Arcane archers are ranged warriors that specialize in crushing their foes with enchanted arrows. While not actually caster themselves, they are well versed in the Arcane and can borrow the magicks of allies, adding powerful spells to their arrows.
The arcane archer is an archetype of the archer class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The arcane archer mainly focuses on DEX for martial combat and DEX and WIS for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
2nd – Hawkeye, Archery Talent. 4th – Archery Talent. 6th – Archery Talent. 8th – Archery Talent. 10th – Archery Talent. 12th – Archery Talent. 13th – Take Aim. 14th – Archery Talent. 15th – Racking Critical. 16th – Archery Talent. 17th – Volley. 18th – Archery Talent. 20th – Archery Talent.
Class Skills
The arcane archer loses Knowledge (Nature), but gains Knowledge (Arcana), and Use Magic Device as class skills.
Arcane Pool (Su)
At 2nd level, the arcane archer gains a pool of magic energy from which he can draw his arcane arts from. The arcane archer has a number of points equal to half his archer level (minimum 1) + his Wisdom modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the arcane archer rests for a full 8 hours.
At 2nd level, an arcane archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant any weapon he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. For every four levels beyond 2nd the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. These bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves.
An arcane archer can only enhance one weapon in this way at one time. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.
This ability replaces hawkeye.
Arcane Archery (Su)
As he gains levels, an arcane archer learns how to imbue his arrows with magic energies. Starting at 2nd level, an arcane archer gains one arcane archery or an archery talent. He gains an additional arcane archery for every two levels of archer attained after 2nd level. An arcane archer cannot select a particular arcane archery more than once.
Addling Shot (Su): The arcane archer can expend 3 points from his arcane pool to make a single attack at his highest base attack bonus against a creature within the first range increment of his bow. If the attack hits, it deals normal damage, and the target makes a Will save. Targets that fail the save are Addled for a number of rounds equal to his Wisdom modifier. (Addle disallows the use of supernatural abilities for the duration.) Prerequisite: Arcane Archer 12th Level
Anti-
Arcane Arrows (Su): The arcane archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant himself a competence bonus equal to his Wisdom modifier on all ranged attack and damage rolls until the end of his turn. Attacks made with arcane arrows ignore 1 point of damage reduction per four archer levels.
Arcane Redoubt (Su): As a swift action, the arcane archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool to treat his armor bonus to AC (including any enhancement bonus) as a bonus to touch AC until the beginning of his next turn. Prerequisite: Arcane Archer 8th Level
Arcane Shield (Su): The arcane archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as an immediate action to grant himself a shield bonus to AC equal to his Wisdom modifier until the end of his next turn.
Arcane Volley (Su): The arcane archer can expend 3 points from his arcane pool as a full-
Bomb Shot (Su): The arcane archer can expend 2 points from his arcane pool to make an attack against a single target within the first range increment of his bow. On the target’s turn after being hit, the arrow explodes dealing 2d6 non-
Dispelling Shot (Su): The arcane archer can spend 1 or more points from his arcane pool as a swift action to imbue his arrows with a special power. If the arrows strike a creature within the next minute, that creature is the subject of a targeted dispel using the arcane archer’s level as the caster level, except that this effect cannot dispel a spell of a level higher than the number of arcane pool points expended to activate this ability (treat higher-
Elemental Arrows (Su): The arcane archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to change the damage of a bow he is wielding to an element of his choice, until the end of his turn.
Forking Shot (Su): The arcane archer can expend 2 points from his arcane pool to fire a single arrow that splits into a multitude of arrows. The arcane archer deals his weapon damage, adding his Wisdom modifier as bonus damage, in a 30-
Guided Arrows (Su): The arcane archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as an immediate action upon missing an attack on a single target to change the path of his arrow forcing it to hit. Guided arrows cannot deal critical hits.
Hemorrhage (Su): The arcane archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to imbue his arrows until the end of his turn, making them cause bleed damage equal to 3 times his Wisdom modifier, for 2d4 rounds. A successful Fort save (DC 10 + half of the archer’s level + his Dexterity modifier) stops the bleeding. Prerequisite: Arcane Archer 12th Level
Leeching Shot (Su): The arcane archer can expend 1 points from his arcane pool to make a single attack at his highest base attack bonus against an enemy within the first range increment of his bow. If he hits, he deals normal damage, and is healed for half of his weapon damage.
Magical Renewal (Ex): As an immediate action, when hit by a damaging spell, if the arcane archer is missing points from his arcane pool, he can absorb some of the magic, adding it back into his arcane pool. When using this ability, the arcane archer regains 1 arcane pool point. At 8th level, he regains 2 points, and at 12th level, he regains 3 points. If the damage from the spell would drop him to 0 HP or less, he cannot use this ability.
Spell Shot (Su): As a move action, the arcane archer can spend a number of arcane pool points equal to half the spell’s level rounded up (minimum 1), to add the effect of a single target spell, which must be a standard action or less, from a willing ally’s spell list to his next single ranged attack. If the attack hits, it deals normal damage + the effect of the borrowed spell. The spell functions off of the caster’s level and casting modifier, but uses the DC for arcane volley as its save DC. The arcane archer can only borrow spells from an ally he has sight of within 15 feet. The spell persists on his arrow for 1 minute, or until he attempts a single ranged attack. Spell Shot does not suffer spell failure, however if the caster that the spell is borrowed from has spell failure, that chance is applied when attaching the spell to the arrow. If the spell fails, the arcane archer still expends arcane pool points. (Healing spells cause the arrow to deal no damage, unless against an undead target.)
Taxing Shot (Su): The arcane archer can expend 2 points from his arcane pool to make an attack against a single target within the first range increment of his bow at his highest base attack bonus. If he hits, the arcane archer deals normal damage and also deals half of his damage to the target’s MP. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + half of the archer’s level + his Dexterity modifier) halves the damage to MP. Prerequisite: Arcane Archer 8th Level, Leeching Shot
This ability may replace archery talents.
Arcane Potency (Ex)
At 13th level, the arcane archer has learned to increase the effectiveness of his Arcane Archeries. Once per day, as a free action, the arcane archer can add twice his Wisdom modifier to the DC of his next Arcane Archery. He gains an additional use of Arcane Potency at 16th level, and one more at 20th level.
This ability replaces take aim.
Withering Shots (Ex)
At 15th level, the arcane archer’s proficiency with magic makes him capable of inflicting untold agony on his enemies. Whenever he makes a successful ranged attack with a bow against a creature, he gains an insight bonus to his damage rolls against the same creature equal to his Wisdom modifier, at the beginning of his next turn. This bonus stacks with itself up to 3 times, and persists until the arcane archer misses an attack. Withering Shots does not apply on his Arcane Archeries. The arcane archer can only gain 1 stack per round.
This ability replaces racking critical.
Unstoppable Shot (Ex)
At 17th level, a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom modifier, the arcane archer can, as a full round action, fire an arrow with devastating force. The arrow travels in a straight line for a distance equal to the first range increment on his bow, piercing through creatures and objects in its path. Creatures struck take his bow damage + additional damage equal to half his archer level. In addition, the arcane archer may make a sunder combat maneuver on each creature that was struck, taking a –
This ability replaces volley.
