D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Arcane Archer Rebuild

[DrSpunj]

I've had a long day, so I could just need some sleep to clear my head, but I don't understand some of what you wrote here, Frank. I'll try to step through it.

On the Mehta:

First of all, this seems to be a handy way to create magic bows with nasty abilities and no enhancement bonuses. Not a huge deal for the character in question - but if any of the other characters in the party are also Archers it could lead to some hilarity.

Let's start here. You say they don't gain any enhancement bonuses, but the 3rd sentence in the description is "The mehta gains a +3 enhancement bonus, which functions only in the arcane archer’s hands and does not stack with any existing enhancement bonus the weapon has (only the highest enhancement bonus applies)." So I'm not sure what you're driving at. And you're not actually creating anything, in a Craft Magic Arms & Armor sense. The "which functions only in the arcane archer's hands" part means outside of her hands it is not a magic weapon and could be sundered just like any other tree branch. In her hands, however, the AA starts automatically with a +3 bow. At 8th level (the earliest you could enter the class) that's nothing to sneeze at IMO, considering everyone else with GMW has a +2 max.

Secondly, this seems to make the Archer very dependent upon Craft Magic Arms and Armor - but the class doesn't actually require or allow you to qualify for this feat in any reasonable time frame.

I don't see the dependence you're speaking of. The AA can't create magic bows for anyone else, she just has a special affinity to "magic up" her chosen bow. It doesn't cost her experience points, it just costs a day or more to attune herself to the bow. By the end of the 10 levels, any bow she spends a day with (while in her hands) she's got a +5 bow with three +1 bonus special abilities (a total of +8) or a +5 bow with two +1 abilities and one +2 special ability (for a total of +9). Whichever abilities she chose are forevermore "set in stone" and, if she changes mehta's, automatically become abilities available on her new mehta (not that anyone could take advantage of them on the old one: out of her hands the mehta loses all AA abilities, and if she chooses a new mehta, the old one is destroyed). If she had Craft Magic Arms & Armor she could enchant her mehta above & beyond what she gains as an AA (to get to that +10 total bonus limit), but she certainly doesn't need to.

Thirdly, Penetration Arrow is either too little or too much, depending upon how things work out. You see, the character gains 15 levels of Spell Penetration in 10 levels. If this is applied to a 12th level Wizard - they get to 20th level with a spell penetration level of 24. Alternately, if it goes on a Warrior 6/Wizard 1 they get to level 17 and still only have a penetration level of 16 - which is still under par. Also, this ability is not a spell-like ability. I mean, Spell-like abilities provoke attacks of opportunity and stuff. This is a continuous supernatural ability.

You're right about the ability being continuous, I'll change it to a Su ability. WRT a Warrior 6/Wizard 1 getting a penetration level of 16 (vs 17), you're right again. But considering all the other bennies of the class, I think that's a fair trade. By your own example, if an AA continues taking Wizard levels after finishing all 10 AA levels, at 20th level he'd have a penetration level of 19. That's still a 40% vs a straight 20th level caster's 45% to nail that Pit Fiend. It is 5% less, but I don't see that difference as being subpar.

OTOH, giving a higher spell penetration level to a Wizard 12 (or any other combination which actually raises it above character level) isn't a real problem to me. It's another potential benefit of the class. If I'm convinced that it's overpowering it's easy enough to limit the total to character level.

Fourth, Having the Mehta cap out at +5 essentially makes the power worthless. I mean, the minimum level to get the second increase is 16th. How many people are going to get to 16th level without being able to simply get their friend to cast GMW for +4 on their favored bow?

I'm not sure what you mean by "the minimum level to get the second increase is 16th". With a Warrior 6/Wizard 1 you could take 9 levels of AA. At that level your mehta becomes a +5 enhanced weapon. On top of that you've added two +1 special abilities, so it's really got a +7 total bonus. And why wouldn't it cap out at +5? It's pretty well accepted that only Epic rules allow enhancement bonuses of +6 or more.

