Arcane Marksman (Wizard)
An Arcane Marksman studies a unique magical method of marksmanship that weaves magic into ammunition to produce supernatural effects. Often associated with the elite Arcane Archers of the elves, these marksmen learn to infuse bows, crossbows, and other types of ranged weaponry with the powers of the arcane. Over the centuries, the methods of these elven marksmen have been learned by members of other races who can also balance arcane aptitude with marksmanship.
Arcane Marksmen stand watch over the fringes of elven domains, keep a keen eye out for trespassers of wizard academies, and use their magic-infused ammunition to defeat the monsters of the wilds.
Branch Features
Bonus Spells
You gain the following bonus spells once you can cast spells of that level. Once you gain a bonus spell, you always know it and it doesn’t count against the number of spells that you know.
If you have a bonus spell that doesn’t appear on the arcane spell list, that spell is nevertheless an arcane spell for you.
| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 1st | Hail of Thorns, Zephyr Strike |
| 2nd | Cordon of Arrows, Acid Arrow |
| 3rd | Conjure Barrage, Lightning Arrow |
| 4th | Elemental Bane, Freedom of Movement |
| 5th | Conjure Volley, Swift Quiver |
Talents
| Talent | CP | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Missiles | 5 | - |
| Magic Bolts | 10 | 3rd Level Spells and Arcane Missiles |
| Ever-Ready Shot | 25 | 5th Level Spells and Arcane Shot Expert |
| Arcane Sharpshooter | 50 | 7th Level Spells and Ever-Ready Shot |
Arcane Missiles
Cost: 5 Character Points
You learn to unleash special magical effects with some of your shots.
Ricochet Bolt
You learn how to direct errant ammunition toward a new target. When you make an attack roll with a magic shot and miss, you can use a bonus action to reroll the attack roll against a different target within 60 feet of the original target.
Arcane Shots
Additionally, you learn two Arcane Shots of your choice (see “Arcane Shot Options” below). Each time you learn new a Arcane Shot, you can also replace one Arcane Shot you know with a different one.
Once per turn, when you fire ammunition from a ranged weapon as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Arcane Shot options to that attack. You decide to use the option when the attack hits a creature, unless the option doesn’t involve an attack roll. You have two uses of this ability, and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a short or long rest.
Arcane Shot Options
The options are presented here in alphabetical order. They are all magical effects, and each one is associated with one of the schools of magic.
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Banishing Shot. You use abjuration magic to try to temporarily banish your target to a harmless location in the Feywild. When you use this shot, if your attack roll exceeds the target’s Charisma defence, it is banished. While banished in this way, the target’s speed is 0 and it is incapacitated. At the end of its next turn, the target reappears in the space it vacated or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied. If you have the Ever-Ready Shot, a target also takes 1d6 energy damage when the attack hits it.
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Beguiling Shot. Your enchantment magic causes this shot to temporarily beguile its target. When you use this shot, the creature hit by the attack takes an extra 2d6 psychic damage. Additionally, choose one of your allies within 30 feet of the target. If your attack roll exceeds the target’s Wisdom defence, the target can’t attack the chosen ally or include that ally in a harmful area of effect until the end of your next turn. The target ignores this effect if it is immune to the charmed condition. This effect also ends if the chosen ally deals any damage to the target.
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Bursting Shot. You imbue your weapon with magic drawn from the school of evocation. When you use this shot, the energy detonates immediately after the attack hits the creature. The target and all other creatures within 10 feet of it take 2d6 energy damage each.
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Defending Arrow. You use abjuration magic to weave a charm that disrupts your enemy’s magic. A creature hit by this shot suffers -1d on the next attack roll that it makes before the end of your next turn.
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Enfeebling Shot. You weave necromantic magic into your shot. When you use this shot, the creature hit by the attack takes an extra 2d6 profane damage and any bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage dealt by the creature’s attacks is halved until the end of your next turn.
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Grasping Shot. When this shot strikes its target, conjuration magic creates grasping, poisonous brambles that wrap around the target. When you use this shot, the creature hit by the attack takes an additional 2d6 poison damage, its speed is reduced by 10 feet and it takes 2d6 slashing damage if it moves 1 foot or more without teleporting. The target, or any creature that can touch it, can use its action to remove the brambles with a successful athletics check against your weapon skill. Otherwise, the brambles last for 1 minute, or until you end it as a free action. If you have the Ever-Ready Shot Talent, the poison damage and slashing damage both increase by 1d6.
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Piercing Shot. You use transmutation magic to give your shot an ethereal quality. When you attack using this option, the attack shoots forward in a line rather than hitting a single target, which is 1 foot wide and 30 feet long, before disappearing. The shot passes harmlessly through objects and ignores cover. Compare your attack roll to the Dexterity defence of each creature in that line. On a hit, a creature takes damage as if it were hit by the attack, plus an additional 1d6 piercing damage. On a miss, a target takes half as much damage.
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Seeker Shot. Using divination magic, you grant your shot the ability to seek out a target. When you attack using this option, choose one creature that you have seen in the past minute. The shot flies toward that creature, moving around corners if necessary and ignoring three-quarters cover and half cover. If the target is within the weapon’s range and there is a path large enough for the shot to travel to the target, it does so. Otherwise, the shot disappears after traveling as far as it can. On a hit, the target takes damage an additional 1d6 energy damage, and you learn the target’s current location. On a miss, the target takes half as much damage and you don’t learn its location.
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Shadow Shot. You weave illusion magic into your shot, causing it to occlude your target’s vision with shadows. A creature hit by the attack takes an additional 2d6 psychic damage. If your attack roll exceeds the target’s Wisdom defence, it is unable to see anything farther than 5 feet away until the start of your next turn.
Magic Bolts
Cost: 10 Character Points
Prerequisite: 3rd Level Spells and Arcane Missiles
As an action, you can conjure 20 nonmagical ammunition. The ammunition appears in your hand or in a container, such as a quiver, on your body. The arrows remain for 10 minutes or until you use this feature again. They then vanish.
You also gain the ability to infuse non-magical ammunition with magic. Whenever you fire a piece of ammunition from a ranged weapon, you can make it magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage. The magic fades from the ammunition immediately after it hits or misses its target.
Additionally you gain an additional Arcane Shot of your choice, for a total of 3.
Ever-Ready Shot
Cost: 25 Character Points
Prerequisite: 5th Level Spells and Arcane Shot Expert
You can conjure forth a magic-infused arrow more often than before. At the end of a breather, if you have no uses of Arcane Shot remaining, you regain one use of it.
Additionally you gain an additional Arcane Shot of your choice, for a total of 4 and the damage of your Arcane Shots increase by 1d6.
Arcane Sharpshooter
Cost: 50 Character Points
Prerequisite: 7th Level Spells and Ever-Ready Shot
You gain two additional Arcane Shots of your choice, for a total of 6.
Additionally the damage of your Arcane Shots increase by another 1d6, for a total of +2d6.