Archery-focussed prestige classes

Archery-focussed prestige classes can be developed from a variety of different base classes, and suit any character who concentrates on the use of the bow. One of those given here is a type of sniper, while the other focusses on magically-enhanced, heavy-damage-dealing missile attacks.

Deepwood Sniper

The Deepwood Sniper is a primarily non-magical character who concentrates on using missile weapons with extreme accuracy and deadliness from long range. The deepwood sniper has good attack bonusses with her chosen missile weapon, and has extremely high probability of getting a critical hit, even at very long ranges. As she gains levels, her attacks can ignore concealment and affect even magical creatures easily.

In order to become a deepwood sniper, one merely needs to be a very good archer.

Arcane archer

The arcane archer focusses on imbuing his missile weapons with spells and special abilities, so that even though they may not do more damage they become capable of delivering powerful magical effects at long ranges, around corners or through obstacles. All arrows an Archane Archer fires have a magical enhancement bonus, and as he gains levels this bonus grows. From 2nd level the Arcane Archer can place area effect spells (like fireball, stinking cloud, or sleep) on his arrows, so that they deliver effects at the target. Also, his arrows can fire around corners, seek out targets, and even pass through barriers.

In order to become an arcane archer, a character must be elven or half-elven, be able to cast arcane (wizard) magic and have certain basic archery skills.