Fundamentally you are looking at trying to tie the abilities to the level you expect people to take the class. That's an unrealistic goal because you simply do not know what level people are going to walk into the class - and many people will mix it with other classes (core and prestige) and some people will be more heavily focused on wizarding and others less.

I wasn't trying to anticipate every possible combination. I was trying to make sure that it is balanced (or at least not overpowered) when someone enters the class the earliest they can, level 8. Even if you waited until you were a Wizard 12 like you mentioned, you still start out with a +3 enhancement bonus on your mehta. Could you simply cast GMW on it for the same +3 instead? Sure, but now you can use that 3rd level slot for something else and don't have to worry about anyone dispelling it. Over the next several levels your mehta will gain extra abilities and be on par enhancement-wise with everyone else's weapons. In trade for losing out on 5 levels of spellcasting advancement you gain better HD, better Reflex saves, better Skill points, better BAB, lose nothing (or gain an additional +4) on penetrating SR and get lots of magical bow goodness. Is that a fair trade at any level? I hope so, depending on your concept. If they only want a level or three to pick up Imbue Arrow, a few other abilities and a +3 bow, fine by me.

The point is: if you find yourself doing something awkward like "+3 and +1 more every four levels" - you should probably just set it to character level and get it over with. You should do the same thing with the Arrow Penetration. Having the entire character level count for spell penetration is something which should be done for everyone - having it happen for this class is a good start.

And you should probably let them count their entire character level for item creation feats - and probably give out Craft Arms and Armor as a bonus feat early on.

You made a lot of good points in other posts and threads about the need to change the multiclassing rules in general, and convinced me on several of them, but I'm not trying to overhaul those rules here. What I am trying to do is address some of those concerns in the build I've laid out.

Penetrating Arrow is only 1 less than a straight 17th level caster if you take the fast track, and I think that's very respectable. The enhancement bonus tops out at +5 like Core expects, and on the fast track that occurs as early as I feel comfortable with (4 levels earlier than GMW allows).

I could see granting all 10 levels to add for item creation purposes, instead of just the 5 you get with spells, but I'm not trying to make a magic item crafter class here. I'm trying to give a magic-using archer a kick@$$ magical bow while keeping her fighting abilities with other weapons less than a straight fighter (to mechanically show that she's specialized and doesn't use other weapons as well), and continue her arcane abilities at a rate slower than a straight caster (again, because of her specialization). The bow only works for her because permanently enchanting any bow she lays her hands on for a day without XP costs is extremely unbalancing. In her hands, it's devastating. Once she lets go, it loses all the mehta abilities she bestowed upon it. That way, it can't be used against her and no one else gains her advantages.

Frank, I apologize for the misunderstanding on several points here if it's on my end. Hopefully you can straighten out my confusion or your comments will make more sense after I've slept!

Or, most likely, we're just disagreeing!

Whatever the reason, thanks for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it!

 

[Videssian]

The only other possible bit you might want to reconsider is the bit about the mehta item being destroyed when you make a new mehta. This means that if you find a +2 bow early on, then switch to a +3 bow later on (perhaps it's a mighty bow for instance, that could be one reason you claimed it), then that +2 bow is destroyed (and so another member of the party can't use it).. Not sure if this was your intent, just thought I'd bring it to your attention if it wasn't.

 

[DrSpunj]

Not sure if this was your intent, just thought I'd bring it to your attention if it wasn't.

It was, but thanks. Monte does it with the Mageblade's athame in AU and I'll admit it rubbed me the wrong way at first, too.

Then I thought about it a bit and realized a few things:

* If it isn't destroyed when you make a new one, then it isn't anything "special" to the AA. If it gets stolen or taken or locked up and the AA can't Call it back, he's forced to really make a decision about whether or not he's willing to destroy it (and pick a new one) or whether he's going to go after it and retrieve it.

