Essence archers utilise a honed understanding of magical materials to empower their marksmanship, infusing their arrows with magical power. They typically keep a supply of magical materials available through which they invoke the essence of certain planes or creatures associated with the affixed material, but some may utilise more traditional arcane magic to empower their shots.

These archers may be monster hunters, tracking and slaying dangerous creatures with their vast array of specialised ammunition. They may be students of alchemy or arcane magic, applying their knowledge to martial skill. Or perhaps they were a simple soldier who learned how to use the strange materials they encountered to startling effect. Whatever the origins of their talents, essence archers are powerful allies... and dangerous enemies.

 

This subclass is a heavily reflavoured version of the Blood Archer found in Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt. While the original version is an interesting concept, blood magic is certainly not for everyone. There are no functional changes, but the blood theming has been removed.

Essence Exposure

At 3rd level, your body is altered by your prolonged exposure to magical material. You are immune to disease, have resistance to poison damage, and have advantage on saving throws against poison. In addition, once you've fought a creature, you can relentlessly track it, sensing the essence of your prey. You have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check you make to find a creature you've dealt damage to.

Essence Shot

At 3rd level, you learn to unleash special magical effects with some of your shots. When you gain this feature, you learn three Essence Shot options of your choice (see "Essence Shot Options'' below).

Once per turn when you fire an arrow from a shortbow, longbow, or crossbow as part of the Attack action, you can apply one of your Essence Shot options to that arrow. You decide to use the option when the arrow hits, unless the option doesn’t involve an attack roll.

You can use this ability a number of times equal to 1 + your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

You gain an additional Essence Shot option of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class: 7th, 10th, 15th, and 18th level. Each option also improves when you become an 18th-level fighter.

Essence Arrows

At 7th level, when you make a ranged attack using a shortbow, longbow, or crossbow, you can create an essence arrow in place of standard ammunition. Essence arrows are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

In addition, when you use your Essence Shot feature, you can add your Constitution modifier to the damage roll of the effect.

Essence Recall

At 10th level, you learn how to recall your arrows. When you make an attack roll with an essence arrow and miss, you can use a bonus action to reroll the attack roll against the original target, as the arrow flies back towards you.

Volatile Reserves

Starting at 15th level, as an action, you can draw on a reserve of more dangerous magical materials, with harmful side effects. You take necrotic damage equal to 1d10 + your Constitution modifier, which you cannot reduce in any way, and regain 1d4 uses of your Essence Shot.

Essence Shot Improvement

At 18th level, you have learned to further refine the magical materials you wield. Your Essence Shot options deal bonus damage, as listed in their descriptions.

Essence Shot Options

The Essence Shot feature lets you choose options for it at certain levels. The options are presented here in no specific order. They are all magical effects. Some of the Essence Shot features require your target to make a saving throw; the DC is calculated as follows:

If an option requires a saving throw, your Essence Shot save DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier.

Bewitching Arrow

You infuse this arrow with the strange magic of the Feywilds to temporarily charm your target. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, you can choose one of the target's allies within 30 feet of it; the target now considers this ally as an enemy until the start of your next turn.

The psychic damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Conflagration Arrow

The essence of elemental fire dwells in this arrow, eager to be unleashed. The arrow detonates in a burst of flame after your attack. Immediately after the arrow hits the creature, the target and all other creatures within 10 feet of it take 2d6 fire damage as the elemental flame uncoils. This fire damage ignores resistance.

The fire damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Constraining Arrow

When this arrow strikes its target, a sample of ooze creates grasping and sharp tendrils, which wrap around the target. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 acid damage, its speed is reduced by 10 feet, and it takes 2d6 acid damage the first time on each turn it moves 1 foot or more without teleporting.

A creature can use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your Essence Shot save DC, removing the tendrils from itself or another creature within its reach on a success. Otherwise, the tendrils last for 1 minute or until you use this option again.

Both acid damages increase to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Exiling Arrow

You use consecrated material to try to temporarily banish your target to a harmless location in the Celestial Plane. The creature hit by the arrow must also succeed on a Charisma saving throw  or be banished. While banished in this way, its speed is 0 and it is incapacitated. At the end of its next turn, the target reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is occupied.

After you reach 18th level in this class, the target also takes 2d6 radiant damage when the arrow hits it.

Hunting Arrow

Using the bones of ancient beasts, you grant your arrow the ability to seek and hunt any foe, allowing the arrow to curve and twist its path in search of its prey. When you use this option, you don’t make an attack roll for the attack. Instead, choose one creature you have seen in the past minute and fire an arrow that flies toward that creature, moving around corners and ignoring three-quarters cover and half cover. If the target is in range and a path is available, it must make a DEX saving throw or take damage from the arrow plus 1d6 piercing damage and you learn the target's location (no extra damage and location is unrevealed on success).

The piercing damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Spectrebolt Arrow

You infuse your arrow with spectral essence, which, instead of an attack roll, fires forward in a 1-foot wide, 30-foot long line, before disappearing. The arrow passes harmlessly through objects, ignoring cover. Each creature in that line must make a Dexterity saving throw or take damage as if it were hit by the arrow plus an extra 1d6 piercing damage. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage.

The piercing damage increases to 2d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Thundering Arrow

You imbue your arrow with forceful energy drawn from the runic magic of giants. The arrow detonates immediately after it hits your target; the creature takes an additional 2d6 thunder damage and is pushed back 15 feet. In addition, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

The thunder damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Veiling Arrow

You coil threads of darkness drawn from the Shadowfell around your arrow, causing it to obscure the battlefield. The creature hit by the arrow takes an additional 2d6 necrotic damage as the arrow releases fell mist that rises in a 10-foot radius around the target.

This mist is magical darkness and spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness, and non magical light can't illuminate it. It lasts until the start of your next turn.

The necrotic damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.

Withering Arrow

You affix the bones of the undead to your arrow. The creature hit by the arrow takes an extra 2d6 necrotic damage. The target must also succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or the damage dealt by its weapon attacks is halved until the start of your next turn.

The necrotic damage increases to 4d6 when you reach 18th level in this class.