Arcane Archer, Tome (3.5e Class)

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A wilderness archer who uses their weapon to fire spells at their foes.

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Spontaneous Arcane Spellcasting Partial

Arcane Archer, Tome

The Arcane Archer has refined skill and timing to target enemies from afar with devastating results. Arcane Archers represent talented and studied individuals with unerring aim. With the first Arcane Archers hailing from an elven tradition, Arcane Archers have some affinity for the wilderness that is still a part of their discipline.

Making an Arcane Archer

Despite the name, Arcane Archers do not need to use bows, they can apply their powers on any projectile; halfings often prefer sling stones and kobolds their crossbows. An orc or ogre Arcane Archer is a rare sight, but may use their powers with an orcish shot put or large javelins respectively. If using firearms in your setting then an Arcane Gunslinger could fit right in.

Arcane Archers are not front line fighters, they are ranged artillery. Able to approach unseen, mete out destruction and disappear once again.

Abilities: An Arcane Archer uses Wisdom to control their spells, and Dexterity to loose their arrows.

Races: Arcane Archers are especially prevalent among races that prize magical talent, archery, and especially both. Elves lay claim to the lions share, but there are many kobold, halfling, and human Arcane Archers as well.

Alignment: Every alignment has its share of Arcane Archers, however most are of Lawful alignment owing to their intense study and deliberate focus.

Starting Gold: 4d6x10 gp (140 gold)

Starting Age: As Ranger.

Table: The Arcane Archer

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Enhance Arrow (+1), Perfect Aim (Koumei FPL)
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Imbue Arrow, Sphere
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Trackless Step, Enhance Arrow (+2)
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Woodland Stride, Point Blank Perfection (Koumei FPL)
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Energy Bolt, Sphere
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Enhance Arrow (+3), Improved Imbue Arrow
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Phase Arrow
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Evasion, Sphere
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Enhance Arrow (+4)
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Hail of Arrows
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Sphere
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Enhance Arrow (+5)
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Esoteric Energy Bolt
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Sphere
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Enhance Arrow (+6)
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Supreme Imbue Arrow
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Sphere
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Enhance Arrow (+7)
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	Sphere
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Arcane Archer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Arcane Archer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor and bucklers. An Arcane Archer can cast spells while wearing armor they are proficient in without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance.

Spells: An Arcane Archer casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the Druid or Ranger spell lists. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, an Arcane Archer must have an Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an Arcane Archer's spell is 10 + the spell level + the Arcane Archer's Wisdom modifier. Like other spellcasters, an Arcane Archer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.
The Arcane Archer's selection of spells is limited; however, they can cast their cantrips at will. An Arcane Archer begins with 3 level 0 spells known and 1 level 1 spell known. At each new Arcane Archer level she gains one additional spell known at her highest level, and one additional spell known at her next highest level. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells an Arcane Archer knows is not affected by her Wisdom score.

Enhance Arrow (Su): At 1st level an Arcane Archer can as a free action conjure an enhanced magical projectile (any launched or thrown weapon, not just arrows, despite the name) appropriately sized to her or her weapon, or may enhance an existing projectile each time she fires, granting an enhancement bonus to the projectile.

Unlike magic weapons created by standard means, the archer need not spend experience points or gold pieces to accomplish this task. However, the enhancement only functions for her and conjured projectiles vanish 1 round after being fired. For every three level in Arcane Archer the magic arrows she fires improve their enhancement bonus by +1 (+1 at 1st level, +2 at 3rd level, +3 at 6th level, etc.).

Perfect Aim (Ex): The Arcane Archer gains Perfect Aim as a bonus feat. Against foes within 30', you gain a +2 Bonus to attack and damage rolls with ranged weapons. For projectile weapons, multiply Range increments by 1.5, and for thrown weapons, double the Range increments. You suffer no penalty for making ranged attacks against foes engaged in melee. Reloading a Crossbow other than Heavy is a Free Action for you, and a Heavy Crossbow is a Move-Equivalent Action. You count as having Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Reload, and Far Shot for purposes of Pre-requisites. *Feat is from Koumei's FPL series from http://tgdmb.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=57248

Sphere (Sp): At 2nd Level Arcane Archer gains basic access to a Sphere and at every third level thereafter she gains either a new Sphere or expanded access to a known Sphere. If the Arcane Archer selects a Sphere that she already has basic access to, she upgrades it to advanced access. If she already had advanced access, she gains expert access. An Arcane Archer uses her Wisdom as her casting attribute where applicable for her Spheres.