* If it isn't destroyed automatically when he selects a new one, then the AA doesn't have to make that choice. He grabs *any* other bow, spends a day with it, uses it to go and retrieve his good bow (with hardly any real loss of his power), then spends another day in ceremony with his old, good bow and nothing's really changed.

* The party has to make a real choice by giving the AA a magic (or otherwise special) bow to use as his mehta. If they allow it, then the AA is going to really want to use it all the time. Outside of his hands it's still got whatever magic it was enchanted with, so it isn't useless to the rest of the party, but the AA is so much less effective without it that it probably isn't a good decision for the party as a whole.

To me it helps push that an AA's bow is really "special". If the DM, either all the time or in a special case scenario, doesn't want the bow destroyed, the main point is that it becomes, for all intents & purposes, immediately irretrievable by the AA (though it could be sent to an outer plane or something, and be the subject of a special quest).

Thanks.

 

[Carnifex]

Dr Spunj - I like it! I'm not sure about the Call Mehta ability - nice concept but the radius seems a bit huge. I'd prefer a class with such a powerful focus to be slightly more vulnerable to having the bow stolen; as it is, if it's nicked, the AA can sit there repeatedly trying to grab the bow back from great range until the thief gets quite a long distance away.

 

[DrSpunj]

Dr Spunj - I like it! I'm not sure about the Call Mehta ability - nice concept but the radius seems a bit huge. I'd prefer a class with such a powerful focus to be slightly more vulnerable to having the bow stolen; as it is, if it's nicked, the AA can sit there repeatedly trying to grab the bow back from great range until the thief gets quite a long distance away.

Thanks!

You're right, the Call radius is huge. The entire mehta thing (except for adding Special Abilities) is from Monte's AU Mageblade. Since the AA always knows the direction and distance to the mehta I could see lowering the radius to something less. 1 mile, 1000 ft or even 100 ft per AA level (or perhaps just Line of Sight?) may be more reasonable.

I also agree that a static DC may not be the best option. If someone is holding the bow, then I'd probably use the Telekinesis rules and allow them a Will save to resist. Their Will save would set the DC that the AA has to beat. If it's not in someone's possession, and not being "held" by some other magical method, I think you'd have to go with a flat DC, at least at first. DC 25 seems a reasonable place to start. Maybe upping the DC by +1 for each failed attempt? Does that seem reasonable?

 

[Nail]

Quick:

The write-up is pretty sweet; especially nice swipe of Monte's arcane spell failure work-around.

The Call thingy probably has to be restricted in some way, so the AA can't call the bow every round, all day, until the poor sap rolls well.

Perhaps there should be a cost to the ritual to tune the bow.

Skill points should be 2/level, the more I think about it.

[EDIT]: Re-read it before I go home for the night. I really like the "magical bow" instead of the magical arrows. It takes care of several nagging problems I had, plus it fits in superbly with the "no somatic components" thingy. It just makes the class look better, overall.

 

[DrSpunj]

The write-up is pretty sweet; especially nice swipe of Monte's arcane spell failure work-around.

Thanks! I'm really glad you like it. Really!

Some of what Frank said made a lot of sense and putting that together with some of the stuff that I really appreciated about the Mageblade's build really seemed to mesh well.

The Call thingy probably has to be restricted in some way, so the AA can't call the bow every round, all day, until the poor sap rolls well.

Right, see the suggestions I posted to Carnifax with the same issue. The whole Call ability is something that I think is nifty, but can certainly be fine-tuned a lot without causing me any grief. How about limit it to Line of Sight? Since the AA always knows the direction and distance to the mehta, you can't really hide it from him for long. But if you take it and cover it up or put it in a locked room, then he couldn't just snatch it back.

Perhaps there should be a cost to the ritual to tune the bow.

