Archer

''Of history’s most persistent necessities, none has colored the art of death more strikingly than the ability to kill from afar. While this innovative concept came in many forms, no method was as universal or as long-lasting as the bow. By the power of resistance and elasticity, a bow can carry projectiles great distances, leading to sweeping changes in the possibilities one might expect to meet his end.''

Role: Archers are ranged artillery specialists, able to deal death with a quiet hum of their bows. Often quiet and stealthy, they are able skirmishers and ambushers.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Starting Wealth: 5d6 × 10 gold (average 175 gold.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gold or less.

Class Skills

The archer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Points Per Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the archer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Archers are proficient with all simple weapons and all non-exotic bows. Archers are proficient with light armor, but not with any type of shields.

Archer Training (Ex)
Starting at 1st level, an archer counts his total archer levels as base attack bonus for the purpose of qualifying for feats.

Archery Style (Ex)
At 1st level, the archer can select one of the following feats: Far Shot, Focused Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload, and Rapid Shot, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. The benefits of this ability apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Aim (Ex)
Also at 1st level, an archer can aim at an opponent he can see as a move action. The archer then gains a +1 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks attempted against that opponent, and a +1 bonus on ranged weapon attack and damage rolls against it. An archer can only maintain these bonuses against one opponent at a time; these bonuses remain in effect until either the opponent is dead or the archer aims at a new target.

At 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels, the bonuses on ranged weapon attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks against an aimed target increase by 1. In addition, at each such interval, the archer is able to maintain these bonuses against an additional aimed target at the same time. The archer may discard this connection to an aimed target as a free action, allowing him to aim at another target in its place.

At 7th level, an archer can aim at an opponent as a move or swift action.

Hawkeye (Ex)
At 2nd level, an archer gains a +1 bonus on Perception checks, and the range increment for any bow or crossbow he uses increases by 5 feet. These bonuses increase by +1 and 5 additional feet for every 3 levels beyond 2nd.

Archery Talents (Ex)
As an archer gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him against his foes. Starting at 2nd level, an archer gains one archery talent. He gains an additional archery talent for every 2 levels of archer attained after 2nd level. Unless otherwise stated, an archer cannot select an individual talent more than once.
 * A complete list of archery talents can be found below

Agile Archer (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, an archer adds his Dexterity modifier to the damage roll while using a bow or crossbow. If an effect or item would allow an archer to use his Strength for ranged weapon damage rolls, he instead uses Dexterity, but it doesn’t stack.

Expert Archer (Ex)
At 4th level, an archer gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls with bows and crossbows. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 4th.

Improved Archery Style (Ex)
At 5th level, an archer’s aptitude in his archery improves.the archer can select one of the following feats: Crossbow Mastery, Improved Precise Shot, Parting Shot, and Manyshot, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. As before, the benefits of this ability apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Targeted Shot (Ex)
At 5th level, while using aim at a target, the archer can attempt to strike a specific body part on an aimed target within the first range increment of his ranged weapon, to cause various effects. The archer must declare his intention to attempt a targeted shot and designate the specific target and body part before the attack roll is made. The archer then makes ranged attacks as normal (can make multiple targeted shots as his number of attacks allowed). A successful attack deals weapon damage normally and causes debilitating secondary effects. If damage reduction completely negates the damage from a called shot, the called shot has no effect. If hit point damage does get through, the targeted shot has normal effects. Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to the effects of a targeted shot. Multiple successful targeted shots against the same body part or body parts of a single creature are not cumulative.

   

Arms: On a hit, the target takes no damage from the hit but drops one carried item of the archer’s’s choice, even if the item is wielded with two hands. Items held in a locked gauntlet are not dropped on a hit.

Head: On a hit, the target is damaged normally, and is also confused for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting effect.

Legs: On a hit, the target is damaged normally and knocked prone. Creatures that have four or more legs or that are immune to trip attacks are immune to this effect.

Torso: Targeting the torso threatens a critical on a 19–20.

Wings: On a hit, the target is damaged normally, and must make a DC 20 Fly check or fall 20 ft.

