Campaign Design - Prestige Class: Order of the Bow Initiate

Order of the Bow Initiate (adapted from Complete Warrior and Sword and Fist)

The Way of the Bow is used by some senshidorein warriors of the Owarikawan kingdoms for spiritual self-improvement, by others as a philosophical art. Others practice it as a way of life, and yet others employ it as a religious ceremony. Many simply find that killing with a bow is an important skill in a dangerous world. The Way of the Bow is always what you make of it. The Way of the Bow embraces the following concepts:

• Through one's archery, one's true character can be determined.
• The Way of the Bow is a spiritual art. By learning it, the archer learns about himself. By improving in the Way of the Bow, the archer improves himself.
• The Way of the Bow is a highly meditative martial art whose ultimate goals are Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
• When asked "What is Truth?", a master archer picks up his bow, fires an arrow, and without saying a word, lets his mastery of the bow serve as the gauge of the archer's progress along the Way.
• The Way of the Bow is a matter of precision and discipline: The relationship you have with your bow, the arrow, your body, and your mind. When you shoot, you can see the reflection of your mind, as in a mirror. The target is the mirror. You can see your own mind.

Fighters are the most common adherents to the Order of the Bow, indeed, every member must progress at least some of the way down that path in order to become a member. Powerful rangers, paladins, scouts, and even barbarians and rogues sometimes utilize these skills and philosophies as well.

Hit Die: d10.
Luck Die: d4.

Requirements
To become an Order of the Bow Initiate, one must meet the following criteria:

• Base Attack Bonus: +5.
• Skills: Knowledge: Religion 2+ ranks.
• Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (Longbow, Composite Longbow, Shortbow, or Composite Shortbow), and Weapon Specialization (Longbow, Composite Longbow, Shortbow, or Composite Shortbow).
• Proficiency: Longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, or composite shortbow.
• Region: Owarikawa.

Class Skills

• The initiate's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft: Bowmaking (Int), Knowledge: Religion (Int), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
• Note: Because the Three Worlds campaign uses the Skills by Character house rule, the list of class skills given here is only included for the sake of completeness, and is not used by characters in the campaign setting.
• Skill Points at each level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Order of the Bow Initiate prestige class.

• Base Attack Bonus: Good. An initiate gains +1 base attack bonus per class level.


• Base Fortitude Save Bonus: Poor. An initiate gains a +¹⁄₃ base Reflex save bonus per class level.


• Base Reflex Save Bonus: Good. An initiate gains a +½ base Reflex save bonus per class level.


• Base Will Save Bonus: Good. An initiate gains a +½ base Will save bonus per class level.


• Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Initiates gain no new proficiency with any weapons or armor.


• Ranged Precision: As a standard action, an initiate may make a single precisely aimed attack with a ranged weapon, dealing an extra 1d8 points of damage if the attack hits. When making a ranged precision attack, an initiate must be within 30 feet of his target. An initiate's ranged precision attack only works against living creatures with discernible anatomies. Any creature that is immune to critical hits (including undead, constructs, oozes, plants, and incorporeal creatures) is not vulnerable to a ranged precision attack, and any item or ability that protects a creature from critical hits (such as armor with the fortification special ability) also protects a creature from the extra damage.
  
  
  
  Unlike with a rogue's sneak attack, the initiate's target does not have to be flat-footed or denied its Dexterity bonus, but if it is, the initiate's extra precision damage stacks with sneak attack damage. Treat the initiate's ranged precision attack as a sneak attack in all other ways.
  
  
  
  The initiate's bonus to damage on ranged precision attacks increases by +1d8 every two levels.
  
  
  
  An initiate can only use this ability with a ranged weapon for which he has taken the Weapon Focus feat.


• Zen Archery: At 2^nd level, the initiate gains the feat Zen Archery as a bonus feat. If the character already has the feat, then their Wisdom modifier stacks with their Dexterity modifier for ranged attacks.


• Superior Weapon Focus (Ex): At 4^th level, the initiate gain a +1 bonus to all attacks made with a bow for which he has the Weapon Focus feat. This stacks with the bonuses granted by Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Focus.


• Sharp-Shooting: At 6^the level, an initiate gains the feat Sharp-Shooting as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.


• Superior Weapon Specialization (Ex): At 8^th level, the initiate gains a +2 bonus on all damage rolls made with a bow for which he has the Weapon Specialization feat. This stacks with the bonuses granted by Weapon Specialization and Greater Weapon specialization.


• Extended Precision (Su): A 10^th-level Order of the Bow Initiate's senses and feel for "the shot" become so attuned that he may make ranged precision attacks (and sneak attacks, if he has the ability) at a range of up to 60 feet.

Order of the Bow Initiate

Level	Special
1st	Ranged precision +1d8
2nd	Zen Archery
3rd	Ranged precision +2d8
4th	Superior weapon focus
5th	Ranged precision +3d8
6th	Sharp-Shooting
7th	Ranged precision +4d8
8th	Superior weapon specialization
9th	Ranged precision +5d8
10th	Extended precision

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