Bow / Crossbow magic weapon mods [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bow / Crossbow magic weapon mods [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TechOgre
02-24-06, 02:37 PM I'm looking for some help in designing some new abilities for magic bow and crossbows:

Self Loading - allows you to draw a bow or crossbow with only one hand. The bow string in both cases is drawn back with a free action. Only one hand is required. Loading a bolt/arrow is a free action. This is worth a +1.

Infinite Ammunition - when drawn, a non-magical arrow or bolt is created in the proper position for firing from a bow or cross bow. The arrow will only last long enough to fire and hit the target. This is worth a +1.

Do these costs seem reasonable?
BRJN
02-25-06, 09:55 PM Shower of Arrows - The user may shoot at a number of targets equal to his CR, as seen from the enemy's point of view, per turn. The targets must be in adjacent squares. This uses up all the user's actions for the turn.

Hail of Arrows - The user may shoot at 10+CR targets as a single attack action. This acts otherwise like the Shower above. This is a one-attack-equivalent action. (This acts like a machine gun.)

Piercing Ammunition - ignores a few levels of AC offered by armor, shields, &c. Useless against unarmored targets or those which have high AC due to DEX (or similar) bonuses.

Returning Ammunition - after the battle is over, any arrows that missed their target magically return to the quiver, usually while the user is not paying attention or while he sleeps. May show up as a pile of arrows lying on the ground instead.

Spell-Storing Arrow - similar to the Arcane Archer's ability, the user may cast a spell on an arrow and get that result centered on wherever the arrow lands. May be discovered as loot with a scrollcase full of appropriate spell scrolls. I recommend Fireball (vs fighters), Silence 15' Radius (vs magic-users), Grease (on a slope), Confusion (into a crowd), or Summon Monster (targetted behind the enemy).

Cantrip-Storing Arrow - as above but for low-level parties.

Spell-Storing Arrow II - as above. The spell stored is Cure Heavy Wounds. Imagine the enemy's astonishment when you start shooting your own friends in the back! And they like it!
Flushmaster
02-25-06, 10:34 PM Self Loading - allows you to draw a bow or crossbow with only one hand. The bow string in both cases is drawn back with a free action. Only one hand is required. Loading a bolt/arrow is a free action. This is worth a +1.

...

Do these costs seem reasonable?

No. First off, it doesn't make sense, or is at least poorly worded. "Allows you to draw a bow or crossbow with only one hand" suggests that you are holding the weapon by the string and only the string. Also, if you're using one hand to load it then it is obviously not self loading. With normal bows drawing and knocking an arrow is a free action (meaning you can shoot as many times as you have attacks when using full attack or feats like rapid shot, manyvshot, etc). If an arrow automatically appears knocked and drawn and the bow can actually be wielded one handed then you just made it possible to dual wield longbows and, besides being awkward, physically impossible to aim while giving room for both strings to be fully drawn (archers stand sideways and draw accross their body; they don't just point them forward like a wild west gunslinger does pistols), and just plain stupid, it is just begging to be used in a munchkiny manner. If it doesn't do that you just paid the price of a magical enhancement to make the bow do something completely unnecessary because you can knock and draw arrows as free actions (it is considered part of actually shooting the bow).

As to crossbows, we already have "self loading" crossbows. They're called repeating crossbows, are nonmagical (ie cheaper) and require a feat to wield proficiently. Alternatively, hand and light crossbows can be reloaded as free actions by a proficient wielder with the Rapid Reload feat. Also, while you may wield crossbows one handed, you take a penalty to attack (-2, IIRC) for anything but a hand crossbow because the weapon is too large to effectively wield one handed.

As to the infinite ammo idea, I'll point out that it would be a lot cheaper just to get a bad of holding, or such and dump a crapload of arrows into it than add this to a bow, but if somebody is that worried about running out of arrows then yeah, go ahead. Just make sure to include a line in the description that the arrow disappears one round after it was conjured so you don't ave a player trying to pull a fast one on you by using this ability to create a metric ass ton of arrows for free and selling them to the local archery shop.
DeadKeepWalking
02-25-06, 10:52 PM Shower and Hail of Arrows already exist as a spell in the Spell Compendium for Rangers.
The Ranger gets to make one ranged attack with a bow, at their highest base attack, against every target the Ranger sees, or otherwise detects (i.e. blindsight, tremorsense, scent), and wishes to attack this round, and this round only; replaces their full attack action.

