Arcane Archer Guide [Archive] - Wizards Community

Arcane Archer Guide [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
alanholic
02-14-07, 03:46 PM What is the best way to build an arcane archer? Whats the use of an ArA in a party (as rolplay and battle) and why should I use it?
Grod_The_Giant
02-14-07, 03:49 PM I would say either fighter 6/sorc 1 or fighter 5/bard 2 are reasonable choices for build. Their purpose is to serve as an archer capeable of minor magic to enhance their attacks, and you shouldn't use it.
alanholic
02-14-07, 03:56 PM why not?... it aint not any good?
Novabomb
02-14-07, 04:58 PM I would say either fighter 6/sorc 1 or fighter 5/bard 2 are reasonable choices for build. Their purpose is to serve as an archer capeable of minor magic to enhance their attacks, and you shouldn't use it.

*SMACK* bad poster. Odd levels of fighter = evil.
Heed the commandments of optimization.
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=522499&page=1&pp=30
Mister_Sinister
02-14-07, 05:07 PM In terms of it being no good, allow me to clarify.

1) It forces you to give up caster levels, which is usually bad in general. Thus, for a gish build, it really doesn't help much. For a non-gish build... well, why bother, basically?

2) It's main ability, enchance arrow, tails behind your magic weapon acquisition by a tonne. Seriously. By 6th level, you shouldn't need a class ability to grant you +1 weapon enhancement, you should be on your way to +2. By 15th level, you shouldn't need a class ability for +5. Really.

3) It requires 3 feats, as well as a nonhuman race. This is not a good mix, as it basically hijacks your build without rewarding you in any way.

4) It's other abilities are really underwhelming. Imbue arrow is halfway decent, providing you have spells worth putting on it (which, with so many levels of caster being given up both qualifying and taking arcane archer levels, isn't likely at all). Seeker arrow would be decent were it not 1/day. Same for phase arrow. Hail of arrows is what any arcane shooting gish (or, in fact, any archer worth his salt and his Splitting Bow) should be able to achieve MORE than once per day, and not capped by his caster-killing levels either. As for arrow of death, for a capstone, it makes me cry. A fixed DC 20, which basically means nothing by that level, and requiring one day's work AND no more than one at a time? I could do better than that without arcane archer. This makes it rather unworthwhile given the heavy investment required.

In short, arcane archer is 'fluff heavy, mechanics dead', which, imho, is the worst possible combination for a prestige class. It basically encourages self-gimping for the purposes of being able to say 'I'm an arcane archer'. Fluff good, mechanics very, very bad. I'm sure I'm not alone in my opinion that it is the worst prestige class in the DMG.

Just my 10 cents (New Zealand, which is 6.93596 US cents...damned exchange rate)
Tommyboy
02-14-07, 10:48 PM So how would this be? Changes in purple.

ARCANE ARCHER

Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To qualify to become an arcane archer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Elf or half-elf.
Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow, shortbow, or greatbow).
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), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Table: The Arcane Archer
Level BAB Fortitude Reflex Will Special Spellcasting
1st +1 +2 +2 +0 Enhance arrow +1
2nd +2 +3 +3 +0 Imbue arrow
3rd +3 +3 +3 +1 Enhance arrow +2 +1 level of existing arcane spell casting class
4th +4 +4 +4 +1 Enchant Arrow: Seeker arrow
5th +5 +4 +4 +1 Enhance arrow +3
6th +6 +5 +5 +2 Enchant Arrow: Phase arrow +1 level of existing arcane spell casting class
7th +7 +5 +5 +2 Enhance arrow +4
8th +8 +6 +6 +2 Enchant Arrow: Hail of arrows
9th +9 +6 +6 +3 Enhance arrow +5 +1 level of existing arcane spell casting class
10th +10 +7 +7 +3 Arrow of death
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 simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.

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 an area 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. This ability allows the archer to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. 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.

Enchant Arrow (Sp): At 4th level, an Arcane Archer can add some magical abilities to arrows they fire. This ability is useable once per day, per two levels of Arcane Archer rounding down, so a 7th level Arcane Archer can use this ability 3 times per day which can be split in any way among Seeker Arrow and Phase Arrow.
Seeker Arrow: At 4th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target, even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the limit of the arrow’s range prevents the arrow’s flight. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers and halves range penalties, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action).
Phase Arrow: At 6th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any nonmagical barrier or wall in its way. (Any magical barrier stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment, and even armor modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally.
Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action).
Hail of Arrows: In lieu of her regular attacks, an arcane archer of 8th level or higher can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every arcane archer level she has earned. Each attack uses the archer’s primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single arrow.
Arrow of Death (Sp): At 10th level, an arcane archer can create an arrow of death that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow’s attack, it must make a Fortitude save of DC 10 + Arcane Archer level + Int bonus (a 10th level Arcane Archer with an Int of 16 would have a DC of 23), or be slain immediately. It takes one day to make an arrow of death, and the arrow only functions for the arcane archer who created it. The arrow of death lasts no longer than one year, and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time.

