D&D 5E Eldritch Knight: Better Arcane Archer than the subclass?

[FormerlyHemlock]

That's not a very wise course, though. Magic weapon is neither Evocation nor Abjuration, meaning it would be a spell that's one of the three (20th level doesn't count... 14th barely does) valuable "any school" spells. Yes, you're almost certainly going to burn all three spells on the Transmutation school, just like the Arcane Trickster, but magic weapon strikes me as a very weak choice. Additionally, you're not getting 2nd level spells until level 7. Sure, sure, "Magic items aren't required," but I'd still argue that your campaign is a little abnormal if you're a level 7+ Fighter in an archery role and haven't got at least a shortbow +1.

Tastes vary, but I can't think of a single better choice than Magic Weapon for a level 8+ Eldritch Knight archer. It has a terrific action economy, ensures that your weapon attacks do full damage against almost anything at all, lasts for a relatively long time (important since you don't have many spell slots), and synergizes well with Sharpshooter. And it doesn't require you to pump INT.

I can't think of a single spell I'd be willing to give up Magic Weapon for, on an archer chassis. On a melee chassis I could maybe see giving up Magic Weapon in favor of Blur or Enlarge, if you were very confident you'd never face any weapon-resistant enemies.

Obviously the point if moot if you own a genuine magic weapon and are confident you will never lose it.

RE: the certainty of gaining a shortbow +1 by level 7, try rolling up a few DMG treasure hoards for CR 0-10. Magic bows aren't that common. In any case, I've run 5E campaigns in which level 8-14 characters did not have magic weapons. The PCs didn't do a lot of dungeon crawling.

 

[Staccat0]

Honestly, an EK should ideally be filling the role of an arcane archer or spellsword IMO. If they can't, I would rather see them add some spells or adjust the EK with an optional version just to keep this edition nice and clean.

 

[DEFCON 1]

EK's do get Cantrips.

Heh... memory fail for the win!

 

[Hitdice]

I find it interesting that Mearls tweeted about reducing the Mystic to d6 and recasting the Immortal Mystic/Psychic Warrior as a fighter subclass a week and a half after the new Arcane Archer was released.

...

That's my way of saying I think the UA Arcane Archer is a cool little martial archetype that could be even cooler with some tweaking, but that the name Arcane Archer has too much history to go in this direction. I'm also in total agreement that a Dex based EK fills the AA role perfectly except for the lack of Imbue Arrow.

 

[Willie the Duck]

After looking over the Eldritch Knight, it looks like that subclass can make a better Arcane Archer than the actual subclass. Now unfortunately, the Eldritch Knight doesn't have an "Imbue Arrow" ability, but neither does the Arcane Archer subclass. What the Eldritch Knight does allow is the mixing of archery and spells. I can use my bow and still be able to throw a Fireball when needed, or actually buff myself.

I just think Wizards dropped the ball with the Arcane Archer.

I'll agree that the class is not one of the better ones. I won't say that they dropped the ball on it because I'm not clear on what their goals are with this 3 months or so of scheduled weekly UAs. I'm not sure they are trying to make the next "everyone's favorite" subclasses, so much as feel out the way the winds are blowing with their audience. Even if none of us like the Arcane Archer, it might tell them lots of things about what we do want.

As and example, it has the name arcane in the title, but doesn't use spells. There's a vocal part of the fandom that has a problem with the lack of mundane class options. How we react to this class might tell them more about whether it is "magic" or spellcasting that people have a problem with (or whether people have a problem with either at all, or perhaps instead this is a really small but really vocal group).

Or of course they are just throwing stuff against the wall to see what sticks. Whichever.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I have not been impressed at all with these UA subclasses.

Unearthed Arcana is, after all, unpolished draft material.

If I have my history right, 3.5 Arcane Archer required a high BAB and a low level of spellcasting ability (just 1st level Arcane spells?). It was a prestige class for someone who is primary a warrior but has a bit of spellcaster ability. To me, that's what an Eldritch Knight is.

Having something that allows Elven spellcasters to make some use of their racial weapon proficiencies does seem useful and interesting. I wouldn't expect such an archer to be better than any sort of Fighter. Then again, I look at bladesigner .

 

[Zardnaar]

I have a d3cent arcane archer in the additional archetypes pdf.

 

[Xeviat]

I think the Arcane Archer competes well with the Eldritch Knight. Arcane Shots work like smite spells (except they're lost on a miss). IF the Eldritch Knight could pick up "divine smite", here's how they'd compare (assuming 6 encounters per day and 2 short rests per day):

Level: EK smite dice; AA shot dice
3: 4d8; 12d6
4-6: 6d8; 12d6
7-9: 14d8; 12d6
10-12: 17d8; 12d6
13-14: 25d8; 12d6
15: 25d8; 18d6
16-17: 29d8; 18d6
18: 29d8; 36d6
19-20: 34d8; 36d6

Now, EK spells aren't smite, but they should be as useful. AA shots are more than just single target damage as well, so they're better than Smite. The AA could use some smoother scaling, maybe getting regenerating shots earlier, but they should do okay.

A 20th level EK can drop 4 fireballs for 8d6x3 and 9d6x1 along with a single arrow; a 20th level AA can drop 9 4d6 mini fireballs along with 4 arrows.


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[Valetudo]

Unearthed Arcana is, after all, unpolished draft material.

If I have my history right, 3.5 Arcane Archer required a high BAB and a low level of spellcasting ability (just 1st level Arcane spells?). It was a prestige class for someone who is primary a warrior but has a bit of spellcaster ability. To me, that's what an Eldritch Knight is.

Having something that allows Elven spellcasters to make some use of their racial weapon proficiencies does seem useful and interesting. I wouldn't expect such an archer to be better than any sort of Fighter. Then again, I look at bladesigner .

If you quote me, you should use the whole qoute. Its not just the mechanics. They are missing some subclasses I was expecting (the ragemage barby and sacredfist monk), and the one I was expecting (kensei), they got so wrong flavor and mechanicwise that they are already changing what they tweeted about it. I completely understand what UA are for. Im just saying wizards has missed the point on almost all of them. Im kinda nutral on the bard, cleric, and druid ones. None of them really jumped out at me. You want to know what UA I want to see? It would be a warlord class.

 

[Tony Vargas]

You want to know what UA I want to see? It would be a warlord class.

Sure, it's long overdue to enter the playtest pipeline.

Might want to keep alert after the Warlock subclasses drop....


...99.9% it'll just be gratuitous Wizard Traditions, but they've surprised me before...