Piercing arrows wouldn't be used. Why use those when a +X arrow does the same thing against all targets?
Now, if the piercing arrow reduced the effectiveness of Fortification, that would be a different story.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TechOgre 02-24-06, 02:37 PM	I'm looking for some help in designing some new abilities for magic bow and crossbows: Self Loading - allows you to draw a bow or crossbow with only one hand. The bow string in both cases is drawn back with a free action. Only one hand is required. Loading a bolt/arrow is a free action. This is worth a +1. Infinite Ammunition - when drawn, a non-magical arrow or bolt is created in the proper position for firing from a bow or cross bow. The arrow will only last long enough to fire and hit the target. This is worth a +1. Do these costs seem reasonable?
BRJN 02-25-06, 09:55 PM	Shower of Arrows - The user may shoot at a number of targets equal to his CR, as seen from the enemy's point of view, per turn. The targets must be in adjacent squares. This uses up all the user's actions for the turn. Hail of Arrows - The user may shoot at 10+CR targets as a single attack action. This acts otherwise like the Shower above. This is a one-attack-equivalent action. (This acts like a machine gun.) Piercing Ammunition - ignores a few levels of AC offered by armor, shields, &c. Useless against unarmored targets or those which have high AC due to DEX (or similar) bonuses. Returning Ammunition - after the battle is over, any arrows that missed their target magically return to the quiver, usually while the user is not paying attention or while he sleeps. May show up as a pile of arrows lying on the ground instead. Spell-Storing Arrow - similar to the Arcane Archer's ability, the user may cast a spell on an arrow and get that result centered on wherever the arrow lands. May be discovered as loot with a scrollcase full of appropriate spell scrolls. I recommend Fireball (vs fighters), Silence 15' Radius (vs magic-users), Grease (on a slope), Confusion (into a crowd), or Summon Monster (targetted behind the enemy). Cantrip-Storing Arrow - as above but for low-level parties. Spell-Storing Arrow II - as above. The spell stored is Cure Heavy Wounds. Imagine the enemy's astonishment when you start shooting your own friends in the back! And they like it!
Flushmaster 02-25-06, 10:34 PM	Self Loading - allows you to draw a bow or crossbow with only one hand. The bow string in both cases is drawn back with a free action. Only one hand is required. Loading a bolt/arrow is a free action. This is worth a +1. ... Do these costs seem reasonable? No. First off, it doesn't make sense, or is at least poorly worded. "Allows you to draw a bow or crossbow with only one hand" suggests that you are holding the weapon by the string and only the string. Also, if you're using one hand to load it then it is obviously not self loading. With normal bows drawing and knocking an arrow is a free action (meaning you can shoot as many times as you have attacks when using full attack or feats like rapid shot, manyvshot, etc). If an arrow automatically appears knocked and drawn and the bow can actually be wielded one handed then you just made it possible to dual wield longbows and, besides being awkward, physically impossible to aim while giving room for both strings to be fully drawn (archers stand sideways and draw accross their body; they don't just point them forward like a wild west gunslinger does pistols), and just plain stupid, it is just begging to be used in a munchkiny manner. If it doesn't do that you just paid the price of a magical enhancement to make the bow do something completely unnecessary because you can knock and draw arrows as free actions (it is considered part of actually shooting the bow). As to crossbows, we already have "self loading" crossbows. They're called repeating crossbows, are nonmagical (ie cheaper) and require a feat to wield proficiently. Alternatively, hand and light crossbows can be reloaded as free actions by a proficient wielder with the Rapid Reload feat. Also, while you may wield crossbows one handed, you take a penalty to attack (-2, IIRC) for anything but a hand crossbow because the weapon is too large to effectively wield one handed. As to the infinite ammo idea, I'll point out that it would be a lot cheaper just to get a bad of holding, or such and dump a crapload of arrows into it than add this to a bow, but if somebody is that worried about running out of arrows then yeah, go ahead. Just make sure to include a line in the description that the arrow disappears one round after it was conjured so you don't ave a player trying to pull a fast one on you by using this ability to create a metric ass ton of arrows for free and selling them to the local archery shop.
DeadKeepWalking 02-25-06, 10:52 PM	Shower and Hail of Arrows already exist as a spell in the Spell Compendium for Rangers. The Ranger gets to make one ranged attack with a bow, at their highest base attack, against every target the Ranger sees, or otherwise detects (i.e. blindsight, tremorsense, scent), and wishes to attack this round, and this round only; replaces their full attack action. Piercing arrows wouldn't be used. Why use those when a +X arrow does the same thing against all targets? Now, if the piercing arrow reduced the effectiveness of Fortification, that would be a different story.