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Wereling
2007-08-17, 02:32 PM
OK, let's get this out of the way first: I KNOW ARCANE ARCHER ISN'T A VERY GOOD CLASS. We all know it by now. There's no need to mention this any further.

Now, I have inexplicably found myself interesting in trying a 2-level drip in Arcane Archer in a build to try out the Imbue Arrow ability, but I've found myself with a question:

How does metamagic work with this ability? Presumably for a wizards it works the same as it normally would for most metamagic because wizards simply prepare the spell at the appropriate level and the cast as normal. Quicken could still be used, but would of course be pointless given Imbue Arrow's standard-action requirement for the ability.

Now, how does this work with a Sorceror? Unless you're using variant rules (such as the metamagic specialist from PHBII) metamagic is done on-the-fly as a full-round action. Does this mean that you can still use Imbue Arrow, but as a full-round action? Or does it instead mean that you cannot use a metamagic spell with Imbue Arrow as a sorceror at all?

For example: Let's say I have a Ftr1/Wiz6/Spellsword1/EK1/ArcArch 2 (such a SIMPLE build...). He elects to prepare a "burning hands" spell empowered in a 3rd level spell slot. Presumably he can apply this to an arrow with the Imbue Arrow ability the same way that he would a normal "burning hands".

How would this work if the build was instead Ftr/Sorc/SS/AA (or Pal2/Sorc4/SS1/EK2/AA2 for that matter...)? Could he still empower the spell (assuming he knows it), and imbue it as a full-round action?


[Edit:] Changed the spell in the example as I realized the Archer's ability only works for "area spells"

GNUsNotUnix
2007-08-17, 03:50 PM
I imagine the standard action of casting and firing would become a full-round action, just like most spell uses. Thus, the Arcane Archer would get one attack in the entire round, being unable to do anything other than a five foot step. It's not in the RAW, but it's intuitive enough.

RAGE KING!
2007-08-18, 08:44 PM
We all know this by now....


sorry but i dont, I just started making a ranger with ranged weapon combat style, and i was looking into arcane archer...(unfortunately, i decided to stick with a human character, and so cannot be one) and i thought they were pretty cool. So tell me, why do they suck?

Reel On, Love
2007-08-18, 09:02 PM
We all know this by now....


sorry but i dont, I just started making a ranger with ranged weapon combat style, and i was looking into arcane archer...(unfortunately, i decided to stick with a human character, and so cannot be one) and i thought they were pretty cool. So tell me, why do they suck?

Basically, because they get crappy abilities that are useful once per day if that, and their signature ability (imbue arrow) is completely counterproductive since they don't advance spellcasting (and it's not very good anyway).

-Enhance Arrow: this is made completely redundant by the Greater Magic Weapon spell, which casters get, and which even non-casters can generally get from party casters (if they're not nice, a Pearl of Power III, 9000 gp, compensates them for the lost spell slot).
-Imbue Arrow: you get into AA two ways: heavily-fighter-type or heavily-caster-type. If you're a heavy caster, you lose spell progression entirely, and if you're a fighter type, you've only got a dip of spellcaster and therefore have no spells worth imbuing. What's more, all this really does is give your spell the bow's range and add an attack roll (which makes it possible for it to miss--likely, in some cases).
-Seeker Arrow: It's once per day. Negates cover and concealment? Once per day? Come on. Improved Rapid Shot does the same thing all the time, and you're probably better off just full attacking anyway--one arrow's out of your hasted-and-Rapid-Shot-using full attack is bound to hit; more than one is likely.
-Phase Arrow: again, once per day. You could just cast True Strike. If you weren't giving up spellcasting, you could quicken True Strike.
-Hail of Arrows: yet again--once per day. You can just shoot one arrow at each of six people with the aforementioned hasted full attack! You're getting a couple of extra targets? WOO WOO. And if they're mooks, it doesn't even matter whether you shoot a couple extra in one round. If they're remotely tough, focusing on one at a time is a much better deal.
-Arrow of Death: it's a low, non-scaling DCs. It takes you a day to make. Fuggeddabaht it.

If you want to play a spellcasting archer, well... that's what clerics are for.