Mystic Warrior, an Arcane Archer/Duskblade based gish frame (PEACH)

[Morphic tide]

So, I've seen several complaints that Eldritch Knight is not a good enough gish subclass to work with. Let's see if my try at fixing this is workably balanced.

The things I'm using as a basis here are the 3.5 Arcane Archer, the 3.5 Duskblade and the 5e Fighter.

As for why I'm calling it a frame... Well, you should understand with the first level bracket.

Mystic Warrior

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Mystic Warrior level

Hit Points at 1st level: 10 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per Mystic Warrior level

Armor: Light armor, medium armor and shields

Weapons: Simple Weapons, two Martial Weapons

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Constitution

Skills: Choose two from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, and Survival

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment given by your background:


(a) Scale Mail or (b) Leather Armor, a bow and 20 arrows
(a) Any Martial weapon or (b) a Light shield and any Simple weapon
(a) Adventuring Gear or (b) an Explorer's Kit





Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features


1st

+2

Mysticism, Mystic Strike


2nd

+2




3rd

+2

Ability Score Improvement


4th

+2

Fighting Style


5th

+3




6th

+3

Ability Score Improvement


7th

+3

Extra Attack


8th

+3




9th

+4

Ability Score Improvement


10th

+4

Mysticism Feature


11th

+4




12th

+4

Ability Score Improvement


13th

+5




14th

+5

Extra Attack(2)


15th

+5

Ability Score Improvement


16th

+5




17th

+6

Mysticism Feature


18th

+6

Ability Score Improvement


19th

+6




20th

+6

Mysticism Feature



Mysticism
At first level, a Mystic Warrior chooses their Mysticism, the source or purpose of their mystical power. At levels 10, 17 and 20 they gain additional Mysticism features.

Mystic Strike
At first level, when a Mystic Warrior makes an attack, they may choose to use an ability defined by their Mysticism at the same time. This ability must have the same target as the target of the attack. If the attack hits, then the ability automatically hits and any save DCs are increased by the Mystic Warrior's proficiency bonus.

Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 3rd level, and again at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
-Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
-Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
-Dueling
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
-Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
-Protection
When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield.
-Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Extra Attack
Beginning at 7th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increase to three when you reach 14th level in this class.


Mysticisms
Mystic Warriors are not a coherent group, but practitioners of a rather general style of merging mystic forces with mundane combat. As a result, many of their abilities are defined by the type of mystic power they draw from.

As those who look at the example Mysticism below can tell, the idea is to copy the source class at reduced progression. But that's only for Mysticisms directly based on an existing class. For the Mysticisms representing general use of another class's mystic stuff, you want to follow the source class basically directly and get something useful, but thematic as the capstone ability. For Warlocks, it's spending a Pact Magic spell slot for a near literal mad minute. For Druids, it could be a Wildshape based power boost, or something else. Go with something the class you draw from has being used as a fuel for a melee ability, or alter something the source class already has to be more melee friendly.

But that's for the directly-based-on-other-classes Mysticisms. For more narrow Mysticisms, like a Duskblade or Arcane Archer port, you can do whatever, so long as you keep the partial casting restriction. Warlocks got 1/3 progression because they honestly don't have much to offer a melee character who's spending almost all their actions on at-will boosted attacks. Like getting Eltritch Blast on every hit...

More precisely, for the direct class based ones, the level 1 Mysticism features are two or three extra skill proficiency options, possibly an extra equipment choice and/or save proficiency, what you can use Mystic Strike with and the class features you get from the source class with the specified progression rate. For the level 10 feature, a class feature or archetype feature from the class you are basing the Mysticism on, with the feature to be gotten being based on the Mystic Warrior's equivalent level in the source class, with class features adjusted to be more useful for the Mystic Warrior. For example, if the Mystic Warrior has 1/2 progression in the source class's features, then they get a level 4 to 7 class or archetype feature. For level 17, it's either a class or archetype feature, whichever the level 10 Mysticism feature wasn't. Going back to the 1/2 progression example, you can grab any feature at level 8 to level 11 in the source class, but it should be an archetype feature if the level ten Mysticism feature was a general class feature, or a general class feature if the level 10 Mysticism feature was an archetype feature.