Also can anyone PM me as to how to put a table in a post?
Mister_Sinister
02-15-07, 12:12 AM That's much better. I would give the class 8/10 or 7/10 caster progression, but this is fine.
HomebrewedMonster
02-15-07, 12:21 AM I would pick up a Player's handbook Dos and do some houseruling with the duskblade for an arcane archer.

For the channel spell ability let you channel the touch spells through an arrow instead of a sword. Maybe trade in a couple of the melee abilities for a bonus feat and up the level of most touch spells by one since you can do them up to 1000ft away (with a -10 to hit).

I know this is being discussed elsewhere and one of my group members is trying to submit a web enhancement on the matter.
crimsonwolf
02-15-07, 08:43 AM there relly might be better areas.... like mybe becoming a cleric and going for the elf domain or something and getting deepwood sniper
Llathos
02-15-07, 09:07 AM I made an attempt a year or two ago on these forums to "fix" the arcane archer. SmileODan came up with a good core build and I tweaked it. Here's the guts of it:

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day
1st 1 2 2 0 Enhance Arrows +1 (magic), Eschew Materials
2nd 2 3 3 0 Imbue Arrow +1 level of existing class
3rd 3 3 3 1 Enchant Arrows +2 (silver).
4th 4 4 4 1 Seeker Arrow +1 level of existing class
5th 5 4 4 1 Enchant Arrows +3 (cold iron).
6th 6 5 5 2 Phase Arrow +1 level of existing class
7th 7 5 5 2 Enchant Arrows +4 (aligned).
8th 8 6 6 2 Hail of Arrows +1 level of existing class
9th 9 6 6 3 Enchant Arrows +5 (adamantine).
10th 10 7 7 3 Death Arrow. +1 level of existing class

I also wrote up another variant that had a specific spell list:

Arcane Archer

http://members.cox.net/bperry4/archer_mod.jpg

Requirements:
Special: Must be trained by an elite force of elven archers.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow or short bow).
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 5 ranks

Class Features:
Base Attack Bonus: Good (as a ranger).
Saving Throws: Good Fortitude and Reflex (as a ranger).
Hit Dice: 1d8.

Class Skills: Climb (Str)*, Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex)*, Listen (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana), Move Silently (Dex)*, Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Spellcraft, Survival (Wis).
Skill Points Per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Progression
Spells per day
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st 1 2 2 0 Enhance Arrows +1 (magic), Eschew Materials 3 - - -
2nd 2 3 3 0 Imbue Arrow 4 - - -
3rd 3 3 3 1 Enchant Arrows +2 (silver). 4 3 - -
4th 4 4 4 1 Seeker Arrow 5 4 - -
5th 5 4 4 1 Enchant Arrows +3 (cold iron). 5 4 3 -
6th 6 5 5 2 Phase Arrow 5 5 4 -
7th 7 5 5 2 Enchant Arrows +4 (aligned). 6 5 4 3
8th 8 6 6 2 Hail of Arrows 6 5 5 4
9th 9 6 6 3 Enchant Arrows +5 (adamantine). 6 6 5 4
10th 10 7 7 3 Death Arrow. 6 6 5 5

Spells: Beginning at 1st level, an arcane archer gains the ability to cast a number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, an arcane archer must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so an arcane archer with a Charisma of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Arcane archer bonus spells are based on Charisma, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the arcane archer's Charisma bonus. When the arcane archer gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to base on his Charisma score for that spell level.

The arcane archer's spell list appears below. An arcane archer casts spells just as a sorcerer does. Upon reaching 6th level, at every even-numbered level after that (8th, and 10th), an arcane archer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level arcane archer spell the arcane archer can cast. An arcane archer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for that level.

Spells Known
Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st 2 - - -
2nd 3 - - -
3rd 3 2 - -
4th 4 3 - -
5th 4 3 2 -
6th 5 4 3 -
7th 5 4 3 2
8th 5 5 4 3
9th 5 5 4 3
10th 5 5 5 4

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An arcane archer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.

