I've been hearing a lot of people saying that Update 11 is going to be the ranged pass like how update 9 was the spell pass, so I wanted to put my thoughts out on the forums to hear what the community thinks of the ideas I have. However, this is a warning, this is going to be a longer thread because of what I see as the problem with ranged combat.

What I believe are the problems to ranged combat:

My major thoughts on this problem is that their are two major things holding back ranged combat. The first is the number of options available to people who want to make a ranged character while the second is the heavy requirements for ranged combat to make it effective. At the moment their is really only a single option for anyone wanting to make a ranged character. One way or another, you need to make it to Arcane Archer.

Basic ranged changes:

1) The first thing to go is Bow Strength. This feat is automatically granted to rangers but everyone else requires you to get feats that you don't need on something that is basically required. As a change to ranged combat, all bows (not crossbows) automatically allow you to add your strength modifier to damage. This reduces the number of feats required to make a ranged character as well as allow other non-ranged characters to use bows as a ranged back-up weapon that deals more then 1d10+5 for a capped character.

Added feats and feat changes:

*To make an effective ranged character it should require a total of three feats (Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Manyshot) for single target DPS (the same number of feats required for the Two-Weapon Fighting or Two-Hand Fighting Lines.) However at the moment it requires two other feats (Bow Strength and Precise Shot with most taking Improved Precise Shot and Toughness as their other two feats.) Simply removing Bow Strength you have opened up a single feat for most to either take the Mental Toughness feat (to meet the requirements of Arcane Archers with Bard or Paladin for example.

1) Bow Strength is removed (stated above)
2) Many Shot is changed to a stance that works like the following as long as you don't move.

Quote Originally Posted by wonkey View Post
Maybe I'll find the post where I go through the idea in more detail, but here's a quick look at my idea for manyshot (at level 20, progression is included in the original post, but i don't have time or patience right now to go into more detail).

4 attack attack sequence, just like we have with combat bonuses, where moving resets the sequence.

1st attack - 1 arrow
2nd attack - 2 arrows (or double strike)
3rd - 3 arrows (or triple strike)
4th - 4 arrows (or quad strike)

start over.

This would mean, if an archer stood still for the full attack chain, their dps would be 250% what it would be when kiting (10 attacks instead of 4), with increasing benefits as you near the end of the chain. (Currently, with manyshot, assuming you use it when it comes off timer, you end up with about 166% 'standard' dps average. This change would up total dps by about 50%, assuming you totally give up mobility, which sounds about right to me from people's comments.)
This could be a toggle or a passive feat.

To my mind, while you can never know for sure, this basically uses mechanics already in-game, so shouldn't be too hard to implement.
It would still cap according to your base attack bonus (2 at +6, 3 at +11, 4 at +16.) For example if you had a level 12 ranger who used many shot their attack would go, 1 arrow, 1 arrow, 2 arrows, and 3 arrows because of their +12 base attack bonus. However this ranger would only gain this bonus while standing still, if he were to move it would go back to 1 arrow, 1 arrow, 1 arrow until he stopped moving. This would be an overall increase in DPS for a ranged character however, does make them more reliant on others to keep them from being over-run as well as make archer type characters able to rely more on the bow instead of Many-shot then two-weapon fighting until the timer is up.

3) Ranged Smite *New Feat*: Requires: the ability to Smite Evil; This feat allows you to make a smite attack at range. This would allow paladins to become ranged characters as well. This is a feat from pnp (Book of Exalted Deeds) that allows a Paladin to channel the Smite attempt into a single missile. If they smite is used on a missile with many only the damage from that first arrow is counted as a smite.
4) Rapid Shot: Requires: Point Blank Shot; This feat increases the speed of your ranged attacks by 10%.
5) Improved Rapid Shot *New Feat*: Requires: Manyshot, Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot; This feat further increases the speed of your ranged attacked by another 10% (20% total).
6) Sunder: Sunder is changed to add a 25% fortification debuff in addition to the -4 armor class debuff. A fort. save (10+str. mod.) negates this effect. This debuff last for 30 seconds or until a new debuff is placed. The new debuff replaces the old one (they don't stack in other words.)
7) Improved Sunder: Requires: +4 Base Attack Power, Power Attack; This feat increases the power of your ability to damage armor. You place a -8 damage to armor class as well as a -50% fortification debuff on an enemy that fails a fort. save (DC=14+str. mod.) This trumps a normal Sunder as far as debuffs applied.
8) Ranged Pin *New Feat*: Requires: Base Attack Bonus +3, Point Blank Shot, and Precise Shot; This allows you to use a missile to pin down clothing or something else to trip an opponent at range. This allows a reflex save (DC=10+dex. mod) to avoid. The DC for Ranged Pin is increases with any bonuses that increases a normal trip attack.
9) Ranged Sunder *New Feat*: Requires: Base Attack Bonus +3, Point Blank Shot, and Precise Shot; This allows you to use a missile to damage armor creating a 30 second debuff of -4 to armor class and -25% fortification. Any bonuses that would increase Sunder also increase Ranged Sunder.

Prestige Enhancements and other Enhancements

Finish Rogue Mechanic and Ranger's Deepwood Sniper.

Rogue Mechanic II
Changes: The Smite Construct has two options, a normal melee smite (as it is) and a ranged option that can be used with ranged weapons like crossbows.

Rogue Mechanic III
Requires: Rogue Level 18, Points Spent, Tier 3 of Disable Device and Open Lock.
Additional Bonuses to trap skills, Great Crossbow Proficiency, All weapons on a vorpal strike .

Ranger Deepwood Sniper I
Changes: Doesn't Require weapon focus ranged, instead requires Precise Shot. Gain 1d6 sneak attack on ranged attacks.

Ranger Deepwood Sniper II
Requires: Ranger Level 12, Points Spent, Tier 2 hide and move silently enhancements. One of the following: Ranged Pin or Ranged Sunder
You sacrifice rate of fire for precision. You gain another d6 of sneak attack damage (2d6 sneak attack) on ranged attacks as well as increasing the range of your point blank shot and sneak attack by another 10 meters for a total of 35 meters. You also gain improved critical: ranged as a reflection of your dedication to accuracy.

Ranger Deepwood Sniper III
Requires: Ranger Level 18, Points Spent, Tier 3 Hide and Move Silently Enhancements, Improved Precise Shot.
You are a master sniper able to bring mighty blows in a single shot. You gain another d6 sneak attack (3d6 sneak attack) on ranged attack as well as increasing the range of you point blank shot and sneak attacks by another 10 meters for a total of 45 meters. You also gain an improved sniper shot ability.

Improved Sniper Shot
Cool down: 30 seconds
You take aim at vitals and gain a +8 to hit (and confirm crit.) as well as increasing the crit. range by 2 (after other crit. range increases) and crit. multiplier by 2 (x5 on longbow for example).

Paladin Capstone and other abilities that effect weapons
Now effect ranged attacks as well as melee.

Halfling Master Thrower PrE
I have all this in the link in my signature. I know it isn't on the list of planned PrE but all Halflings are getting at the moment for Racial PrE's are the Dragonmark Heir.

In conclusion, this creates more options for ranged combat users and more options to build for ranged combat. Fighters for example with the extra feats they get can become faster with ranged combat and become more support instead of straight DPS with tactical feats like Ranged Pin and Ranged Sunder. While other classes like paladin can use their key abilities to increase ranged damage with Ranged Smite and the smaller number of feats needed. Rangers will still be king with ranged combat however will have option of going Arcane Archer and rush through as many shots as they can or can go Deepwood Sniper and fire less but deal more powerful damage.

Hope you enjoy
~Rakian_Knight