Archer

Archer is the paramount ranged martial class. Being good at archery is their whole thing and are much more likely to be a sniper that requires expert positioning and planning to use to the highest effect and reward. There are some more spray and pray in your face archetypes that you can adopt but with this class you gain access to several archery based feats and special abilities no other class really has access to.

Role: DPS

Characteristics: An adept combatant that uses bows to maximum effect

Source: Homebrew

Game Rule Information

The Archer has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Dexterity is crucial for archer to make ranged attacks, Constitution is vital for your Concentration skill, and Wisdom is useful for a variety of abilities

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: 5d4 x 10

Class Skills

The Archer's class skills are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex)

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 Archer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Archer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor

Archer's Aptitude Ex: They excel at archery at the expense of combat with other weapons. While wielding any bow, the archer substitutes their Base Attack Bonus (BAB) with their Archery Attack Bonus (AAB). An archer also uses their AAB in lieu of their BAB for the purpose of qualifying for archery feat. Finally, their Archer levels are applied as fighter level for the purpose of accessing feat in the Weapon Focus tree.

Therefore a 2nd level fighter (BAB +2) / 2nd level Archer (BAB +1, AAB +2) would qualify for either Weapon Specialization (Longbow) and Shot on the Run, assuming they had the prerequisite feat(s).

The archer may also consider using their AAB in lieu of their BAB and/or apply their archer level as a fighter level(s) when qualifying for any archery-based feat or prestige class, such as the Zen Archery feat or Arcane Archer prestige class, with the DM's approval.

Aim Ex: As a standard action an archer may ready a single arrow and take aim at a target. In doing so the archer is consider to have readied an attack against the target that can be used as an immediate action. An archer can hold their aim in this way for as long as they choose but may not take any other actions while doing so.

At the beginning of each round, the archer is entitled to an aim check which is resolved as a concentration check (DC 15). Each successful check grants the archer an aim counter. The counters are accumulative (at 5 the attack cannot critcally fail). The archer can have a number of aim counters equal to their Archer Attack Bonus. However, if they roll a natural one on this check all the counters are lost. Any arrows fired while aiming receives a bonus of +2 per aim counter to attack rolls. An archer who spends at least one rounds aiming deals additional +1D6 points of precision damage on damage rolls, plus an additional 1D6 for every two archer levels beyond the first. Once the arrow is fired aim ends and the counters are burned; likewise, the counters are lost if aim is dismissed or dropped for any other reason.

An archer is considered flat footed while aiming and is treated as such for any attack directed at them while aiming, even if they release in response to being attacked, though doing so negates any chance of the attack interfering with the shot. If the archer takes damage while maintaining aim they must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + damage taken) to continue. If the target moves more than five feet within a single action the archer must immediately make a concentration check DC equal to the distance of movement made to maintain aim. They can however release an arrow in response to the target's movement to avoid this check. If they fail any of these checks aim is dropped and the associated counters are burned.

Archer Feat Ex: The archer strives to increase their skill and prowess with the bow. At 1st level and every even numbered level, the archer can select a feat from the following: Deadeye Shot, Far Shot, Improved Critical (Any bow), Improved Mounted Archery, Improved Precise Shot, Improved Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Mounted Archery, Penetrating Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Power Critical, Ranged Disarm, Ranged Pin, Ranged Sunder, Ranged Weapon Mastery, Rapid Shot, Sharp-shooting, Shot on the Run, Weapon Focus (Any bow), Greater Weapon Focus (Any bow), Weapon Specialization (Any bow), or Greater Weapon Specialization (Any bow). In addition to these feat any bow related feat on the fighter's bonus feat list applies.

Defensive Shot Ex: Once per round the archer may spend a swift action to grant themselves a +4 dodge bonus versus attacks of opportunity drawn from firing a bow within a threatened square.

Special Ability: The archer learns unusual maneuvers with the bow and arrow, such as ricocheting arrows off walls or peppering their enemies with a barrage of arrows. At 10th level and every two levels thereafter, they may select one of the following special abilities; unless otherwise noted, each special ability can be selected only once:

Archery: The archer can select an additional feat from the Archer Feat class feature. Archery can be taken multiple times.

Barrage: (Prerequisite: Rapid Shot, and Manyshot) This ability can be used once per day as a full round action to lay fire to an area. Barrage effects a designated 60ft cone, allowing the archer to make one attack against each creature within the target area at their highest BAB -2. This ability can be taken multiple times to increase the number of daily uses.

Devastating Strike: When wielding any bow in which she has Weapon Focus or Improved Critical, the damage multiplier for critical hits increases by x1. Also, should any attack you make with a qualifying weapon deal 50 or more damage in a single attack the DC to avoid death by massive damage is increases from 15 to 25.

Dismiss Arrow: The archer gains the Deflect Arrows feat even if they do not meet the requirements if the archer already has Deflect Arrows they instead gains Snatch Arrows. This special ability may be taken twice, in order to gain both effects.