To give a more direct example, a general Sorcerer based Mysticism at 1/2 progression would get Spellcasting, Sorcerous Origin and Font of Power at 1st level, advancing Spellcasting and Font of Power as if they were a Sorcerer of 1/2 their Mystic Warrior level, along with the ability to use Mystic Strike to apply Sorcerer spells. At level 10, they would get the level 6 Sorcerous Origin feature of whatever Origin they chose at 1st level, because there are nor Sorcerer features in the available range. At level 17, they would get Metamagic, because they got an archetype feature at level 10 and Metamagic is the closest fit to the Mystic Warrior's equivalent Sorcerer level of 8.5. For the level 20 Mysticism feature, they get to use something the Sorcerer has, either spell points or spell slots, to buff melee attacks in some massive way that can handily screw over most level appropriate threats.

For Mysticisms based on ways of using power, there are several ways I'd accept, but always remember to include the Mystic Strike options, what abilities are being used and extra Proficiency options. Those are vital to the class working because it is the frame of a gish, not a proper gish itself.

The way of doing Mysticisms based on ways of using the power rather than the source of the power that I'll work with myself (eventually) is to look to 3.5, 4e and Pathfinder for classes that are a close fit and base things off of them. For example, if you want a more archery or assassination focused Mysticism, you can grab 2/3 or even full Ranger casting for the relatively high concentration of relevant spells and base the Mysticism features on Arcane Archer, one of the PRCs that 3.5 and PF share.

Pact Warrior
You have made a pact with an otherworldly being, but sacrificed much of the power you would have gained for skills with weapons and how to wield your power with them. You may choose to be proficient in Arcana, Intimidation or Religion instead of one of your normal skill proficiencies.
Eldritch Might
At first level, a Mystic Warrior with the Pact Warrior Mysticism may use Warlock cantrips and Invocations with their Mystic Strikes and gain Pact Magic and Eldritch Invocations, as the Warlock features. Treat their Warlock level as 1/3 their Mystic Warrior level for the purposes of Pact Magic and Eldritch Invocations. They also choose a Warlock Otherworldly Patron as the source of their mystic power.

Pact Offering
At tenth level, a Pact Warrior may choose a boon offered by their patron for their services.

-Offering of the Bow You can use your action to create a ranged pact weapon in your empty hand. You can choose the form that this weapon takes each time you create it. You are proficient with it while you wield it. This weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Your pact weapon disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die. You can transform one ranged magic weapon into your pact weapon by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapon. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the weapon, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient weapon in this way. The weapon ceases being your pact weapon if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different weapon, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The weapon appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.

-Offering of the Shield You can use your action to create a pact armor if you are not currently wearing armor. You can choose the form that this armor takes each time you create it. You are proficient with it while you wear it. This armor counts as magical for all purposes. Your pact armor disappears if it is more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. It also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapon (no action required), or if you die. You can transform one magic armor into your pact armor by performing a special ritual while you wear the armor. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the armor, shunting it into an extradimensional space, and it appears whenever you create your pact weapon thereafter. You can’t affect an artifact or a sentient armor in this way. The armor ceases being your pact armor if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on a different armor, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to it. The armor appears at your feet if it is in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.

-Offering of the BladeYou can use your action to create a pair of pact weapons in your empty hands. You can choose the form that these melee weapons takes each time you create them. You are proficient with them while you wield it. These weapon counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. Your pact weapons disappear if they are more than 5 feet away from you for 1 minute or more. They also disappears if you use this feature again, if you dismiss the weapons (no action required), or if you die. You can transform up to two magic weapons into your pact weapons by performing a special ritual while you hold the weapons. You perform the ritual over the course of 1 hour, which can be done during a short rest. You can then dismiss the weapons, shunting them into an extradimensional space, and they appear whenever you create your pact weapons thereafter. You can’t affect artifact or a sentient weapons in this way. The weapons cease being your pact weapons if you die, if you perform the 1-hour ritual on different weapons, or if you use a 1-hour ritual to break your bond to them The weapons appear at your feet if they are in the extradimensional space when the bond breaks.