What cost are you thinking of? It shouldn't be so much that an 8th level character can't pay it reasonably easily, and anyone taking it a later level will just blow that cost off. It can't really be any significant XP cost since as soon as you enter the class you'd be wanting to get your mehta, and a large XP cost would drop you down a level. I like that a Druid's Animal Companion is simply a vague 24 hour ceremony, and I honestly wish obtaining a familiar worked in exactly the same way (no 100 gp cost). Since the mehta is essentially what the class is about, I don't think the cost should be prohibitive. A cost in time (24 hours) is a big enough deal that the AA can't replace his mehta on the fly but not so much that it really hinders character development or gameplay.

Skill points should be 2/level, the more I think about it.

I could see that. I lowered the d8 to d6 because I thought the class was more mage-like than martial. Since most AA's will likely have a better than average IntMod 2 may be more reasonable. BTW, do you agree with the addition of Concentration to the Skill list? And how about the Skill prereqs? I added those partly because of Nifft's write-up, but the Concentration bit I got from thinking about the AA really spending a lot of time focusing on combining her disparate abilities and merging them into something special -- her mehta. Obviously YMMV.

[EDIT]: Re-read it before I go home for the night. I really like the "magical bow" instead of the magical arrows. It takes care of several nagging problems I had, plus it fits in superbly with the "no somatic components" thingy. It just makes the class look better, overall.

Yeah. Everyone kept making magical arrows, but all the DMG talks about is special abilities on ranged weapons that bestow those powers on their ammunition. It's actually a neater concept in 3.5 since without bow & arrow enhancement stacking it's just simpler to make a better bow and use normal/cheap arrows. I still think it would be cool to create arrows on the fly like Hank does in the D&D cartoon, (mostly because keeping track of ammunition is a pain in the butt and it just looks cool!

Thanks.

 

[Nail]

(I wish I had more time to devote to this! Sorry!)

The whole Call ability is something that I think is nifty, but can certainly be fine-tuned a lot without causing me any grief. How about limit it to Line of Sight?

That should solve the problem.

What cost are you thinking of?

I'm not sure. I was thinking of this in the same terms as a wizard's spell book.

Moreover, that ugly "PC wealth" problem rears it's head here. For a typical archer, say a ranger, his bow is liable to be a large part of his character wealth. As is, the PrC AA character gets a free +3 weapon, plus extras. How will that mesh with the rest of the "character wealth by level" picture?

... BTW, do you agree with the addition of Concentration to the Skill list? And how about the Skill prereqs?

To be honest, I'm depending on you to make good choices here. They look good at first glance....except for the lack of Knowledge(arcana). It is a prereq., you know!

Another concern: If I was a ranger, and wanted a free +3 bow, why couldn't I just take a level of wizard, then a level of this PrC class?

A final Concern: If I was a wizard, why not take one level of this class? Then I could ignore arcane spell failure.

 

[DrSpunj]

(I wish I had more time to devote to this! Sorry!)

Eh, don't sweat it. I'll print out a copy of our latest version and bring it to the next session to go over any fine points.

I'm not sure. I was thinking of this in the same terms as a wizard's spell book.

Well, if you took Wizard levels to meet the AA prereqs you still have a spellbook to maintain for your spells, so that cost doesn't go away. If you took Sorcerer or Bard levels to meet the prereqs, then why would you get burdened with something like that by taking levels in AA?

I'd say the cost (because it's nearly a one-time thing) is more similar to getting a Familiar or Animal Companion. The former costs 1 day & 100 gp, while the latter only costs a day. The 100 gp cost is a pain in the rear at 1st level, on your 1st day of adventuring, but after that is essentially meaningless. It's the day part (like it was for Rowan) that can really throw a wrench into the party's adventuring plans.

8th level is the earliest all the prereqs can be met, and according to DMG wealth guidelines an 8th level PC should have 27,000 gp. What kind of monetary cost do you think is worthwhile here? Because it's not going to be much of a hindrance for someone who talks his first AA level at 10th when they have 49,000 gp.

