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The Demented One
2008-09-10, 08:07 PM
Twilight Archer

Not few are the battlemages who have turned to sword or staff in combat, raising both spell and steel against their foes to turn them aside. But only a few have turned to archery, casting their spells through swift arrows. The elves have their arcane archers, but even their power palls before that of an elite order of archers versed in secrets of archery. These battlemages have disciplined their minds and bodies to master the secret lore of archery, and combine that with arcane prowess to become devastating forces on the battlefield. Though these battlemages, called the Twilight Archers, were once a unified brotherhood, their ranks were broken after a conspiracy in their ranks left the order’s head imprisoned in the depths of the Nine Hells, driving the order apart. Now, Twilight Archers are lone warriors, honing their skill and spellcraft.

Hit Dice
d8

Requirements
To qualify to become a Twilight Archer, you must fulfill all the following criteria.
BAB: +7
Feats: Combat Casting, Point Blank Shot
Proficiency: Must be proficient with at least one martial or exotic ranged or thrown weapon.
Skills: Concentration 10 ranks, Spellcraft 10 ranks, Spot 5 ranks
Spells: Must be able to cast 2nd-level arcane spells.

Class Skills
The Twilight Archer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points per Level
2 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spellcasting

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Arcane Archery, Sublime Spellcraft|+1 level of spellcasting class

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+3|Mystic Aim|+1 level of spellcasting class

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+3|
–|+1 level of spellcasting class

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|Arrows of Essence|+1 level of spellcasting class

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+4|Unerring Aim|+1 level of spellcasting class

6th|
+6|
+2|
+5|
+5|
–|+1 level of spellcasting class

7th|
+7|
+2|
+5|
+5|Metamagic Arrow|+1 level of spellcasting class

8th|
+8|
+2|
+6|
+6|Greater Arcane Archery|+1 level of spellcasting class

9th|
+9|
+3|
+6|
+6|
–|+1 level of spellcasting class

10th|
+10|
+3|
+7|
+7|Phantom Strafe|+1 level of spellcasting class[/table]

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Twilight Archer prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
You gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spellcasting
Whenever you gain a new Twilight Archer level, you gain new spells per day and spells known as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class you belonged to before you added the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

Arcane Archery (Su)
At 1st level, you gain the ability to cast arcane spells through an arrow or crossbow bolt. As a standard action, you may cast an arcane spell with a range of touch and deliver the touch with a ranged attack, including an attack with a thrown weapon. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the attack is successful, it deals damage normally, and then the spell is resolved normally.

Sublime Spellcraft (Su)
At 1st level, you can cast spells with somatic components even if your hands are full, as long as you are holding a ranged weapon. Doing so does not remove the somatic components of the spells, but merely allows you to supply them while holding a ranged weapon.

Mystic Aim (Su)
At 2nd level, you can pierce your foes’ magical defenses by spotting weak points in them. Whenever you cast a spell with your arcane archery ability, you gain a +1 bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance for every 5 ranks you have in Spot.

Arrows of Essence (Su)
At 4th level, you can use your arcane archery ability to cast spells with an area of effect, as well as touch spells. When the arrow is fired, the spell’s area is centered on where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. This ability allows you to use the bow’s range rather than the spell’s range. Otherwise, using this ability is just like casting a touch spell with arcane archery.

Unerring Aim (Ex)
At 5th level, no one can hope to hide from you. When attacking with a ranged weapon, you ignore all cover and concealment, with the sole exception of total cover or concealment.

Greater Arcane Archery (Su)
At 8th level, you can use your arcane archery ability to cast a spell through a full attack. The spell affects each subject hit by the full attack. Doing so discharges the spell at the end of the round, if it is a touch spell with a duration greater than 1 round. You can only cast touch spells as part of a full attack, not spells with an area of effect.

Metamagic Arrow (Su)
At 10th level, you can imbue your arrows with metamagic, allowing you to cast spells through them with greater effect. As a full-round action, you may touch a single piece of ammunition or thrown weapon and expend a spell or spell slot to turn it into a metamagic projectile, choosing one of the metamagic feats below to apply to it, even if you do not have that feat. The level of spell you must expend depends on the feat, shown below. If you cast a spell with the arcane archery ability and attack with the metamagic projectile, the chosen feat is applied to that spell without increasing its spell level. Doing so discharges the metamagic projectile. You can only have one metamagic projectile charged at a time, and a metamagic projectile is discharged if it is not used within 3 rounds. A metamagic projectile cannot have multiple metamagics applied to it.

