D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Arcane Archer -- Nifft's Version!

[Nifft]

Arcane Archer

Role: Niche Archer

Prerequisites:
Skill Ranks: Knowlege (Arcana) 5+, Spellcraft 5+
BAB: 5+
Feats: Weapon Focus (any Bow), Point Blank Shot and at least one of Rapid Shot, Precise Shot or Far Shot
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 1st-level Arcane spells as a Sorcerer or Wizard


HD: d6
BAB: Full (as Fighter)
Good Saves: Reflex, Will / Bad Save: Fortitude
Skill Points: 4 + Int bonus
Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowlege (Arcana, Nature, Religion, Dungeoneering, Geography, Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis) and Swim (Str).

Lev  BAB  Fort  Ref   Will  Spellcasting    Special Abilities
1    +1    +0    +2    +2    --             Imbue Arrows (+1 Magic)
2    +2    +0    +3    +3    +1 Level       Arrow Touch
3    +3    +1    +3    +3    --             Imbue Arrows (Effect)
4    +4    +1    +4    +4    +1 Level       Arcane Shot I
5    +5    +1    +4    +4    --             Imbue Arrows (Effect)
6    +6    +2    +5    +5    +1 Level       Combined Casting
7    +7    +2    +5    +5    --             Imbue Arrows (Effect)
8    +8    +2    +6    +6    +1 Level       Penetrating Arrow
9    +9    +3    +6    +6    --             Enhance Effect
10  +10    +3    +7    +7    +1 Level       Arcane Shot II, Enhance Effect

Special Abilities:

• Imbue Arrows (Magic) (Su): All arrows fired by the Arcane Archer gain a magical +1 Enhancement bonus. (Thus, they penetrate DR/Magic.)
• Arrow Touch (Su): The Arcane Archer may deliver Touch or Ranged Touch spells via her arrows, though the arrow must hit normally (it is not treated as a ranged touch attack, simply as a ranged attack which also delivers the touch spell). The character must be "holding the charge" when she fires the arrow, and each arrow uses up a charge even if it misses.
• Imbue Arrows (Effect) (Su): All arrows fired by the Arcane Archer are treated as if they had a single specific special ability from the following list: Bane*, Distance, Flaming, Frost, Ghost Touch, Keen, Merciful, Seeking, Shock, or Thundering; or gain a single alignment trait (Chaotic, Evil, Good, Lawful) for the purpose of penetrating damage reduction.
  Each special ability can only be chosen once, except Bane, which can be chosen multiple times (picking a different designated foe each time). Once chosen, special abilities are fixed (cannot be exchanged).
  You may choose a maximum of two Alignment traits, and they may not conflict (e.g. Lawful and Chaotic).
• Arcane Shot I (Su): As a free action, the Arcane Archer may expend a prepared spell and focus its energy into one of her arrows. If the arrow strikes, it deals +1d4/spell level damage. The spell is expended even if the arrow misses. (A Cantrip grants +1 damage.)
• Combined Casting (Su): As a full-round action, the Arcane Archer may both cast a spell (with a Casting Time of 1 standard action) and fire a single arrow.
• Penetrating Arrow (Su): The Arcane Archer may choose to subtract a number from his BAB and add that number to his caster level for the purpose of overcoming SR. This ability only applies to spells delivered via his arrows.
• Enhance Effect(Su): The Arcane Archer may upgrade one of his previously chosen Imbued Effects to a more powerful effect, as follows:
  • Chaotic Alignment Trait -> Anarchic
  • Lawful Alignment Trait -> Axiomatic
  • Flaming -> Flaming Burst
  • Good Alignment Trait -> Holy
  • Frost -> Icy Burst
  • Shock -> Shocking Burst
  • Evil Alignment Trait -> Unholy
  • Alternately, the Arcane Archer may choose to add an additional Effect from the lower-level ability list.
• Arcane Shot II (Su): As Arcane Shot I above, except the arrow receives +1/spell level to the attack roll and +1d6/spell level to the damage roll. (A Cantrip grants +1 to both Attack and Damage.)

Note that an Arcane Archer can selectively suppress any Imbued effect at will (for example, he might suppress the Flaming property if he did not wish to set fire to a structure).

