Stormbow (3.5e Prestige Class)

Stormbow

“	The Hurricane rages around you; so take a step, I dare you, you misguided fool.	”
—Duck "The Hurricane" McGraw, Human Stormbow, The Massacre of the Twelve Pillows

Standing in the middle of combat, the archer is aware of all his surroundings. The Stormbow learns how to harness these senses and heighten them to such a level that he knows everything that's going on around him and soon becomes in complete control. They can keep their allies covered and their enemies marked.

Becoming a Stormbow

The Stormbow is a class for those interested in the art of controlling the battlefield with their bows. Practitioners of the Falling Star discipline of martial maneuvers can use the Stormbow to control the battlefield with finesse.

Entry Requirements

Base Attack Bonus:	+6
Feats:	Point Blank Shot
Weapon Proficiencies:	At least one WP:Bow

Table: The Stormbow

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Maneuvers			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will	Known	Readied	Stances
1st	+1	+0	+2	+0	1	0	0	Center of the Storm (15ft.), Feat Synergy
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+0	0	1	0	Mark (Ally's Pain, 1)
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+1	0	0	1	Center of the Storm (20ft.)
4th	+4	+1	+4	+1	1	0	0	Mark (Ally's Defense, 2), Double Shot
5th	+5	+1	+4	+1	0	1	0	Center of the Storm (25ft.)
6th	+6	+2	+5	+2	0	0	1	Mark (Foe's Pain, 3)
7th	+7	+2	+5	+2	1	0	0	Center of the Storm (30ft.), Flanking Shot
8th	+8	+2	+6	+2	0	1	0	Mark (Foe's Folly, 4)
9th	+9	+3	+6	+3	0	0	1	Center of the Storm (35ft.)
10th	+10	+3	+7	+3	1	0	0	Mark (Death's Mark, 5), Feat Synergy
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis)

Class Features

The Stormbow's abilities are mainly based around the use of the bow and without the ranged weapon, they soon lose their battlefield control. All of the following are class features of the Stormbow.

Maneuvers: If the Stormbow previously had a martial adept class, then he gains maneuvers as noted on the Table: Stormbow. If he had more than one martial adept class before becoming a Stormbow, the Stormbow must choose which class is his primary Martial Adept class. His iniator level and recovery mechanic are determined by this chosen class. Stormbow increases initator level as normal for the class. A Stormbow can choose maneuvers from the Falling Star discipline.

Center of the Storm (Ex): The Stormbow is the very center of carnage and can unleash a torrent of attacks against enemies that dare even provoke the storm's wrath. At level 1, the Stormbow begins to threaten the battlefield with his bow and threatens 15ft from his position. He can make attacks of opportunity against anyone who provokes one within the range of this ability with his bow. The area of this ability increases by 5ft by every 2 levels (20ft at 3rd, 25ft at 5th), but can never let you threaten an area that is greater than half your bow's range. This ability does not increase your number of attacks of opportunity per round and follows the rules for Ranged Attacks of Opportunity described below.

Feat Synergy (Ex): At 1st and 10th levels, The Stormbow chooses a feat he has has from the list given below. He gains the benefits listed for the feat, as long as he still retains the feats. Your feat synergy may not be changed, unless you lose the feat (at which point, you may choose another synergy).

• Combat Reflexes: You gain a number of additional Attacks of Opportunities equal to half your dexterity bonus.
• Point Blank Shot: You may add 1.5x your dexterity bonus to ranged damage.
• Evasive Reflexes^ToB: You may make an immediate 5ft step before or after a single AoO per round.

Mark (Ex): The Stormbow is capable of designating certain persons on the battlefield as "marks". A mark is not necessarily an enemy, but someone that the Stormbow is keeping their eye on more than the rest of the battlefield. They use this perception to take the combat advantage. Starting at second level, the Stormbow can designate one of his allies as his "mark". Marking someone is a free action, unless otherwise noted. As he grows, the Stormbow becomes more perceptive and gains more combat abilities. The number of marks that the Stormbow can have increases every additional 2 levels (2 at 4th, 3 at 6th, etc). At level 6, the Stormbow can mark an enemy with his marks.

• Ally's Pain (Ex): By focusing on his marked ally, the Stormbow can cover him; allowing him to retaliate against attacks made against his ally. The Stormbow can make an attack of opportunity against an enemy whenever one of his marks is hit.
• Ally's Defense (Ex): Through sheer perception, the Stormbow can exploit the weaknesses made by those that attack the one he's covered. Anyone attacking the Stormbow's mark provokes an attack of opportunity. This attack occurs after the attack is made.
• Foe's Pain (Ex): The Stormbow can mark his opponents, keeping them covered with his ranged prowess and exploiting the small window of opportunity that occurs when they have been struck. Whenever the marked enemy is hit by an attack, the Stormbow may make an attack of opportunity against the marked enemy.
• Foe's Folly (Ex): The Stormbow can even damage his opponents when they successfully defend against attacks, exploiting the delicate movements required to defend. Whenever the marked enemy is attacked, the Stormbow may make an attack of opportunity against the marked enemy, even if the attack misses. This attack occurs after the attack is made.
• Death's Mark (Ex): The Stormbow marks a single enemy and that enemy becomes his major focus. If an enemy marked with Death's Mark does any action, then it provokes an attack of opportunity from the Stormbow, even defensive casting provokes an attack of opportunity. The Stormbow can only mark a single opponent with his Death's Mark at any one time and marking someone with it takes a move action.

