The Sage on Arcane Archers

[Arravis]

See my original post on this thread, it has the email that the Sage sent me and it does seem to contradict what AuraSeer posted.

I do agree that the Arcane Archer is probably underpowered and could use some fixing, but that's a house rule issue. Not what we're trying to resolve here. I'm simply trying to find out what is the exact ability, according to WoTC.

Well... i'm going back to bed, it's too early for me . Talk to you guys in a few hours, hehe.

p.s.: I wrote the Sage back on this issue... but it might take a while for him to respond (took 3 weeks or so last time).

 

[Thanee]

Good Night!

About the what WotC employees thought when writing this up, I can't help you there. I only wrote my interpretation based upon the most recent Sage answer (who is known to contradict himself fairly often ) and the written rules. Of course, this is in no way official.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Arravis]

I know, hehe.

I just have an issue with it being the only totally infallable "scrying" in the game though. And if it isn't scrying how does it "know" where it's target is. If it is scrying, why doesn't it mention that or mention that Mind Blanked (and other protections) creatures are immune, etc... It has tremendous potential for abuse. An arcane archer could kill alot of heads of state with ease.

p.s.: I'm really going to bed now...

 

[Arravis]

So, any guesses guys?

 

[Caliban]

So, any guesses guys?

I think the Sage was right, and he wasn't contradictory. "Known to you" has two different meanings in the context of those powers.

For the Phase arrow, their location needs to be known to you.

For the Seeker Arrow, they need to be known to you. It will find their location.

This also agrees with what Monte said (i.e. "known to you" was a poor choice of words, at least in the case of the Phase Arrow.) I believe Monte was referring to the Phase Arrow specifically, since you never mentioned the Seeker Arrow in that thread.

 

[Arravis]

What about the issue of creatures that are immune to magical locating, scrying, etc?

This would be the only power in all of the rules that would allow you to "find" them by other then mundane means, and it does exactly that. If it was a sort of magical "finding" ability as described, then it would mention issues of scrying, etc.

 

[Caliban]

What about the issue of creatures that are immune to magical locating, scrying, etc?

This would be the only power in all of the rules that would allow you to "find" them by other then mundane means, and it does exactly that. If it was a sort of magical "finding" ability as described, then it would mention issues of scrying, etc.

What about them?

 

[Arravis]

*sigh*

If a creature is totally and completely immune to ALL scrying, divinations and any means of locating them (ie: mindblank), you are telling me that somehow, the magic of these arrows still find that individual? That makes completely no sense.

 

[Caliban]

*sigh*

If a creature is totally and completely immune to ALL scrying, divinations and any means of locating them (ie: mindblank), you are telling me that somehow, the magic of these arrows still find that individual? That makes completely no sense.

Am I telling you that? I don't think so.

 

[Arravis]

Imagine this scenerio...

An open plaza where the king is assassinated by a rogue, the rogue is mindblanked. An Arcane Archer sees the assassin running towards the dock ward. So the Arcane Archer runs home, gets his bow and gets to the dock ward. From there he has his seeker arrow "seek" the "King's Assassin" and if he's not in a sealed area, and in bow range, the arrow finds him?

None of the king's epic arch wizard's or his epic clerics can find the assassin since he's mindblanked, but the Arcane Archer power does allow him to essentially know his location? All he has to do is follow the flightpath of the arrow, and how does the arrow "know" where he is if the assassin is completely immune to the very kinds of magic it would take to know where he is.