Mystic Archer

Note The elven archer class can be adapted quickly to create many variants. The easiest way to do so involves simply altering or removing the racial requirement and re-flavoring the class accordingly. For example, swapping the “elf or half-elf ” racial requirement for “orc or half-orc” allows the class to function exactly as-is, but with an entirely different flavor—perhaps as the orcish skirmisher. Adding flavor text that describes orcish skirmishers as among the most disciplined of the orc race—and that emphasizes their love of discreetly picking off foes in forests—effectively creates a new class with the same abilities as an elven archer.

Natives of the deep jungle, mystic archers have strong connections with nature and spirits—and these connections that grant them strange powers. The spirits guide and aid mystic archers in their hunts; they grant these mysterious combatants protection and great prowess with bows.

Race: Any.

Alignment: Any, though a mystic archer’s alignment typically matches her home community’s predominant alignment.

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

The mystic archer’s class skills are: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: Mystic Archer
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells per Day
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st +1 +2 +2 +0 Track, wild empathy
2nd +2 +3 +3 +0 Bonus feat
3rd +3 +3 +3 +1 Preferred target
4th +4 +4 +4 +1 Precision +1d6 0
5th +5 +4 +4 +1 Mystic lore 0
6th +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 Camouflage 1
7th +7/+2 +5 +5 +2 Lightfoot 1 0
8th +8/+3 +6 +6 +2 Bonus feat, swift tracker 1 0
9th +9/+4 +6 +6 +3 Enchant arrow +1, precision +2d6 2 1
10th +10/+5 +7 +7 +3 Close combat shot 2 1 0
11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +7 +3 Mystic lore 2 1 0
12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +8 +4 Enchant arrow +2 2 1 1
13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +8 +4 Take aim 3 2 1 0
14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +9 +4 Bonus feat, precision +3d6 3 2 1 0
15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +9 +5 Enchant arrow +3 3 2 2 1
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +10 +5 Threatening shot 3 2 2 1
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Mystic lore 3 3 2 1
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 Enchant arrow +4 4 3 2 1
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 Precision +4d6 4 3 3 2
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 Bonus feat 4 3 3 2

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the mystic archer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A mystic archer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and bucklers.

Track (Ex)

A mystic archer regularly stalks her prey through the jungles. A mystic archer adds half her level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.

Wild Empathy (Ex)

A mystic archer can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. A mystic archer rolls 1d20 and adds her mystic archer level and her Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the mystic archer and the animal must be within 30 ft. of one another under normal visibility conditions. Influencing an animal in this way takes 1 min., but it might take more or less time under especially stressful or favorable conditions.

A mystic archer also can use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Bonus Feat

A mystic archer is a bow expert. At 2nd level, and every 6 levels thereafter, the mystic archer receives a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. The mystic archer must meet all the prerequisites of the feat prior to selecting it. A mystic archer may select these bonus feats from the below-listed combat feats with this class ability. For prerequisites, treat her mystic archer level as her fighter level –3. For example, a 7th-level mystic archer qualifies for Weapon Specialization because she treats her fighter level as 4th.

A mystic archer may select these bonus feats from the following list:

Deadly Aim, Far Shot, Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, Improved Critical, Improved Precise Shot, Manyshot, Pinpoint Targeting, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Weapon Focus, and Weapon Specialization.

A mystic archer must select a bow when selecting a feat that allows her to choose a weapon, such as Improved Critical or Weapon Focus.

Preferred Target (Ex)

Much like a ranger, a mystic archer becomes an expert at hunting a specific type of foe. At 3rd level, the mystic archer selects a creature type (and subtype where appropriate) from the ranger’s favored enemies table. Against those creatures, she gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks. Likewise, she gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them.

The mystic archer may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures. At 10th level, the bonus increases to +4, and at 17th level it increases to +6. (Unlike a ranger, a mystic archer does not select an additional favored creature type at these levels.)

Precision (Ex)

Beginning at 4th level, a mystic archer adds the indicated damage bonus to any shot she makes against a foe that is denied Dexterity to AC (whether the target already has a Dexterity bonus or not). This extra damage is 1d6 at 5th level. It only applies when the mystic archer uses a bow while within 30 feet of the target.

The extra damage increases by 1d6 every five mystic archer levels thereafter.

At 16th level, when the mystic archer gains the ability to flank with the bow, this damage also applies to shots against flanked targets.

The mystic archer must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot, and she must be able to reach such a spot. A mystic archer cannot use precision while striking a creature with concealment.

Spell Casting

Dwarven Crossbowyer Spell List

When using elven archer variant classes, a GM might allow spells which specify “arrow” to also apply to bolts, bullets, etc.

