I'm going to be playing in Rime of the Frostmaiden soon, and I'm trying to build a character somewhat like Serafina Pekkala. Basically, I'm looking to build a bow-gish/spellbow.
Serafina is the most prominent of the witches in His Dark Materials. Witches in these books fly (with cloud pine), use bows, have familiars or companions (all people from the main character's world do), and apparently are witches, which I assume means using magic. Serafina seems to use at least some divination magic (she seems to be somewhat prescient, or at least knows of some prophecies).
I will probably take sharpshooter and will look for extra attack and archery fighting style (can be a feat, from the class, or even a 1 lvl fighter dip). I think I'm going to stick mainly to archery for most of combat. 2 attack extra attack is probably reasonable, as the front matter (I haven't spoiled it) seems to indicate the campaign ends around 12.
I have considered ritual caster at an early level (1 maybe, using custom lineage) to gain the familiar, depending on the build.
As I see it, there are a few options:
Hexblade/pact of the blade with a bow. No familiar, very limited casting. Good at bows with bowsmites and can generates its own advantage easily. The spell list seems to be heavily combat-centric - not really the style I was looking for as this kind of "witch" type character. Basically all the magic goes into bowsmites, which is fine since none of the spells really fit control/out of combat/support magic that I imagine this kind of witch having.
Eldritch knight. Good at bows, but very limited magic.
Some Bard build? Has to spend a feat on archery fighting style, but has the more magical feel I'm looking for. The options that give extra attack don't have the strongest inspiration uses. Swords' fighting styles are unhelpful making them redundant.
Ranger? Maybe with a companion? Maybe multiclassed? Good at bows, slightly stronger casting than the EK, but still not spectacular. Could go to 5 then MC with druid or cleric for more support/out of combat/control magic.
Some elf-wizard build relying on racial weapon proficiency. Only one attack unless you go bladesinger. It seems like you can still use the extra attack, but bladesinging is a complete no-bow. Could completely ignore bladesinging until I want to focus on spells and use it as a buff to casting-only combat encounters.
Skip the bow entirely and just flavor some cantrip as bow use from a full caster.
Some completely different muilticlass I haven't considered here.
I think that "flying archer" is the core conceit to hang this concept on, and I'd suggest:
A Genie Warlock (Djinni or Marid) will get flight at level 6, which should come soon enough in the campaign. Cold resistance, from the Marid, will be pretty useful in your campaign and thematic as an arctic witch, while djinni will probably deal more useful bonus damage. The bonus spells from both feel flight-y and witch-y though, so that's good. Pact of the Blade absolutely not necessary if you aren't a Hexblade (and why would you be, instead of being Dex-based, if you'd like to focus on archery in combat and utility spells out of combat?), and Tome would probably be very thematic for you with some nice features (familiar and rituals and cool witchy abilities see below) . About all that Blade gets you is access to a pseudo-Extra Attack invocation... which maybe isn't necessary. If DPR optimization from Sharpshooter was your main focus, you'd probably want to be a fighter or a bloodhunter (see below)... but the truth is, Sharpshooter is a trap until level 11, so lets ignore it for now so that you enjoy the other 99% of your campaign? Without even bothering to multiclass at all, I could see this being a fun build to pick up Beast Speech, Book of Ancient Secrets, Far Scribe, and Ascendant Step with. The Warlock spell list has a surprising number of utility spells that don't require amazing Charisma, if you can swallow un-optimally avoiding maxing charisma for Eldritch Blast and Agonizing Blast, though a lot of scrying type divination spells are higher spell levels that you won't get access to until Warlock 9 or so. So, starting with +3's in Dex and Charisma but focusing on an ASI and a +1 dex feat for 20 Dexterity by 8 is totally okay. Call this a Top 3.5 option?
Or, the same Genie Warlock, but your "bow" is actually the typical Eldritch Blast + Agonizing Blast cheese that everyone expects being cast in a "thematic" way described as magical bow shots. Objectively better combat performance than above, I suppose, while retaining Genie's cool flight mechanic. Still better than a Hexblade/POB Smiter. This is a Top 3 option.
