Mystic Archer (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Some druids are hunters more than than animal friends, predators and guardians of their chosen lands. Mystic archers first appeared among elves, and remain popular with them and with druids who see themselves as hunters more than caretakers. This is a druid variant of the arcane archer.

Class Information

This is a prestige class archetype.

Prestige Class: Arcane archer.

Build Classes: Druid, ranger.

Mystic archers combine druid spells and supernatural archery.

Role: Mystic archers are superlative support characters, changing from archery to control or buffs and healing at a moment's notice.

Alignment: Any. Less passionate than most druids, mystic archers may well devote themselves to a cause, but rarely make much of a fuss about it.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Abilities

This archetype has all normal druid class features, except as noted.

Class Skills

The mystic archer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), 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 at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Weapon Proficiency

Mystic archers are proficient with the following weapons: club, dagger, longbow, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortbow, shortspear, and spear.

Archery Style Feats (Ex)

At 2nd level, a mystic archer gains expertise in archery. This manifests in the form of bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. She can choose feats from her selected combat style, even if she does not have the normal prerequisites.

The benefits of the mystic archer's chosen style feats apply only when she wears light or no armor. She loses all benefits of her combat style feats when wearing medium or heavy armor.

A mystic archer can choose from the following list whenever she gains a combat style feat:

• Far Shot, Focused Shot (Advanced Player's Guide), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (longbow or shortbow).

• At 6th level, she adds Improved Precise Shot, Mounted Archery, Parting Shot (Advanced Player's Guide), Point Blank Master (Advanced Player's Guide), Manyshot, and Weapon Specialization (longbow or shortbow) to the list.

• At 10th level, she adds Greater Weapon Focus (longbow or shortbow), Pinpoint Targeting, and Shot on the Run to the list.

This replaces the uses of wild shape gained at level 4, 6, 10, 14, and 18.

Mystic Spellstrike (Su)

At 5th level, whenever a mystic archer casts a spell casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the druid spell list, she can deliver the spell through any bow she is wielding as part of a ranged attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a mystic archer can make one free ranged attack with her weapon (at her highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, the mystic archer can choose to have the ranged attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell, or to use the ranged attack to deliver the spell without inflicting any damage.

This attack uses the weapon’s critical range, modified by the keen weapon property or similar effects, but the spell effect only deals ×2 damage on a successful critical hit, while the weapon damage uses its own critical modifier. Only damage is ever multiplied this way; other spell effects remain unchanged on a critical hit. If the mystic archer makes this attack in concert with mystic archery, this ranged attack takes all the penalties accrued by mystic archery. This otherwise functions as a magus' spellstrike ability, see FAQ/Errata for that ability for more information. This replaces the new wild shape abilities gained at level 6.

Mystic Archery

At 8th level, a mystic archer learns to cast spells and shoot her bow at the same time. This functions much like Rapid Shot, but the extra attack is a spell that is being cast. To use this ability, the mystic archer must be wielding a bow. As a full-round action, she can make all of her attacks with her bow at a –2 penalty and can also cast any spell from the mystic archer spell list with a casting time of 1 standard action (any attack roll made as part of this spell also takes this penalty). If she casts this spell defensively and fails, the spell is wasted, but the attacks still take the penalty.

A mystic archer can choose to cast the spell first or make the weapon attacks first, but if she has more than one attack, she cannot cast the spell between weapon attacks.

This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 8.

Seeker Arrow (Su)

At 11th level, a mystic archer can launch an arrow at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target, even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the limit of the arrow's range prevents the arrow's flight. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). A mystic archer can use this ability once per day at 11th level, and one additional time per day for every two levels beyond 11th, to a maximum of five times per day at 19th level.

This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 12.

Imbue Arrow (Su)

At 13th level, a mystic archer gains the ability to place an area spell upon an arrow. When the arrow is fired, the spell's area is centered where the arrow lands, even if the spell could normally be centered only on the caster. This ability allows the archer to use the bow's range rather than the spell's range. A spell cast in this way uses its standard casting time and the mystic archer can fire the arrow as part of the casting. The arrow must be fired during the round that the casting is completed or the spell is wasted. If the arrow misses, the spell is wasted. This replaces a thousand faces. This replaces the new wild shape abilities gained at level 12.

Phase Arrow (Su)

At 15th level, a mystic archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any barrier or wall in its way. This ability negates cover, concealment, armor, and shield modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. It does full damage to incorporeal or ethereal creatures. It is stopped normally by ghost touch armor, force armor, or barriers made of force effects, which makes it similar to an incorporeal touch attack.

Using this ability is a standard action (and shooting the arrow is part of the action). A mystic archer can use this ability once per day at 15th level, and one additional time per day for every two levels beyond 15th, to a maximum of three times per day at 19th level.

This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 16.

Hail of Arrows (Su)

Once per day as a full-round action, a mystic archer of 17th level or higher can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every mystic archer level she has earned. Each attack uses the mystic archer's primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single arrow. This replaces the new wild shape abilities gained at level 8.

Venom Immunity (Ex)

At 19th level, a mystic archer gains immunity to all poisons. This is the same as the ability druids gain at level 9.

Arrow of Death (Su)

At 20th level, a mystic archer can create a special type of slaying arrow that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow's attack, to make a Fortitude save or be slain immediately. The DC of this save is equal to 20 + the mystic archer's Wisdom modifier. It takes 1 day to make a slaying arrow, and the arrow only functions for the mystic archer who created it. The slaying arrow lasts no longer than 1 year, and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time. This replaces the use of wild shape gained at level 20.

Table: Mystic Archer

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per Day
						0	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Nature bond, nature sense, orisons, wild empathy	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Archery style feat, woodland stride	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
3rd	+2	+3	+1	+3	Trackless step	4	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
4th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Resist nature's lure	4	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5th	+3	+4	+1	+4	Mystic spellstrike	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
6th	+4	+5	+2	+5	Archery style feat	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
7th	+5	+5	+2	+5		4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
8th	+6/+1	+6	+2	+6	Mystic archery	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—	—
9th	+6/+1	+6	+3	+6	Venom immunity	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
10th	+7/+2	+7	+3	+7	Archery style feat	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—	—
11th	+8/+3	+7	+3	+7	Seeker arrow	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—	—
12th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8		4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—	—
13th	+9/+4	+8	+4	+8	Imbue arrow	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—	—
14th	+10/+5	+9	+4	+9	Archery style feat	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—	—
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+5	+9	Timeless body	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	—
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10		4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2	—
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+5	+10	Hail of arrows	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+6	+11	Archery style feat	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3	2
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+6	+11	Phase arrow	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	3
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+6	+12	Arrow of death	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

• Wild Shape
• A Thousand Faces