Patron's Power
At seventeenth level, a Pact Warrior gains a small measure of the power their patron would grant a Warlock. They gain the level six Otherworldly Patron feature of their chosen Patron.

Eldritch Burst
At twentieth level, a Pact Warrior may spend a Pact Magic spell slot to use three Invocations or Cantrips they know in one use of Mystic Strike for one minute. (This is an encounter winning effect. You effectively get off nine Invocations or Cantrips in Attack action with this. You going for a full load of Eldritch Blast? Have fun with 36d10 Force damage on a full hit. This is a capstone, by the way)

[Morphic tide]

Okay, it seems like the thread is largely ignored. I'll try to fix that with a few more Mysticisms. One core class based one, one for a more direct replication of one of the inspirations for the key class feature. Anyone up for sniping with a fireball fired from a crossbow from half a mile? Oh wait, that's 3.5 Truestrike...

Spellblood Warrior
Some Mystic Warriors are born with their mystic power. Sometimes, this power is Arcane, from a bloodline. Other times, they are changed to have inherent magical power. Whatever the Origin of this power, you have decided to use it as a way to augment martial prowess instead of wielding it on it's own. Perhaps as a mere choice, perhaps because the power is not yet great enough for proper Sorcery, it matters not. You may choose to be proficient in Deception, Persuasion or Intimidation instead of one of your normal skill proficiencies.

Sorcerous Strikes: At first level, a Mystic Warrior with the Spellblood Warrior Mysticism may use Sorcerer cantrips and spells with their Mystic Strikes and gain Spellcasting and Font of Magic, as the Sorcerer features. Treat their Sorcerer level as 1/2 their Mystic Warrior level for the purposes of Spellcasting and Font of Magic. They also choose a Sorcerer Sorcerous Origin as the source of their mystic power.

Bloodline's Calling: At tenth level, a Spellblood Warrior awakens a small measure of the power that their Sorcerous Origin would grant that is atypical of Sorcerers. They gain the level six Sorcerous Origin feature their Origin would grant a Sorcerer.

Metamagic: At level seventeen, a Spellblood Warrior learns to alter the function of spells, even with their restrictions making it less straightforward. They gain two of the following Metamagic:
Careful Spell
When you cast a spell that forces other creatures to make a saving throw, you can protect some of those creatures from the spell's full force. To do so, you spend 1 sorcery point and choose a number of those creatures up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature). A chosen creature automatically succeeds on its saving throw against the spell.

Distant Spell
When you cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double the range of the spell. When you cast a spell that has a range of touch, you can spend 1 sorcery point to make the range of the spell 30 feet.

Empowered Spell
When you roll damage for a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll a number of the damage dice up to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You must use the new rolls. You can use Empowered Spell even if you have already used a different Metamagic option during the casting of the spell.

Extended Spell
When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.

Heightened Spell
When you cast a spell that forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist its effects, you can spend 3 sorcery points to give one target of the spell disadvantage on its saving throw made against the spell.

Quickened Spell
When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.

Subtle Spell
When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.

Twinned Spell
When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip). To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren't eligible, but ray of frost is.

Metamagic Blows: At level 20, a Spellblood Warrior gains an additional metamagic and may apply the effects of metamagic to attacks for 1 minute per use of metamagic, with the following effects:
Careful Spell
When you use Careful Spell with Metamagic Blows, you may use an Attack action to gain your to-hit bonus to AC until the start of your next round. (Magically guided parrying)

Distant Spell
When you use Distant Spell with Metamagic Blows, your melee attacks become 20 ft. range and your ranged attacks have their range doubled.

Empowered Spell
When you use Empowered Spell with Metamagic Blows, you may add your Proficiency bonus to the damage dealt.

Extended Spell
When you cast a spell that has a duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend 1 sorcery point to double its duration, to a maximum duration of 24 hours.

Heightened Spell
When you use Heightened Spell with Metamagic Blows, your attacks have +3 to-hit.

Quickened Spell
When you use Quickened Spell with Metamagic Blows, you may use an Attack action as a bonus action.

Subtle Spell
When you use Subtle Spell with Metamagic Blows, your target is treated as having 2 AC less for your attacks. (I'm thinking of this here as a magically enforced feign)

Twinned Spell
If you have Twinned Spell metamagic, you may spend 1 Sorcery Point to have your attacks hit an additional target.