If your concept is more "magical archer" than "witch with bow", then we're going to want to shift gears over to a Fighter, Ranger, or Bloodhunter unfortunately. Any one of those could be at level 5 with the other 6 being in Warlock for the flight... but in reality, that's looking at the finish line instead of the race and won't come together as quickly during the campaign unless you start those martial classes after Warlock 6 is complete (not a bad idea).
Fighter (Psi Warrior) is another way to get flight at level 7, though since you have to land it doesn't really feel like flight. It also wants to be within 30 a little too much to recommend for an archer.
Fighter (Arcane Archer) is not awful, its just worse than other Fighter subclasses by comparison. Special shots twice/short rest is comparable to Warlock pact slots, but objectively worse than Battlemaster. But having all your shots be magical attacks and being able to reroll a miss against a new target once/turn as a Bonus action.... that's not bad, when you remember that you're also picking up normal Fighter staples like Action Surge and extra feats? Don't get me wrong... Arcane Archer and Eldritch Knight are hands down the worst fighter subclasses, but if you want to play one for thematic reasons, they're fine in their own right!
Fighter (Battlemaster) is actually the best archer though, since you can perform batman trick shots so plentifully (even more plentifully with Superior Technique fighting style and Martial Adept feat, too!). And if you really must have Sharpshooter, it's hard to deny that Battlemasters use it more effectively than any other class, by having more attacks, and Precision Attack. This is a Top 3 option.
Bloodhunter (Mutant) at 11 can kind of match the attacks per round of a Fighter, though its third attack will be a Bonus Action. But in the meantime... you've also had +3 Dexterity the whole time (meaning your Dex has been 22 since level 4), so even putting aside the rest of the subclass, they make very effective archers. Crimson Rite can apply to your bow, not individual arrows, so its very easy to be shooting around flaming, frosty, or electric arrows for magical witchy feelings, and that combined with its occasional blood maledict curses will leave you feeling very "magical" even without spells per se. This is a Top 3 option.
Of course the real answer is... why pick one Top 3 Option when you could have them all? two of them, probably. BH and Warlock, and building for flight but not Sharpshooter,...or BH and Battlemaster, and building for Sharpshooter but not flight.
Start as a Bloodhunter, it's the more interesting option. Starting stats will be 8/17/12/14/8/16, so you're lithe and smart and pretty but only moderately tough.
Rushing that Dex mutagen is key, but you've got time to pause to assert your witchyness. Character level 2 is Warlock (Genie) 1, probably taking Marid if you want to be a winter witch. Your bonus cold damage will suck, but at level 6 you'll be cozy in the snow!
Back to BH for three more levels, until character level 5. At BH 4, you're taking ASI +2 Dex, so that with your Dex mutagen, you're now at Dex 22 at character level 5.
Hard to argue with one more level of BH for Extra Attack at character level 6!
Okay, you're done with BH now, the remaining levels of the campaign should all be warlock. Future feats can be spent on ASI to improve Con or Charisma, +1 Charisma feats like Skill Expert or Fey Touched or Elven Accuracy, etc etc. Tomelock will get you a familiar, as well as witchy rituals, so that's a strong frontrunner... there's nothing in Blade that you need, and Chain isn't good enough at what it tries to do (combat familiar???) to actually justify its existence unless you really want to roleplay with an intelligent speaking familiar.
At any point you could take 1 more level of BH if you want the brand and a second blood maledict per short rest... but by doing so you'll be sacrificing one invocation and 4th level spells at character level 12, unless the campaign goes long.
I don’t think sharpshooter when you can reliably generate your own advantage and have the archery fighting style is a trap below 11. Why do you say that?
Rather than worry about flying as a spell, I’d build around using a broom of flying. I understand you want an archer who can sling some spells around, but I don’t know if I can add much to what’s already been said there.
How would you reliably generate advantage... darkness cheese?
Well if you want Sharpshooter, the build above would provide it as early as character level 8, with a Dex of 22. A pure fighter could take it at character level 8, with a Dex of 20, so this build is "better" until level 11, when the pure Fighter has three shots per round and this only has the standard 2.
But this is much, much witchier than a pure fighter, even if that fighter were an Arcane Archer or Eldrtich Knight.
Darkness cheese or shadow of moil. As an archer, darkness cheese is even more effective because I can stand away from the party and darkness myself without messing up any of the rest of the party -- they and the enemy can both remain completely out of darkness.
