Looking for some advice here. I usually come up with a character idea first and then have to figure out a way to build it within the rules (AL-legal). What I want this time is basically an arcane archer, with the following stipulations. First, I want to use a longbow, and be attacking with it as my primary action and using magic mostly for utility and such. Second, I want my main magic stat to be Int, not Wis or Cha, which rules out refluffing a Ranger, Bard, or Warlock.
The most obvious answer to what I want seems like it'd be an Eldritch Knight, but I'm a little concerned that between the slow casting progression and the relative lack of usefulness of the EK features (Weapon Bond is trivial, and War Magic isn't much good for an archer, is it?), I would feel like a weak link. The only spells I'd ever really cast would be Shield and Misty Step (I only expect to get to level 10, if I'm lucky, so I'll never see Haste, sadly). I thought about Magic Initiate Warlock to grab Hex, but that does necrotic damage, and since this is for Season 4 AL, I'm concerned about stuff resisting it. I don't know what anyone else is playing yet, but I'll feel stupid if I'm totally outclassed by someone's Ranger or Warlock or whatever. I'm not trying to powergame, I just don't want to feel second-class because of a perfectly reasonable (in my mind) conceptual choice.
Does anyone have any thoughts? Can an EK archer pull its weight well enough? Any build suggestions (feats, multiclassing) that I might not have considered? It's a shame there isn't an Int-based half-caster, that'd be perfect.
Thanks!
The most obvious answer to what I want seems like it'd be an Eldritch Knight, but I'm a little concerned that between the slow casting progression and the relative lack of usefulness of the EK features (Weapon Bond is trivial, and War Magic isn't much good for an archer, is it?), I would feel like a weak link. The only spells I'd ever really cast would be Shield and Misty Step (I only expect to get to level 10, if I'm lucky, so I'll never see Haste, sadly). I thought about Magic Initiate Warlock to grab Hex, but that does necrotic damage, and since this is for Season 4 AL, I'm concerned about stuff resisting it. I don't know what anyone else is playing yet, but I'll feel stupid if I'm totally outclassed by someone's Ranger or Warlock or whatever. I'm not trying to powergame, I just don't want to feel second-class because of a perfectly reasonable (in my mind) conceptual choice.
Does anyone have any thoughts? Can an EK archer pull its weight well enough? Any build suggestions (feats, multiclassing) that I might not have considered? It's a shame there isn't an Int-based half-caster, that'd be perfect.
Thanks!