This character class has been culled from a back issue of Dragon(tm) Magazine and details a character classes for use in a 1st Edition AD&D game. All credit for the creation of the character class and the original article go to the author, Len Lakofka.

ARCHER / ARCHER-RANGER PC CLASS

Strength and hurled missiles

A bonus to hit and/or to damage due to a character's Strength can be taken into account when that character or creature hurls a mIssile. Such missiles are throwing daggers, throwing axes, spears, hammers, and javelins (not darts). To gain a Strength bonus the figure must be proficient with the weapon. However, Magic,-Users never gain a Strength bonus to hit or to damage from a thrown dagger (aside: Magic-Users must learn to throw a dagger. First- to fifth-level M-Us are -5 to hit with a dagger, whether they like it or not, whenever they try to throw it.). A Thief can gain a Strength bonus with a thrown dagger but never if he/she is trying for a "back stab" bonus.

The full bonus to hit and to damage is awarded for targets within15 feet of the thrower. For the balance of the short-range distance, 16 to 30 feet (16 to 60 feet for a javelin) half the bonus is awarded. Halved bonuses are rounded down. Giants gain their full strength bonus to damage whenever the target Is within 20 feet (See other notes on Strength In Leomund's Tiny Hut, Dragon #43.)

A new non-player character class: Archers and Archer-Rangers

The principal attributes of an Archer are strength and dexterity, both of which must be 15 or better. Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma must be at least 6 and Constitution at least 9. Archer-Rangers require an even higher lnteiligence/ Wisdom and Constitution, a minimum of 14 in each. Archers and Archer-Rangers whose Strength and Dexterity are both 16 or better gaIn 10% to earned experience. While Archers may be of any alignrhent, Archer-Rangers must be Good.

Archers can be human, elf, half-elf, or haif-orc, as well as some other humanoid races. Humanoids are limited in level as an Archer as follows: Orcs can become 3rd-level Archers, Gnolls can become 5th-level Archers, Hobgoblins can become 4th-level Archers. Kobolds, Goblins, Dwarves, Gnomes and Haiflings cannot become archers. Archer-Rangers can be human or half-elf. Demi-humans and non-humans not mentioned above are limited to becoming 8th-level Archers or Archer-Rangers. Archers and Archer-Rangers use an 8-sided die for hit point determination. At first level, two 8-sided dice are thrown, just as the Ranger class does. All Archers add 2 hit pointy per level after the 9th level.

All Archers may use a wide selection of armor, but the use of (edit change to this rule - text removed) plate armor (end of original text) (New change starts here ) ANY armor not classified as "Non-Bulky" (end of update) will negate an Archer's “to hit” bonuses and thus he/she will surely decline to trse this type of armor. A shield can be carried, but obviously It must be set aside when arrows are fired. Archers have a great selection of weapons available, but this selection Is not as broad as that of a Fighter. They may use, In addition to their long/composite/great bow, the following weapons: swords of any type, dagger, axes of any type, a spear or javelin, darts, or scimitars. Archers rarely use blunt weapons like a mace, hammer or flail. Archers do not use pole arms except for the throwing spear. It is very rare for an archer to use a short bow or any type of crossbow. Archers gain no bonuses to hit or damage from those latter missile weapons.

Archers and Archer-Rangers have the same saving throws as Fighters. They melee on the Fighter table. All Arcbers begin with only two weapons, a bow and almost always some type of sword. Thereafter they may add one weapon every 3rd level, just as other fighting classes do. However, their non-proficiency penalty Is -3. All Archers can make only one hand-to-hatid melee attack per round through the 8th level. At the 9th level through 15th levels, they can strike three times in two rounds. They gain two attacks per round only at 16th level and higher. At 7th level and above all Archers can, fire three arrows per round instead of just two. All Archers can employ those magical items usable by all classes plus many other items as well. A magic bow and/or a magic arrow operates at +1 In an Archer's hands, over and above any magical bonus to hit and/or damage it may already have. However, elven Archers do not gain this + 1 to hit with a longbow because of their smaller-than, human size. At 9th level, an Archer'can establish a "freehold" just as a Fighter can (see Players Handbook, page 22). However, Archer-Rangers cannot build such a freehold (Players Handbook, page 25). The following applies only to Archer-Rangers. In melee, Archer-Rangers gain +1 to damage vs. the "giant class" just as Rangers do. Archer-Rangers are as stealthy as a Ranger. Archer-Rangers track like a Ranger does. Archer-Rangers attract a body of 2-24 followers just as a Ranger does. However, Archer-Rangers only gain Druidic spells, save for some very specific Magic-User spells outlined hereafter for both Archer-Rangers and Archers. Druidic'speils are gained at the 8th level and follow the chart given for Rangers. Archer-Rangers do not gain any special advantage from non-written magic items pertaining to clairaudience,.clairvoyance, ESP, and telepathy, such as a Ranger can. All Archers can learn some specific Magic-User spells, but to do this Intelligence must be 9 or higher. When the spell is to be taught by a Magic-User, the Archer must check to see if he/she can learn it, as if he/she were a M-U. Failure forever negates that particular spell. Archers cannot read spells from scrolls In any case, and neither can they pen their own spells. Archers may use particular spells beginning at the 7th level of ability. The number of spells usable and the list from which the Archer may choose changes as the Archer's level Increases:

At 3rd level any archer can make arrows for hIs/her bow, assuming the proper raw material is obtained. He/she can craft a dozen arrows in an 8-hour day. At 5th level any archer can make a long/ composite/great bow. This process takes 9-14 days and also assumes proper materials are at hand. A crude bow that is -2 to hit and from which the Archer gains no bonuses whatsoever can be crafted by an Archer in less than an hour. An Archer's major attribute is an enhanced ability to hit and damage a target with bow and arrow. This bonus applies only if an archer is not wearing plate armor, as previously noted. He/she must be using a well made bow and well crafted arrows. The bonus applies to any target of human size, and may be further modified upward or downward depending on the target size and relative motion of archer and target (see preceding discussion). The bonuses to hit and to damage must be awarded at each level promotion of the archer. Remember also that a + I Bow is +2 in the hands of an archer, over and above any bonus given here! The same "extra + 1" is true of arrows. Archers use the range of "point blank" in addition to the short medium/long ranges for most missiles. For an archer, point-blank range is from 10 to 50 feet. Other ranges remain the same. (Hereafter are given range changes for exceptionally strong characters, which may be used for Archers at the DM's option. Note: The bonuses to hit/damage given below do not Include the -2 and -5 adjustments to arrnortlass which must always be applied at medium and long range, respectively.

No matter how well an Archer is capable of shooting, a roll of 1 on the “to hit” die is always a miss. (Normal missile-firing troops always miss on a 1 or 2.) As an examle of how to use the above chart, a 7th-level Archer.with a +1 bow firing a +2 arrow at poInt-blank range would have this bonus to hit and damage: +1 for the bow and +1 more because an archer is firing it; + 2 for the arrow and +1 more because an archer is firing it; +4 to hit due to skill and +3 to damage due to skill at point-blank range for an overall bonus of +9 to hit and +8 to damage!

All archers, and optionally any trained figure with a long/composite/great bow, can also do extra damage and gain greater accuracy through use of physical strength. This can only be accomplished via the use of specially made bows and arrows with a greater "pull." Nomial bows and arrows cannot be used, nor can any short bows or any type of crossbow. Such a bow must be crafted by an Archer, an Archer-Ranger, or an elf bowmaker who is at least 6th level as an Archer, Archer-Ranger or Fighter. Proper 'long arrows:' must be crafted by an Archer, an Archer-Ranger or an elf fletcher of at least 4th level. Ordinary fletchers can only make normal arrows.

Strenqth applies to point-blank range and short range only! Full strength bonuses as given in the Players Handbook win apply to hit and +6 to damage Is the maximum bonus allowed due to Strength. Girdles of Strength will NOT provide a further bonus for this purpose. At short range the bonus to hit and damage due to strength is halved (fractions are dropped). This bonus for Strength is in addition to an Archer's bonus for great skill.

Strength of an Archer or Archer-Ranger may also allow for an expansion of the long-range end of a bow's potential. Only specially made bows will give greater range. Only the top end of the long range categogory is expanded; Medium-range distance stays as given in the Player's Handbook. Given below are ranges for each type of bow allowed to an Archer, Archer-Ranger or strong Fighter, accord ing to the Strength of the character. Remember, the bow and arrows must be special.

Only Archers and Archer-Rangers who reach 8th level or above can craft arrows that can be magicked to become Arrows of Slaying. The magic must be accomplished by a Magic-User with the following spells: Enchant an Item, Wish and Trap the Soul. Fresh blood from the figure type to be slain must be available. Thus, it is virtually impossible to craft an arrow for use versus a unique character like Bahamut, Tiamat, any Deity, etc.

It Is not uncommon for Archer-Rangers to have a double title, like Fletcher-Scout or Ranger-Archer. Note that the Ranger-class title is given first. Any individual might only state part of his/her title. Note that the experience points necessary for each level are the same for Archer or for Archer-Ranger. (By the way, Errol Flynn's Robin Hood was an Archer Grand-master and not a Thief of any type. Consider Flynn's statistics as follows: S 16, I 17, W 15,0 18, C 18, Ch 17, 14th-level Archer Grandmaster, Ieather +2 for AC: 6/2, HP: 110, Long Sword +2 Long Bow +3.

top of page

This page and its contents are presented solely for the purpose of the RPG game events conducted by a private group. Any references to people or places is explicitly within the context of these RPG games and has no connection to any other similarly named source.