That's why I like the way it's done with all the base classes. If you think a day is too short (since this IS a Prestige Class), you could make it a week or something. I just think that's going to be really painful when the AA's bow was taken or destroyed or whatever and he wants to get a new one. "Sorry guys, I'll catch up with you in a week or so. I have to go...meditate...for awhile. Try not to killed without me!"

Moreover, that ugly "PC wealth" problem rears it's head here. For a typical archer, say a ranger, his bow is liable to be a large part of his character wealth. As is, the PrC AA character gets a free +3 weapon, plus extras. How will that mesh with the rest of the "character wealth by level" picture?

Well, to get that bow it "cost" the Ranger 1 level of an arcane spellcasting class. The least painful way to get that IMO is by taking a level of Bard. For that level his HD drops to a d6, he gets the same number of skill points but is forced to use 6 of them to meet the Knowledge (Arcana) prereq (and probably Concentration as even though its a class skill, I don't think most Rangers buy it up), his BAB drops by 1, he loses Fort save progression but picks up a bonus +1 to his Reflex save and a +2 to his Will save. He loses a level of Ranger abilities but picks up Bardic Songs and (assuming his Charisma is up to snuff, which isn't a safe assumption IMO) and the ability to cast a handful of cantrips. That's probably nearly a wash (as it should be) mechanically, maybe a touch on the good side, but may not be at all consistent with someone's character concept. A level of Wizard is about even to me while a level of Sorcerer is a touch on the bad side IMO.

Still, I understand your point. Everyone else at that level should have no more than +2 enhancement bonuses under normal circumstances. Those are ~4,000 gp, not a huge chunk of 27,000 gp. OTOH, +3 enhancement bonuses are ~18,000 gp which is a far different story. How about 1/2 the value of the mehta is counted for purposes of character wealth?

If you feel that the whole amount should be counted, then I think the Call ability needs to be a bit better as so many of the AA's abilities are tied to it. A Fighter of the same level is admittedly less effective when his +3 weapon is taken from him, but an AA is affected quite a bit more when his mehta disappears. If he is denied other equipment & gear equal to the full cost of the mehta on top of this then he's severely weakened until he gets his mehta back. A Fighter, OTOH, can borrow anyone else's bow and lose only a couple points of attack and/or damage. An AA can't even borrow an extra bow.

If we go with full amount towards wealth then I think the Call ability should be something like 100' per level rather than Sight (or maybe Medium range? that is, 100 + 10'/level? EDIT: I kind of like that, actually).

To be honest, I'm depending on you to make good choices here. They look good at first glance....except for the lack of Knowledge(arcana). It is a prereq., you know!

Doh! Right. Originally I was thinking of the AA as more warrior than mage. As it's evolved I'm now swinging the other way (hence the d6 instead of d8). Anyway, Knowledge (Arcana) I'll add, like I did Concentration. I don't think Spellcraft is appropriate because AA's don't study general spellcasting, they just use magic in their own unique way. The other skills are on WotC's original skill list for the AA. By going down to 2 SPs/lvl I don't think the list needs to be altered much more.

Another concern: If I was a ranger, and wanted a free +3 bow, why couldn't I just take a level of wizard, then a level of this PrC class?

Well, you could. It "costs" you that 1 level of Wizard, though, which drops your HD by 2 steps to a d4; your skill points drop by 4 and the 2 you do get need to go towards Knowledge (Arcana) which isn't a class skill for Rangers (though Concentration is, but the points for this prereq you'd likely put towards other skills for most Rangers); your BAB drops by 1; you lose out on Fort & Reflex save progression but your Will save gets a +2 bump; your Ranger abilities stall for a level but you pick up Scribe Scroll (also useful for your Ranger spells), a familiar to keep your animal companion company, a boatload of cantrips and a few 1st level spells.