Enchant Arrow (Su): At 1st level, every non-magical 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). At level 3 all arrows are treated as if they were silver to overcome damage reduction, at level 5 they are treated as if they were cold iron to overcome damage reduction, at level 7 they are treated as if they were aligned to the non-Neutral aspects of the Arcane Archer's alignment (chaotic, evil, good, and/or law) to overcome damage reduction, and at 9th level all arrows are treated as if they were made of adamantine.

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. This ability allows the archer to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. It takes a standard action to cast the spell and fire the arrow in the same round. The arrow’s spell is intact for 1 round + 1 round / 2 levels of Arcane Archer after the imbuing of the arrow. An imbued arrow can only be used by the creator of that arrow. Additionally, the arcane archer may choose for the spell to wholly consume the arrow thereby causing there to be no arrow damage inflicted upon his target upon impact.

Seeker Arrow (Sp): At 4th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target, even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the limit of the arrow’s range prevents the arrow’s flight. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action).

Phase Arrow (Sp): At 6th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any non-magical barrier or wall in its way. (Any magical barrier stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment, and even armor modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action).

Hail of Arrows (Sp): In lieu of her regular attacks, once per day an arcane archer of 8th level or higher can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every arcane archer level she has earned. Each attack uses the archer’s primary attack bonus, and each arrow may only target a single enemy.

Arrow of Death (Sp): At 10th level, an arcane archer can create an arrow of death that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow’s attack, to make Fortitude save or be slain immediately. The save DC for this effect is DC 10 + Arcane Archer Level + CHA bonus. It takes one day to make an arrow of death, and the arrow only functions for the arcane archer who created it. The arrow of death lasts no longer than one year, and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time.

Arcane Archer Spell List
Level 1: true strike, hunter’s mercy, Accuracy(ComArc), ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp, Orb of Elements, Lesser(ComArc)

Level 2: glitterdust, fireburst(ComArc), web, scorching ray, shatter

Level 3: Bands of Steel (ComArc), scintillating sphere (MoF), dispel magic, slow, daylight, hold person

Level 4: phantasmal killer, wall of fire, Orb of Elements (ComArc), enervation, evard’s black tentacles, crushing despair, shout, solid fog

The spell list is a little outdated since it's a couple years old so I'd probably go back with the SpC and remove some things and add some new ones. Basically the idea was to follow the Bladesinger model and have a set spell list instead of caster levels. The spells should/would focus not on direct damage necessarily but on battlefield control spells and effects. Obviously this could be easily tailored.
Nezkrul
02-15-07, 02:22 PM arcane archer is only good if you can keep going past level 10... ie epic where your imbue arrow gets ridiculously powerful the higher you go.

but if you need to be epic for your prestige class to be good; you picked a bad prestige class.
alanholic
02-15-07, 03:14 PM but lets say that I got a bow thats Keen, ice burst and +2.. the +2 doesnt stack with the arrow enahce, does it?
Llathos
02-15-07, 03:20 PM Nope, both are enhancements. Sooo, what you do is get a +1 bow with effects and +1 arrows with different effects and stack the effects while letting your imbue arrow carry the enhancement bonus.

Example:

+1 flaming icy composite longbow
+1 shocking acid arrows
Level 7 Arcane archer yields +4 enhancement

result is +4 flaming icy shocking acid arrows

Saves you a good deal of cash and gives you flexibility against different types of opponent DR
Tommyboy
02-16-07, 09:35 PM How would enhance arrow work with bane?

Say a third level AA fireing a +1 bane bow, non bane target would be +2, would bane targets be +3 or +4?

And Llathos the result would be a +1 flaming, icy, shocking, acid arrows; enhance arrow works with nonmagical arrows. But yes it allows you to put your gold into other things.
mod5000
02-16-07, 10:40 PM Don't know why no one thought to add this, but Duskblade is probably the best way to get into Arcane Archer.

Duskbalde 6 / Arcane Archer 10 is able to cast all his spells in Mithral Fullplate, Sudden Quicken 1/day, up to level 2 combat-type spells, and the goodies of being an Arcane Archer.