But even so, if you have archery then sharpshooter's +10 dmg well offsets the (effective) -3 to attacks, even without advantage, until you are fighting monsters with very high ACs, I think -- even with low starting to hit bonuses.
You can go well down the optimization route with the hexblade by doing things like being half-drow and taking elven accuracy. My biggest problem with that whole route is flavor. It seems you have to pour all of your invocations, spell slots, and ASIs into being martial; and the character isn't left feeling very magical in the end. And the magic you do have is all very niche -- not much to do out of combat and in combat you are spending your spells on smite. It just seems rather boring.
That is why I have thought about so many other half or full casters. But I guess it is hard to build a caster that is effective with a bow for good reason. If you aren't throwing all of your resources into being good at one thing, your character probably won't be good at one thing. Maybe I'm just realizing I don't want to play a spellbow.
I haven't even considered BH. I guess I should look into it to see what I think of the class. Though the 22 to dex only provides a +1 to acrobatics and dex saves beyond the improved pact weapon invocation.
I don't understand the fixation on the archery - is it that important compared to being a Witch?
Divination Wizard
Variant Human
Proficiencies: Religion, Investigation
Choose Weapon Master feat: choose Longbow, Shortbow, Blowgun, Whip. This gives you your bows (take both proficiences in case you find a magical shortbow), as well as blowgun for flavour and whip you can attack with if you get to fly. Skip this if you prefer to use a damage cantrip for ranged damage.
Put your three highest abilities into Intelligence, then Dexterity, then Constitution. Strength as dump stat.
Background: Sage, proficiencies Arcana, History
Choose Gold rather than Equipment. Average roll of 4d4x10 = 100 gold but hope you get 110gp. Buy a Longbow (50gp), 20 arrows (1gp), a wand (10gp), and a scholar's pack (40gp). If you don't have enough gold, ditch the scholar's pack, and save enough gold to buy it ASAP.
Ask your DM to allow you to use the longbow as the arcane focus (e.g. it is a big wand). If they say no, then bind the wand against the longbow. Cast your spells using it, giving them all effects as though you shoot them - e.g. when you cast Aganazzar's Scorcher, you draw back the bow string and a jet of fire leaps forth.
Level 2: Arcane Tradition - Divination for that future reading flavour
Spells of importance:
1st Level: Find Familiar
2nd: Acid Arrow
3rd level: Flame Arrows, if you took Weapon Master, Fly
Take 2 levels of Rogue when you feel like it for Sneak Attack damage on your bow attacks, and Cunning Action
Begin crafting your Broom of Flying at level 1. A good DM will talk this through with you and give you a list of hard to acquire components that you can acquire through several levels of play as a kind of ongoing quest. By the time you reach about level 6, hopefully you have found the heartwood of an evil treant for the shaft, the sticks of twig blights bodies for the brush, demon sinew to tie them together, enough money for rare oils, bronze engraving on the haft etc. and can conduct a crafting process.
Recall: not just 22 Dex, 22 Dex at character level 5, three levels earlier than you’d normally hit 20. A +11 to hit modifier is normally a T4 attack, which this character has at level 5. So yes, if you want Sharpshooter, you want to be a Mutant.
AND it’s a warlock, if you must do darkness cheese it is able of doing that too.
Battlemaster 8/Mutant 4: No need for charisma, gets you 22 Dex by level 4-6 depending how quickly you take BH levels, room for 3 more feats (Sharpshooter, Fey Touched (int), and Shadow Touched (int); or Sharpshooter, Martial Adept, Fighting Adept (Superior Technique) ). 2 attacks at +12, Precision Strike for accurate sharpshooter 5-7 times per short rest (depending on feats), and magical damage enhancements on your arrows.
Battlemaster 6/Genie 6: No need for intelligence, 20 Dex by level 6 using Skill Expert or Piercer and a +2 Dex ASI, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). 2 attacks at +11, Precision Strike for accurate sharpshooter 4 times per short rest, warlock darkness cheese, and other warlock invocations and features (i'd recommend Genie for bonus damage, damage resistance, and flying), and non-attack/save utility spells using your 16 Cha.