-- N

EDIT1: Imbue Arrow (Effects I) clarification.
EDIT2: Lowered Skill Rank requirements.
EDIT3: Fixed a typo in the Special Abilities list. Thanks, Zad!
EDIT4: Changed Penetration and Arcane Shot abilities.
EDIT5: Changed how Imbued Effects work.
EDIT6: First-level grants +1, instead of just Magic.
EDIT7: Fixed up language, Cantrips, moved suppression text, etc.

 

[DrSpunj]

Let me know what you think, and feel free to steal my gloriously unique and awe-inspiring mechanics!

You've got some cool ideas here, N!

I like the Imbue Arrow Effects especially. Combining it with the enhancement bonus is kind of neat. It's not clear to me, though, if the AA chooses those abilities for each arrow on the fly (even swapping abilities for different arrows in a full attack action) or if it's a fixed choice made when the AA reaches each level and gets that ability. Can you please clarify?

Finally, have you seen this in play?

 

[Nifft]

It's not clear to me, though, if the AA chooses those abilities for each arrow on the fly (even swapping abilities for different arrows in a full attack action) or if it's a fixed choice made when the AA reaches each level and gets that ability. Can you please clarify?

Fixed. The Arcane Archer in a sense becomes a magic bow. I left in the Enhancement bonus as an option, but with Greater Magic Weapon so widely available, I can't see many archers getting all excited about it. Unlimited Ghost Touch arrows, though, that might excite someone.

There ought to be provisions for switching out special abilities later, but I can't think of any good methods that aren't better left for the Epic expansion of this class.

Thanks for your comments! -- N

 

[FrankTrollman]

Since we are accepting that these people want to use magic in conjunction with their bows - there is absolutely no reason for them to take an enhancement bonus instead of a special ability.

Remember - they will be using GMW unless their enhancement bonus from the class feature is bigger. And since it doesn't start out bigger, there's no point in them ever investing in it.

---

Also - at +1 caster level every other level - they might as well just not get it. Remember that the Theurge falls behind a set number of levels and stays that way. If your character is falling behind faster than that, they are becoming useless as their levels approach infinity.

Halfcaster progression was bad design - and hopefully it's been removed from 3.5. I don't suggest bringing it back.

-Frank

 

[Nifft]

Remember - they will be using GMW unless their enhancement bonus from the class feature is bigger. And since it doesn't start out bigger, there's no point in them ever investing in it.

Also - at +1 caster level every other level - they might as well just not get it. Remember that the Theurge falls behind a set number of levels and stays that way. If your character is falling behind faster than that, they are becoming useless as their levels approach infinity.

1) I agree. I added the "+1 Enhancement Bonus" as an option, but IMHO it's stupid. The Special Abilities are the real class ability, the Enhancement Bonus is there for "insurance". After all, it's not unbalancing to allow sub-optimal options -- if it were, Toughness wouldn't be Core.

2) Well, ya see, the class gets Fighter BAB, two good saves, and a sheep-load of special abilities -- one at every level. So, it ain't getting full spellcaster progression. I think that +5 Spellcaster Level is a pretty good boost for what's primarily a ranged fighter class.

-- N

 

[FrankTrollman]

) Well, ya see, the class gets Fighter BAB, two good saves, and a sheep-load of special abilities -- one at every level. So, it ain't getting full spellcaster progression. I think that +5 Spellcaster Level is a pretty good boost for what's primarily a ranged fighter class.

Why not?

It's supposed to be Fighter and a Wizard. That means it has to progress in both. When you enter the class you are several levels behind in your spellcasting and fighting progressions. So having them fall any farther behind in either makes them worthless.

The CR system assumes that one character 2 levels higher is worth about two characters at the lower level. That could be two fighters, or a spellcaster and a fighter working together. Once your character is fighting at the level of a character a couple of levels lower than he is - he has to gain fighting prowess at the same rate as a regular fighting PrC or he's falling behind. Once the character is a couple of levels behid where he could be in spellcasting - he has to gain spellcasting at the same rate as a spellcaster PrC or he's falling behind.

You've committed yourself to writing a prestige class to be a warrior and a spellcaster at the same time. The realities of 3.5 D&D being what they are - that means that you have to give out Full BAB, Full Spellcasting, and Combat Abilities every single level.

The class might look unbalanced - but the character won't be - which is what is actually important. As long as the real wizard is still casting more powerful spells, and the Order of the Bow Initiate still has a better BAB - the class isn't unbalanced.

