Bow and Arrows question? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bow and Arrows question? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
triss_erventine
03-06-07, 01:30 AM I never really though about it too much until recently but when you have a mw bow you get a +1 to attack/ +0 to damage. Now I have a few qestions. 1. So if you had a magic +2 longbow it would be +2 to attack/ would this also add +2 to damage and if it did would this also help the arrow fired from the bow to bypass damage reduction? 2. Now to make things more complicated if you had this same +2 longbow and now the archer is adding to this a +1 arrow the attack bonus would now be up to +3/ and would the damage be +1 or +3? Sorry I've played the game for years but I've not really personally encountered this sitations and help would be appriciated :)

Thanks
Triss Erventine
Kapalen
03-06-07, 01:42 AM I never really though about it too much until recently but when you have a mw bow you get a +1 to attack/ +0 to damage. Now I have a few qestions. 1. So if you had a magic +2 longbow it would be +2 to attack/ would this also add +2 to damage and if it did would this also help the arrow fired from the bow to bypass damage reduction? 2. Now to make things more complicated if you had this same +2 longbow and now the archer is adding to this a +1 arrow the attack bonus would now be up to +3/ and would the damage be +1 or +3? Sorry I've played the game for years but I've not really personally encountered this sitations and help would be appriciated :)

Thanks
Triss Erventine

A magical bonus on a bow is an enhancement bonus and therefore does not stack with the enhancement bonus of a mw weapon or the enhancement bonus of a magic arrow. A +2 bow firing +1 arrows gets +2 to hit and +2 to damage. and regrardless of the magicness of the arrows the magic bow would help the arrows overcome dr/magic
triss_erventine
03-06-07, 01:46 AM so just to make sure a +2 longbow with plus one arrows does not get a +3 to attack and damage just a +2 because that is the higher of the two?
Comus
03-06-07, 02:00 AM so just to make sure a +2 longbow with plus one arrows does not get a +3 to attack and damage just a +2 because that is the higher of the two?
That's right.

To use a more complicated example, let's say the player has a +2 shock bow. If he fires normal arrows from it, they are +2 to hit and deal +2 damage, +1d6 elec. If he fires +1 flaming arrows from the bow, they are at +2 to hit and deal +2 damage, +1d6 elec, +1d6 fire.
triss_erventine
03-06-07, 02:08 AM thanks a bunch guys this really will be helpful I know that I can always count on you guys :D
CharlieRock
03-06-07, 04:14 AM Yeah, good refresher. Two of my players just got armed with magic bows. One was a longbow of corrosion, the other a heavy x-bow +2.
Still sucks they have to take feats to use their second attack they would normally get in melee.
Radijs
03-06-07, 07:50 AM For both bows?

Drawing & nocking arrows for longbows and shortbows is a free action. You don't need to take additional feats to make a full attack for them.
Dunsel
03-06-07, 08:41 AM For both bows?

Drawing & nocking arrows for longbows and shortbows is a free action. You don't need to take additional feats to make a full attack for them.

Right, the quickdraw feat is for missile weapons other than bows.
CharlieRock
03-06-07, 08:45 AM For both bows?

Drawing & nocking arrows for longbows and shortbows is a free action. You don't need to take additional feats to make a full attack for them.
What exactly does Quick Draw do for you then? (besides just pulling the bow out faster?)
I remember somebody had needed to use that feat for using ranged attacks to get all his regular attacks in one round.
CharlieRock
03-06-07, 08:51 AM Right, the quickdraw feat is for missile weapons other than bows.
Crossbows suck more then that, you need rapid reload (and it only helps x-bows)
starfire311
03-06-07, 08:56 AM I never really though about it too much until recently but when you have a mw bow you get a +1 to attack/ +0 to damage. Now I have a few qestions. 1. So if you had a magic +2 longbow it would be +2 to attack/ would this also add +2 to damage and if it did would this also help the arrow fired from the bow to bypass damage reduction? 2. Now to make things more complicated if you had this same +2 longbow and now the archer is adding to this a +1 arrow the attack bonus would now be up to +3/ and would the damage be +1 or +3? Sorry I've played the game for years but I've not really personally encountered this sitations and help would be appriciated :)

Thanks
Triss Erventine

Triss, it appears to me that you are playing 3.0 not 3.5 since you reference the Damage Reduction +2... I think that is what you meant by "bypass damage reduction? 2"

If this is the case then indeed the bonuses from the bow and arrow would stack for attack and damage, however, I think that only the arrow's enhancement bonus would count for overcoming DR(this I am not sure about since I don't have my books with me)

I am having trouble finding it in the SRD, I will check my 3.0 Books when I get home tonight.