Battlemaster 6/Hexblade 6: No need for intelligence, 20 Charisma by level 6 using Fey Touched or Shadow Touched or Skill Expert and a +2 Cha ASI, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). 2 attacks at +11, Precision Strike for accurate sharpshooter 4 times per short rest, warlock etc.... and full spell save progression, so feel free to use it on offensive spells if you get tired of smiting.
Mutant 5/Genie 7: As described in post above. 22 Dex by level 4 or 5, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). 2 attacks at +12, warlock cheese etc., non-attack/save utility spells using your 14 Cha.
Mutant 12: No need for charisma, 24 Dex by level 8 using a +2 Dex ASI and a +1 Dex feat like Skill Expert or Piercer, 3 attacks (1 is a Bonus Action) at +13, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). No spells, but can drop your third attack mutagen (Cruelty) in exchange for a different one as needed, such as Flying for 1 hour, or a resistance mutagen, etc. Do have magical arrow damage, and other curses brands etc. Room to be tough (14 con) and smart (16 int).
I don't understand the fixation on the archery - is it that important compared to being a Witch?
Other than it being part of the concept, nothing. I'm really here just looking for ideas.
I'm interested in being able to reasonably contribute to combat when I'm not casting spells, but I think I enjoy casting enough that I want to be effective at that, either as control or as a utility caster.
@Chicken_Champ has provided a bunch, and I appreciate that. They are fairly martial. I also don't know much about the BH, but it (mutant) seems very witcher-y to me, and that is a game I never got into.
I think mostly I am disappointed in how martial my hexblade build turned out, and was just looking to explore other options.
I don't understand the fixation on the archery - is it that important compared to being a Witch?
Other than it being part of the concept, nothing. I'm really here just looking for ideas.
I'm interested in being able to reasonably contribute to combat when I'm not casting spells, but I think I enjoy casting enough that I want to be effective at that, either as control or as a utility caster.
@Chicken_Champ has provided a bunch, and I appreciate that. They are fairly martial. I also don't know much about the BH, but it (mutant) seems very witcher-y to me, and that is a game I never got into.
I think mostly I am disappointed in how martial my hexblade build turned out, and was just looking to explore other options.
D&D 5e doesn't really offer much of a good option for having a backup weapon when casting spells, because as a spellcaster you'll put your highest stat into Int/Wis/Cha and then you'll mostly be better off casting a damage cantrip rather than making a single attack with a melee or ranged weapon. You'll also find that by the time you reach level 5, you'll have enough spell slots that you won't really be running out of spells very often, unless your DM likes to really put you through the mill without any rests.
However, personally I say screw effectiveness and build a character that you think is fun to play. The DM is going to balance the game around the overall power of the party, so how powerful your build is probably won't make much impact.
If you can stomach being a Battlesmith, I think you'll find that a Battlesmith 3/Wizard 1-9 will feel much less "martial" than the Hexblade. Battlesmith 3/Bladesinger 9 may not be able to bladesing while wielding a longbow, but you can:
Attack twice, or attack once and cast one cantrip, with every Attack action.
Attack using Intelligence, to ensure that your primary casting stat is the one you progress instead of Dex
Have no shortage of out-of-combat or in-combat casting options
Fly!
Have familiars (a regular familiar, a homunculus, and a steel defender!)
Really, a Battlesmith 6/non-Bladesinger Wizard 6 would be sacrificing fewer core class features by using a Bow. War Magic could be cool, since its primary drawback (you're often prevented from casting leveled spells) isn't an issue on turns where you plan to make Bow attacks anyway, while its strengths (great initiative, defenses, and counter-magic) will shine on an archer. If I recall, His Dark Materials is even a little steampunky, so Artificer wouldn't be awful for your concept... if you can tolerate having a metal dog or ostritch hopping around after you?
I like this idea, and one could even consider just flavoring the steel defender as a non-mechanical daemon, although you can certainly do the same with a familiar.
Yeah, the story is a bit steampunk. Artificer could work; again, it isn't a flavor that I'm huge on, but the spells make this one interesting enough to consider reflavoring/ignoring.
I think I'd rather have level 5 spells than anything artificer gives. the 3/9 split seems interesting. You are right that it feels a little bad to give up so much of the bladesinger subclass. It also feels a bit bad to not do a 4/8 split.
I might just think it over for a while. You've both given some interesting thoughts.
