Mystic Archer w/out Archery?

Pinkerton

Lets say I am 120 Mysticism/Focus and I want to run an archer build using Mystic Weapon to provide my weapon skill.

How would that work out and what could the template look like?

Rock

I have never used Mystic Weapon, but I assume it is like a 10-minute mage weapon, but for the Mysticism skill.  If so, the downsides would be the same.

1. Without Tactics, the bow would effectively have a -50% DI (damage increase) applied.  If human, it would only be -30%.  If your particular build fits in Tactics, wonderful.
   
2. Stat management becomes trickier.  Magic users typically don't need much DEX, but archers do.  So you'd likely want to trade in some of the INT you normally would have for DEX.  OTOH, you could be satisfied with just an occasional arrow shot to fill in your casting gaps, in which case you could leave DEX low.
3. Since the spell is timed (unlike a mage weapon), it could end mid-battle, and recasting could be awkward.
   

An advantage you would have over a mage weapon is Mysticism's spell, Enchant.  (Presumably Enchant and Mystic Weapon are not mutually exclusive.) This would give the bow up to 2 minutes of a ~50% chance hit effect, such as Lightning or Fireball.  If your Mysticism is 80 or more, Enchant also would give the bow the spell channeling property while it is active. (Since mage weapons sometimes spawn without spell channeling, my guess is that Mystic Weapon does not include it either.)  So far as I can tell, the damage from a hit effect is not affected by your DI, so even at 1/2 non-magical weapon damage, the lightning would be at full strength.

There are a number of possible good builds.  One option is to actually include the Archery skill, but since your question specifically rejects that, here is a core of one:

120: Mysticism, Focus

120: Tactics, Chivalry

If you don't mind negative karma, Necromancy and Spirit Speak would be an option to fill in the other 240 points.  This would add yet another weapon-boosting spell, Curse Weapon.  The effect of that is to add a life-leech capability to your arrows.  Note that the weapon-boosting spell of Spellweaving, Immolate Weapon, only effects melee weapons, not bows.

Note that your character will need to be able to build skill (fight) before the Mystic Weapon spell becomes available.  So you might plan on building a melee skill initially, until you can cast MW. Then you could let it drop or store on a stone.

Rock

I hope other folks will respond to this intriguing thread, especially if they use Mystic Weapon regulary.  If I understand Mystic Weapon, it can give a legendary mystic with level-3 mastery a 115 skill level for whatever weapon he desires (within weight and racial limitations).  That's really useful.  Virtually whatever you loot becomes usable and effective. I wonder if it comes with downsides besides the duration.  The sorts of things which could de-awesomize this skill would be:

1. 10 minute duration with 2 minute cool down after expiration
2. other weapon-buff skills disabled, such as Enchant, Consecrate Weapon, and special moves
3. while active there might be a stat penalty or resist caps lowered
4. ongoing mana or stamina drain
   

Are there such downsides?  If a warrior doesn't need to spend skill points on a weapon, he has a very flexible template.  The obvious constraints for Mystic Weapon would be that it has a duration, and warriors must compromise DEX and/or STR to have adequate mana to support Mysticism.

Sarkon

Main drawback to this is slayer issues.  Either use a slayer weapon or slayer book.  On things without a slayer vulnerability, it will probably be fine, you will just suffer the loss of SDI.  Off the top of my head, not sure of any SDI bows.  That drawback is enough to deter people from doing this since most people want max SDI as a caster.

If I were to do this, I would probably use a fast hitting weapon to not mess with stats much, like a repeating crossbow with a hit effect like Lightning, Fireball, or an Area hit.  I would still focus on SDI and casting though and only use this as a supplemental damage increase.  Not sure how effective it would be vs. just plain SDI spellbooks.

Obuw

One downside is that you need weapon skill (and tactics) to use weapon abilities, so you won't be able to use armor ignore or lightning arrow.

Sireth

I actually run a mystic archery treasure hunter. Odd template forsure but I have fun and manage in pvm. I'm not a super experienced player installed in 2016, so if this build has flaws please let me know
Anatomy-70 +15 with jewelry
Tactics 100 +15 with jewelry 
Focus 100
Mystic 110 +10 with jewelry
Chivalry 100
Cartography 100
Lockpicking 100
Removetraps 40
 
Try to focus enemies on my rising colossus 
Cast enchant and Chivalry buffs
When in danger I dip out using invisibility potions crafted by my alchemist 
And use slayer bows 

Yoshi

"you can use this for PvM only, as it's bugged for PvP, as soon as you get disarmed, you would have to recast the mysticism weap spell"

Arnold7

As has been mentioned fighters need tactics and anatomy.  Without these skills all you will get is the base damage the weapon can do on its own which usually maxes out at less than 20, you won’t get to use the special weapon skills, and you won’t have the basic weapon skill required to do use the mastery.
Real problem though is mana and stamina.  Mystic spells require a lot of mana fast when you are in a battle.  Archery requires stamina.  Have tried combos like this before.  Problem for me is always the same as I tend to be a caster.  I run out of mana quickly because I had to give up points I would have used to increase my intelligence to increase my strength or dexterity.
How you plan to play the character determines the weapon skills you need.  My mystic has just enough mana to cast RC and disappear.  He has anatomy and tactics and throwing.