ShneekeyTheLost
2007-01-27, 11:22 PM
Okay, we all know that the Arcane Archer... umm... well, there's no nice way to say this... it just plain sucks.
You get magical bonuses to a bow... okay, kinda nifty. Prerequsite includes at least one level of a caster class, and it offers absolutely no caster progression, which really hurts. But the granted abilities... let's look at this:
Imbue Arrow: This one is decent if you know how to use it right. Touch of Fatigue is a handy cantrip to load into an arrow to halt persuit if you're running. Basically, it's best for touch spells at range. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of good spells at low levels, and you're never going to realistically be able to cast anything over 3rd level spells pre-epic, and that's only if you dip a single level of AA.
Seeker Arrow: Improved Precise Shot gives me 99% of this, other than going around corners, unlimited times per day. No thanks.
Phase Arrow: 1/day touch attack. Still underpowered.
Hail of Arrows: By this time, you should be shooting 5 shots/turn anyways, how often will you need to shoot exactly one arrow per target (max 8-10 targets)? I'd rather just shoot two or three per critter to kill them off instead of piss them all off.
Death Arrow: The only 'cap' ability in which the DC is fixed and can never be improved. Sure, I guess it can be handy against things with abysmal Fort save... if your friends will let you spend a whole day to make one... then it's used and you need to spend another DAY to make another one. Or, I could have gone EK instead of AA and been able to cast Finger of Death with a higher DC and able to be done multiple times per day.
Right. That's the main problem. So, here's my fix:
ARCANE ARCHER
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become an arcane archer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot
Spells: Ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
The arcane archer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Hide (Dex). Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: The Arcane Archer
{table="head"]Lvl | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special
1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Enhance arrow +1
2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Imbue arrow +1 CL
3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Enhance arrow +2
4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Elemental Arrow +1 CL
5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Enhance arrow +3
6th | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Ghost Touch +1 CL
7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Enhance arrow +4
8th | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Superior Rapid Shot +1 CL
9th | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Enhance arrow +5
10th | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Ghostly Shot, Death Attack +1 CL[/table]Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the arcane archer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An arcane archer is proficient with all bows and crossbows.
Spells per Day
At 2nd level, and every even level thereafter, when a new arcane archer level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before she became an arcane archer, she must decide to which class she adds each level of arcane archer for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Enhance Arrow (Su): At 1st level, every nonmagical arrow an arcane archer nocks and lets fly becomes magical, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus. Unlike magic weapons created by normal means, the archer need not spend experience points or gold pieces to accomplish this task. However, an archer’s magic arrows only function for her. For every two levels the character advances past 1st level in the prestige class, the magic arrows she creates gain +1 greater potency (+1 at 1st level, +2 at 3rd level, +3 at 5th level, +4 at 7th level, and +5 at 9th level).
Imbue Arrow (Sp): At 2nd level, an arcane archer gains the ability to place a spell upon an arrow. When the arrow is fired, the spell’s area is centered on where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. Touch or ranged touch attack spells are also able to be imbued, and affect the target of the arrow. It takes a standard action to cast the spell and fire the arrow. The arrow must be fired in the round the spell is cast, or the spell is wasted.
Elemental Arrow (Sp): At 4th level, an arcane archer's unique application of magic expands to a certain degree of control over the elements, with respect to his arrows. He may enhance any arrow he shoots to add one the following elements to his arrows: Fire, Ice, and Lightning. The arrow then do +1d6 of the given elemental type. Like Enhance Arrow, this ability only functions for her. Arrows are automatically destroyed after use if they are affected by this ability.
Ghost Touch (Sp): At 6th level, the Arcane Archer gains a deeper understanding of the ethereal plane and creatures who partially reside between it and the Prime Material Plane, commonly known as Incorporeal. As such, any arrow he picks up may turn ghostly and affect such creatures normally, without the 50% miss chance, effectively giving any arrow he shoots the Ghost Touch enhancement.
Superior Rapid Shot (Ex): At 8th level, an Arcane Archer's bowmanship reaches levels that are near legendary. When he uses his Rapid Shot feat, he may shoot one additional arrow (total of two additional arrows to a full attack).
Ghostly Shot (Sp): At 10th level, an arcane archer gains an even truer understanding of the Ethereal. As a full round action, he may make a single attack a touch attack, ignoring the target's armor and natural armor bonuses to AC.
Death Attack (Sp):: As the regular Arcane Archer's Death Attack, only the save is based on the primary casting stat of the Arcane Archer.