1st Level

2nd Level

3rd Level

4th Level

Beginning at 4th level, a mystic archer can call upon her ancestors and forebears, granting her the ability to cast a small number of divine spells.

To prepare or cast a spell, a mystic archer must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell’s level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a mystic archer’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the mystic archer’s Charisma modifier.

Like other spellcasters, a mystic archer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Mystic Archer. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score. When Table: Mystic Archer indicates that the mystic archer gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Charisma score for that spell level.

A mystic archer must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation with the spirits to regain her daily allotment of spells. A mystic archer may prepare and cast any spell on the mystic archer spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level. She must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation.

Through 3rd level, a mystic archer has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is equal to her mystic archer level –3.

Mystic Lore

At 5th level, and again at 11th and 17th, the mystic archer may select one of the following mystic lore abilities. Once she makes her choice, it cannot be changed.

Ally of the Jungle (Sp)

The mystic archer calls upon the jungle itself to aid her in her fight. The undergrowth and vines nearby grasp at her foe, with the same effect as an entangle spell. She can use this ability once per day for every four class levels she has.

Archer’s Luck (Ex)

The spirits grant the mystic archer good fortune. A number of times per day equal to her Charisma bonus (minimum 1), she may reroll any d20 roll made. She must choose to use this ability before learning the outcome of the die roll, and she must accept the results of the reroll, even if it’s worse than the original die roll.

Arrow Transport (Su)

The mystic archer must be at least 11th level to select this ability. As a standard action, she may fire an arrow at any object (including the ground) within 20 ft. per class level. As soon as the arrow strikes, her guiding spirits immediately whisk her through the ethereal plane, teleporting her to where the arrow lands. Some who have faced mystic archers and survived say she actually rides on her arrow as it travels through the air. The mystic archer may use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma bonus (minimum 1).

Not There (Su)

As an immediate action, the mystic archer can cause her form to blur and shift. An attacker who just successfully struck her in combat must roll as though the mystic archer had concealment (20% miss chance). She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum 1).

Splitting Arrow (Su)

As a standard action, the mystic archer fires a single arrow and calls upon the spirits, causing it to split and strike two foes. The two targets must be no more than 20 ft. apart. She makes a single attack roll, with a –2 penalty, and compares that against each target’s AC. If either shot is successful, that target takes half of the shot’s damage. This includes bonus damage from precision, as well as from weapon properties such as flaming.

Camouflage (Ex)

At 6th level, the mystic archer may use the Stealth skill to hide in any jungle environment, even if she does not have cover or concealment.

Lightfoot (Ex)

A mystic archer spends her life in the jungle. Starting at 7th level, a mystic archer may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed without taking damage or suffering any impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.

In addition, the mystic archer leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if she so desires.

Swift Tracker (Ex)

Beginning at 8th level, the mystic archer can move at her normal speed while using Survival to follow tracks without taking the normal –5 penalty. She takes only a –10 penalty (instead of the normal –20) when moving at up to twice her normal speed while tracking.

Enchant Arrow (Su)

Beginning at 9th level, the mystic archer gains the ability to imbue arrows (no other weapons) with ambient, divine energy once per day. She must spend 15 min. communing with her ancestors’ spirits to gain this ability; at the end of the ritual, she imbues up to 50 arrows with an enhancement of her choice.

At 9th level, she may imbue any ability up to a +1 enhancement. Every 3 levels thereafter, the bonus increases by +1.

The mystic archer may spend these bonuses as she sees fit. For example, a 12th level mystic archer could enhance her arrows with a +2 bonus, or she could enhance them with a +1 bonus and the flaming ability. Once the abilities are set, they cannot be changed until the next day’s ritual. Unlike when crafting magical weapons, the mystic archer need not invest an initial +1 enhancement bonus before imbuing the arrows with special properties. For example, a 12th-level mystic archer could imbue her arrows with bane and flaming.

These enchantments vanish at the end of each day.

Close Combat Shot (Ex)

Beginning at 10th level, the mystic archer no longer provokes attacks of opportunity when making a ranged attack with her bow. When making other ranged attacks, such as throwing a dagger, she provokes as normal.

Take Aim (Ex)

At 13th level, a mystic archer may spend a full round to aim at a target. If the target remains stationary (moves no more than 5 ft.), she may add half her class level to all ranged attacks she makes against that target within the next round.

Threatening Shot (Ex)

Beginning at 16th level, the mystic archer is so deadly with her bow that she may flank targets. She threatens an area at 10 ft. away, but not adjacent.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

New Paths Compendium. © 2013 Open Design LLC; Authors: Marc Radle, Crystal Frasier, John Ling, Jr., and Jerall Toi.

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