Apprentice Archer (Wiz23/AA15/Ro2)

[dodrudon]

The point of this build was to create an archer with powerful arcane spells, including the best epic spells, with the least levels of wizard as possible in order to max ranged AB. Two rogue levels were thrown in there for UMD and, well, for fun. You should definitely find a tank buddy for this build.

When choosing spells, choose things such as Grease, Web, Slow, and Cloudkill, anything that slows your opponents and gives you more time to shoot them full of arrows.

Disadvantages: not the best SR piercer, terrible spell DCs (so go for buffs and non-saveable spells), start out mostly as a wizard (don't get lots of AA levels till much much later).

Race: Elf
Starting Stats:
Str-10 Dex-18 (28) Con-14 Wis-8 Int-15 (19) Cha-8
First Class: Wizard specializing in illusionist (for extra spell per day), disadvantage is no enchantment spells, but most of those require DC rolls which isn't one of this build's strengths

(* Feats can be changed as preferred, however these feats are highly recommended.)
(** Feats can be changed as preferred)
Level Progression:
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1-12: Wizard12 - +3 INT
Skills - max concentration only
Feats - Point Blank, WF:Longbow, Rapid Shot*. This leaves 2 general and 2 wizard bonus feats. I suggest getting spell focus and greater spell focuses if you want the new epic spell for that class. Combat casting isnt necessary, because you should be far from the fray anyways. Toughness is always nice. Mobility isn't needed because you'll have tumble, and neither is Dodge because you won't be in combat. Still spell might be good if you want to use medium armor that AA gives you. Funnily enough, AA also gives you shield....

13-14: Arcane Archer2 (nothing exciting here, not even skills)
AA Feats - Enchant Arrow I, Imbue Arrow x3/day (fireball arrow)

15: Rogue1
Skills - 18 Disable Trap, 18 Open Lock, 14 search, 15 Tumble, 18 UMD (yay!)
Feat - Imp Crit:Longbow*

16: Wizard13 - +1 INT
Skills - max conc, put 2 in spellcraft

17: AA3
AA Feats - Enchant Arrow II

18-20: Wizard16 - +1 DEX (from this point on all ability scores go into DEX)
Skills - max conc & spellcraft (to 23)
Feats - 1 general and 1 wizard bonus feat

21-24: Wizard21
Skills - max conc & spellcraft (to 27)
Feats - EWF:Longbow*, Epic Prowess*, which leaves one wizard bonus feat, maybe autostill spell if you're going that route, or an epic spell focus if you want an arcane spell.

25-26: AA5
AA Feat - Seeker Arrow I, Enchant Arrow III

27: Wizard21
Skills - max conc & spellcraft (to 30)
Feat - Epic Mage Armor

28-29: AA7
AA Feats - Seeker Arrow II, Enchant Arrow IV

30: Wizard22
Skills - max conc & spellcraft (to 33)
Feat - Hellball!!!

31-32: AA9

33: Wizard23
Feats - For wizard bonus feat, get Epic Warding. For the remaining general feat, Great Dexterity is recommended.

34-39: AA15
AA Feats - Death Arrow, Enchant Arrow VIII
Feats - Two general and one AA bonus feat, again Great Dexterity recommended.

40: Rogue2
Skills - max Disable Trap, Open Lock, and UMD. You'll have enough points left over to get Search and Tumble to 40.
Rogue Feat - Evasion
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HP: 344 (w/ toughness)
AB w/ mundane longbow: 42
Attacks per round: 3, 4 with rapid shot, +1 with haste
AC: 27
Saves(F/W/R): 20/20/29
Skills: Conc 36(38), DisTrp 43(47), Unlock 43(52), Spellcraft 35(39), Search 40(46), Tumble 40(49), UMD 43(42)
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I guess you could switch the rogue level with another level anytime before level 27, it won't affect your AB or attacks per round. Anytime at level 17 or more and you can get Epic Skill Focus: UMD if you're into that.

Anybody have any ideas to boost power earlier in the game (up to level 12 you're basically a pure wiz), or what feats to take? Glaring weaknesses, but you can theoretically (with enough arrows and enough movement impediment spells) take down any enemy, as well as do anything a rogue can do.

However, with legendary levels in wizard, your spells will become much better.

[Balduvard]

With this build being so close to the threshold, I'd try to go for 25 levels of Wizard so that you can get the real Epic spells (many of which are have no saving throw and can be put to great use for an archer). Also by eliminating some of the feats in this build you can end up getting two of these epic spells (one by focus, one by book). Epic Warding and Epic Mage Armor are both available on items, and Hellball is not the most favored spell; due to it's likelihood to be resisted in Legendary Areas and it's propensity for destroying loot.

If I had to choose I would take Transmutation focus and Divination. The Transmute Barrier will be helpful in keeping the melee enemies off of you, and Contingency will get you back up when you happen to actually die inside of your protective stone walls--something that could be essential to your survival if you happen to be on another plane.

[chainlink]

The trouble is you'll be a poor mans aa with none of the significant benefits gained by the aa updates (see the class/ability change book for more information) . You won't be able to open any of the trapped/locked chests in the LL areas with dc well over 100 in most cases so putting points into these skills is dubious unless you have nothing better to do with them. Its an interesting idea but as mentioned before HG severely penalises non-optimised builds especially in the LL areas. FYI my first aa build (1WIZ/9 FTR/30AA) looked really good until I got to immo status then I discovered he was sucky central as he could hit just about anything but had minimal defensive benefits and got creamed every few seconds if I wasn't well out of reach. You don't need to take max levels in aa (unless you want max dc on all their abilities) as the ab boost from enchant arrows means you will still be an effective hitter vs a pure dexer tank but the levels of other classes you take (apart from the one required caster level) should really give you some significant benefits. It would seem that one of the favored builds (with the experienced players) is 1caster/13ROG/26AA but I couldn't fit in Self Conceal 5 early enough when I tried this so I opted for 1/15/24.