You get magical bonuses to a bow... okay, kinda nifty. Prerequsite includes at least one level of a caster class, and it offers absolutely no caster progression, which really hurts. But the granted abilities... let's look at this:
Imbue Arrow: This one is decent if you know how to use it right. Touch of Fatigue is a handy cantrip to load into an arrow to halt persuit if you're running. Basically, it's best for touch spells at range. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of good spells at low levels, and you're never going to realistically be able to cast anything over 3rd level spells pre-epic, and that's only if you dip a single level of AA.
Seeker Arrow: Improved Precise Shot gives me 99% of this, other than going around corners, unlimited times per day. No thanks.
Phase Arrow: 1/day touch attack. Still underpowered.
Hail of Arrows: By this time, you should be shooting 5 shots/turn anyways, how often will you need to shoot exactly one arrow per target (max 8-10 targets)? I'd rather just shoot two or three per critter to kill them off instead of piss them all off.
Death Arrow: The only 'cap' ability in which the DC is fixed and can never be improved. Sure, I guess it can be handy against things with abysmal Fort save... if your friends will let you spend a whole day to make one... then it's used and you need to spend another DAY to make another one. Or, I could have gone EK instead of AA and been able to cast Finger of Death with a higher DC and able to be done multiple times per day.
Right. That's the main problem. So, here's my fix:
ARCANE ARCHER
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become an arcane archer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot
Spells: Ability to cast 1st-level arcane spells.
Class Skills
The arcane archer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Hide (Dex). Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: The Arcane Archer
{table="head"]Lvl | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special
1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Enhance arrow +1
2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Imbue arrow +1 CL
3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Enhance arrow +2
4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Elemental Arrow +1 CL
5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Enhance arrow +3
6th | +6 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Ghost Touch +1 CL
7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Enhance arrow +4
8th | +8 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Superior Rapid Shot +1 CL
9th | +9 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Enhance arrow +5
10th | +10 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Ghostly Shot, Death Attack +1 CL[/table]Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the arcane archer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An arcane archer is proficient with all bows and crossbows.
Spells per Day
At 2nd level, and every even level thereafter, when a new arcane archer level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before she became an arcane archer, she must decide to which class she adds each level of arcane archer for the purpose of determining spells per day.
Enhance Arrow (Su): At 1st level, every nonmagical arrow an arcane archer nocks and lets fly becomes magical, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus. Unlike magic weapons created by normal means, the archer need not spend experience points or gold pieces to accomplish this task. However, an archer’s magic arrows only function for her. For every two levels the character advances past 1st level in the prestige class, the magic arrows she creates gain +1 greater potency (+1 at 1st level, +2 at 3rd level, +3 at 5th level, +4 at 7th level, and +5 at 9th level).
Imbue Arrow (Sp): At 2nd level, an arcane archer gains the ability to place a spell upon an arrow. When the arrow is fired, the spell’s area is centered on where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. Touch or ranged touch attack spells are also able to be imbued, and affect the target of the arrow. It takes a standard action to cast the spell and fire the arrow. The arrow must be fired in the round the spell is cast, or the spell is wasted.
Elemental Arrow (Sp): At 4th level, an arcane archer's unique application of magic expands to a certain degree of control over the elements, with respect to his arrows. He may enhance any arrow he shoots to add one the following elements to his arrows: Fire, Ice, and Lightning. The arrow then do +1d6 of the given elemental type. Like Enhance Arrow, this ability only functions for her. Arrows are automatically destroyed after use if they are affected by this ability.
Ghost Touch (Sp): At 6th level, the Arcane Archer gains a deeper understanding of the ethereal plane and creatures who partially reside between it and the Prime Material Plane, commonly known as Incorporeal. As such, any arrow he picks up may turn ghostly and affect such creatures normally, without the 50% miss chance, effectively giving any arrow he shoots the Ghost Touch enhancement.
Superior Rapid Shot (Ex): At 8th level, an Arcane Archer's bowmanship reaches levels that are near legendary. When he uses his Rapid Shot feat, he may shoot one additional arrow (total of two additional arrows to a full attack).
Ghostly Shot (Sp): At 10th level, an arcane archer gains an even truer understanding of the Ethereal. As a full round action, he may make a single attack a touch attack, ignoring the target's armor and natural armor bonuses to AC.
Death Attack (Sp):: As the regular Arcane Archer's Death Attack, only the save is based on the primary casting stat of the Arcane Archer.