---

Overall, less strong-looking than the Warlock-based Mysticism, but it has more options. And 10th level Sorcerer casting, instead of 7th level Warlock casting. And a more frequently usable capstone.

Mystic Sharpshooter
Sometimes, Mystic Warriors decide to go for a rather highly specialised approach to using magic. These warriors often are studious, as it allows them to more fully specialize in their chosen form of combat and casting, but others use their intuition and wisdom to learn casting. You, in particular, have chosen to focus on attacking from a distance, allowing yourself to remain safe from retaliation from many targets, focusing on staying at a distance while fighting. You may choose to have proficiency in Perception, Stealth or Investigation, in addition to the normal Mystic Warrior skill proficiency options.

Infused Arrows: At first level, a Mystic Warrior with the Mystic Sharpshooter Mysticism may use cantrips and spells from any source they have with their Mystic Strikes, as long as they attack with a ranged weapon and gain Spellcasting, with Wisdom as the casting stat, with spell slots according to the table below, with access to the spells of the lists below.


Class Level
Spells Known
1st level spell slots
2nd level spell slots
3rd level spell slots
4th level spell slots
5th level spell slots


1st
2
2
-
-
-
-


2nd
2
2
-
-
-
-


3rd
3
3
-
-
-
-


4th
3
3
-
-
-
-


5th
4
4
2
-
-
-


6th
4
4
2
-
-
-


7th
5
4
3
-
-
-


8th
5
4
3
-
-
-


9th
6
4
3
2
-
-


10th
6
4
3
2
-
-


11th
7
4
3
3
-
-


12th
7
4
3
3
-
-


13th
8
4
3
3
1
-


14th
8
4
3
3
1
-


15th
S9
4
3
3
2
-


16th
9
4
3
3
2
-


17th
10
4
3
3
3
1


18th
10
4
3
3
3
1


19th
11
4
3
3
3
2


20th
11
4
3
3
3
2


0th: True Strike, Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Chill Touch, Acid Splash, Fire Bolt, Shocking Grasp, Ray of Frost

1st: Hunter's Mark, Jump, Pass Without Trace, Locate Object, Burning Hands, Magic Weapon, Acid Arrow, Thunderwave

2nd: Flaming Sphere, Enlarge/Reduce, Hold Person, Ray of Enfeeblement, Web, Scorching Ray, Haste, Clairvoyance

3rd: Slow, Locate Animals or Plants, Dispel Magic, Nondetection, Blight, Phantasmal Killer, Lightning Bolt, Fireball

4th: Cloudkill, Confusion, Hold Monster, Mislead, Seeming, Chain Lightning, Blink, Fear, Bestow Curse

5th: Locate Creature, Freedom of Movement, Disintegrate, True Seeing, Geas, Symbol, Flesh to Stone, Circle of Death


Mystic Arrows: At 10th level, a Mystic Sharpshooter gains an additional 1/2 their proficiency bonus as an Enhancement bonus to to-hit and damage for ranged attacks. They may instead choose to deal 1d4 Fire, Frost, Lightning or Force damage for each +2 of their Proficiency bonus. If they have a +5 Proficiency bonus, they may instead have their ranged attacks ignore cover and concealment.

Destruction Arrow: At 17th level, a Mystic Sharpshooter may expend a 5th level spell slot to have a ranged attack inflict sudden destruction. If the ranged attack hits, the target must make a DC 15 + the Mystic Sharpshooder's Wisdom modifier or be destroyed instantly. If the target passes the save, they take 5d10 each Fire, Lightning, Cold and Force damage instead.

Arcane Volley: At 20th level, a Mystic Sharpshooter may expend 2 5th level spell slots to attack three times for each attack they would make otherwise.

I swapped Hail of Arrows and Arrow of Death's equivalents because every arrow of the Hail can carry a cantrip. All of them. Every time As for the spell list, the intent is to have five groups of spells. Single target attacks, disruption, hiding, tracking and group attacks. You can kill stuff single target and quickly, you can wreck utter hell, you can kill sizeable chunks of armies, you can track down stuff and you can be a pain in the ass to find.