Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lds_soldier 05-13-07, 06:08 PM	Grappling Arrow -2 Attack Penalty +2 Damage Bonus (+1D4 when barbs are opened) Range: 60 ft + 10 ft/Str Bonus (Max +50 ft) Market Cost: 3 gp Cost to Create: 2 gp, Weight: 2 lbs This is a heavy arrow, 3 feet long, made of a wooden shaft attached to a broad, double hinged head made of iron and solid wood fletching. An iron ring, welded to the iron head, is positioned in-line between the head and the shaft of the arrow. The barbs on each side of the tip are normally held back with a thin sinew which prevent them from opening. Upon impact, the head will bury into the target, it’s extremely sharp point digging deep. When the arrow is pulled back, the barbs will catch, holding the head tightly, much like a fish hook. If enough force is applied, the weak sinew will break as the arrow is pulled backward, spreading the hinged barbs into a 6 inch wide arrowhead. When the barbs are spread to their maximum width, they lock into position and must be manually reset to fold back again. Removing this arrow by force causes an additional 2D6 points of tearing damage +1/round until wound is bound (Heal check DC 15) or is magically cured. Note: A minimum of 6 points of initial damage is required to bury the head deep enough to bury the barbs. If the arrow does less than the minimum it will not penetrate enough to open. The extra 1D4 points are caused when the barbs are opened inside an object or victim. Note: To use this arrow correctly, a creature must have a Strength of at least 16. For every point under 16, a -1 attack penalty is incurred. This penalty stacks with the -2 attack penalty already incurred due to it’s size and unwieldiness. An Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Grappling Arrow) negates the -2 penalty and reduces the minimum Strength to 14. Crafting a Grappling Arrow: Necessary Components: 2 lbs iron, 1 lb wood, arrow shaft Must be made at a forge Craft (Weaponsmith) DC 20 Craft (Fletching) DC 15 A Grappling Arrow takes up space as 5 standard arrows.
Edymnion 05-13-07, 07:28 PM	Well, for starters, I think you need to play less WoW or whatever game inspired this. I say this not because of the design itself, but how you presented it. D&D items don't list how much of each material it takes to craft something, as thats covered by the market price and the crafting checks. We also don't track things like how many arrows you can carry, we track by weight, and 2 pounds is a heck of a lot more than 5 normal arrows. Second, you do realize that in D&D that, just because you do HP damage does *NOT* mean that you actually physically injured them, right? Just because you hit them doesn't mean the arrow is sticking out of them. Third, you are aware that the damage on this arrow is just freaking insane, right? +2d6 damage for taking it out? You're saying that pulling it out causes as much damage as being hit full on with a greatsword? And just as a follow up, a 2 pound arrow is not going to fly... trust me, I personally am an archer, just adding a tennis ball to the end to make it safer to fire around people triples the weight of the arrow, cuts it's speed/flight distance down considerably, and makes it very awkward in flight (far more than a minor -2 to hit). So, yeah, I'm afraid I wouldn't allow these in my game. I would however recommend that you look up "barbed arrows", which have already been officially printed, and check how they were done, as they are very similiar to what you seem to want, but are much more in line with how D&D works, as opposed to... whatever you took this from.
RogueElement 05-13-07, 07:46 PM	Don't mind Edy, he just got pimp slapped by some Horde today and he cancelled his WoW account. :D I love the idea of a grappling arrow. I still can't understand why there isn't an official version in D&D. Grappling arrows are seen in every fantasy and semi-fantasy show from chop socky ninja films to TV shows like the A-Team. To be "realistic" I would say that the arrow head would need to be made out of adamantine to be able to penetrate hard wood/stone deep enough to hold someone's weight. I would think it would have to do enough damage to penetrate the object's hardness, that way it makes sense to fire the arrow from a heavy crossbow or strengthened composite bow. I think your rules sound good for use against people, basically similar to the kuotoa harpoon or grapple staff giving the attacker a free grappling attack in addition to damage. Hit point damage doesn't equate to real damage in D&D, so I would drop the need for a certain amount of damage and change it to a grapple check or saving throw.
UnderworldLord 05-13-07, 08:17 PM	I agree with Edy on this assessment. Suck it up and use barbed arrows. Or at the very least, base your weapon off of them (or the harpoons from A&EG). Sidenote: to all those who get slapped around by the Horde, this wouldn't happen if you didn't play Alliance. Tauren Shaman FTW!
lds_soldier 05-13-07, 08:49 PM	lol, ur right, I do play WoW...Reaunu on Onyxia (Alliance druid lvl 50)...I agree, it is def too heavy to fire from a bow...how bout a heavy crossbow or a ballista? Grapple check instead of required damage...use dex instead of str tho? And drop the space taken issue? Anything else?
