Arcane Archer
(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/692484837277433898/933576770098196480/arcanearcher.png)
The Arcane Archer is often cited as difficult to interpret because - as you can see below - there are only a few lines of flavour text written in official sources about the class. Is that really all there is to it? How can I demonstrate understanding of the class if there's isn't much to understand in the first place?
The secret is: if there truly isn't that much to go on, that gives you, the player more leeway to come to us with your own personal understanding and theory of the class. But one might be surprised by how much one can glean from reading between the lines of what is there, and decomposing its prerequisite abilities, into a picture of what the class represents in an archetypical and thematic sense.
So with that in mind, here's what the official sources have to say about arcane archers:
Master of the elven warbands, the arcane archer is a warrior skilled in using magic to supplement her combat prowess. Beyond the woods, arcane archers gain renown throughout entire kingdoms for their supernatural accuracy with a bow and their ability to imbue their arrows with magic. In a group, they can strike fear into an entire enemy army.
Fighters, rangers, paladins and barbarians become arcane archers to add a little magic to their combat abilities. Conversely, wizards and sorcerers may take this prestige class to add combat capabilities to their repertoire. Monks, clerics, druids, rogues and bards rarely become arcane archers.
NPC arcane archers often lead units of normal archers or form small elite units formed entirely of arcane archers. These units are one of the prime reasons that the elves are so feared in battle.
As creative individualists, elves see great value in finding a way uniquely suited to each person. Many elven martial traditions - arcane archery, bladesinging, spellsinging, and more - were born of talented individuals seeking the perfect and unique expression of their talents with spell, song, and sword.
Arcane Archer: Considered by some the pinnacle of elven archery, the arcane archer is a deadly ranged combatant.
Arcane archers are unsurprisingly and exceedingly rare in the human-dominated Land of Mists. Most arcane archers serve as respected guardians for the elven cities of Sithicus or northeastern Darkon.
What is an arcane archer?
Anyone who seeks any prestige class must first understand: an arcane archer is far, far more than an elf who uses magic for archery, just as an assassin is more than a bad person who kills people, a dwarven defender is more than a dwarf who guards things, a crypt raider is more than an adventurer who goes into crypts, and a shadowdancer is more than a stealthy performer. These prestige classes are more than the sum of their parts. To truly understand the arcane archer class, we must decompose it into its basic elements, and think about (i) how they work, and (ii) what they tell us about the class as a whole.
For starters, the arcane archer prestige class is exclusively restricted to elves and half-elves. Consider for a few moments why that might that be. If being an arcane archer were purely a matter of being a skilled archer or arcanist, or both, then how would we account for this racial restriction? What precludes an extremely dexterous, supremely intelligent human archmage archery champion from becoming an arcane archer? It tells us that the art of the arcane archer is a uniquely elven one.
From the source material, we know that arcane archers are very rare, that they are highly respected, and that they are capable of striking fear into entire kingdoms and armies, that they are much of the reason elven nations are feared in battle. Arcane archers are the pinnacle of elven military supremacy, and therefore embody a certain elven ideal: the theme of a closely-guarded ancient art form. Arcane archery is not just a technique, or a science. It is a traditional martial art, passed down reverently from one generation of respected elder guardians to the next. And with dangerous secrets, comes grave responsibility.
What can an arcane archer do?
The most basic class features of an arcane archer are Enchant Arrow and Imbue Arrow. Arcane archers can channel magic, and eventually arcane spells, through their archery. Eventually, an arcane archer can wield any bow like a +5 weapon, permanently. Alone, this would be an epic triumph of uniting the arts of the archer and the arcanist to create a gestalt greater than the sum of its parts (even enchanted weapons are not so strong), and a testament to elvenkind's mastery of both. But alone, this is not sufficient to become an arcane archer.
After having taken their fourth level of the prestige class, arcane archers can shoot an arrow that cannot miss. The arrow will even eerily bend around corners if the target flees. In the source material, arcane archers can phase an arrow through solid walls and even worn armour between them and their target, as if they could curve their shots through the ethereal plane. This is a level of truly preternatural oneness between archer and arrow that surpasses both mundane archery technique and conventional arcane magic. Though it should be noted that they cannot do this in PotM, and acting as if you can phase arrows through walls would run afoul of the rules. Instead, to make up for it, they get a second use of their Seeker Arrow ability. It's also noted in the Ravenloft source materials that one of the few things that can stop a seeker arrow short of an entirely enclosed room is a domain border.
Considerable proficiency in archery (+6 AB, the Point Blank Shot feat, and either Weapon Focus Longbow or Weapon Focus Shortbow) and the arcane arts are only the ground-floor entry requirements for these kinds of talents. On the server, the Phase Arrow ability is switched out for a second use of the Seeker Arrow ability but consider that in terms of comparable magic, the conjured Melf's Acid Arrow can miss its target, and that the unerringly accurate Magic Missile is a construct of magical force, rather than a physical object.