EDIT: Oops, sorry HomebrewedMonster, didn't see that you had already mentioned Duskblade... and I don't think you *can* channel a spell into an arrow, since it has to be a melee weapon... unless you can point out how much damage an arrow does in melee, and get it past your DM that way...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
alanholic 02-14-07, 03:46 PM	What is the best way to build an arcane archer? Whats the use of an ArA in a party (as rolplay and battle) and why should I use it?
Grod_The_Giant 02-14-07, 03:49 PM	I would say either fighter 6/sorc 1 or fighter 5/bard 2 are reasonable choices for build. Their purpose is to serve as an archer capeable of minor magic to enhance their attacks, and you shouldn't use it.
alanholic 02-14-07, 03:56 PM	why not?... it aint not any good?
Novabomb 02-14-07, 04:58 PM	I would say either fighter 6/sorc 1 or fighter 5/bard 2 are reasonable choices for build. Their purpose is to serve as an archer capeable of minor magic to enhance their attacks, and you shouldn't use it. SMACK bad poster. Odd levels of fighter = evil. Heed the commandments of optimization. http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=522499&page=1&pp=30
Mister_Sinister 02-14-07, 05:07 PM	In terms of it being no good, allow me to clarify. 1) It forces you to give up caster levels, which is usually bad in general. Thus, for a gish build, it really doesn't help much. For a non-gish build... well, why bother, basically? 2) It's main ability, enchance arrow, tails behind your magic weapon acquisition by a tonne. Seriously. By 6th level, you shouldn't need a class ability to grant you +1 weapon enhancement, you should be on your way to +2. By 15th level, you shouldn't need a class ability for +5. Really. 3) It requires 3 feats, as well as a nonhuman race. This is not a good mix, as it basically hijacks your build without rewarding you in any way. 4) It's other abilities are really underwhelming. Imbue arrow is halfway decent, providing you have spells worth putting on it (which, with so many levels of caster being given up both qualifying and taking arcane archer levels, isn't likely at all). Seeker arrow would be decent were it not 1/day. Same for phase arrow. Hail of arrows is what any arcane shooting gish (or, in fact, any archer worth his salt and his Splitting Bow) should be able to achieve MORE than once per day, and not capped by his caster-killing levels either. As for arrow of death, for a capstone, it makes me cry. A fixed DC 20, which basically means nothing by that level, and requiring one day's work AND no more than one at a time? I could do better than that without arcane archer. This makes it rather unworthwhile given the heavy investment required. In short, arcane archer is 'fluff heavy, mechanics dead', which, imho, is the worst possible combination for a prestige class. It basically encourages self-gimping for the purposes of being able to say 'I'm an arcane archer'. Fluff good, mechanics very, very bad. I'm sure I'm not alone in my opinion that it is the worst prestige class in the DMG. Just my 10 cents (New Zealand, which is 6.93596 US cents...damned exchange rate)
Tommyboy 02-14-07, 10:48 PM	So how would this be? Changes in purple. ARCANE ARCHER Hit Die: d8. Requirements To qualify to become an arcane archer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria. Race: Elf or half-elf. Base Attack Bonus: +5. Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow, shortbow, or greatbow). 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), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex). Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier. Table: The Arcane Archer Level BAB Fortitude Reflex Will Special Spellcasting 1st +1 +2 +2 +0 Enhance arrow +1 2nd +2 +3 +3 +0 Imbue arrow 3rd +3 +3 +3 +1 Enhance arrow +2 +1 level of existing arcane spell casting class 4th +4 +4 +4 +1 Enchant Arrow: Seeker arrow 5th +5 +4 +4 +1 Enhance arrow +3 6th +6 +5 +5 +2 Enchant Arrow: Phase arrow +1 level of existing arcane spell casting class 7th +7 +5 +5 +2 Enhance arrow +4 8th +8 +6 +6 +2 Enchant Arrow: Hail of arrows 9th +9 +6 +6 +3 Enhance arrow +5 +1 level of existing arcane spell casting class 10th +10 +7 +7 +3 Arrow of death 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 simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields. 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 an area 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. This ability allows the archer to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. 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. Enchant Arrow (Sp): At 4th level, an Arcane Archer can add some magical abilities to arrows they fire. This ability is useable once per day, per two levels of Arcane Archer rounding down, so a 7th level Arcane Archer can use this ability 3 times per day which can be split in any way among Seeker Arrow and Phase Arrow. Seeker Arrow: At 4th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target, even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the limit of the arrow’s range prevents the arrow’s flight. