Bow of the Arcane Archer PEACH

[Levism84]

Does this seem balanced for 5e?

Bow of the Arcane Archer
Weapon (longbow or shortbow), uncommon (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
While holding this stringless bow, you can pantomime notching an arrow and pulling back a bowstring as a part of casting a spell that requires a ranged spell attack. That spell attack counts as a ranged weapon attack as well as a ranged spell attack. The spell otherwise functions normally.

The most rampant abuse, I suspect, would be someone dipping Warlock with Champion fighter to weaponize eldritch blast. I was thinking more for Eldritch Knight to add Archery or Close Combat Shooter benefits to evocation spells that use ranged spell attacks.

[cooldes]

i like the idea of a spell-bow, but i have to say that the desired effect is very low-power. on it's own, the bow would most likely get no uses in most campaigns if all it does it make a ranged spell attack also count as a ranged weapon attack.

Also, though the desired effect is very low power, the bow is also very open to abuse. if someone thinks of a crazy combo(like maybe sharpshooter feat to add damage and range to spells, plus archery fighting style to add to attack rolls or using maneuver to add effects to the spell[like knocking creatures prone, adding to attack rolls futher{which just further makes the sharpshooter option more broken coupled with the archery fighting style}, hitting multiple creatures with the spell etc] or something along these lines).

again i like the idea, but i see the bow being useless in most situations, and if the player does use it, it's most likely going to be abused or combo'd.

also, bow's are 2 handed.... how are players completing somatic components?

[Levism84]

also, bow's are 2 handed.... how are players completing somatic components?

They are two-handed weapons, true. However, one of those hands is typically used to notch an arrow and pull back the bow string. In the description above, since the bow has no string and requires no arrows to use, the free hand is used to complete the somatic components of the spell (which now includes as part of it, the "notching of an arrow" and the "drawing of the bow"). This somatic component would replace the normal somatic component of the spell.

I can see where you are coming from, that most individuals wouldn't use the item, and those that would use the item would probably do so to abuse it. I do understand there are certain instances where the bow could be really broken. I wouldn't focus much on 1st-9th level spells, since those are limited per day and already have scaled effects that could be enhanced with higher spell slots. If someone is using things like Combat Superiority or Fighting Style, they have already given up access to higher level spell slots in most cases. Paladin and Ranger have both spells and Fighting Style, but they don't get access to spell levels above 5th. Variant ranger gets access to Combat Superiority, but does so by losing access to spells completely. I think cantrips are the primary target for abuse, since they can be used at will and scale with character level. Of the cantrips available, I think eldritch blast is the primary candidate for abuse, mechanically.

So, if a character took 5 levels of warlock to pick up the three eldritch blast modifying invocations (agonizing blast, eldritch reach, and repelling blast), at 20th level, they could use the attack action to make 4 attacks at +11 (+6 proficiency, +5 ability) and deal 1d10+5 per hit with a "push 10 feet away" rider. All of this at 300 feet. If the character's multiclass levels were 15 levels of Fighter with the Champion archetype, they could take both Archery and Close Combat Shooter (UA: Light, Dark, Underdark!), giving them a +3 to hit, an 18-20 critical hit range, the ability to not have disadvantage when using a ranged attack within 5 feet of an enemy, and the ability to ignore half cover and three-forth cover when within 30 feet. Alternatively, the character could take the Battle Master archetype and take Archery, giving them a +2 to hit and the ability to throw down 1d12 to attack or damage at least once a combat with a rather robust list of riders; however, this lacks the more reliable damage boost one would see from the Champion archetype.

So, after all of that, they would have to pick up some feats to further abuse the Bow of the Arcane Archer. Obviously, Sharpshooter and Spell Sniper would be good picks but together they are a bit redundant. Taking Spell Sniper grants you a doubled range for your attack spells, you ignore half cover and three-forth cover, and you get a bonus spell attack cantrip. This means your eldritch blast now has the same range as a longbow (600 feet; most combat won't be fought at this range, but nice to have just in case), you ignore some cover beyond the 30 feet you already had from Close Combat Shooter, and you get another spell attack cantrip that isn't eldritch blast, your best spell to use for this. Taking Sharpshooter grants you no disadvantage at long range, you ignore half cover and three-forth cover, and you can take a -5 to hit in order to get +10 to damage. This means your eldritch blast now ignores disadvantage for long distance (which has no effect on it whatsoever), ignores some cover which you already had from Close Combat Shooter and Spell Sniper, and you can take a penalty to attack to gain a bonus to damage (which is really all you get for taking this feat). For giggles and because 15 levels of Fighter can net us some more feats, lets also take War Caster. This feat grants advantage on Concentration checks when taking damage (which the character probably won't be using with spell attack cantrips), the ability to perform the somatic components of the spell while holding a weapon or shield in each hand (which the Bow of the Arcane Archer already does for us), and the ability to make an opportunity attack with a cantrip that targets one person (which is the only reason, really, to take this feat). You could also pick up Martial Adept to grab a couple combat maneuvers and a couple d6 superiority dice, but these riders will be situationally useful at best.

Finally, lets go ahead and modify the Bow of the Arcane Archer to make is a very rare magic item by also granting it a +2 to attack and damage rolls (as if combined with a +2 weapon). This isn't beyond reason, being as the DMG states you could combine the function of magic items by increasing the rarity and associated cost.

In the end, if we take advantage of all our new feats and abilities and magic item:

Eldritch Blast. Ranged Attack: +11 (+6 proficiency, +5 ability, +3 fighting styles, -5 feat, +2 weapon), 600 feet, 4 beams. Hit: 22 (1d10+17) force damage. This attack has a critical range of 18-20. A target hit by a beam is pushed back 10 feet. You ignore half cover and three-forth cover when making attacks with this feature. As a reaction, you may use this attack in place of an attack of opportunity, but all beams must target the same creature.

Alternatively, a 20th level Fighter with the Champion archetype focusing in Archery, given a +3 longbow and taking Archery, Close Combat Shooter, and Sharpshooter would be doing:

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 (+6 proficiency, +5 ability, +3 fighting styles, -5 feat, +3 weapon), 600 feet, 4 arrows. Hit: 22 (1d8+18) piercing damage. This attack has a critical range of 18-20. You ignore half cover and three-forth cover when making attacks with this weapon. You do not have disadvantage when attacking at long range or when an enemy is within 5 feet of you.

Ultimately, both builds require a very rare magical item and 20 levels to see maximum results. The advantages of an eldritch archer over a champion archer are: not having to use ammunition, dealing force damage instead of piercing damage, getting to push a hit target 10 feet away from you, and getting to make a "full attack" with an opportunity attack. The disadvantages of an eldritch archer over a champion archer are: taking a -1 to attack and expending two additional feats. There is give and take on both sides in regard to other abilities that don't directly effect ranged attacks, but I think the difference in mechanical power between someone trying to completely break the BoAA and someone trying to optimize an archer build isn't as great as one might think.