Arcane Tradition: Arcane Archer
Enhance Weapon
When you choose this arcane tradition at 2nd level, you gain proficiency with light armor.
Additionally, you can perform a 1-hour ritual to enhance a ranged weapon that you touch. This weapon becomes a magic weapon, if it is not already. You are always proficient with this weapon, you can use your Intelligence modifier in place of Dexterity for attack and damage rolls with it, and you can use it as an arcane focus.
You can only enhance one weapon at a time. If you enhance another, the enhancement on the first one ends.
Imbue Ammunition
Also starting at 2nd level, when you use your action to cast a spell through your enhanced weapon, you can deliver the spell through a shot from that weapon. When you cast the spell, make a ranged weapon attack. For this spell, its range becomes the range of your weapon. On a hit, the attack deals damage of your weapon's type equal to your weapon ability modifier. You can't imbue a spell that has a range of Self, unless that spell affects creatures in an area, such as burning hands or lightning bolt.
If you have a feature that allows you to make a weapon attack as a bonus action after taking the Attack action, such as the Crossbow Expert feat, you can make this attack after you imbue a cantrip, but not a spell of 1st level or higher.
Cantrips
If the imbued spell is a damaging cantrip, the attack deals additional damage equal to the cantrip's damage. Any of the cantrip's additional effects are delivered on a hit.
Area Spells
If the imbued spell creates an area, such as a sphere, cube, or cone, the area is centered on the target of the attack, and appears immediately after the attack hits or misses. If the area is a cube or square, it appears with the target at its center. If the area is a cone or line, it appears directly in front of the target and emanates in the same direction that the attack came from.
Non-Area Spells
If the imbued spell requires you to choose one or more creatures as its targets, it targets only the creature you make the attack against. If the spell involves a spell attack, the weapon attack delivers its effects on a hit. If the spell involves multiple spell attacks, you can make a ranged weapon attack for each one, but only the first attack deals your weapon's damage and consumes ammunition. If the spell forces a saving throw, the target must make the save regardless of whether the attack hits or misses. The spell takes effect immediately after the attack has been resolved.
Art source: Cory Trego-Erdner, https://corytregoerdner.artstation.com/
Extra Shot
Starting at 6th level, when you use your action to imbue a spell, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of the same action.
Hail of Arrows
Starting at 10th level, you can use your action to fire a shot from your enhanced weapon that magically splits into a hail of projectiles which rain down upon an area. Choose a point that you can see within your weapon's range. All creatures within 10 feet of that point must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Wizard spell save DC or take damage as if they were hit by an attack from your weapon. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage.
Empowered Imbuement
Starting at 14th level, when you deal damage with an imbued spell, you can add your Intelligence modifier to the first damage roll of that spell.
Arcane Archer Spells
The following spells are added to the Ranger and Wizard spell lists.
Phasing Shot
1st-level transmutation
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (a piece of ammunition)
- Duration: 1 round
- Classes: Ranger, Wizard
You touch a piece of ammunition, giving it an ethereal quality. If you fire this piece of ammunition before the spell ends, you don’t make an attack roll. Instead, the projectile fires forward in a line, which is 1 foot wide and 30 feet long, before disappearing. The projectile passes harmlessly through objects, ignoring cover. Each creature in that line must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes damage as if it were hit by the projectile, plus an extra 1d6 force damage. On a successful save, a target takes half as much damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the force damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
Seeking Shot
1st-level divination
- Casting Time: 1 bonus action
- Range: Touch
- Components: V, S, M (a piece of ammunition)
- Duration: 1 round
- Classes: Ranger, Wizard
You touch a piece of ammunition, allowing the arrow to curve and twist its path in search of its target. If you fire this piece of ammunition before the spell ends, you don’t make an attack roll. Instead, choose one creature you have seen in the past minute. The projectile flies toward that creature, moving around corners if necessary and ignoring three-quarters cover and half cover. If the target is within the weapon’s range and there is a path large enough for the projectile to travel to the target, the target must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, it takes damage as if it were hit by the projectile, plus an extra 1d6 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 Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the force damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.