Gossamer Archer (Pixie, Ranger Archetype)

At 1st level, a gossamer archer becomes an expert with one type of bow. He must select the heavy crossbow, light crossbow, longbow, or shortbow. Whenever he uses his chosen bow, he gains a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls with the weapon. This bonus increases to +4 at 10th level, and +6 at 20th level. Likewise, when the bow is held in hand, he gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, and Sense Motive checks, and Survival checks made to track any creature the bow has damaged in the past day. This bonus increases by +2 at 5th level and every five levels thereafter. A gossamer archer may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures. This ability replaces favored enemy.

Combat Style Feat (Ex)

This is exactly like the ranger ability of the same name, except that the gossamer archer must select either the archer or crossbow combat style.

Archer’s Bond (Su)

At 4th level, a gossamer archer forms a bond with his bow or an animal. This bond can take one of two forms. Once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed. The first is a bond to his favored bow. He gains a reservoir of mystical arcane energy that he can draw upon to enhance this weapon. This arcane pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 his gossamer archer level (minimum 1) + his Intelligence modifier. The pool refreshes once per day when the gossamer archer prepares his spells.

At 4th level, a gossamer archer can expend 1 point from his arcane pool as a swift action to grant any ranged weapon (and its ammunition) he is holding a +1 enhancement bonus for 1 minute. At 7th level and every three levels thereafter, the weapon gains another +1 enhancement bonus, to a maximum of +6 at 19th level.

At 5th level, these bonuses can be added to the weapon, stacking with existing weapon enhancement to a maximum of +5, or these bonuses can be used to add any of the following weapon properties: bane, corrosive, corrosive burst, distance, endless ammunition, flaming, flaming burst, frost, huntsman, icy burst, keen, limning, nimble shot, seeking, shock, shocking burst, stalking, or speed.

Adding these properties consumes an amount of bonus equal to the property’s base price modifier. These properties are added to any the weapon already has, but duplicates do not stack. If the weapon is not magical, at least a +1 enhancement bonus must be added before any other properties can be added. These bonuses and properties are decided when the arcane pool point is spent and cannot be changed until the next time the gossamer archer uses this ability. These bonuses do not function if the weapon is wielded by anyone other than the gossamer archer. A gossamer archer can only enhance one weapon in this way at one time. If he uses this ability again, the first use immediately ends.

The second option is to form a close bond with an animal companion. A gossamer archer who selects an animal companion can choose from the following list: badger, bird, camel, cat (small), dire rat, dog, horse, pony, snake (viper or constrictor), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the gossamer archer may choose a shark instead. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the gossamer archer on his adventures as appropriate for its kind. A gossamer archer's animal companion shares his favored bow bonuses.

This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature), except that the gossamer archer's effective druid level is equal to his gossamer archer level –3. This ability replaces hunter’s bond.

Spellcasting

Beginning at 4th level, a gossamer archer gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, which are drawn from the magus and ranger spell list, and enchantment spells from the wizard spell list. Only magus and enchantment wizard spells of 4th level and lower and ranger spells are considered to be part of the gossamer archer spell list. If a spell appears on the magus, ranger, and wizard spell lists, the gossamer archer uses the lower of the three spell levels listed for the spell. A gossamer archer must choose and prepare his spells in advance.

To prepare or cast a spell, a gossamer archer must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a gossamer archer's spell is 10 + the spell level + the gossamer archer's Intelligence modifier.

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

A gossamer archer may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour studying his spellbook. While studying, the gossamer archers decides which spells to prepare.

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

Spellbooks: A gossamer archer must study his spellbook each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell not recorded in his spellbook except for read magic, which all magi can prepare from memory. A gossamer archer begins play with a spellbook containing three 1st-level gossamer archer spells of his choice. The gossamer archer also selects a number of additional 1st-level gossamer archer spells equal to his Intelligence modifier to add to his spellbook. At each new gossamer archer level beyond 4th, he gains two new gossamer archer spells of any spell level or levels that he can cast (based on his new gossamer archer level) for his spellbook. At any time, a gossamer archer can also add spells found in other spellbooks to his own.

A gossamer archer can learn spells from a wizard’s spellbook, just as a wizard can from a gossamer archer’s spellbook. The spells learned must be on the gossamer archer spell list, as normal. An alchemist can learn formulae from a gossamer archer’s spellbook, if the spells are also on the alchemist spell list. A gossamer archer cannot learn spells from an alchemist.

This ability replaces the ranger’s spellcasting ability.

Enchanted Arrow (Su)

At 3rd level, a gossamer archer can spend 1 point from his arcane pool to place charm person, daze monster, memory lapse, or sleep upon an arrow. He chooses the spell effect when the point is spent. 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 gossamer 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 ability replaces 1st favored terrain.

Far Spellstrike (Ex)

At 5th level, whenever a gossamer archer casts a spell with a range of “touch” from the gossamer archer spell list, he can deliver the spell through his favored bow he is wielding as part of a ranged attack. Instead of the free melee touch attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, a gossamer archer can make one free ranged attack with his weapon (at his highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. If successful, this melee attack deals its normal damage as well as the effects of the spell. This attack uses the weapon’s critical range (20, 19–20, or 18–20 and 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. This ability replaces endurance.

Improved Enchanted Arrow (Su)

At 8th level, a gossamer archer can spend 2 points from his arcane pool to place charm monster, confusion, deep slumber, or hold person to the list of spells he can place upon an arrow. This ability replaces 2nd favored terrain.

Imbue Arrow (Su)

At 11th level, a gossamer 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 gossamer 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 ability replaces quarry.

Greater Enchanted Arrow (Su)

At 13th level, a gossamer archer can spend 3 points from his arcane pool to place dominate person, hold monster, or modify memory upon an arrow. This ability replaces 3rd favored terrain.

True Enchanted Arrow (Su)

At 18th level, a gossamer archer can spend 4 points from his arcane pool to place euphoric tranquility, insanity, or irresistible dance upon an arrow. This ability replaces 4th favored terrain.

Hail of Arrows (Su)

At 19th level, in lieu of his regular attacks, a gossamer archer can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every gossamer archer level he has earned, once per day. Each attack uses the gossamer archer's primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single arrow. This ability replaces Improved quarry.

Master Archer (Su)

At 20th level, a gossamer archer can always move at full speed while using Survival to follow tracks without penalty. He can, as a standard action, make a single attack against a creature the weapon has damaged in the past day at his full attack bonus. If the attack hits, the target takes damage normally and must make a Fortitude save or die. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the gossamer archer’s level + the gossamer archer's Intelligence modifier. A gossamer archer can choose instead to have the target be subject to a dominate monster spell. A successful Will save negates this damage (same Dc as above). A gossamer archer can use this ability once per day against a creature that has been damaged by his favored weapon in the past day, but not against the same creature more than once in a 24-hour period. This ability replaces master hunter.

Table: Gossamer Archer