I like Ranger/Cleric personally. You get your bow shots, your companion, and spells covered. Ranger can provide the earthiest stuff and then cleric gives you the support/divination stuff. Go Twilight and you can fly by Ranger 5/Cleric 6. Personally, I'd prefer a WIS focus for this character over the INT and CHA builds outlined above.
I'm going to be playing in Rime of the Frostmaiden soon, and I'm trying to build a character somewhat like Serafina Pekkala. Basically, I'm looking to build a bow-gish/spellbow.
Serafina is the most prominent of the witches in His Dark Materials. Witches in these books fly (with cloud pine), use bows, have familiars or companions (all people from the main character's world do), and apparently are witches, which I assume means using magic. Serafina seems to use at least some divination magic (she seems to be somewhat prescient, or at least knows of some prophecies).
I will probably take sharpshooter and will look for extra attack and archery fighting style (can be a feat, from the class, or even a 1 lvl fighter dip). I think I'm going to stick mainly to archery for most of combat. 2 attack extra attack is probably reasonable, as the front matter (I haven't spoiled it) seems to indicate the campaign ends around 12.
I have considered ritual caster at an early level (1 maybe, using custom lineage) to gain the familiar, depending on the build.
As I see it, there are a few options:
I think that "flying archer" is the core conceit to hang this concept on, and I'd suggest:
Of course the real answer is... why pick one Top 3 Option when you could have
them all?two of them, probably. BH and Warlock, and building for flight but not Sharpshooter,...or BH and Battlemaster, and building for Sharpshooter but not flight.dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
I don’t think sharpshooter when you can reliably generate your own advantage and have the archery fighting style is a trap below 11. Why do you say that?
Rather than worry about flying as a spell, I’d build around using a broom of flying.
I understand you want an archer who can sling some spells around, but I don’t know if I can add much to what’s already been said there.
How would you reliably generate advantage... darkness cheese?
Well if you want Sharpshooter, the build above would provide it as early as character level 8, with a Dex of 22. A pure fighter could take it at character level 8, with a Dex of 20, so this build is "better" until level 11, when the pure Fighter has three shots per round and this only has the standard 2.
But this is much, much witchier than a pure fighter, even if that fighter were an Arcane Archer or Eldrtich Knight.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Darkness cheese or shadow of moil. As an archer, darkness cheese is even more effective because I can stand away from the party and darkness myself without messing up any of the rest of the party -- they and the enemy can both remain completely out of darkness.
But even so, if you have archery then sharpshooter's +10 dmg well offsets the (effective) -3 to attacks, even without advantage, until you are fighting monsters with very high ACs, I think -- even with low starting to hit bonuses.
You can go well down the optimization route with the hexblade by doing things like being half-drow and taking elven accuracy. My biggest problem with that whole route is flavor. It seems you have to pour all of your invocations, spell slots, and ASIs into being martial; and the character isn't left feeling very magical in the end. And the magic you do have is all very niche -- not much to do out of combat and in combat you are spending your spells on smite. It just seems rather boring.
That is why I have thought about so many other half or full casters. But I guess it is hard to build a caster that is effective with a bow for good reason. If you aren't throwing all of your resources into being good at one thing, your character probably won't be good at one thing. Maybe I'm just realizing I don't want to play a spellbow.
I haven't even considered BH. I guess I should look into it to see what I think of the class. Though the 22 to dex only provides a +1 to acrobatics and dex saves beyond the improved pact weapon invocation.
I don't understand the fixation on the archery - is it that important compared to being a Witch?
Divination Wizard
Recall: not just 22 Dex, 22 Dex at character level 5, three levels earlier than you’d normally hit 20. A +11 to hit modifier is normally a T4 attack, which this character has at level 5. So yes, if you want Sharpshooter, you want to be a Mutant.
AND it’s a warlock, if you must do darkness cheese it is able of doing that too.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Battlemaster 8/Mutant 4: No need for charisma, gets you 22 Dex by level 4-6 depending how quickly you take BH levels, room for 3 more feats (Sharpshooter, Fey Touched (int), and Shadow Touched (int); or Sharpshooter, Martial Adept, Fighting Adept (Superior Technique) ). 2 attacks at +12, Precision Strike for accurate sharpshooter 5-7 times per short rest (depending on feats), and magical damage enhancements on your arrows.