Then, the level of AA has it's own "cost" to a straight Ranger. Your HD & skills both go down again, and you lose another BAB for every other weapon besides your mehta. Your Fort save is another level behind while your Reflex & Will saves get another boost. Your Ranger abilities are another level behind and your Wizard & Ranger spells don't advance either.

Is a chosen +3 bow worth all that? Maybe. For someone interested in what the AA's all about I'd say most definitely. But for every Ranger out there? I don't think so. Those two levels (Wizard & AA) may get you a better bow but you lose a lot of general combat ability and...rangerness!

A final Concern: If I was a wizard, why not take one level of this class? Then I could ignore arcane spell failure.

Again, you could. Of course, to meet the BAB +6 prereq you couldn't take it before 13th level. While PBS & Precise Shot are helpful for ranged spells with attack rolls, I don't think most Wizards spend 2 of the 5 general feats they have at 12th level on them. Weapon Focus (Bow) requires proficiency which only Elves get (and notice I didn't require a racial prereq, I figure that's campaign specific) so that means any other Wizard would have to spend yet another feat on Martial Weapon Proficiency (bow). Quite a hefty price for a wizard starting out at level 1, obviously much less so if the campaign is starting at levels above 10th.

I guess to see if something is "balanced" I look and see if the ability is so good, and the cost so minimal, that it's a no-brainer. Looking over the AA as we have it right now, I don't see that. Anyone who meets all the prereqs fits the mold of an AA, IMO. While the abilities they gain in doing so are not insignificant they aren't overwhelming either. Obviously YMMV, but you have to tell me that.

Thanks.

 

[DrSpunj]

Here's the latest version, complete with tweaks:

ARCANE ARCHER

The arcane archer is neither a master of combat nor of the arcane arts. By forgoing further general martial and arcane training and concentrating on the magical combination that can be achieved through archery, she wields powers unattainable by most. Arcane archers gain renown throughout entire kingdoms for their supernatural accuracy with a bow and their ability to imbue their arrows with magic. In a group, they can strike fear into an entire enemy army.
Hit Die: d6

REQUIREMENTS
To qualify to become an arcane archer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
[Campaign Specific]Race: Elf or Half-Elf
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Skills: Concentration 3 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 3 ranks.
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (any bow).
Spells: Ability to cast 1st level arcane spells.
[Campaign Specific]Special: Must join or be taught by an Arcane Archer.

CLASS SKILLS
The arcane archer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge(Arcana) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

[u]Lvl BAB Fort Refl Will  Spellcasting  Special Abilities[/u]

 1  +0   +0   +2   +2	   --		Mehta +3
 2  +1   +0   +3   +3	  +1 Level 	Imbue Arrow
 3  +2   +1   +3   +3	   --		Penetrating Arrow
 4  +3   +1   +4   +4	  +1 Level	Enhance mehta (+1 bonus)
 5  +3   +1   +4   +4	   --		Mehta +4, Greater Imbue Arrow
 6  +4   +2   +5   +5	  +1 Level	Call mehta (standard action)
 7  +5   +2   +5   +5	   --		Enhance mehta (+1 bonus)
 8  +6   +2   +6   +6	  +1 Level	Combined casting
 9  +6   +3   +6   +6	   --		Mehta +5, Call mehta (free action)
10  +7   +3   +7   +7 	  +1 Level 	Enhance mehta (+1 or +2 bonus)

​

CLASS FEATURES

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An arcane archer is proficient with all simple weapons, all bows (not crossbows), light armor, medium armor and shields.

