feat Precise Shot

Precise Shot (General)

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Benefit: You can shoot or throw ranged weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without taking the standard -4 penalty on your attack roll.

Special: A fighter may select Precise Shot as one of his fighter bonus feats.

What Precise Shot Removes

Precise Shot removes the standard -4 attack penalty for using a ranged weapon against an opponent who is engaged in melee. It does not erase every other modifier that may apply to the attack: range, cover, concealment and other circumstances are still handled normally.

Precise Shot Example

An ally is fighting an orc in adjacent squares. A character without Precise Shot normally takes the -4 penalty when firing at the orc because the target is engaged in melee. A character with Precise Shot makes the ranged attack without that particular penalty.

How It Fits the Ranged Feat Chain

Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot.
Best for: archers, crossbow users and thrown-weapon characters who frequently fire into crowded combats.
Further development: Improved Precise Shot extends the concept by dealing with additional obstacles to accurate ranged attacks.

Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot solve different problems: the first rewards attacks within 30 feet, while the second removes the firing-into-melee penalty. A character can benefit from both on the same attack when their conditions are met.