{table=head]Metamagic|Spell Level
Energy Substitution (http://www.realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Energy_Substitution,CAr)|1st
Silent Spell|2nd
Still Spell|2nd
Empower Spell|4th
Explosive Spell (http://www.realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Explosive_Spell,CAr)|4th
Maximize Spell|6th
Widen Spell|6th
Energy Admixture (http://www.realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Energy_Admixture,CAr)|8th
[/table]

Phantom Strafe (Su)
At 10th level, you can fire arrows through the Astral Plane, sending them through the void between planes to strike their target. Whenever you deliver a spell with a ranged attack, you may have that attack appear at the target’s location, unaffected by any barriers between the target and you that impede line of sight or line of effect. This ability can be negated by any effects teleportation. Armor and shields are not ignored by this ability.

AstralFire
2008-09-10, 08:15 PM
I would make Greater AA allow you to cast a spell with all ranged martial maneuvers, personally.

Gotta say, I generally like the class a lot. Your idea with the metamagic arrows is a nifty way to handle things, and encourages snipy behavior in a one-on-one situation, which I like and seems more fitting than the artillery cannon in an open field which seems to have become the archer in D&D.

However, wouldn't Ref/Will high be more appropriate for an archer?

I don't think this class would be hurt much by losing one or two levels of spellcasting, which helps offset the power creep of more and more full casting + class features.

The Demented One
2008-09-10, 08:22 PM
I would make Greater AA allow you to cast a spell with all ranged martial maneuvers, personally.
That's actually just a vestige from when this class was an initiator, I'm gonna snip it.


However, wouldn't Ref/Will high be more appropriate for an archer?
Hmm, I did it to line up with the Duskblade saves, but that makes sense.


I don't think this class would be hurt much by losing one or two levels of spellcasting, which helps offset the power creep of more and more full casting + class features.
Okay, I'll do one at 1st.

Zeta Kai
2008-09-10, 08:23 PM
OMG, I'm scared. The Demented One just made a class that wasn't based on Tome of Battle. I know it's just a prestige class, but still...

Wait, they didn't start up that Large Hadron Collider, did they? 'Cause this could be a sign of the End.

The Demented One
2008-09-10, 08:25 PM
OMG, I'm scared. The Demented One just made a class that wasn't based on Tome of Battle. I know it's just a prestige class, but still...
It actually started off as a martial arcane archer redo, but I decided to scrap the maneuvers and make it more of a pure ranged route for the duskblade.

AstralFire
2008-09-10, 08:26 PM
Actually, I take that back. Thinking about it more (read: actually looking at the prereqs) you need a decent amount of levels in Bard/Duskblade or splitting levels between Sorc/Wiz and Fighter/Ranger given the moderate BAB requirement. Full casting should be fine, sorry about that. :D

Stycotl
2008-09-11, 07:39 PM
if you want this to be purely doable by a duskblade, it looks perfect. but if you want it usable by multiclass characters, which i would suggest, i'd drop the bab prereq to +5, or if you have to, +6. +5 is still respectable, but allows someone that wants a similar concept to do it through battle sorcerer and ranger (ranger could do it with a +6 prereq, but other classes would have a hard time) levels or something similar.

it is very cool. if you want a character that has the channeling ability through both melee and ranged weapons, duskblade is the way to go. but some of us want a character that focuses on ranged and doesn't really mess with melee channeling. for those guys, wiz, sorc, battle sorc, etc, are the better ways to go, and they wouldn't get it as is until later.

AstralFire
2008-09-11, 07:47 PM
if you want this to be purely doable by a duskblade, it looks perfect. but if you want it usable by multiclass characters, which i would suggest, i'd drop the bab prereq to +5, or if you have to, +6. +5 is still respectable, but allows someone that wants a similar concept to do it through battle sorcerer and ranger (ranger could do it with a +6 prereq, but other classes would have a hard time) levels or something similar.

it is very cool. if you want a character that has the channeling ability through both melee and ranged weapons, duskblade is the way to go. but some of us want a character that focuses on ranged and doesn't really mess with melee channeling. for those guys, wiz, sorc, battle sorc, etc, are the better ways to go, and they wouldn't get it as is until later.

+5 is probably enough.

Sorc/Ranger or Fighter gets in at 7.
Duskblade gets in at what, 5 or 6?
Bard gets in at 6.