Eldritch Archer (Magus Archetype)

[Kinsmir]

I am trying to build an Eldritch Archer, and I might have gone slightly astray as I was reading Focused Shot wrong, as I intended to try to make a pathfinder equivalent to Ashe from League of Legends,as an elf.

But as I dabbled into it and found out that Focused Shot requires a standard action to be activate and does not work with Rapid Shot, I thought I at least would work around the problem.

Ability Scores:
STR: 14
DEX: 16 +2 +1 = 19
CON: 12 -2 = 10
INT: 18 +2 = 20
WIS: 13
CHA: 13

Is there a way to improve the build with what I got with future feats?

What I got so far is:
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Focused Shot
Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus

We are currently level 5

But for the future I at least intend to take:
7:Bullseye Shot
9:Deadly Aim

I wont be able to replicate Ashe as I intended, and becoming more of a sniper.

Should I concider dable into prestige Classes such as Arcane Archer or Eldritch Knight? Or Just Multi Class?

Magus have the fantastic ability to use Medium and Heavy Armor down the line with out the spell failure chance as well, so I at least would like to get to the point were I can use at least Medium armor at level 7.

[Avadriel]

I hate to say this, but with your class, Focused shot is worse than it would be for most other classes.

The Eldritch Archer has the ability to effectively skip taking rapid shot because spell combat gives him/her an improved equivalent to that ability as long as he/she is within 25 feet + 5 feet / 2 levels. Spell combat with acid splash or ray of frost gives you two attacks at the same penalty as rapid shot, with an additional 1d3 damage on one of the attacks.

Spell Combat also acts similarly to manyshot, since it adds spell damage to one of your attacks.

The problem with focused shot, is that as a standard action, it cannot be used with your ranged spellstrike ability or your spell combat ability. It is basically unusable with the parts of your class that make you a good archer.

if you really want to make the equivalent of Ashe, I would suggest using the level 1 spell snowball with spell combat as a good way to start.

As far as the feats you listed as additional options, bullseye shot can be difficult to use for the same reasons, but since its a move action, it can at least be combined with spellstrike.

You have not told us what traits you took, if you did not take the trait magical lineage or another magic trait, I would strongly recommend that you take "additional traits" feat. This would give you two more traits, and if you take magical lineage snowball, you could also pick up the intensify spell metamagic feat, and be adding quite a bit of cold damage to your attacks.

As far as multi classing goes, the magus, and the eldritch archer archetype in particular give abilities that are in most ways superior to what would be gained from going into those prestige classes. The attraction of those prestige classes is being able to enter them from a wizard, and having nearly full wizard casting progression while also being somewhat martial, as a 6 spell level caster, you lose a lot of the appeal. In Pathfinder. multi classing in general is not something that is usually done for casters.

Eldritch Archer can be a very strong single class build, So I would not recommend multi classing.

[Kinsmir]

My Dm allowed me to redo a few things before our next session, and I used some of those recommendations, even added the trait that was suggested, so Now my build is this:

Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Rapid-Shot
Bonus Feat: Intensify Spell

trait: Magical Lineage

And from what I understand, this is something I can do to max amount of damage after 3 rounds:

Level 5 Magus, Eldritch Archer Archetype

The bow is already a longbow Composit(+2) +1 Frost = 1d8 +2(str)+1 (Enchant Bonus)+1(Point Blank)+1d6 (Frost)

Potential Attack and Damage after three rounds:
First round: Move action, Wand -> Gravity Bow - Swift Action, Arcane Pool -> 1d6 - Standard Action,Magus Arcana-> 1d6

Second Round: Swift action, Arcane Pool -> 1d6 - Move Action, Move - Standard action, Spell - True Strike

Third Round: Swift Action-> Quick Runner's Shirt/Arcane Pool-> Speed - Full-Round Action-> Many shot, Rapid Shot. (Spellstrike: 5d6 Snowball)

(Arcane Pool Cost: 3/4)

Total:
First arrow: +27/+28 Attack
+2d6 +2+1+1+1+ 1d6+1d6+1d6+5d6

Second Arrow: +27/+28 Attack
+2d6 +2+1+1+1 +1d6

(Speed Arrow: +27/+28 Attack
+2d6 +2+1+1+1 +1d6)

Third arrow: +7/+8
+2d6 +2+1+1+1 +1d6

[Peevenator]

True Strike only applies on the "next single attack roll". The second arrow and speed arrow wouldn't benefit from True Strike.

