth will need the silver arrows.


For your first archer, go pure. Ranger 20 allows the Capstone Enhancement Master of Archery, which makes you shoot faster. Feats you'll need are Weapon Focus Ranged, Point Blank Shot, and Mental Toughness to access Arcane Archer prestige(make sure you get the ranger version, the elf version gives the stuff 2 levels later than ranger version). Regular Toughness is a very good idea because it gives more health(especially if you take the enhancements to boost it). Improved Critical Ranged will let you get more critical hits for massive bow damage, and improved critical slashing(or piercing if you use rapiers) gives you more criticals with swords. You get TWF line for free, and bow strength(makes bows do more damage with more str), and rapid shot, and the ever useful manyshot, and improved precise shot.

You don't need to worry about tomes on your archer since you're new; my first archer doesn't worry about them and she's doing just fine so far.

[Tottelito]

Alrite I did a halfling by the way are they any different from elves?

[AylinIsAwesome]

Alrite I did a halfling by the way are they any different from elves?

Elves get +3 base damage over Halflings with bows, but Halflings can get up to +8 Sneak Attack damage.


However, that damage doesn't apply to mobs 30 feet away from you (you need to be basically standing on top of them), costs you 20 APs, and doesn't apply if it's blocked by fortification.


Instead of Halfling, if you can, Half-Elf is better. Half-Elves can get up to 3d6 Sneak Attack, which is 10.5 Sneak Attack damage per swing, and it only costs you something like 6 AP. Also Half-Elves have +1 base damage over Halflings, from no penalty to STR.

[Tydeth]

Elves get racial enhancements for the bow and a couple swords(can choose longsword + rapier, or scimitar + falchion), Halflings don't. However, Halflings get the cunning and guile enhancements, which can give you a bit of sneak attack even without being a rogue(and the cunning/guile enhancements stack with rogue sneak attacks if you choose to make a Halfling Rogue later on).

Elves can take AA with any class as long as they have the prereqs, but that is irrelevant as you're playing a Ranger.

Halflings, like Elves, do get Dex enhancements, but the difference is which stat you're taking a penalty in. For elves, it's Con and thus HP. For Halfling, it's Str and thus a point of damage(and +1 to hit with melee weapons). Though with the fact that there are like a gazillion types of buffs to str, that 2 point loss won't really matter as much.

Halflings can take healing dragonmarks compared to Elves' stealth ones, but you're unlikely to have enough feats after taking what you'll need to even fit D-marks of either kind.

Let's see...Halflings can take enhancements in saves of your choice, and gain a bonus to sneaking. Elves can't be magically sleep'd... though I don't know ANY mobs in the game that even cast Sleep.



Really, the main draw to Elves for Arcane Archers is their bow attack/damage enhancements and their ability to be AA of ANY class.

The attack and damage is shored up by the Halfling with their sneak attack stuff. Despite doing a little less base damage due to being so small, Halflings can make good AAs as well since they'll have a bit more HP than the Elf and they can build up the reflex save to take advantage of the free Evasion feat at Ranger level 9.

[AylinIsAwesome]

Let's see...Halflings can take enhancements in saves of your choice, and gain a bonus to sneaking. Elves can't be magically sleep'd... though I don't know ANY mobs in the game that even cast Sleep.

There are a few in the Marketplace, but that's about it.