Battlemaster 6/Genie 6: No need for intelligence, 20 Dex by level 6 using Skill Expert or Piercer and a +2 Dex ASI, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). 2 attacks at +11, Precision Strike for accurate sharpshooter 4 times per short rest, warlock darkness cheese, and other warlock invocations and features (i'd recommend Genie for bonus damage, damage resistance, and flying), and non-attack/save utility spells using your 16 Cha.
Battlemaster 6/Hexblade 6: No need for intelligence, 20 Charisma by level 6 using Fey Touched or Shadow Touched or Skill Expert and a +2 Cha ASI, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). 2 attacks at +11, Precision Strike for accurate sharpshooter 4 times per short rest, warlock etc.... and full spell save progression, so feel free to use it on offensive spells if you get tired of smiting.
Mutant 5/Genie 7: As described in post above. 22 Dex by level 4 or 5, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). 2 attacks at +12, warlock cheese etc., non-attack/save utility spells using your 14 Cha.
Mutant 12: No need for charisma, 24 Dex by level 8 using a +2 Dex ASI and a +1 Dex feat like Skill Expert or Piercer, 3 attacks (1 is a Bonus Action) at +13, room for 1 other feat (Sharpshooter?). No spells, but can drop your third attack mutagen (Cruelty) in exchange for a different one as needed, such as Flying for 1 hour, or a resistance mutagen, etc. Do have magical arrow damage, and other curses brands etc. Room to be tough (14 con) and smart (16 int).
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Other than it being part of the concept, nothing. I'm really here just looking for ideas.
I'm interested in being able to reasonably contribute to combat when I'm not casting spells, but I think I enjoy casting enough that I want to be effective at that, either as control or as a utility caster.
@Chicken_Champ has provided a bunch, and I appreciate that. They are fairly martial. I also don't know much about the BH, but it (mutant) seems very witcher-y to me, and that is a game I never got into.
I think mostly I am disappointed in how martial my hexblade build turned out, and was just looking to explore other options.
D&D 5e doesn't really offer much of a good option for having a backup weapon when casting spells, because as a spellcaster you'll put your highest stat into Int/Wis/Cha and then you'll mostly be better off casting a damage cantrip rather than making a single attack with a melee or ranged weapon. You'll also find that by the time you reach level 5, you'll have enough spell slots that you won't really be running out of spells very often, unless your DM likes to really put you through the mill without any rests.
However, personally I say screw effectiveness and build a character that you think is fun to play. The DM is going to balance the game around the overall power of the party, so how powerful your build is probably won't make much impact.
If you can stomach being a Battlesmith, I think you'll find that a Battlesmith 3/Wizard 1-9 will feel much less "martial" than the Hexblade. Battlesmith 3/Bladesinger 9 may not be able to bladesing while wielding a longbow, but you can:
Really, a Battlesmith 6/non-Bladesinger Wizard 6 would be sacrificing fewer core class features by using a Bow. War Magic could be cool, since its primary drawback (you're often prevented from casting leveled spells) isn't an issue on turns where you plan to make Bow attacks anyway, while its strengths (great initiative, defenses, and counter-magic) will shine on an archer. If I recall, His Dark Materials is even a little steampunky, so Artificer wouldn't be awful for your concept... if you can tolerate having a metal dog or ostritch hopping around after you?
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
I like this idea, and one could even consider just flavoring the steel defender as a non-mechanical daemon, although you can certainly do the same with a familiar.
Yeah, the story is a bit steampunk. Artificer could work; again, it isn't a flavor that I'm huge on, but the spells make this one interesting enough to consider reflavoring/ignoring.
I think I'd rather have level 5 spells than anything artificer gives. the 3/9 split seems interesting. You are right that it feels a little bad to give up so much of the bladesinger subclass. It also feels a bit bad to not do a 4/8 split.
I might just think it over for a while. You've both given some interesting thoughts.
I like Ranger/Cleric personally. You get your bow shots, your companion, and spells covered. Ranger can provide the earthiest stuff and then cleric gives you the support/divination stuff. Go Twilight and you can fly by Ranger 5/Cleric 6. Personally, I'd prefer a WIS focus for this character over the INT and CHA builds outlined above.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
from my understanding a circle of stars Druid can be a pretty effective archer and might get u where u wanna be magic wise, something to look into?