In some snake cults, there are lamia who admire serpents for their beauty, some for their wisdom, and some for their abilities as predators. Within this last group are a subset that see a serpent’s abilities as weapons to be used and exploited rather than worshiped or emulated. These are the serpent archers, combining the deadly powers of snakes with their own natural aptitude with bows. The serpent archers respect their scaly brethren and practice a strange way of melding their skills with the abilities of the ophidians.
The serpent archer is an archetype of the archer class, available only to lamia archers.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The serpent archer mainly focuses on DEX for martial combat and for their class features.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Class Skills, Archer Training, Archery Style. 2nd – Archery Talent, Hawkeye. 3rd – Evasion. 4th – Archery Talent, Expert Archer. 5th – Improved Archery Style. 6th – Archery Talent. 8th – Archery Talent. 10th – Archery Style Mastery, Archery Talent. 12th – Archery Talent. 14th – Archery Talent. 16th – Archery Talent. 18th – Archery Talent. 20th – Archery Talent.
Class Skills
The serpent archer adds Handle Animal to his list of class skills. This replaces Knowledge (Geography) as a class skill.
Snake Charmer (Ex)
At 1st level, a serpent archer is especially intuitive when dealing with normal snakes and thus receives a morale bonus on all Handle Animal checks when dealing with normal snakes equal to half his archer level (minimum 1). A typical serpent archer keeps a bag or cage of Tiny snakes that he has tamed (these snakes must be cared for and fed like any other animal).
This ability replaces archer training.
Serpent Arrow (Su)
At 1st level, as a move action, a serpent archer may remove a Tiny snake from a container (similar to drawing an arrow or bolt from a quiver) and pull its body straight and stiff, suitable for firing from a bow (longbow, shortbow, composite longbow, or composite shortbow) or crossbow (light or heavy).
When fired from a bow in this manner, the snake deals normal damage for the bow. If the snake is a poisonous snake, it also injects the target with poison as if she had been bitten by the snake. After being fired in this manner, the snake is stunned for 1 round (normally falling to the ground at the feet of the target). Once the snake recovers, it continues to attack the target and deals damage for the type and size, typically 1d4 + STR.
A hand crossbow can fire a Diminutive snake. Bows made for Large creatures may fire larger snakes, one size category of snake per size category increase of the weapon. For example, a Large short bow (normally a Medium-size weapon) could fire Small snakes (one step larger than a Tiny snake). Larger than normal hand crossbows scale the snake size upward from Diminutive, so a Small hand crossbow could fire a Tiny snake.
If not fired, a drawn snake relaxes from its stiffened state after one round. A Tiny Snake can be purchased in any settlement near the natural habitat of such creatures for 1 gil.
This tiny snake deals the following poison: Bite – injury; save Fort DC 9; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con damage; cure 1 save.
This ability replaces archery style.
Poison Talents (Ex)
At 2nd level, a serpent archer gets access to poison talents from the list below. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, the serpent archer can choose a normal archery talent or a poison talent. Poison talents may affect the snakes fired from the serpent archer’s bow, and affect the attack they designate before rolling.
Concentrate Poison (Ex): The serpent archer can combine two doses of the same poison to increase their effects. This requires two doses of the poison and 1 minute of concentration. When completed, the serpent archer has one dose of poison. The poison’s frequency is extended by 50% and the save DC increases by +2. This poison must be used within 1 hour of its creation or it is ruined.
