Racial PrC's as Class Archetypes

[BranMan]

We've seen that some 3.X prestige classes, such as Eldtritch Knight and Arcane Trickster, have become archetypes for classes in 5e. Would it make sense to turn racially-based PrC's into archetypes as well? Arcane Archer could be an interesting ranger archetype that focuses more on spellcasting and making magic arrows. Dwarven defender could be a fighter archetype that takes the defender fighting style to the extreme. Would anyone be interested in brewing one of these, or just throwing out some ideas about what abilities they could have? Does having a racial archetype even make sense?

Also, while it isn't racial, blackguard would make for a very cool paladin archetype.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Arcane Archer on the Ranger would be a bit icky because of arcane and divine magic, likewise would dilute the Ranger from a fluff perspective.

Actually I think it makes most sense as a Wizard Archetype. Third level be something like "deliver touch range spells with arrows" several times a short rest, mid be Extra Attack, something traditional for an upper level level ability. Or just rewrite the Valor Bard or EK Fighter.

In general racial archetypes would seem to be the way to go over whole base classes or introducing PrCs again.

[Grynning]

Arcane Archer was a feat in the Playtest, and they may bring it back as such.
I think we will almost certainly get a "Race" splatbook at some point that will have official versions of these things with kits that require you to be a certain race to take them.
They have already said the "Oathbreaker" paladin (re: Blackguard) will be in the DMG.

[SaintRidley]

I could definitely see Warforged Juggernaut being a new Fighter archetype once Warforged come out.

Cabinet Trickster perhaps for the Changeling Rogue?

[Jacob.Tyr]

I'd rather they be linked directly to race instead of class. Like a Dwarf could pick up the subclass "Defender", irrespective of their main class and have it outright replace the level three option.

This could also be a useful way to bring in PrC's in general. They could just be universal subclasses, that may or may not have requirements for your main class.

[Grynning]

I'd rather they be linked directly to race instead of class. Like a Dwarf could pick up the subclass "Defender", irrespective of their main class and have it outright replace the level three option.

This could also be a useful way to bring in PrC's in general. They could just be universal subclasses, that may or may not have requirements for your main class.

This won't really work though, because not every class gains their subclass features at the same level, and they do not all gain the same number of subclass features.
It would make more sense if they did, but they decided unified class tables was too "4th edition-y" I guess.

[BranMan]

This could also be a useful way to bring in PrC's in general. They could just be universal subclasses, that may or may not have requirements for your main class.

This could be cool, but imagine what it would do to a class like warlock or paladin- their defining feature is their archetype, and replacing it would take away a lot of the flavor of the class.

Perhaps a racial archetype could replace the 6th level, 10th level, or 14th level ability?