Spells per Day: When a new arcane archer level is gained that grants spellcasting, the character gains new spells per day as if she had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an arcane archer, she must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

Mehta (Su): The arcane archer selects a bow that she is proficient with and performs a daylong ceremony to make it her key weapon, also called a “mehta”. An arcane archer can have only one mehta, and the mehta must be a physical weapon (not the creation of a spell), although it can be enhanced with magic. The mehta gains a +3 enhancement bonus, which functions only in the arcane archer’s hands and does not stack with any existing enhancement bonus the weapon has (only the highest enhancement bonus applies). At 5th and 9th levels this bonus increases by +1 (maximum +5). The weapon does not have to be masterwork to use it as an mehta, but if the arcane archer ever wants to enhance it with weapon special abilities, such as Flaming or Seeking, it must be masterwork. This ability provides enough of an enhancement bonus to give the bow special abilities without first giving it at least a +1 enhancement bonus using the normal item creation rules.
The mehta gains a small modicum of sentience in the ceremony. It has a very basic empathic link with the arcane archer, so the character always knows where the weapon is (distance & direction). The mehta serves as a special focus for all the arcane archer’s arcane spells. As long as it remains in her hands, her spells have no somatic components (and therefore she doesn’t suffer Arcane Spell Failure chances in armor).
An arcane archer can create a new mehta by performing the ceremony again, but this results in the destruction of the previous mehta, if it still exists. One half of the value of the mehta is counted towards character wealth.

Imbue Arrow (Sp): At 2nd level, an arcane archer gains the ability to place an arcane area spell upon an arrow. When the arrow is fired, the spell’s area is centered on (or originates from) 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. If the spell has a directional component, the effect continues in the direction of the arrow’s flight (usually directly away from the archer).

Penetrating Arrow (Su): Starting at 3rd level, when using any of her Imbue Arrow abilities, an arcane archer may add her class level as a bonus to caster level checks when trying to overcome a target's Spell Resistance. This bonus stacks with caster levels gained as an arcane archer, as well as with feats like Spell Penetration.

Enhance Mehta (Su): Beginning at 4th level, an arcane archer can further enhance her mehta with another daylong ceremony. She may choose to add any Ranged Weapon Special Ability (appropriate for her mehta) with a +1 Base Price Modifier (see the DMG magic ranged weapons section or other approved source). This ability becomes a permanent part of the arcane archer’s mehta enchantments and is fixed once chosen. Like the enhancement bonus on the mehta, this ability only functions in the arcane archer’s hands.
At 7th level she may choose another +1 Special Ability to her mehta, and at 10th level may choose either a third +1 Special Ability or a single +2 Special Ability. No ability may be chosen more than once (except Bane or similar abilities, whereupon a different foe or selection must be chosen each time). These abilities may be selectively suppressed as a free action by the Arcane Archer.
Note: the mehta’s enhancement bonus and special ability bonuses can’t total more than +10 (regardless of whether they are natural to the bow or from the arcane archer’s mehta abilities, or both). If this should occur the Special Ability selected at 10th level is effectively unavailable, then the 7th level and 4th level abilities, then a reduction in the mehta’s enhancement bonus in +1 increments, in that order, until the total is +10 or less.

Greater Imbue Arrow (Sp): At 5th level, an arcane archer gains the ability to place a touch attack or ranged touch arcane spell upon her arrow, though the arrow must hit normally to affect the target (it is not treated as a ranged touch attack but as a ranged attack which also delivers the touch spell). In all other respects, this ability functions the same as Imbue Arrow.

Call Mehta (Su): Starting at 6th level, the arcane archer can call her mehta to appear immediately in her hand as a standard action. The bow can be up to 100' + 10'/level (Medium range) away, although if it is in someone else’s possession they may resist the Call with a Will save and if it is in a locked room, she must make a caster power check (DC 25) to call it. Each failed attempt increases the DC by 1. Starting at 9th level, this call becomes a free action, usable once per round.

Combined Casting (Sp): Beginning at 8th level, as a full-round action, the arcane archer may both cast a spell (with a casting time of 1 standard action) and use a standard attack action with the bow. This ability may not be used with the Imbue Arrow or Greater Imbue Arrow abilities. Both of these provoke Attacks of Opportunity as normal, though the spell can be cast defensively.

How's that look?