Spellcasters are fun to play in Dungeons & Dragons, but multiple character options incorporate magic and the magical without the need for explicit spell slot mechanics. One such subclass is the Arcane Archer, a path for Fighters that rewards bow-wielding characters with several features for improving ranged combat. Key among these is Arcane Shot, which infuses arrows with different offensive and status-inflicting options to use in combat. It's only available twice per short rest, but some of them are powerful enough to stay relevant for a whole fight.
There's one type of Arcane Shot for each school of the eight schools of magic. Players can pick two when they enter the Arcane Archer subclass at third level and pick four others as they reach higher levels. As such, which ones they do and don't take are an important choice, as is which order they decide to take them in. These are how the eight Arcane Shot spells stack up against each other. While they all get upgraded at 18th level, it's more important to focus on how good they are for most of the time players will be using them.
8. Piercing Arrow
Piercing Arrow is a miniature version of the spell Lightning Bolt, causing all enemies in a 30-foot line to make a Dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to the attack's normal damage roll, plus an extra 1d6 piercing damage. It also gains a special ethereal quality due to the Transmutation magic infused into it, letting it pass through any objects in the line while still hitting enemies. This makes it an excellent tool for ambushes, but it doesn't work with the archer's best feat, Sharpshooter, which needs a ranged attack to add +10 to damage.
7. Seeking Arrow
Seeking Arrow is Divination-based, letting players find the location of any foe within their weapon's range by shooting them. They have to have seen that foe at the last minute, but it works to quickly parse out where any invisible or unseen foe is hiding. If the target fails a Dexterity saving throw, it deals an attack's normal damage plus 1d6 extra force damage. But if they succeed, they take half damage, and the player doesn't even learn the target's location. It also suffers from the same problem as Piercing Arrow, where it doesn't qualify for Sharpshooter.
6. Beguiling Arrow
Beguiling Arrow works with Sharpshooter since players can apply its effect after a normal hit. If they do, the target takes 2d6 psychic damage automatically and has to make a Wisdom saving throw to resist its Enchantment-based magic. If they fail, they become charmed by one of the player's allies until the start of the Arcane Archer's next turn. This prevents the charmed creature from attacking that ally but doesn't impair them in any other way.
5. Banishing Arrow
Banishing Arrow behaves in many ways like a better version of Beguiling Arrow. It doesn't deal extra damage, but the targeted enemy has to make a Charisma saving throw, which is a much less common ability score for enemies to be invested in, especially when compared to a common save like Wisdom. On a failed save, they're banished to the Feywild with the power of Abjuration magic and incapacitated until the end of their turn. This takes out any target for a whole turn, even removing them from the battlefield to get around any passive effects or auras.
4. Enfeebling Arrow
Enfeebling Arrow channels the power of Necromancy magic to weaken enemies. The target automatically takes 2d6 necrotic damage on a hit, and they have to make a Constitution saving throw or be weakened. While weakened, their weapon attacks deal half damage. This is a fairly powerful debuff, but only on enemies who are using a weapon, dealing significant damage each turn and have a low enough Constitution to fail their saving throw. Enfeebling Arrow is great, but it might be better to pick up at later levels.
3. Shadow Arrow
Shadow Arrow is also a save-or-inflict condition like Enfeebling and Banishing Arrow. It uses Illusion magic to deal an extra 2d6 psychic damage and force its target to make a Wisdom saving throw. They're not quite blinded on a failure, but they are unable to see anything more than five feet away from them. This is best used at the start of a fight before enemies have had a chance to close distance since it won't do anything to save an ally already pinned down in melee.
2. Bursting Arrow
Bursting Arrow is the Arcane Shot best taken at lower levels since it doesn't quite scale the way the rest do. A successful hit deals an automatic 2d6 force damage to the target and all other creatures within 10 feet. While its Evocation magic might result in some unfortunate friendly fire, it can be extremely effective at clearing out hordes of weaker foes. But 2d6 is only seven damage on average, and players trying to make use of it at higher levels might find themselves quickly outpaced.
1. Grasping Arrow
Grasping Arrow is the absolute peak of Arcane Shots, acting like a weirder version of the spell Hex, reflavored as Conjuration magic, producing a mass of tangled, spiky vines. The creature wrapped in these vines takes 2d6 poison damage automatically and takes the same amount of piercing damage whenever they try to move for the first time each turn. There's no save, and the only way to get out of it is for a creature to use their action to make an Athletics check against the Arcane Archer's save DC. To top everything off, the arrow triggers even when the affected creature is moved forcefully, letting any allies with knockback options join in on the fun.