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers and halves range penalties, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). Phase Arrow: At 6th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any nonmagical barrier or wall in its way. (Any magical barrier stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment, and even armor modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). Hail of Arrows: In lieu of her regular attacks, an arcane archer of 8th level or higher can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every arcane archer level she has earned. Each attack uses the archer’s primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single arrow. Arrow of Death (Sp): At 10th level, an arcane archer can create an arrow of death that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow’s attack, it must make a Fortitude save of DC 10 + Arcane Archer level + Int bonus (a 10th level Arcane Archer with an Int of 16 would have a DC of 23), or be slain immediately. It takes one day to make an arrow of death, and the arrow only functions for the arcane archer who created it. The arrow of death lasts no longer than one year, and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time. Also can anyone PM me as to how to put a table in a post?
Mister_Sinister 02-15-07, 12:12 AM	That's much better. I would give the class 8/10 or 7/10 caster progression, but this is fine.
HomebrewedMonster 02-15-07, 12:21 AM	I would pick up a Player's handbook Dos and do some houseruling with the duskblade for an arcane archer. For the channel spell ability let you channel the touch spells through an arrow instead of a sword. Maybe trade in a couple of the melee abilities for a bonus feat and up the level of most touch spells by one since you can do them up to 1000ft away (with a -10 to hit). I know this is being discussed elsewhere and one of my group members is trying to submit a web enhancement on the matter.
crimsonwolf 02-15-07, 08:43 AM	there relly might be better areas.... like mybe becoming a cleric and going for the elf domain or something and getting deepwood sniper
Llathos 02-15-07, 09:07 AM	I made an attempt a year or two ago on these forums to "fix" the arcane archer. SmileODan came up with a good core build and I tweaked it. Here's the guts of it: Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day 1st 1 2 2 0 Enhance Arrows +1 (magic), Eschew Materials 2nd 2 3 3 0 Imbue Arrow +1 level of existing class 3rd 3 3 3 1 Enchant Arrows +2 (silver). 4th 4 4 4 1 Seeker Arrow +1 level of existing class 5th 5 4 4 1 Enchant Arrows +3 (cold iron). 6th 6 5 5 2 Phase Arrow +1 level of existing class 7th 7 5 5 2 Enchant Arrows +4 (aligned). 8th 8 6 6 2 Hail of Arrows +1 level of existing class 9th 9 6 6 3 Enchant Arrows +5 (adamantine). 10th 10 7 7 3 Death Arrow. +1 level of existing class I also wrote up another variant that had a specific spell list: Arcane Archer http://members.cox.net/bperry4/archer_mod.jpg Requirements: Special: Must be trained by an elite force of elven archers. Base Attack Bonus: +6. Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow or short bow). Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 5 ranks Class Features: Base Attack Bonus: Good (as a ranger). Saving Throws: Good Fortitude and Reflex (as a ranger). Hit Dice: 1d8. Class Skills: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana), Move Silently (Dex)*, Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Spellcraft, Survival (Wis). Skill Points Per Level: 4 + Int modifier. Class Progression Spells per day Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 1 2 2 0 Enhance Arrows +1 (magic), Eschew Materials 3 - - - 2nd 2 3 3 0 Imbue Arrow 4 - - - 3rd 3 3 3 1 Enchant Arrows +2 (silver). 4 3 - - 4th 4 4 4 1 Seeker Arrow 5 4 - - 5th 5 4 4 1 Enchant Arrows +3 (cold iron). 5 4 3 - 6th 6 5 5 2 Phase Arrow 5 5 4 - 7th 7 5 5 2 Enchant Arrows +4 (aligned). 6 5 4 3 8th 8 6 6 2 Hail of Arrows 6 5 5 4 9th 9 6 6 3 Enchant Arrows +5 (adamantine). 6 6 5 4 10th 10 7 7 3 Death Arrow. 6 6 5 5 Spells: Beginning at 1st level, an arcane archer gains the ability to cast a number of arcane spells. To cast a spell, an arcane archer must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level, so an arcane archer with a Charisma of 10 or lower cannot cast these spells. Arcane archer bonus spells are based on Charisma, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + spell level + the arcane archer's Charisma bonus. When the arcane archer gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to base on his Charisma score for that spell level. The arcane archer's spell list appears below. An arcane archer casts spells just as a sorcerer does. Upon reaching 6th level, at every even-numbered level after that (8th, and 10th), an arcane archer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level arcane archer spell the arcane archer can cast. An arcane archer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for that level. Spells Known Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st 2 - - - 2nd 3 - - - 3rd 3 2 - - 4th 4 3 - - 5th 4 3 2 - 6th 5 4 3 - 7th 5 4 3 2 8th 5 5 4 3 9th 5 5 4 3 10th 5 5 5 4 Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An arcane archer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields. Enchant Arrow (Su): At 1st level, every non-magical 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). At level 3 all arrows are treated as if they were silver to overcome damage reduction, at level 5 they are treated as if they were cold iron to overcome damage reduction, at level 7 they are treated as if they were aligned to the non-Neutral aspects of the Arcane Archer's alignment (chaotic, evil, good, and/or law) to overcome damage reduction, and at 9th level all arrows are treated as if they were made of adamantine. 