Cragtop Archer

Requirements

Base Attack Bonus: +6

Skills: Climb (10 ranks), Spot (5 ranks), Wilderness Lore (5 ranks)

Feats: Far Shot, Mountain Warrior

Summary

If you want to stay five million miles away from foes, this class is for you. With this class, without much effort you can shoot at something over 2600 feet away with zero penalty to hit. That's insane! This class is definitely more of a sniper build instead of an arrow gatling gun, so would go well with the Sniper base class or the Archer base class. It's also better in campaigns that take place in the wilderness and in the open instead of constrained dungeons where you may not be able to make the most of your class features.

Role: DPS

Characteristics: Archers that excel at distance shooting.

Source: Races of Stone

Game Rule Information

The Cragtop Archer has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Dexterity for your ranged attack bonus, WIsdom for your class skills, Strength for if you have a mighty bow.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Cragtop Archer's class skills are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Cragtop Archer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Cragtop Archer is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with.

Adept Climber Ex: A cragtop archer does not lose her Dexterity bonus to Armor Class while climbing.

Farsight Ex: A cragtop archer enjoys great visual acuity. She suffers only half the normal penalty on her Spot checks because of distance (—1 per 20 feet of distance, rather than —1 per 10 feet). In addition, a cragtop archer takes only half the normal penalty on ranged attacks per range increment (—1 per range increment, rather than —2).

Strike from Above Ex: Beginning at 2nd level, a cragtop archer gains a +2 bonus on damage rolls when making a ranged attack from higher ground than her target.

Arcing Shot Ex: A cragtop archer of 3rd level or higher can fire a high, arcing shot to gain greater range with her projectile weapon. Any time the cragtop archer can fire a projectile weapon in an area with at least 40 feet of clearance between her position and the ceiling (or any other overhead obstruction, such as a forest canopy), her maximum range with the projectile weapon is fifteen range increments rather than the normal ten range increments.

Horizon Shot Su: From 4th level on, a cragtop archer can seemingly hit targets as far away as the horizon as easily as she can hit something nearby. As a full-round action, the cragtop archer can make a single attack with a projectile weapon. This attack is made with no penalty for range, though it still has the same maximum range as a normal attack by the cragtop archer. This ability can be used in conjunction with any ability that extends the range of a projectile weapon, such as the Far Shot feat or the cragtop archer's arcing shot ability.

Mountain Skin Su: Three times per day, a 5th-level cragtop archer can gather the strength of the mountains into her own body, manifesting her bond with them within herself. While this ability is in effect, the cragtop archer gains damage reduction 5/adamantine. Activating the mountain skin ability is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The benefit from mountain skin lasts for a number of rounds equal to 5 + the character's Con modifier.

Table 1-1: Cragtop Archer Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0	Adept climber, farsight
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0	Strike from above
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1	Arcing shot
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1	Horizon shot
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1	Mountain skin

Adaptation

With their racial archery prowess, elves could have a similar prestige class that isn't tied to the mountains. To create such a class, you could replace the Climb and Mountain Warrior requirements with other skill or feat requirements, and likewise replace the adept climber and strike from above class features with class features you create yourself. Alternatively, you could remove the Mountain Warrior requirement and call the prestige class the "elven treetop archer."