Hit Die: d8

Requirements:

• Elven or Half-Elven
• Base Attack: 6+
• Ability to cast level 1 arcane spells
• Weapon Focus: any bow other than crossbow
• Point Blank Shot
• Precise Shot

Class Skills: The Arcane Archer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (INT), Hide (DEX), Intuit Direction (WIS), Listen (WIS), Move Silently (DEX), Ride (DEX), Spot (WIS), Use Rope (DEX), Wilderness Lore (WIS)

Skill Points: 4 + INT bonus each level

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An arcane archer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.

Table: The Arcane Archer

Enchant Arrow: At 1st level, every nonmagical arrow an arcane archer nocks and lets fly becomes enchanted, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus. An archer’s magic arrows only function for her. For every two levels of arcane archer the character advances past 1st level in the prestige class, the magic arrows she creates gain +1 greater potency.

Imbue Arrow: At 2nd level, an arcane archer gains this spell-like ability, allowing her to place a spell upon an arrow. This ability allows the archer to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. It takes a standard action to cast a spell into an arrow. Only touch, ray, target and area of effect spells can be cast onto arrows in this way, not personal spells. Touch, ray and target spells only effect the target struck (if they hit an invalid target, the spell is wasted harmlessly), even if they can normally affect multiple targets. Area of effect spells have their area centered on the target struck, or where the arrow lands. The arcane archer can only have a certain amount of spell power stored in arrows in this fashion. The archer can store up to his class level in spell levels of spells in arrows at any one time with this ability, and never more than 1 spell on a single arrow. The spells are stored until used by the archer, who alone can use them, but the archer cannot replenish the slot/use those stored spells take up until the arrow is used. Only spells the archer casts can be stored in this way. The archer cannot fire more than 1 of these arrows each round, but using them does not hinder her rate of fire. Thus, a level 10 arcane archer could have up to 10 spell levels of spells stored in arrows. He could have 3 fireballs and 1 magic missile for example. Once used, he can spend a standard action to imbue another, replacing fired arrows up to the spell level limit.

Seeker Arrow: At 4th level, the arcane archer can launch 1 arrow per day per class level at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target, even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the end of the arrow’s range prevents the arrow’s flight. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. This is a spell-like ability, which can be invoked as a free action, allowing the arcane archer to freely empower arrows with the seeker ability on the fly, without hindering her rate of fire. She can empower as many of them per round as she can fire.

Phase Arrow: At 6th level, the arcane archer can launch 1 arrow per day per class level at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any non-force barrier or wall in its way. (A wall of force, a prismatic wall, or the like stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover (but not a shield spell which is a force effect), concealment, and even armor modifiers (but not force armor like mage armor), but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. This is a spell-like ability, which can be invoked as a free action, allowing the arcane archer to freely empower arrows with the phase ability on the fly, without hindering her rate of fire. She can empower as many of them per round as she can fire.

Hail of Arrows: As a full round action, the 8th-level arcane archer can fire an arrow 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 a single arrow may only target each enemy. This is a spell-like ability, useable as often as desired.

Arrow of Death: At 10th level, the arcane archer can enchant an arrow of death that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow’s attack, to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + arcane archer class level (10) + arcane archer spellcasting ability score modifier, either INT for wizards or CHA for sorcerers/bards.) or be slain immediately. It takes one day to create an arrow of death and the arrow only functions for the arcane archer who created it. The enchantment lasts no longer than one year and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time. This is a spell-like ability.