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. This ability allows the archer to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. It takes a standard action to cast the spell and fire the arrow in the same round. The arrow’s spell is intact for 1 round + 1 round / 2 levels of Arcane Archer after the imbuing of the arrow. An imbued arrow can only be used by the creator of that arrow. Additionally, the arcane archer may choose for the spell to wholly consume the arrow thereby causing there to be no arrow damage inflicted upon his target upon impact. Seeker Arrow (Sp): At 4th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target, even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the limit of the arrow’s range prevents the arrow’s flight. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). Phase Arrow (Sp): At 6th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any non-magical barrier or wall in its way. (Any magical barrier stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment, and even armor modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). Hail of Arrows (Sp): In lieu of her regular attacks, once per day an arcane archer of 8th level or higher can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every arcane archer level she has earned. Each attack uses the archer’s primary attack bonus, and each arrow may only target a single enemy. Arrow of Death (Sp): At 10th level, an arcane archer can create an arrow of death that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow’s attack, to make Fortitude save or be slain immediately. The save DC for this effect is DC 10 + Arcane Archer Level + CHA bonus. It takes one day to make an arrow of death, and the arrow only functions for the arcane archer who created it. The arrow of death lasts no longer than one year, and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time. Arcane Archer Spell List Level 1: true strike, hunter’s mercy, Accuracy(ComArc), ray of enfeeblement, shocking grasp, Orb of Elements, Lesser(ComArc) Level 2: glitterdust, fireburst(ComArc), web, scorching ray, shatter Level 3: Bands of Steel (ComArc), scintillating sphere (MoF), dispel magic, slow, daylight, hold person Level 4: phantasmal killer, wall of fire, Orb of Elements (ComArc), enervation, evard’s black tentacles, crushing despair, shout, solid fog The spell list is a little outdated since it's a couple years old so I'd probably go back with the SpC and remove some things and add some new ones. Basically the idea was to follow the Bladesinger model and have a set spell list instead of caster levels. The spells should/would focus not on direct damage necessarily but on battlefield control spells and effects. Obviously this could be easily tailored.
Nezkrul 02-15-07, 02:22 PM	arcane archer is only good if you can keep going past level 10... ie epic where your imbue arrow gets ridiculously powerful the higher you go. but if you need to be epic for your prestige class to be good; you picked a bad prestige class.
alanholic 02-15-07, 03:14 PM	but lets say that I got a bow thats Keen, ice burst and +2.. the +2 doesnt stack with the arrow enahce, does it?
Llathos 02-15-07, 03:20 PM	Nope, both are enhancements. Sooo, what you do is get a +1 bow with effects and +1 arrows with different effects and stack the effects while letting your imbue arrow carry the enhancement bonus. Example: +1 flaming icy composite longbow +1 shocking acid arrows Level 7 Arcane archer yields +4 enhancement result is +4 flaming icy shocking acid arrows Saves you a good deal of cash and gives you flexibility against different types of opponent DR
Tommyboy 02-16-07, 09:35 PM	How would enhance arrow work with bane? Say a third level AA fireing a +1 bane bow, non bane target would be +2, would bane targets be +3 or +4? And Llathos the result would be a +1 flaming, icy, shocking, acid arrows; enhance arrow works with nonmagical arrows. But yes it allows you to put your gold into other things.
mod5000 02-16-07, 10:40 PM	Don't know why no one thought to add this, but Duskblade is probably the best way to get into Arcane Archer. Duskbalde 6 / Arcane Archer 10 is able to cast all his spells in Mithral Fullplate, Sudden Quicken 1/day, up to level 2 combat-type spells, and the goodies of being an Arcane Archer. EDIT: Oops, sorry HomebrewedMonster, didn't see that you had already mentioned Duskblade... and I don't think you can channel a spell into an arrow, since it has to be a melee weapon... unless you can point out how much damage an arrow does in melee, and get it past your DM that way...