Arcane Archer, Revised
By @homebrewlesbian
Arcane Archers are skilled ranged combatants who have learned to enhance their style of combat by crafting special ammunition that produce supernatural effects. They are clever and well prepared, preferring to keep their distance and aid from afar with their many trick arrows.
Arcane Archer Features
| Fighter Level | Feature |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Arcane Ammunition |
| 7th | Imbued Magic, Curving Shot |
| 10th | Quick Crafting |
| 15th | Ever-Ready Shot |
| 18th | Hail of Arrows |
Arcane Ammunition
Starting at 3rd level, you have learned some basics to magic. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill and learn the Prestidigitation cantrip.
Most importantly, you can imbue your arrows with different magical effects. During a long rest, you can enchant a number of arrows with varying magical effects equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1) + your proficiency bonus. Once per turn, when you fire an arrow as part of the Attack action, you can use one of your enchanted arrows. Whether you hit or miss, the arrow is expended. Arcane Ammunition effects are listed at the end of this subclass in alphabetical order. You must pick options, and how many of each type of ammunition you prepare at the end of a long rest. They are all strengthened at 15th level.
If an ammunition's effects requires a saving throw, your save DC is calculated as follows:
Arcane Ammunition Save DC
Imbued Magic
At 7th level, you can ascribe a minor magical boon to your ranged weaponry. Any non-magical arrows, bolts, or bullets fired from the weapon are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. The magic fades from the ammunition immediately after it hits or misses its target.
Curving Shot
At 7th level, you learn how to direct an errant arrow toward a new target. When you make an attack roll with a magic arrow and miss, you can use a bonus action to reroll the attack roll against a different target within 60 feet of the original target.
Quick Crafting
At 10th level, when you take a short rest, you can craft additional pieces of arcane ammunition equal to half your proficiency modifier rounded down. The maximum pieces of arcane ammunition you may have cannot exceed the amount of arrows you can prepare with your Arcane Ammunition feature.
Ever-Ready Shot
Starting at 15th level, you can prepare arcane ammunition quickly and on the fly. If you roll initiative and have no pieces of arcane ammunition remaining, you regain one piece of ammunition.
Hail of Arrows
At 18th level, you can unleash a volley of attacks in a second. As an action, you may target a 15 ft. radius circle. Make a single attack roll, regardless of the number of creatures within the area. Any creature hit takes 4d10 piercing damage. This attack can be affected by a piece of arcane ammunition.
You regain usage of this ability on a long rest.
Arcane Ammunition Options
You can craft pieces of ammunition with the following properties:
Elemental. This piece of ammunition is imbued with elemental magic. On a hit, you deal an additional 1d12 of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage. You choose this damage type when you craft the ammunition.
At 15th level, it deals 2d12 damage and you can choose for the damage type to be necrotic, radiant, thunder, force, or psychic.
Exploding. This piece of ammunition explodes on impact. On a hit, the target takes normal damage and it bursts forcing anyone within a 10 ft. radius to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it deals 1d8 fire or thunder damage to anyone within radius and half damage on a success. This arrow makes a loud noise audible up to 300 ft away.
At 15th level, it deals 2d8 damage and the blast radius increases to 20 ft.
Snare. This piece of ammunition entangles the target on impact. On a hit, you deal damage as normal and magical restraints unleash themselves and bind the target. They must make a Strength saving throw against your Ammunition DC. On a failed save, they are restrained until the start of your next turn. You may also choose for this ammunition to deal no damage.
At 15th level, this effect can last up to 1 minute and the target may use their action to make a Strength saving throw to break free.
Ethereal. This piece of ammunition can pierce through solid surfaces. When you attack, you can ignore total cover within your weapon's normal range. This attack is still made with disadvantage if you have no awareness of where your target is. At 15th level, you no longer make this attack at disadvantage.
Seeking. This piece of ammunition relentlessly seeks a single target. When you use this piece of ammunition you have advantage on the attack roll. The ammunition flies toward that creature, moving around corners and ignoring three-quarters and half cover. If the target is within range and the arrow can reach them, they must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes damage as if it was hit by the ammunition, plus 1d10 force damage, and you learn the target's current location. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage, and you don't learn its location.
At 15th level, this damage increases to 2d10.
Flash. This piece of ammunition glows violently on impact. On a hit, the ammunition deals damage as normal and the target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are blinded and stunned until the start of your next turn.
At 15th level, this piece of ammunition also deals an additional 2d8 radiant damage.
Variant Rules
Because of the flavor I chose to embedded in the subclass (the act of crafting), I decided to solidly choose an intelligence theme akin to wizards and artificers and folded Arcane Archer Lore into the arcane Ammunition feature.
If you liked the druidic option in the canon version of this subclass, simply replace Arcana with Nature, Prestidigitation with Druidcraft, and the Intelligence modifier with Wisdom and you'll achieve that flavor.
Also- as one can note, I tried to make the language of this class applicable to any weapon with ammunition, be that longbows, shortbows, crossbows, or firearms. At the discretion of your DM you can use any of those weapons optimally with this subclass.
This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Portions of the materials used are property of WotC. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.