Spirit Archers are rangers that have learned how to combine their bow attacks with the power of summoned animal spirits. Some of these archers can be found among groups of druids and barbarians, acting as scouts and hunters. Others can be found living on their own, or living for hire, as specialists at dealing with certain foes, such as orcs or giants. In any case, you'll find these warriors to be strong and reliable ranged attackers, if you're on their side. If you're one of their enemies, you may not notice them until you suddenly see a wolf-headed arrow flying towards your face.
Spirit Shots
When you choose this archetype at level 3, you gain the ability to call on animal spirits to empower your arrows. Choose two “Spirit Shots” from the list below. Before you make an attack role with a longbow or shortbow, you may choose to spend a spirit charge and use a spirit shot as part of the attack. If the spirit shot requires the target to make a saving throw, the save DC is equal to your spell save DC.
Choose two additional spirits shots every four levels (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th). Your number of spirit charges is equal to your ranger level, and you regain all uses after you finish a long rest.
Note: The animal spirits associated with these spirit shots do visually appear when you attack, usually coalesced around the arrow somehow. If your character doesn't know of some of the animals associated with these attacks (such as triceratops or shark), don't let that stop you from using what spirit shots you want. Feel free to come up with some other animal that makes more flavorful sense to associate with the shot if you want. For example, a ranger that does not know what a triceratops is may have the spirit summoned with their "triceratops" shot appear like a giant boar instead.
Bear Shot
On a hit, your attack deals an additional 2d4 slashing damage, and you gain that many temporary hit points if the target is one of your favored enemies. Temporary hit points you gain this way replace each other, and do not stack.
Eagle Shot
Instead of a normal attack, you may use this shot to create a glowing eagle spirit. For up to one minute, you can decide where the spirit flies (no more than 300 feet away from you), and whether it is loud or quiet. These decisions are free actions. The eagle can not attack, but you may spend your movement action to concentrate and look through the eyes of your eagle (switching back to your vision is a free action).
Use the stats block for a normal eagle with the following changes: the eagle cannot attack, and the eagle is immune to all damage from nonmagical attacks.
When making checks to track one of your favored enemies through the eyes of your eagle, you use your own skill bonuses and gain advantage on the roll. If the creature you're tracking is not one of your favored enemies, use the skill bonuses of your eagle.
Elk Shot
After you make this attack, your walking speed increases by 10 feet and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity by moving until the end of this turn (regardless if you hit or miss). This speed bonus increases to 15 feet at level 6, then 20 feet at level 14.
If the target of this attack is one of your favored enemies, you may take the hide action at the end of this turn as a free action.
Panther Shot
This attack must target a creature that is levitating, flying, or otherwise off the ground. The target must also be of large size or smaller. On a hit, the target must make a STR saving throw, taking an additional 1d6 piercing damage on a failed save, or have as much damage on a successful one. If the target is one of your favored enemies, instead roll 2d6 for this damage.
If the target fails the saving throw, they are also brought down to the ground directly below them (falling damage determined by DM). They land prone.
Ram Shot
This attack must target a creature that is not levitating, flying, or otherwise off the ground. The target must also be of large size or smaller. On a hit, the target must make STR saving throw, taking an additional 2d4 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target fails the saving throw, they are also knocked prone. If the target is one of your favored enemies, instead roll 2d6 for this damage.
Shark Shot
You have advantage on this attack roll if your target doesn’t have all of its hit points. On a hit, the target takes an additional 1d8 piercing damage. If the target is one of your favored enemies, it instead takes an additional 2d8 piercing damage.
Snake Shot
On a hit, the target must make a STR saving throw. If the target is one of your favored enemies, it has disadvantage on this saving throw. If they succeed, nothing happens. If they fail, they become restrained for up to one minute (no concentration required). The target may attempt the same saving throw at the end of each of their turns until they escape. As long the target is restrained this way, you may use your bonus action to deal bludgeoning damage to the target equal to 1d8 + your wisdom modifier.
Spider Shot
On a hit, the target must roll a CON saving throw, taking an additional 2d4 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target is one of your favored enemies, it has disadvantage on this saving throw. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 Hit Points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining Hit Points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way.
Triceratops Shot
This attack ignores half cover or three quarters cover. If the target is one of your favored enemies, on a hit it also takes an additional 2d6 bludgeoning damage.
You may also choose to use this spirit shot to break down an obstacle (door, barricade, etc.). Roll a Wisdom check (DC decided by the DM), and you break the obstacle on a success. If you fail the roll, the obstacle remains.
Wolf Shot
On a hit, you deal an addition 1d6 weapon damage. This damage increases to 2d6 at level 6, and 3d6 at level 14. If the target is one of your favored enemies, you also gain a bonus to the attack roll equal to your wisdom modifier, and all attack rolls made by allies against that target get the same bonus until the start of your next turn.
Empowered Ammunition
At level 7, your spirit shots become more effective at piercing your enemies’ defenses. Any attacks made using one of your spirit shots count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Primal Shot
At level 11 you can combine the animal spirits you call on with your own ranger magic, to devastating effect.
You learn one spirit shot of your choice from the three listed below. These spirit shots function the same as your other spirit shots with the following changes: these shots each cost two spirit charges to use instead of one. When you use one of these shots, you must also spend a ranger spell slot (minimum of one) as a part of the cost for the shot. At level 16, you learn a second spirit shot from this list.
Predator Shot
A spirit of a vicious, predator animal appears next to the target of your attack (appearance up to the user). After you make your attack role (and damage roll if you hit), the target must roll a DEX saving throw to avoid the spirit's attack. The target takes 3d6 slashing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
As long as the spirit is summoned, it attacks the same target once on each of your turns, forcing the target to make the same save against the same damage. If the target has moved, the spirit teleports next to the target. The spirit can not be attacked, and it disappears after the target of this spirit shot is incapacitated. You may only have one spirit summoned this way at a time. Otherwise, the spirit stays summoned for a number of turns equal to the level of spell slot you spent to use this spirit shot. For example, if you only used a 1st level spell slot to use this spirit shot, the animal spirit would make its first attack as described above, it would make a second attack on your next turn, and then it would disappear.
If the target is one of your favored enemies, it has disadvantage on all saving throws made against the spirit's attacks.
Stampede Shot
Your arrow is accompanied by a line of stampeding animal spirits (appearance up to the user). This line is 100 feet long and 5 feet wide, going in the same direction as your attack. After you make your attack role (and damage role if you hit), each creature in the line must make a DEX saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Increase this damage by 1d6 for each spell slot level above 1st spent to use this spirit shot. Any creature that fails this saving throw is also stunned until the end of its next turn. A creature has disadvantage on this saving throw if it is one of your favored enemies.
Swarm Shot
A swarm of animal spirit follow your arrow and envelop everything around your target (appearance up to user). After making your attack role (and damage roll if you hit), each creature in a 20-foot radius sphere centered on the target must make a DEX saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Increase this damage by 1d6 for each spell slot level above 1st spent to use this spirit shot. Any creature that fails this saving throw is also blind until the end of their next turn. A creature has disadvantage on this saving throw if they are one of your favored enemies.
Experienced Hunter
At level 15, your spirit shots become especially potent. Attacks you make using one of your spirits shots now score a critical hit on a 19 or 20. If your spirit shot requires a target to make a saving throw and you score a critical hit, the target automatically fails the saving throw.