Whenever you design a split class PrC like this: remember that you literally could simply be an all-out warrior and spend a feat on Leadership and have a pet wizard just two levels less than yourself. If your class is handing out spellcasting that is more than 2 levels behind the curve ever - you've failed. So if you even think of putting in half caster progression you might as well not waste our time.

-Frank

 

[ruleslawyer]

I dunno. Let's do the comparison:

Wiz16 vs. Wiz2/Ftr4/Arc10

Wiz16: 16d4 HD, Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +10, BAB +8, 38 + Int bonus skill points, 3 wizard bonus feats, casts spells as Wiz16

Arc: 2d4+4d10+10d6 HD, Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +11, BAB +15, 58 + Int bonus skill points, casts spells as Wiz7, all arcane archer abilities, 3 fighter bonus feats

OK, so the arcane archer gets more hit points, better saves, better BAB, and more skill points, plus the ability to magic up his arrows, in exchange for nine wizard levels. The real problem is that this actually may make for a balanced character, but one for whom the arcane archer class abilities themselves (particular the spell-affecting arrow abilities) aren't very useful. I might consider amping the spell progression up to 2/3 (no spellcasting at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level).

 

[Zad]

That's a damned interesting variant you have there.

Had you considered a class ability that could give an alignment property to the arrow? In other words, as an extension of Imbue Arrow (Magic) it would increase later to Imbue Arrow (Alignment) and the arrow would be treated as Good (or whatever the character's alignment is) for the purpose of overcoming DR?

Granted you could do that with the holy quality later so perhaps it's redundant. Just a thought.

I think if we had this build when my campaign started and it was 3.5 then, we might have used this instead. It allows good synergy between having a magic bow and the AA still providing other abilitites.

 

[Nail]

Nifft-

This is an excellent PrC.

...and of course, I'd tweak it.

I tend to agree with FrankTrollman in principle; you'll need to give the Arcane Archer a few more Caster levels to be competitive. ...But maybe not too many more. (Especially isnce I don't play Epic....what happens to a PrC after 20th level is irrelevant.)

I'd be tempted to give the "imbue arrow" power a bit of a boost or change.....perhaps make that power the primary power of the class. First, the PrC could cast area of effect spells, then ranged spells, then touch spells, etc.

Hmmm. Great food for thought, Nifft!

[EDIT] Linking these two threads together.

 

[Nifft]

FrankTrollman: Looking at this as a Wizard's PrC is an error. It's not a specialized caster, it's a magical archer. Note the Requirements: 3 Feats, BAB 5+, and 1st-level spellcasting. It hasn't got much Wizard in it.

If you want a full Warrior/Wizard PrC, go play an Eldrich Knight: Full BAB, 1 good save (Fort), 2 skill points per level. It's got an almost full spellcasting progression.

My PrC is balanced against that as one extreme: full BAB, full spellcasting. Since my PrC grants full BAB and a load of other stuff, it sure as Shadow can't grant full spellcasting.

Your complaint makes about as much sense as whining that the Paladin should grant full Clerical spellcasting, since "it's a Fighter and a Cleric!"



Zad: Thanks! I think that "Imbue Arrow (Some DR Thingy)" would be a balanced +1 ability replacement (for most DR thingies: Silver, Cold Iron, Good, Lawful, Chaotic, Evil).

However, those things aren't standard, and I wanted this PrC to be as "Core-Compatible" as possible. The original ArcArch was the master of overcoming DR, but under those rules the DR-beater also granted them extra damage.

Align Weapon is only a 2nd level spell... but it's not a Wizard spell.



Nail: The Imbue Arrow ability really is the focus of the class! It's certainly one of the most powerful features. Delivering Touch spells via arrow is also pretty powerful, and that's what the 2nd level ability "Arrow Touch" does!


Here's how I see the ArcArch's spellcasting being used:
1) Ghoul Touch on low-level mooks.
2) Cat's Grace on himself.
3) Touch of Fatigue on a fleeing foe.
4) See Invisibility and the like on himself.
5) True Strike every now and again.
6) Shocking Grasp -- that's gonna smart!
7) Touch of Idiocy -- that's gonna dumb!
8) Utility spells like Spider Climb, Darkvision and Levitate can make an archer a lot more effective.

-- N