Double Shot (Ex): The Stormbow excels at ranged combat and, through quick wits, is capable of firing two arrows at opponents if they dare provoke his ire. At 4th level, the Stormbow can make two attacks against the same opponent during an Attack of Opportunity. Using this counts as two attacks of opportunities for the purposes of Attacks of Opportunities per round (but not for refraining from making attack of opportunities).

Flanking Shot (Ex): The Stormbow can use his focus to shoot arrows in such a way that his mark is flanked. At 7th level, the Stormbow can flank an enemy that has been marked with an ally that has also been flanked, as long as the ally is within melee range.

Campaign Information

Playing a Stormbow

Combat: The Stormbow is a ranged combatant who attempts to control the battlefield with numerous ways of dealing with those that cross his path. The Stormbow utilizes his battlefield control abilities to keep his allies safe from attacks and exploits weaknesses that the battlefield promotes in his enemies.

Advancement: The Stormbow's prowess lies in his ranged combat and his bow; anything that can improved upon these aspects are the next logical step. If the Stormbow was previously a martial adept, further advancing his martial maneuvers is also a high priority.

Resources: The Stormbow is not of an organization; but those that know their ways can band together and aid each other, although those that are attracted to the way of the Stormbow are far and few in diversity, so not all may have the same morality nor want to aid.

Stormbows in the World

“	The Hurricane is known for his uncanny ability to unerringly hit opponents no matter the condition.	”

Stormbows are not a prestigious organization nor do they learn from others, but they are allowed to develop on their own (although the art of controlling the battlefield with a bow can be taught as advanced training). A Stormbow has nothing that lets it be told apart from any other archer; but his devestating control of the battlefield is suprising to many would-be killers.

NPC Reactions: Their unorthodox ability to make attacks against enemies G

Stormbow Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Local) can research Stormbows to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge (Local)

DC	Result
11	<-not so common knowledge->.
16	<-rare information->.
21	<-very rare information->.
26	<-information so obscure that members of this class might not even know it->.

Stormbows in the Game

Adaptation: The Stormbow prestige class requires no altering of previous history of a campaign setting nor of organizational structures; Stormbows have no distinct organization nor do they have anything that stands out in a magical nature.

Sample Encounter: Duck "The Hurricane" McGraw is one of five mercenaries that make up a famous roaming adventuring party (along with Sanders, the Soul Blade). A party may encounter him at a local tavern or possibly have a bounty for him (dead or alive) from one of the more sinister soverigns or organizations.

EL 13: Rock You Like a Hurricane!

Duck "The Hurricane" McGraw

CR 13

	Ranger 6 / Stormbow 7
	Chaotic Good Medium Humanoid (Human)
Init/Senses	+8/Listen +2, Spot +2
Languages	Common
AC	23, touch 18, flat-footed 15 (+8 Dex, +5 Armor)
hp	78 (13d8 HD)
Fort/Ref/Will	+9/+18/+6
Speed	30ft
Melee	+23/+18/+13 Seeking Longbow +2 of Frost (1d8+14+1d6 cold, x3) or
Melee	+17/+17/+10/+10/+5/+5 Seeking Longbow +2 of Frost (1d8+14+1d6 cold, x3)
Base Atk/Grp	+13/+13
Special Actions	Double Shot, Flanking Shot
Combat Gear	Seeking Longbow of Frost, +4 Padded Leather
Abilities	Str 10, Dex 27, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10
SQ	Favoured Enemy (Human), Favoured Enemy (Monstrous Humanoid), Combat Style (Archery), Improved Combat Style (Archery), Wild Empathy, Center of the Storm (20ft), Feat Synergy (Marksman), Mark (Ally's Pain), Ally's Defense, Foe's Pain, 3)
Feats	Marksman, Track, Endurance, Combat Reflexes, Far Shot, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Greater Manyshot
Skills	Hide +24, Knowledge (Geography) +10, Listen +18, Move Silently +24, Spot +18, Survival +11
Advancement	by character class (Ranger)
Possessions	combat gear plus Gloves of Dexterity +6, Efficient Quiver

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → NPCs → CR 13

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → NPCs → ECL 13

---

Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Classes → Prestige Classes