Arcane Archer

**Class Skills:** The arcane archer’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

**Skill Points at each Level:** 4 + Int modifier.

**Hit Die:** d10

**Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:** Arcane archers are proficient with all simple weapons and martial weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield. Armor interferes with an arcane archer's gestures, which can cause their spells with somatic components to fail.

**Cantrips:** Arcane archers learn a number of cantrips, or 0-level spells, as noted on Table: Spells Known. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they do not consume any slot and may be used again. Their choice of cantrips is selected from the sorcerer/wizard spell list.

**Ranged Spell Combat (Ex):** At 1st level, an arcane archer learns to cast spells and wield their weapon at the same time. This functions much like two-weapon fighting, but the off-hand weapon is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the arcane archer does not need a free hand even if the spell has somatic components. As a full-round action, they can make all of their attacks with their ranged weapon at a -2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the magus spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). An arcane archer can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if they have more than one attack, they cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.

**Ranged Spellstrike (Su):** At 2nd level, whenever an arcane archer casts a ranged touch spell from the arcane archer spell list, they can deliver the spell through any weapon they are wielding as part of a ranged attack. Instead of the free ranged touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, an arcane archer can make one free ranged attack with their weapon (at their highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this ranged attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. If the arcane archer makes this attack in concert with ranged spell combat, this ranged attack takes all the penalties accrued by ranged spell combat ranged attacks. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19-20, or 18-20 and modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects), but the spell effect only deals x2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier.

**Enhance Arrows (Su):** At 3rd level, every nonmagical arrow an arcane archer nocks and lets fly becomes magical, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus. Unlike magic weapons created by normal means, the archer need not spend gold pieces to accomplish this task. However, an archer's magic arrows only function for them.

In addition, the arcane archer's arrows gain a number of additional qualities as they gain additional levels. The elemental and elemental burst qualities can be changed once per day after 8 hours of rest.

At 5th level, every nonmagical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains one of the following elemental themed weapon qualities: flaming, frost, or shock.

At 7th level, every nonmagical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains the distance weapon quality.

At 9th level, every nonmagical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains one of the following elemental burst weapon qualities: flaming burst, icy burst, or shocking burst. This ability replaces the ability gained at 3rd level.

At 11th level, every nonmagical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains the seeking weapon quality.

The bonuses granted by a magic bow apply as normal to arrows that have been enhanced with this ability. Only the larger enhancement bonus applies. Duplicate abilities do not stack.

**Spells:** Beginning at 4th level, an arcane archer gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer spell list. Only sorcerer spells of 4th level and lower are considered to be a part of the arcane archer’s spell list. To learn or cast a spell, an arcane archer must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. They can cast any spell they know without preparing them ahead of time. The saving throw DC against an arcane archer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the arcane archer’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an arcane archer can cast only a certain number of spells of each level per day. Their base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Arcane Archer. In addition, they receive bonus spells per day if they have a high Charisma score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spell in the CRB). The arcane archer does not need to prepare these spells in advance; they can cast any spell they know at any time, assuming they haven’t yet used up their allotment of spells per day for the spell’s level.

The arcane archer’s selection of spells is limited. At 4th level, an arcane archer knows two 1st-level spells of their choice. An arcane archer gains more spells as they increase in level, as indicated on Table: Spell’s Known. Unlike spells per day, the number of spells an arcane archer knows is not affected by their Charisma score. At 8th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, an arcane archer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one they already know. This swap follows the same rules as for a sorcerer.

**Imbue Arrow (Sp):** At 6th level, an arcane archer can use area of effect spells with ranged spellstrike. The spell’s area is centered where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. This ability allows the arcane archer to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. If the spell requires a Reflex save, any creature directly struck by the arrow takes a -4 penalty to their saving throw.

**Trained Magus:** At level 8, an arcane archer may choose one of two magus arcana available to them: broad study or wand mastery. In the case of the arcane archer, wand mastery instead uses their Charisma modifier rather than Intelligence.

**Phase Arrow (Sp):** At 10th level, an arcane archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to him within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any nonmagical barrier or wall in its way. (Any magical barrier stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment, armor, and shield modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). An arcane archer can use this ability once per day at 6th level, and one additional time per day for every two levels beyond 6th, to a maximum of three times per day at 10th level.

**Hail of Arrows (Sp):** In lieu of their regular attacks, an arcane archer of 12th level can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every arcane archer level they have earned, as a full-round action. Each attack uses the archer's primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single arrow. An arcane archer can use this ability a number of times per day equal to their Charisma modifier.