As a long time Arcane Archer I'll pipe in on this thread.
There is a big difference between NWN and Pen&Paper D&D. P&P rules break in an MMO enviroment. Sometimes to the benefit of certain classes, sometimes detrimental.
In P&P as anyone who has played will be well aware. Adventures are dynamic, fluid, there is no grinding, there is a DM always present, once you clear a dungeon (crypt, caves, castle, etc) it stays cleared and item rewards and xp are predetermined and balance by the DM. Buffing is done on the fly as the players don't always know whats ahead of them and when they'll need or won't need certain things. Time doesn't flow at a static pace, sometimes days will fly in a matter of minutes or a battle that takes minutes will take over an hour.
In an MMO enviroment. There's grinding, more minmaxing to get the best build, players know where to grind for good xp or items, there is very little DM presence. The world is pretty much static and barely changes and people use that preknowledge to their advantage.
The classes were built with the P&P enviroment in mind and when NWN was created they tried to get the P&P aspect right as best they could. But some classes had their abilities condensed and altered to make things simpler and easier to play. They didn't figure on the players going crazy over the game. When first released Permanent servers were not really a thing that was thought of. The game has been going for 18 years and a lot of it has evolved and changed over those 18 years.. Most of it for the better.
However sadly I don't think the Prestige classes have really done much evolving since they were added to the game in 2003 in the Shadows of Undrentide expansion.
I know Arcane Archer hasn't changed much since it's original creation and is still basically the same simplified version that was originally created.
Here's the original version from the Shadows on Undrentide- (And yes I am aware that someone already quoted a good part of this)
Arcane Archer
Master of the Elven war bands, the arcane archer is a warrior skilled in using magic to supplement his combat prowess. Fighters, rangers, paladins and barbarians become Arcane archers to add a little magic to their combat abilities. Conversely, wizards and sorcerers may adopt this prestige class to add combat capabilities to their repertoires.
Hit Dice: d8
Proficiencies: All simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier
Requirements
To qualify as an arcane archer, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Race: Elf or Half-elf
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Feats: Weapon Focus Longbow or Weapon Focus Shortbow, Point blank shot
Spellcasting: Ability to cast arcane spells.
Abilities
- Enchant Arrow: The arcane archer is able to shoot arrows with increased precision and damage. This ability is automatically applied to all arrows fired and increases with experience. +1 at 1st level;+2 at 3rd level;+3 at 5th level;+4 at 7th level;+5 at 9th level.
- Imbue Arrow: Beginning at 2nd level, the arcane archer is able to shoot a fireball arrow three times a day.
- Seeker Arrow: At 4th level the arcane archer can fire one arrow per day that cannot miss. At 6th level he can fire two seeker arrows per day.
- Hail of Arrows: - At 8th level and beyond the arcane archer is able to fire an arrow at each and every target within range.
- Arrow of death: This ability, gained at 10th level, allows the arcane archer to, once per day, fire an arrow that can instantly kill an opponent.
This has pretty much remained the same for 17 years, the only change I can think of is that it used to require 1st level spellcasting ability, now it only needs arcane cantrips.
Now here is the P&P version
Arcane Archer
Master of the elven war bands, 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 army.
Fighters, rangers and paladins, and barbarians become arcane archers to add a little magic to their combat abilities. Conversely wizards and sorcerors may take this prestige class to add combat capabilities to their repertoire. Monks, clerics, druids, rogues and bards rarely become arcane 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.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
To qualify to become an arcane archer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria
Race: Elf or Half-elf
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Feats: Point Blank shot, Precise shot, Weapon focus (longbow or shortbow)
Spells: Ability to cast 1st level arcane spells
Class Skills
The arcane archer's class skills are Craft, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Survival, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Abilities
- Enchant Arrow: At 1st level, every nonmagical arrow an arcane archer nocks and lets fly becomes enchanted, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus. Unlike magic weapons enchanted by normal means, the archer need not spend experience points or money to accomplish this task. However, an archer's magic arrows only function for her. For every two levels of arcane archer the character advances past 1st level in the prestige class, the magic arrows she creates gain +1 greater potency (+1 at 1st level, +2 at 3rd level, +3 at 5th level, +4 at 7th level, and +5 at 9th level).
- Imbue Arrow: At 2nd level, an arcane archer gains this spell-like ability, allowing her to place an area spell upon an arrow. When the arrow is fired, the spell's area is centered upon 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. It takes a standard action to cast the spell and fire the arrow. The arrow must be fired in the round the spell is cast of the spell is wasted.
- Seeker Arrow: At 4th level, the arcane archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target even around corners. Only an unavoidable obstacle or the end of the arrow's range prevents the arrow's flight. For example, if the target is within a windowless chamber with the door closed, the arrow cannot enter. This ability negates cover and concealment modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally. This is a spell-like ability. (Shooting the arrow is part of the action.)
- Phase Arrow: At 6th level, the arcane archer can launch an arrow once per day at a target known to her within range, and the arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any nonmagical barrier or wall in its way. (A wall of force, a wall of fire, or the like stops the arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment, and even armor modifiers, but otherwise the attack is tolled normally. This is a spell-like ability. (Shooting the arrow is part of the action.)
- Hail of Arrows: In lieu of her regular attacks, once per day the 8th-level arcane archer can fire an arrow at each and every target within range, to a maximum of one target for every arcane archer level she has earned. Each attack uses the archer's primary attack bonus, and each enemy may only be targeted by a single arrow. This is a spell-like ability.
- Arrow of Death: At 10th level, the arcane archer can enchant an arrow of death that forces the target, if damaged by the arrow's attack, to make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or be slain immediately. It takes one day to create an arrow of death, and the arrow only functions for the arcane archer who created it. The enchantment lasts no longer than one year, and the archer can only have one such arrow in existence at a time.
I've highlighted the main obvious differences in the P&P version of the class compared to the NWN version. The differences that aren't shown are that for seeker and hail of arrows the archer uses whatever arrow that is equipped.
The whole writeup in regards to examples for why different classes might take the class is a little lazy IMHO. Warriors and barbarians who want to add magic to their class don't need to take Arcane archer, they have to take levels in some sort of arcane class first anyways. Paladins and Rangers already have magical abilities. Conversely, by the time a sorceror or wizard gets the +6 AB requirement (12th level) they're already well on their way to becoming powerhouses. That whole addition to the class description sounds like the prestige class is a hobby. Like saying warriors might multi-class to bard so they can sing better around the campfire.
Now playing this class for the how ever many years I've been playing it I can honestly say that seeker arrow and arrow of death are laughable at best in their utility, followed by hail of arrows and then imbue arrow in order of worst to best. And I agree with AgentGibbs wish to see these changed. I personally would like to see the class become better inline with the P&P version. It wouldn't overbalance the class into being overpowered.
- Enabling Seeker arrow and hail of arrows to make use of the currently equipped arrows wouldn't increase them that much but would make them something that would be more useable.
- Imbue arrow is a little more difficult I think to script into the game as the P&P version makes use of any area of effect spell that the character knows.
- Arrow of Death is one of those instances where the P&P version of the ability breaks in an MMO, it wasn't made with the idea that opponents would be stacked with buffs or have their difficulty rating pumped to compensate for the overpowered MMO Character build. A little boost in the DC wouldn't make it that much better but a little more effective.
Now Arcane archer isn't the only Prestige class that could use some love, and it's a free world so anyone can post their own thread on the Prestige class they love.
Anyways, love it or hate it thats my take on this debate.
