Concept: A nature based archer, who channels spells through his arrows.
Background:
Setting – Eberron
A group of lycanthropes fled to the Eldeen Reaches, like so many others did during the Silver Flame inquisition. This group was taken in by a sect of Gatekeepers, Druids who protect the world from extra planar creatures, and in return used their physical strengths to aid them in their mission. Over the course of many years some of the lycanthropes/shifter were taught the druidic ways and became Gatekeepers proper. (This may not all match up with Eberron cannon, but I’m working from memory and it’s loose enough that things can still change.)
The character I’m trying to build is a shifter archer who channels druidic magic through his arrows. So when I think of what I would like the character to be able to do here’s what I come up with.
• Druid spell list (or something similar)
• Magus (Myrmidarch archetype, but I don’t need the extra armor training)
• Arcane Archer (I don’t think the abilities give me what I’m looking for, but the concept is similar)
• Ranger (for its nature focused abilities)
• Fighter (Archer archetype, mainly for trick shot)
• I also thought about Ranger w/ the Trapper archetype, but 10th level is a long time to wait to launch traps attached to an arrow
• The D&D 4e Seeker is actually something pretty close to what I am looking for
I realize that I can’t possibly get all of this into one character, this is what I see when I envision the character, so obviously I want to get as close as I can.
This description just hit me that might help get a build going, think a nature based Hawkeye/Green Arrow who channels Druidic magic through his arrows as a form of “trick arrows”.
Typing this out I have realized that this might just be something that can’t really be emulated using pathfinder, but I’m sure there are people that know the classes and archetypes much better than I do, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to post it anyway.
Thanks in advance for any help provided.
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Have you looked at the hunter class?
Hunter
Hunters are warriors of the wilds that have forged close bonds with trusted animal companions. They focus their tactics on fighting alongside their companion animals as a formidable team of two. Able to cast a wide variety of nature spells and take on the abilities and attributes of beasts, hunters magically improve both themselves and their animal companions.
Have you looked at the hunter class?
Hunter
Hunters are warriors of the wilds that have forged close bonds with trusted animal companions. They focus their tactics on fighting alongside their companion animals as a formidable team of two. Able to cast a wide variety of nature spells and take on the abilities and attributes of beasts, hunters magically improve both themselves and their animal companions.
I had not looked at the Hunter, but while it gets a couple of things I want, it has far too much emphasis on animals and it's animal companion. Even utilizing the Feral Hunter archetype to get rid of the animal companion the class focuses a lot on animals.
Thanks for pointing it out though, I never really looked at it closely before.
Perhaps if you went into arcane archer via a sorcerer of the fey bloodline? A lot of the fey bonus spells are from the druid list.
Problem with that is the 0.5 BaB that you'd need to dip out of if you want arcane archer before level 12.
Maxer is looking for the Voice of the Wild archetype. It doesn't allow you to cast spells through your arrows unless you go into Arcane Archer but you would certainly be better off just sticking with straight bard for effectiveness.
There isn't a good way to do this within RAW as far as I know.
Could a Trapper Ranger, with all of the supernatural traps flavored as various spells, work for this concept?
Maxer is looking for the Voice of the Wild archetype. It doesn't allow you to cast spells through your arrows unless you go into Arcane Archer but you would certainly be better off just sticking with straight bard for effectiveness.
There isn't a good way to do this within RAW as far as I know.
The Bard archetype is an interesting option.
As I was typing everything out I started thinking there might not be a way to do it via RAW, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
Could a Trapper Ranger, with all of the supernatural traps flavored as various spells, work for this concept?
I considered Trapper Ranger, but they don't get launch trap until level 10, and that's a long time to wait for that pay off.
Myrmidarch Magus seems the closest to what you're wanting, but if it's not enough, I'd also look at the Warpriest.
You could try a Warpriest of Erastil, Neith, Ylimancha, Cernunnos or Ketephys to get a type of bow as your sacred weapon, or you could ask your GM if you could have your character be a True Neutral without a specific deity and pick your own favored weapon. If you're TN, you can add Spell Storing to your favored weapon a number of times per day equal to your warpriest level. One of the nice things about the Warpriest is the ability to cast some spells on themselves as a swift action, a limited number of times per day. This could let you buff yourself and still fire your arrows during the same round.
One specific spell (for both the Magus and the Warpriest) to look at is Weaponwand. It seems that could be the source of your "trick shots" and it's available pretty early. Deadeye's Arrow is also a good one that both classes get.
Spell storing doesn't work I think - you have to be wielding the weapon as it hits the target, and bows don't hit people, arrows do.
A conductive weapon and some domain might work though, and actual trick arrows exist in Elves of Golarion.
Spell storing doesn't work I think - you have to be wielding the weapon as it hits the target, and bows don't hit people, arrows do.
A conductive weapon and some domain might work though, and actual trick arrows exist in Elves of Golarion.
Ranged weapons transfer their abilities and enhancement bonuses to the ammunition, so you put the spell into the arrow, not the bow, but yes it works
Ranged weapons transfer their abilities and enhancement bonuses to the ammunition, so you put the spell into the arrow, not the bow, but yes it worksSpell storing doesn't work I think - you have to be wielding the weapon as it hits the target, and bows don't hit people, arrows do.
A conductive weapon and some domain might work though, and actual trick arrows exist in Elves of Golarion.
Only if they're noted as doing so. Enhancement bonuses are, flaming, frost and many others are (3 Projectile weapons with this ability bestow this power upon their ammunition.), spell storing isn't so noted.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone. This is a tough one. I've gotten some good suggestions. I'm sure I'll settle on something eventually.