[Kurald Galain]

For an Eldritch Archer, a good strategy is to ignore ranged spellstrike entirely, and instead use your spell combat with buffs, crowd control, or a good old-fashioned fireball.

[Bloodyraven]

I realise this is a post from march, but I thought it the better place to post than some of the other EA discussions from Dec/Jan.

I've studied Kurald's guide (Thank you for taking the time to write it!) when designing my EA, and like all things, I take valid input and well thought out designs and weigh them against campaign specifics. After playing 5 levels of Hell's Rebels, I have a few pointers to add when thinking about playing this character.

No one ever said you HAD to use the bow to carry your ranged touch spell. You can still cast normally (make a ranged touch or whatever the spell descriptor says) and still shoot the bow thanks to it working like two-weapon fighting. You are capable of buffing yourself, the party, debuffing the enemy, sniping, etc. What I enjoy the most is the flexibility this class allows during each interaction of RP and fights.

"Doing Damage" is only one aspect of this class. I am the only arcane caster in my group, yet that hasn't seemed to slow us down. Access to scrolls and the magus arcana "spell-scars" is a great utility option. (Write down spells you don't need modifiers/Caster Level dependence for, and have them at the ready. You don't need to see them; can be used on the fly as a scroll, and can even memorize from them.) Colour spray at early levels is your best chance of debuffing/stopping the enemy quickly.

For my build, I chose to add Hexcrafter and went Wayang as a race. (2 other players went Wayang and we're all related). Starting stats were : (25pt buy)

STR : 12
Dex : 16 (18 with Wayang racial bump)
Con : 14 (HP's to survive are my thing)
Int : 14 (16 with Wayang racial bump) +1 at 4th level bump to 17
Wis : 10 (8 with Wayang racial penalty)
Cha : 13 (needed for campaign specifics)

Feats: Point-Blank (1), Precise (3), Extra Arcana (5)
Hex/Arcana : Flight (3), Evil Eye (4), Spell Blending (2 1st lvl spells)

Traits: Wayang spellhunter (Snowball), birthmark (for the low Will saves)

Arcane Bonded: Masterwork Composite Longbow Str adjusted +1 (1)

Spells Memorized:
0: Acid splash (my go to for ranged spellstrike), detect magic, detect fiendish presence, disrupt undead

1: color spray, enlarge person, gravity bow (spell blending), vanish, snowball

2: glitterdust, invisibilty, mirror image

Hexes: Flight, Evil Eye

Spell Blending: Gravity Bow, Mage Armor

Armor: +1 Mithral Chain Shirt+Shadow (+5 Stealth) - Until I can enhance my DEX past +6 modifier this is my armor for the campaign.

Magic Items: Pearl of Power 1st lvl (1), efficient quiver, amulet of nat. armor +1, potion of restoration (1), Potion CMW (1)

Wayang does 1d6 with a comp. longbow so gravity bow bumps it to 1d8 and enlarge person bumps it to 2d6 per arrow. Sure...you're casting 2 spells but both are minute spells, so you should have enough time to cast them in a dungeon crawl. Minutes ran out? Scrolls/spell-scrolls arcana (see the value here?)/pearls of power to the rescue.

Intentions are now that I am 5th level, I will add +1 magic and "Conductive" to the bow first; this will allow me to use evil eye ad naseum with every hit (1/round) of the bow AFTER I have successfully hit. This works with evil eye as it is a ranged attack and I am using a conductive ranged weapon. Slumber will be the next Hex I get for the same idea. Round 1 evil eye to ST, round 2 Slumber...if it's still alive. No need to waste snowball until I need it.

At 6th level I will pick up Spell-scars as I see the value in it greatly as I play throughout a day's session. (if only I had grease; Gravity Bow, Mirror Image, Vanish, etc.) This is supplementing the loss of Spell recall as is the usage of Pearls of Power (1).

I am well aware this might not be the 'optimal min/max munchkin' way to build the character...but this build is fun and I am enjoying my first taste of the ranged magus. Thanks again to Kurald for his great suggestions in his guide.

TL/DR : This class is da'bomb yo! Play it!

[666bender]

Love that archetype....
Will rapid shot/manyshot work will spell combat?