Holy Poisons (Su): The serpent archer is able to infuse poisons with holy power so they can affect evil creatures that are normally immune to poison. Any poison the serpent archer administers to a weapon can affect undead and evil outsiders, bypassing their inherent immunities. Magical effects that negate poisons still apply. If a creature fails its save, the poison acts as normal, but may have no effect on the creature, depending on the effect of the poison (such as dealing Constitution damage to undead). Prerequisite: Serpent archer 8
Malignant Poison (Ex): As a full-round action, the serpent archer can increase the save DC of any poison by 4 and increase its duration by 2 frequency increments (for example, large scorpion venom lasts 8 rounds instead of 6). Additionally, malignant poisons take effect immediately and do not have an onset time. This alchemical change lasts until the poison’s extended duration ends or for a number of minutes equal to the serpent archer’s level, whichever comes first. After that, the poison reverts back to its original state. Prerequisite: Serpent archer 10
Poison Conversion (Ex): By spending 1 minute, the serpent archer can convert 1 dose of poison from its current type (contact, ingested, inhaled, or injury) to another type. For example, the serpent archer can convert a dose of Small centipede poison (an injury poison) to an inhaled poison. This process requires an alchemy lab. Prerequisite: Serpent archer 6
Safe Poisons (Ex): When the serpent archer handles snakes for their poison, they never accidentally poison themselves such as when they fail the skill checks.
Sticky Poison (Ex): Any poison the serpent archer creates is sticky—when the serpent archer applies it to a weapon, the weapon remains poisoned for a number of strikes equal to the serpent archer’s Intelligence modifier. Prerequisite: serpent archer 6
This ability may replace archery talents.
Snake Sack (Ex)
At 2nd level, the serpent archer carries around a sack of specialised snakes to pull from to use for their serpent arrow ability. This collection of snakes expands as the serpent archer gets better at training and controlling them.
The serpent archer only has a number of snakes in their sack equal to his level and must choose from this list every level, or trade for them at a settlement to rearrange his selection. If a snake is killed in combat, you must pay a number of gil to replace them equal to the level you obtained them multiplied by 100 (an Albino snake costs 400 gil). All of the snakes are tiny variants and deal 1d4-2 with their bite attacks.
When shot from a bow, the serpent archer can either use the base DC of the poison, or 10 + half serpent archer level + Dexterity modifier when shot from his bow, this decision is made before their attack roll. When attacking on its own, the snake uses the base DC.
2nd level: Cobra – Bite – injury; save Fort DC 10 (10 + half serpent archer level + Dexterity modifier when shot from bow); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con damage; cure 1 save.
4th level: Albino Snake – Bite – injury; save Fort DC 12 (10 + half serpent archer level + Dexterity modifier when shot from bow); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con damage; cure 1 save.
6th level: Rough Viper – Bite – injury; save Fort DC 14 (10 + half serpent archer level + Dexterity modifier when shot from bow); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Con damage; cure 1 save.
8th level: Sea Snake – Bite – injury; save Fort DC 17 (10 + half serpent archer level + Dexterity modifier when shot from bow); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d3 Con damage; cure 1 save.
10th level: Rattlesnake – Bite – injury; save Fort DC 19 (10 + half serpent archer level + Dexterity modifier when shot from bow); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect Sapped status and 1d3 Con damage; cure 1 save.
12th level: Sand Viper – Bite – injury; save Fort DC 22 (10 + half serpent archer level + Dexterity modifier when shot from bow); frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect Sapped status and 1d4 Con damage; cure 1 save.
This ability replaces hawkeye.
Magic Fang (Sp)
Starting at 3rd level, a serpent archer learns how to cast Magic Fang at will as a spell-like ability, using his archer level as his caster level, but can only be cast upon serpents. When under the influence of the magic fang spell, a serpent archer’s snake arrow is treated as a weapon with the enhancement bonus the spell provides (so a snake-arrow with a +1 enhancement bonus to its bite from magic fang is treated as a +1 arrow).
This ability replaces evasion.
Bonus Bow Feat
At 4th level, and again at 8th, the serpent archer gains a feat from the following list (even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat). The benefits of this ability apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.:
Far Shot, Manyshot, Mounted Archery, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Weapon Focus (any bow).
This ability replaces expert archer.
Rapid Serpent Arrow (Su)
Beginning at 5th level, a serpent archer can draw and straighten snakes as a free action a number of times per round equal to 1 + 1 per five archer levels.
This ability replaces improved archery style.
Greater Magic Fang (Sp)
Upon reaching 10th level, the serpent archer can cast Greater Magic Fang at will as a spell-like ability, using his archer level as his caster level. This ability works like the magic fang ability.
This ability replaces archery style mastery.