Arcane Archers

[J1M]

Which game did the best at representing the concept of an arcane archer? This is famously a D&D prestige class, but more broadly it is about a character that uses arrows to deliver precise strikes imbued with magic.

There are a lot of games with fire arrows and ice arrows. Often due to the nature of the genre, an archer plays more like a spellcaster or like someone with a machine gun. For example, Diablo 2.

I also think that when an archer starts dabbling too much in spells that don't augment arrows the flavor dilutes into something more akin to a wizard that's slumming it with a bow so it's a careful balance that's required to get it right.

Ironically, the best arcane archer might be Garrett in Thief? He has elemental arrows that offer powerful effects when used with precision and doesn't fall into the common design traps that make other characters feel like casters or gunners.

[rusty_shackleford]

I remember the Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance game having an arcane archer. pew pew pew.
(Don't remember much else from it!)

[Oyster Sauce]

Imagine if instead of shooting spells you could shoot spells

[Acrux]

There's a mod for the Infinity Engine games that adds AA as a playable kit (not prestige class). I really like the way it was implemented, and there's a fighter/mage version available as well. The Icewind Dale 2 EE mod just recently added AA as a feat-based kit (it's how they implemented PrCs), but other than testing it out I haven't really tried it.

[Boontaker]

Magic missile and fireball make every wizard an arcane archer. Bow nerds just wanted to cast spells and not be labeled a wizard.

Or savvy players from back in the day wanted a viable basic attack option after they ran out of spell slots.

**** power scaling makes sword/bow mages mechanically desirable, where the early benefit outweighs long term power.

From a narrative point you have to draw a line somewhere, how much dedication does it take to become a master archer? To learn basic magic? To combine them? Why doesn't the blacksmiths son just become a master duelistassassinclericmagearcherbard during his 3 year journey to manhood.

Warframe probably has the most satisfying version of arcane archer but it's just magic missile and fireball with full auto while doing flying backflips across the map

[Acrux]

Why doesn't the blacksmiths son just become a master duelistassassinclericmagearcherbard during his 3 year journey to manhood.

Well, why doesn't he? Is he stupid?

[Boontaker]

Why doesn't the blacksmiths son just become a master duelistassassinclericmagearcherbard during his 3 year journey to manhood.

Well, why doesn't he? Is he stupid?

He's only allowed to have so much brain power, so that he is an acceptable puppet for a self insert reader. Everything else is just the blessing of whatever higher power is sucking his nuts that arc.

[Brother Michael]

Imagine if instead of shooting spells you could shoot spells

Magick Archer is OP - [Dragon\u0027s Dogma 2]

The results are surprisingly devastating