Talk:Sharp Shooter (3.5e Prestige Class)

Alright, my first major contribution. Tell me what you think of it, and as always suggestions are helpful. ~ M4rcd4rc 03:58, 1 August 2008 (MDT)

Unclear wording, oddly balanced specials

Interesting class, and heads and shoulders above the other sniping/sharp-shooting prestige classes I am seeing out there.

However, I found the wording of the Snipe Attack to be somewhat confusing, the first paragraph in particular: "The sharp shooter can take a full-round action to strike a foe's vital spots with a projectile weapon, causing extra damage. If the sharp shooter takes an additional standard action after beginning her snipe attack, she gains a +2 insight bonus on her attack roll. If she takes an extra full-round action, she instead recieves a +4 bonus." The ability first describes itself as taking "...a full-round action to strike a foe's vital spots..." which makes it appear to be a full round action to make an attack. However, then it says to take "...an additional standard action after beginning her snipe attack...." Since you can't take a standard action (or a full round action) in the middle of a full round action, then after the beginning of her snipe attack... would have to be after it. Which means that the sharpshooter takes six seconds to shoot, and then spends a standard or full action to improve the aim after shooting. I do not think this is your intent.

Second, the special abilities Accurate Shot and Crippling Strike both are strict upgrades of normal attacks, dealing extra damage and STR damage respectively. While strict upgrades are okay in the abstract, there are some problems with them. Mostly, the problems is that they are upgrades, not options - they will simply be tacked onto every snipe attack made, which means less choices for PCs. It is apparently no harder for a Sharpshooter to snipe someone for normal damage than it to snipe them for STR or extra damage. Put another way, a 4th level Sharpshooter isn't any more accurate when she isn't aiming for muscles in particular. This is also compared to Ranged Trip and Ranged Disarm, which are not only made instead of attacks, but also with negative modifiers (admittedly shooting someone's sword out of their hand with a bow is obscenely hard, but isn't hitting in a matter that cripples someone at least somewhat hard?). I am not saying that they are flawed mechanics, just that they could be made more interesting and fun. --Nil Athelion 16:05, 14 September 2009 (MDT)