An Arcane Archer can only use Sphere granted spell-like abilities via Imbue Arrow unless the range is Personal or Touch.

Spheres available to the Arcane Archer are: Clouds, Cold, Electricity DR, Ether, Hellfire, Illusion, Plant, Sand, Sleep, Weather, or Wind

Imbue Arrow (Sp): At 2nd level, an Arcane Archer as a standard action may use a spell-like ability known from a Sphere to place it within a projectile and fire it. When the projectile is launched, the spell’s area is centered on where it lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. If a touch spell is so imbued then her spell is treated as a ranged touch attack (she must still hit normally to deal damage from the projectile). The projectile must be fired in the round the spell is cast or the spell is wasted.

Trackless Step (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, an Arcane Archer leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 4th level, an Arcane Archer may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her.

Point-Blank Perfection (Ex): At 4th level the Arcane Archer gains Point-Blank Perfection as a bonus feat. You threaten squares out to 15 feet when using a Ranged Weapon, and can make Attacks of Opportunity into those squares. You also do not provoke Attacks of Opportunity for using ranged weapons. *Feat from Koumei's FPL series from http://tgdmb.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=57248

Energy Bolt (Su): At 5th level when using Enhance Arrow the Arcane Archer can infuse the projectile with an energy type (selected from Cold, Electricity or Fire) changing damage dealt into that type and dealing 1d6 bonus damage of that type.

Improved Imbue Arrow (Su): At 6th level the Arcane Archer may once per round use Imbue Arrow as an attack action rather than as a part of a standard action. Spells fired through Imbue Arrow are treated as though affected by Spell Focus (+1 to DC) and Spell Penetration (+2 to CL check to overcome SR) versus the target struck.

Phase Arrow (Su): At 7th level, an Arcane Archer can launch phased projectiles at will at a target known to her within range, and the projectile travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any non-magical barrier or wall in its way. (Any magical barrier stops the projectile.) This ability negates cover modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. This ability cannot be used on an Energy Bolt, but it can be used with Imbue Arrow.

Evasion (Ex): At 8th level and higher, an Arcane Archer can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Arcane Archer is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Arcane Archer does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Hail of Arrows (Ex): As a full-round attack, an Arcane Archer of 10th level or higher can fire a projectile at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every Arcane Archer level she has earned. Each attack uses the archer’s primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single projectile.

Esoteric Energy Bolt (Su): At 13th level when using Enhance Arrow the Arcane Archer chooses one energy type (selected from Force, Light, or Sonic) that they can infuse the projectile with and changing damage dealt into that type. The projectile deals 1d6 bonus damage, and on a critical hit the projectile deals an additional 1d8 bonus damage per critical multiplier. Light Arrows deal double damage to Undead creatures. Sonic Arrows deal double damage to objects and Construct creatures.

Supreme Imbue Arrow (Su): At 16th level the Arcane Archer may twice per round use Imbue Arrow as an attack action rather than as a part of a standard action. Spells fired through Imbue Arrow are treated as though affected by Greater Spell Focus (+2 to DC) and Greater Spell Penetration (+4 to CL check to overcome SR) versus the target struck.

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Table: Arcane Archer Spells Per Day

Level	Spells Per Day
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
1st	1	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	2	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	3	-	-	-	-	-
4th	3	1	-	-	-	-
5th	3	2	-	-	-	-
6th	3	3	-	-	-	-
7th	3	3	1	-	-	-
8th	3	3	2	-	-	-
9th	3	3	3	-	-	-
10th	3	3	3	1	-	-
11th	3	3	3	2	-	-
12th	3	3	3	3	-	-
13th	3	3	3	3	1	-
14th	3	3	3	3	2	-
15th	4	3	3	3	3	-
16th	4	4	3	3	3	1
17th	4	4	4	3	3	2
18th	4	4	4	4	3	3
19th	4	4	4	4	4	3
20th	4	4	4	4	4	4