RogueElement 05-14-07, 12:09 AM	Check out the harpoon rules in the Arms & Equipment guide. Does anyone know if they have updated rules in any of the newer books? Someone ask the sailors on the moon, I hear they carry harpoons. (5 gp to anyone who gets that reference)
Identitystolen 05-14-07, 12:53 AM	Ok, I know I saw a grappling arrow stated out in a book or dragon magazine somewhere.... Reserving this spot for an edit so I don't forget about the thread. Right now its 1 am and I'm not up to the search right now.
Edymnion 05-14-07, 12:19 PM	Ok, I know I saw a grappling arrow stated out in a book or dragon magazine somewhere.... Reserving this spot for an edit so I don't forget about the thread. Right now its 1 am and I'm not up to the search right now.I think Complete Warrior has differant arrows, including barbed.
Kinger 05-14-07, 06:45 PM	Check out the harpoon rules in the Arms & Equipment guide. Does anyone know if they have updated rules in any of the newer books? Someone ask the sailors on the moon, I hear they carry harpoons. (5 gp to anyone who gets that reference) Yeah! Crank up the radio! "But there ain't no whales, so we tell tall tales, and sing a wailing tune..." ... I second (or third, or whatever it's at now) the "check out barbed arrows" suggestions. If (like me) you don't have access to it, I'd suggest the following (which I shall proceed to pull from thin air). Ahem. Barbed Arrow Longer and heavier than a standard arrow, a Barbed Arrow sports a serrated head and hefty barbs constructed to prevent easy removal from whatever material the arrow pierces. If you score a successful hit with a Barbed Arrow and roll at least 5 on the damage die, the arrow lodges in the victim. If the arrow is removed without first making a successful Heal check (DC 15), it deals an additional 1d6 damage upon removal. In addition to its primary combative use, a Barbed Arrow can be attached to a length of thin rope or chord (of silk or greater quality) with a successful Use Rope check (DC 15). The arrow may then be fired at a distant object and, should the arrow damage the object (by surpassing the object's hardness) but not destroy it, it will remain stuck there sturdy enough to support 20lb per point of the objects hardness. If the arrow is successful fired and damages a creature while attached to a rope, the arrow may be removed by the attacker by force if he wins an opposed Strength check with the target as an attack action. The victim automatically fails the strength check if he is flat-footed or otherwise denied his dexterity bonus to his AC. When the barbed arrow is attached to a rope, the wielder suffers a -4 circumstance penalty to attack, and the range increment of the weapon used to fire the arrow is reduced by three quarters. Even without attaching a rope, the range increment of the weapon is reduced by half. A barbed arrow weighs double that of a normal arrow, to account for its greater size and more substantial arrowhead. 50 hooked arrows cost 500 gold pieces to craft, and require a Craft: Fletchery check of DC 25. Barbed Arrows are considered exotic weapons. Barbed Bolts (to be fired from a crossbow) also exist, though are more rare, despite the identical cost.
dunkeykong 05-14-07, 07:29 PM	Don't mind Edy, he just got pimp slapped by some Horde today and he cancelled his WoW account. :D I very much doubt Edy would have gone Alliance. He strikes me as a troll Shaman, or maybe Tauren. Alliance sucks. MY LIFE FOR THE HORDE!!!!!!
Edymnion 05-14-07, 08:55 PM	I very much doubt Edy would have gone Alliance. He strikes me as a troll Shaman, or maybe Tauren. Alliance sucks. MY LIFE FOR THE HORDE!!!!!!Actually, in WC3, I was Necromancers all the way. Food sources that double as defensive structures. Soul Towers ftw. So, your life for the Horde, but after that, you're mine. :devil:
UnderworldLord 05-14-07, 09:23 PM	Admittedly, I played Alliance in WC3: Frozen Throne. The 21 armor knights strategy was excllent, so long as you had some other way to take out air. In WoW, however, I have thrown my lot with the horde. However, I believe this thread has been successfully hijacked.
Vharuck 05-14-07, 11:13 PM	Actually, in WC3, I was Necromancers all the way. Food sources that double as defensive structures. Soul Towers ftw. So, your life for the Horde, but after that, you're mine. :devil: And nothing like the Dread Knight's raise dead to instantly turn the tide on a skirmish that went on a little longer than expected.
RogueElement 05-16-07, 04:18 AM	Yeah! Crank up the radio! "But there ain't no whales, so we tell tall tales, and sing a wailing tune..." Kinger, ftw! I'd give the 5 gp to you, but some warforged rogue with a Battle Visor and Camouflaged Compartment stole my wallet.