Pimp My Archer - Part 4 of 5 - “The Skirmisher”
The Skirmisher as a specialist role is fairly new to D&D. Though the ability to stick and move has always been there it wasn’t really until the addition of the skirmish class feature and its subsequent feats and prestige classes that the skirmish style took on a life of its own.
The skirmisher archer is all about harassing the enemy while moving. Movement is key to their abilities. Their focus is on moving within range or a target, firing then moving back out of the range, or line of site of their target, using superior mobility to keep the enemy from closing while they pepper away at them. The skirmisher is the most likely type of archer to be mounted. They’re also the least likely of the 3 main types to be using a cross bow. Their need to move gives them little time to stop and reload a crossbow; though with the right combination of feats it can be done.
Adventuring Role:
The skirmisher is less offensive oriented ad his juggernaut brethren. Though they’re able to bring a good amount of damage to the table it is usually only half that of the Bowman and Sniper. He strength of the skirmisher is in their defensive abilities. Their combination of stealth & movement make them the most difficult of the three archer types to kill. The skirmisher works well in both a group as well as alone. Their ability to keep themselves out of harms way leaves one less person for the party healer to worry about. The main weakness of the skirmisher is that they require plenty of space and cover to operate at their best. Without these things they are vulnerable to counter attack. And lacking the pure offensive power of the other two archer types may not be able to out last their opponents.
Variance in the Skirmisher is reliant on what type of secondary abilities you want your skirmisher to be able to do. If you’re purely be an dismounted skirmisher archer than only important line of feats. Shot On The Run. Is you are also going to be in melee then Spring Attack & Elusive Target are necessary additions to the build. While a mounted skirmisher will need Mounted Combat, Mounted Archery and maybe ride by attack.
Recommended Feat Choices:
Dodge
Mobility
Shot On The Run &/or Spring Attack
Mounted Combat
Mounted Archery
Ride by Attack
Recommended Classes
SCOUT !!!
Barbarian
Monk
Swashbuckler
Essentially any class that builds on or improves your movement based skills is a boon to your role. In the end though no other class gives you the combination of abilities that the scout does in this particular role; they could have just named the class the skirmisher and left it at that.
As for prestige classes the skirmisher is not as dependant on prestige as some other builds. I’d recommend a class that allows your progression in the skirmish ability to continue on such as the Ranger (PHB/Com-Scdrl), or Highland Stalker (Com-Adv) or those that maximize your movement potential such as the Thief Acrobat (Com-Adv), or Wild Plains Outrider (Com-Adv).
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