Eagle Eye: While wielding a bow you are considered to be one range increment closer your target for all attack rolls made outside of your first range increment. In addition aim, Point Blank Shot, sniper attack, sneak attack, and skirmish are now effective out to 60ft.

Hunter’s Shot: (Prerequisite: Survival 12 ranks) The archer can take a shot, while aiming with at least one aim counter, that ignores natural armor. This special ability may be used a number of time per day equal to three plus the archer's Wis mod.

Mighty Draw: (Prerequisite: Str of 15 or higher) The archer is consider to have +4 Str for the purposes of wielding a composite bow

Pepper Shot: (Prerequisite: Rapid Shot) You can use a full round action to pepper a target within 30ft. When doing so make a single attack roll at a -4. Then roll damage as normal plus an additional 4d8 of piercing damage. A successful attack deals full damage and dazes the target for 1 round. If you miss with this attack and have 10 or better on your D20 roll daze is negated but you still deal have damage. This attack expends 5 arrows. Creatures with evasion are afforded no protection from this attack.

Piercing Strike: When wielding any bow in which they have Weapon Focus or Improved Critical, the net threat range is increased by 1, and is allowed to take ten on rolls to confirm crit.

Ranged Flank: On a successful attack made with a bow against a target within 30ft, you may declare a ranged flanking position. You are therefore treated as though you occupied the nearest square adjacent to the target for the purposes of determining whether or you or and allies are flanking the target, so long as you maintain a position that is known to and within 30ft of the target. You may only use this ability once per round, and only against one target at a time.

Ranged Sneak Attack: (Prerequisite: Hide 5 ranks, Move Silently and 5 rank) The archer deals an additional +1D6 points of Sneak Attack damage with Projectiles against any target within 30 feet that is flanked or denied its Dexterity bonus to AC. This special ability can be taken multiple times, the effects stack with each other and other sources of sneak attack. This ability otherwise functions as the rouge’s Sneak Attack ability.

Ricochet Shot: As a standard action the archer can attempt to strike a target within 30 feet with a Ricochet Shot, allowing them to ricochet their arrow off a nearby surface so that the arrow strikes from an angle that negates cover (even total cover) and shield bonus. This ability can be used at any time provide there is a hard surface nearby (ex. Stone Wall) and a conceivable flight path. This attack uses the archers highest base attack bonus –2.

Sniper: (Prerequisite: Hide 12 ranks) When the archer uses the hide skill then attacks they can immediately roll another hide check to remain hidden without incurring the normal penalty so long as they makes only a single attack.

Steady Aim: The archer no longer losses any accumulated aim bonus on a Concentration check when they roll a natural 1 and receives a +5 competency bonus on all Concentration checks made for the purpose of aiming.

Trace: The archer can ignore the first 10 feet of a targets movement and they gain a +10 competency bonus on Concentration check required for addition movement beyond that. In addition they may take a five foot step while aiming.

Quick Aim: This special ability allows the archer may take a single standard action to aim, instantly gaining the benefit of three rounds of aiming. The archer then attempts a DC 15 aim check to receive three aim counters. This ability can be used a number of times each day equal to their wisdom modifier.

Volley: As a full round action an archer with this special ability can make an attack against a target who is within line of site but at least four range increment out with a -4 penalty to his attack. This negates all other ranged penalties.

Table 1-1: Archer Progression

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Archer Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+1	+0	+2	+0	Archer's Aptitude, Aim 1d6, Archer Feat
2nd	+1	+2	+0	+3	+0	Archer Feat
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	+1	Aim +2d6, Defensive Shot
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	+1	Archer Feat
5th	+3	+5	+1	+4	+1	Aim +3d6
6th	+4	+6/+1	+2	+5	+2	Archer Feat
7th	+5	+7/+2	+2	+5	+2	Aim +4d6
8th	+6/+1	+8/+3	+2	+6	+2	Archer Feat
9th	+6/+1	+9/+4	+3	+6	+3	Aim +5d6
10th	+7/+2	+10/+5	+3	+7	+3	Special Ability
11th	+8/+3	+11/+6/+1	+3	+7	+3	Aim +6d6
12th	+9/+4	+12/+7/+2	+4	+8	+4	Special Ability
13th	+9/+4	+13/+8/+3	+4	+8	+4	Aim +7d6
14th	+10/+5	+14/+9/+4	+4	+9	+4	Special Ability
15th	+11/+6/+1	+15/+10/+5	+5	+9	+5	Aim +8d6
16th	+12/+7/+2	+16/+11/+6/+1	+5	+10	+5	Special Ability
17th	+12/+7/+2	+17/+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+5	Aim +9d6
18th	+13/+8/+3	+18/+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+6	Special Ability
19th	+14/+9/+4	+19/+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+6	Aim +10d6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+20/+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+6	Special Ability