To some, the bow is just a weapon for hunting food. Others see it as a decent tool for the battlefield if used in sufficient numbers. But then, there are others that are so in tune with it, it seems as if their soul rides the arrow as it leaves their bow and guides it unerringly to its target. These men and women are so deadly in their skill and accuracy, some believe their abilities approach the supernatural. Many Eagle-Eyed Archers claim they use a mental exercise known as the "Flame and the Void" to focus before taking a shot.

Note: For the purposes of this class, a crossbow is not considered a type of bow.

Hit Die: d6

Requirements: To qualify to become an Eagle-Eyed Archer, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

• Base Attack Bonus: +5

• Skills: Craft (Bowmaking) 6 Ranks, Move Silently 4 Ranks, Hide 4 Ranks, Spot 6 Ranks

• Feats: Weapon Focus (any bow), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot

• Special: Must have made your own bow prior to taking any levels in this prestige class.

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Skills: An Eagle-Eyed Archer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Composure (Wis), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Listen (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Cha), Spot (Wise), Swim (Str), Wilderness Lore (Int).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Eagle-Eyed Archers are proficient with all simple weapons, small martial weapons, and all types of bows. They are proficient with light armor, as well.

Sniper Attack: At 2nd level, when the Eagle-Eyed Archer can catch an opponent who is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage. Basically, any time the Eagle-Eyed Archer's target would be denied his Dexterity bonus to Defense, the attack deals extra damage of +2d6. This bonus damage does not apply to creatures that are immune from critical hits. Since the Eagle-Eyed Archer must be able to see her target clearly enough to find a vital spot, she can't use Sneak Attack damage against an enemy with concealment. The Eagle-Eyed Archer can only hit with deadly accuracy inside 30 feet.

Improved Sniper Attack: You can use your Sniper Attack ability at a distance equal to one range increment of your bow.

Superior Weapon Focus: Stacking with any existing Weapon Focus bonus, this adds an additional +1 to all attack rolls with your chosen bow.

Bowyer: The Eagle-Eyed Archer also knows her craft well. She gets a +2 competency bonus to Craft (Bowmaking) skill.

Master Bowyer: At 9th level, the Eagle-Eyed Archer has refined her craft to an art. She gets a +4 competency bonus to Craft (Bowmaking) skill.

Split the Shaft: The Eagle-Eyed Archer can hit even the smallest target with uncanny accuracy. They can hit the same spot twice, resulting in a split arrow. This same skill can be used in battle also. The threat range increases by +1 at 4th level and another +1 at 10th level. This means that if the critical threat range for her longbow were normally 20, at 4th level of Eagle-Eyed Archer the threat range would be 19-20. The damage multiplier for critical hits also increases by one at 7th level. These bonuses apply after other feats like Improved Critical (e.g. a character would normally have a threat range of 20 with a bow; with the Improved Critical feat the range would increase to 19-20; with 4 levels of this class, (meaning they have Split the Shaft, but not Imp. Crit.) the range would also be 19-20; with both Split the Shaft and Imp. Critical the threat range would be 18-20)

Improved Rapid Shot: You are an expert at firing weapons with exceptional speed.
Prerequisite: Dex 13+, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, base attack bonus +2 or higher.
Benefit: When using the Improved Rapid Shot feat, you can ignore the -2 attack penalty on all your ranged attacks.
(© 2000, J. Tweet, S. Reynolds; Dragon Magazine #275 pg. 40)