I couldn't find what I wanted with the Arrowsong Minstrel, so I am trying Eldritch Archer-Hexcrafter Magus/VMC Witch...
Eldritch Archer does not have anything saying their Ranged Weapon Bond cannot also have a Familiar... some things say you cannot, this one does not...
VMC Witch, gaining a Familiar... replaces the normal Magus spellbook, right? Everything is still good... even with the Ranged Weapon Bond, right?
Nothing has changed other than a spellbook holding spells to a Familiar holding spells... easy-peasy...
I want to maximize Slumber through a Bow... probably Conductive... no use looking for Rapid Shot/Manyshot... that won't spread Slumber...
Help me optimize the "Slumber Bow"...
1. Cantrips/Spells
1. Arcane Pool
1. Ranged Weapon Bond
1. Ranged SpellCombat
1(level): Point Blank Shot
1(VMC): Patron
...
2. Ranged Spellstrike
3. Magus Arcana
... Arcane Accuracy
3(VMC): Familiar
4. Hex Magus
... Slumber
5(class): Precise Shot
5(level):
6. Magus Arcana
... Accursed Strike
7. Knowledge Pool
7. Medium Armor
7(VMC): Hex
... Cauldron
7(VMC): Brew Potion
8. Improved SpellCombat
9. Magus Arcana
... Reach Spellstrike
9(level):
10. Fighter Training
11. Spell Recall
11(class): Focused Shot
11(VMC): Cantrip
... Touch of Fatigue
12. Magus Arcana
... Distant Spellstrike
13. Heavy Armor
13(level):
14. Greater SpellCombat
15. Magus Arcana
...
15(VMC): 2nd Hex
... Cackle
16. Focusing Spellstrike
17(class): Improved Precise Shot
17(level):
18. Magus Arcana
...
19. Greater Spell Access
19(VMC): Major Hex
... Restless Sumber
20. True Magus
Using a Hex means, at the very least, a Conductive bow can sling Slumber every round...
Accursed Strike does not gift access to use Hexes with Spellstrike, wierdly enough... so, sending Slumber through the bow is going to rely on the Conductive weapon enchantment, right?
This is still better than trying to make a 1/2 BAB Witch archer... I think...
I think the Magus has a better spell list, overall... so even being a 6th level caster, I think this build is comparable to a Witch... archery is strong... and we still have full level Slumber (with and without the bow)...
Conductive works with effects that are touch attacks before being used thru a weapon - slumber and IIRC every witch hex that matters don't use touch attacks.
If you do find an effect that is a touch attack that you want to use via conductive, you still want to hit with the weapon. Since you can choose to use conductive after you hit this works most reliably with at least a couple of attacks per round - add the conducted effect to the first one that hits. Or, you might use a conductive gun to keep the effect a touch attack.
Edit: what are you looking for in your magic archer? I might be able to offer a suggestion or three if I knew what you were looking for.
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A conductive weapon is able to channel the energy of a spell-like or supernatural ability that relies on a melee or ranged touch attack to hit its target (such as from a cleric’s domain granted power, sorcerer’s bloodline power, oracle’s mystery revelation, or wizard’s arcane school power). When the wielder makes a successful attack of the appropriate type, he may choose to expend two uses of his magical ability to channel it through the weapon to the struck opponent, which suffers the effects of both the weapon attack and the special ability. (If the wielder has unlimited uses of a special ability, she may channel through the weapon every round.) For example, a paladin who strikes an undead opponent with her conductive greatsword can expend two uses of her lay on hands ability (a supernatural melee touch attack) to deal both greatsword damage and damage from one use of lay on hands.
A given character can use this weapon special ability only once per round (even if she has several conductive weapons), and the power works only with magical abilities of the same type as the weapon (melee or ranged).
so melee attack for melee attacks, ranged attack for ranged attacks.
hexes are neither, so no luck there
Yeah, I was hoping for a Hex-Bow build, but it doesn't look like it's possible...
Arcane Archer is actually quite close to what I am looking for, I just don't like it as a prestige class. If I could get those abilities spread across 20 levels of a single class, I would be all over it. Enhancing every arrow... arrows that can turn corners... pretty much covers all the fun fantasy/magical archery crap I can think of... maybe add some of the Arrow Champion/Hooded Champion trick shot deeds... but the prestige class doesn't continue the previous class abilities, so the original class is kind of a waste other than just meeting prerequisites.
Looking for magic to be fired from the bow, like the bow starts to glow as it is drawn and fires like a spell... like someone using a wand, but it's a bow. I was hoping for mainly debuffs, and liked the thought of hexes because you could fire as many of them as you have arrows without touching your actual spell slots. Save the spells for especially scary stuffs and situational BS to cover a wide variety of possible target types... exactly like a Witch does anyways, but with a bow.
Funny thing is that a hex-bow is actually worse than just using a Hex... now you have to actually hit them, AND they still get a save. At least Hexes are pretty much guaranteed to land every time... not so much with a bow.
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So (fancy arrows or magic thru the bow) + trick shots. At least some magic without needing to worry about spell slots or consumables. Debuffs preferred.
If you're willing to use a gun then arcane strike, riving strike and spell cartridges gets you a fair part of the way there. Add to an urban bloodrager or an eldritch archer magus depending on taste, possibly with a level dip for basic gun use. A half-elf eldritch archer could use the paragon surge spell to pick up rarely-useful feats like ricochet shot deed or marksman's utility for trick shots, if you pick up a prereq or two as fixed feats.
If a bow is required then some of that doesn't work. Maybe a gnome eldritch archer for their favored class bonus for more magic options. You may wish to use spell blending to pick up some more spells from the wizard list for more tricks.
Alternately, the hunter spell list isn't at all bad for an archer. A fey trickster mesmerist's stares, implanted tricks and spells might give you what you're after, though they don't have anything at-will or with so much duration that they will necessarily always be able to do it.
Last thought - the occultist legacy weapon focus power can do some trick shots, or just boost your numbers if you prefer. Occultist VMC magus is the absolute master of enchanting your weapon.