Fast Movement (Ex)
At 6th level an archer can quickly change position. When wearing light or no armor and carrying no more than a light load, his base move speed increases by 10 feet. This bonus increases by 10 feet for every three archer levels after 6th level. This bonus is an enhancement bonus.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
Starting at 7th level, an archer can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He cannot be caught flat-footed, nor does he lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. He still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. An archer with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him. If an archer already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge (see below) instead.

Quick Shot (Ex)
Also at 7th level, whenever an archer makes a full attack with a bow or crossbow, he can make one additional ranged attack. This attack is at the archer’s highest base attack bonus, but each attack in the round (including the extra one) takes a –2 penalty. This ability stacks with Rapid Shot feat.

Heavy Pull (Ex)
At 8th level, the archer can pull on a bowstring or taut their crossbow in such a way that they can deal considerably more damage than others who are less talented with ranged weapons. An archer treats any bow or crossbow as 1 size category larger when calculating damage. This does not stack with any similar abilities.

Safe Shot (Ex)
Beginning at 9th level, the archer no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when making a ranged attack with his bow or crossbow. When making other ranged attacks, such as throwing a dagger, the archer provokes as normal.

Archery Style Mastery (Ex)
At 10th level, an archer’s aptitude in his archery improves again.the archer can select one of the following feats: Pinpoint Targeting and Shot on the Run, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. As before, the benefits of this ability apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Ranged Cleave (Ex)
A bow in the hands of an 11th-level archer becomes a weapon capable of shots with incredible power and precision. Whenever an archer deals enough damage to a creature with a bow or crossbow to drop the creature below 0 hit points, the archer receives a second attack against another creature within half the weapon’s range increment of the first target. If the second target is dropped below 0 hit points by the attack, the archer may take a third attack against another creature within one-quarter of the weapon’s range increment from the second target, and so on – the maximum distance between potential targets halving each time a target is successfully dropped.

Take Aim (Ex)
At 13th level, whenever the archer uses the aim ability, he can double the bonuses. He can use this ability a number of times per day equal to his Dexterity modifier.

Evasive Archer (Ex)
Also at 13th level, an archer gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC against ranged attacks. This bonus increases to +4 at 17th level.

Critical Aim (Ex)
At 14th level, the archer’s aim becomes a precise deadliness. The critical threat range of all bows and crossbows in the hands of the archer is increased by 1. At 18th level, this increases by 1 again. This increase does not stack with Improved Critical or similar effects.

Penetrating Shot (Ex)
At 15th level, when an archer confirms a critical hit with a bow or crossbow, the arrow or bolt pierces the target and can strike another creature in line behind it. The archer must be able to trace a line starting at his space and passing through both targets to make this additional attack. The secondary attack is made at a –4 penalty, in addition to any modifiers for added range. If this attack is also a critical hit, the arrow or bolt can continue to hit another target, but the penalties stack.

Volley (Ex)
At 17th level, as a full-round action, an archer can make a single bow or crossbow attack at his highest base attack bonus against any number of creatures in a 30-foot-radius burst, making separate attack and damage rolls for each creature.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)
An archer of 17th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies an enemy the ability to gain a bonus on attack rolls by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more character levels than the archer does.

Ranged Defense (Ex)
At 19th level, an archer gains DR 5/- against ranged attacks. In addition, as an immediate action, he can catch an arrow or bolt fired at him and shoot it any target he chooses as if he had the Snatch Arrows feat.

Master Archer (Ex)
At 20th level, an archer’s skill with archery becomes legendary. Any attacks made with any bow or crossbow that the archer wields automatically confirm all critical threats and have their damage multiplier increased by 1 (×2 becomes ×3, for example). In addition, he cannot be disarmed while wielding any bow or crossbow.

   

= Archery Talents = As an archer gains experience, he learns a number of talents that aid him against his foes. Starting at 2nd level, an archer gains one archery talent. He gains an additional archery talent for every 2 levels of archer attained after 2nd level. Unless otherwise stated, an archer cannot select an individual talent more than once.