With eight levels in the class, an arcane archer can - in a moment of truly transcendent focus - shoot up to eight +4 arrows at eight different targets simultaneously, with the same pinpoint accuracy with which they would loose only one (using their primary attack bonus), rising to ten +5 arrows with their tenth level. This is a feat of such absurdly preternatural reflexes that there's an argument to be made that it's something only an elf could do. For a single moment, one single elf can become the equivalent of an entire group of supremely deadly archers. A Haste spell pales in comparison. And this is how a company of seasoned arcane archers can lay waste to entire armies. This is what strikes fear into the hearts of conquering kings. The esoteric elven art of the arcane archer is not one to be imparted lightly, and never to those who are not "of the people."
Having taken ten levels in the prestige class, there is one final eldritch secret at the heart of the tradition: the arrow of death. As per the tabletop rules, arrowsmithing, fletching and enchanting such an arrow consumes an entire day's worth of painstaking - perhaps even ceremonial - labour on the part of the arcane archer. Each archer may only possess one such arrow at any one time, and the enchantment lasts no longer than a day. Unless it can resist the enchantment, the creature this arrow strikes will die in the next heartbeat. Consider just how closely guarded such a secret must be, and what sacred trust is placed in the pupil to which this terrible art is revealed.
What are the themes of an arcane archer?
Elves as an element of D&D settings - as with Tolkien before them - often embody themes of superiority and grace. Elves are better. They are more patient, more skilled. Elves are more beautiful. They and their culture are ancient, almost primeval. The magnificence of their artistry brings mortals to their knees. The arcane archer class adds an addendum to that: and therefore elves are deadly. Like Shaolin Wushu, arcane archery is a traditional martial art, and those who wield it are but one link in a long lineage that spans countless generations of the elven people. To be an arcane archer is to bear the weight of that responsibility.
In the Land of Mists, this theme is seemingly cranked up to eleven. Arcane archers are even rarer. Many are the esteemed sentinels of the few bastions of the people in Darkon and Sithicus, where they stand in defense of whole cities. In Sithicus, as once under the Black Rose, elvenkind now toils under the grip of the Sorrow, who travels ceaselessly across the land in his chariot of bone putting down one uprising after the next; in Darkon, elves are reigned over by the Wizard King Azalin. So consider how being the bearer of such a potent secret of elven military supremacy might be a dangerous business in such an environment, where the people are denied stewardship of their own destiny.
A Darkonian arcane archer, on the other hand, might understand themes of secrets and their power better than most. For the concept is woven into both their creation myths and cultural attitudes to magic:
Darkonese words have very precise definitions, but the word arcana means both "supernatural" and "secret." This is, obviously, the origin of the "arcane" tradition of magic. Secrets and power are firmly united in the Darkonian mind.
What gave Death its power over the Gray Realms was the secret it held. Death alone possessed the knowledge of its antithesis, life. Eons passed unnoticed while Death gloated over its little secret. Eventually, and entirely by chance, a flittering spirit called Darkonos happened to steal a glimpse at Death's captive. A mere moment passed before Death hid its toy away, but that brief glimpse of the silvery light flowing on Death's ebony clutches tainted Darkonos with the alien sensations of curiosity, identity, and purpose. Darkonos was not alive, but he was no longer truly dead.
The enlightened Darkonos longed to claim the spark of life. With newly opened eyes, he learned the secrets of the Gray Realms. Through him, the world saw magic before it saw life.
Darkonians associate arcane power with secrecy; the more folk who know a secret, the less power each controls. Darkonian spellcasters thus jealously guard their secrets, revealing their prowess only with specific purpose - often to intimidate, control, or destroy the witness. Darkonians have a common saying: "The day you see magic is the day you die."
One might infer from all of this the above, therefore, the arcane archer class carries heavy themes of tradition, lineage, guardianship, trust, secrecy, and (with great skill, comes great) responsibility. The secret to a good application is to identify these themes within a prestige class, and then address them head-on in your application. Identify the patterns, and either provide evidence of how you're engaging with those patterns. Or, how and why you're consciously breaking with them. Consider the very uncommon case of a callous aspiring arcane archer who doesn't care about protecting elvenkind. Being at odds with the tutelary themes of the class could make it difficult to find mentors, but perhaps the story is a Promethean theft of coveted secrets by false pretense? One can departing from a norm in such a way as to reinforce that norm, if one does so reflectively. The options are truly endless, so be creative, and paint us a picture of what you're doing and what you're thinking. Most importantly though: provide thorough evidence for each step forward.
By the rules of the server, training for a Prestige Class must occur in play, and cannot have already occurred in one's backstory. So while native and outlander elves alike may hail from a society with arcane archery traditions, each and every PC Arcane Archer must learn this art in Ravenloft in-game. Consider the lineage of the art you're learning, and the social and cultural contexts it might be connected to. And as with any Prestige Class application: consider the gothic horror themes you're bringing to the table.
Spelljammer
Arcane archers are relatively rare in elven society.
Source: Dungeon master v.3.5 p. 176, Races of the Wild p. 107, Ravenloft Dungeon Master Guide p. 107