FYI, none of the above applies if you are playing 3.5
Radijs
03-06-07, 09:06 AM Nononononoo no no no...
Quickdraw is not needed for any kind of bow.

Quickdraw lets you draw your weapon as a free action (instead of a move action or part of a move action).

Rapid reload is needed to decrease the time needed to load crossbows. From move to free action for light crossbows. From full-round to move action for heavy crossbows.

Crossbows are simple weapons and as such its not very surprising that they are inferior to the martial handbows.
Cyanide300
03-06-07, 09:22 AM Quick draw will let you draw a weapon as a free action, so you could do stuff like draw and attack in a suprise round that only gives a partcial action. Also, you need quick draw to use multiple attacks with thrown weapons. In addition, you can draw a hidden weapons as a move action rather than a standard action.
CharlieRock
03-06-07, 09:55 AM Quick draw will let you draw a weapon as a free action, so you could do stuff like draw and attack in a suprise round that only gives a partcial action. Also, you need quick draw to use multiple attacks with thrown weapons. In addition, you can draw a hidden weapons as a move action rather than a standard action.
Okay, I think that was what we were using when this came up as an issue (back in Aug '06). I was trying to throw axes at my regular attack rate but couldn't. I don't play often at all and forget what my characters actually use or do.
So, rapid reload is needed for firing X-bows a full attack speed.
And , nothing else is needed for handbows.
And, quick draw is needed for thrown weapons.
Bonus stacked in 3.0 ,not in 3.5.
Anything I missed? :whatsthis

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
triss_erventine 03-06-07, 01:30 AM	I never really though about it too much until recently but when you have a mw bow you get a +1 to attack/ +0 to damage. Now I have a few qestions. 1. So if you had a magic +2 longbow it would be +2 to attack/ would this also add +2 to damage and if it did would this also help the arrow fired from the bow to bypass damage reduction? 2. Now to make things more complicated if you had this same +2 longbow and now the archer is adding to this a +1 arrow the attack bonus would now be up to +3/ and would the damage be +1 or +3? Sorry I've played the game for years but I've not really personally encountered this sitations and help would be appriciated :) Thanks Triss Erventine
Kapalen 03-06-07, 01:42 AM	I never really though about it too much until recently but when you have a mw bow you get a +1 to attack/ +0 to damage. Now I have a few qestions. 1. So if you had a magic +2 longbow it would be +2 to attack/ would this also add +2 to damage and if it did would this also help the arrow fired from the bow to bypass damage reduction? 2. Now to make things more complicated if you had this same +2 longbow and now the archer is adding to this a +1 arrow the attack bonus would now be up to +3/ and would the damage be +1 or +3? Sorry I've played the game for years but I've not really personally encountered this sitations and help would be appriciated :) Thanks Triss Erventine A magical bonus on a bow is an enhancement bonus and therefore does not stack with the enhancement bonus of a mw weapon or the enhancement bonus of a magic arrow. A +2 bow firing +1 arrows gets +2 to hit and +2 to damage. and regrardless of the magicness of the arrows the magic bow would help the arrows overcome dr/magic
triss_erventine 03-06-07, 01:46 AM	so just to make sure a +2 longbow with plus one arrows does not get a +3 to attack and damage just a +2 because that is the higher of the two?
Comus 03-06-07, 02:00 AM	so just to make sure a +2 longbow with plus one arrows does not get a +3 to attack and damage just a +2 because that is the higher of the two? That's right. To use a more complicated example, let's say the player has a +2 shock bow. If he fires normal arrows from it, they are +2 to hit and deal +2 damage, +1d6 elec. If he fires +1 flaming arrows from the bow, they are at +2 to hit and deal +2 damage, +1d6 elec, +1d6 fire.
triss_erventine 03-06-07, 02:08 AM	thanks a bunch guys this really will be helpful I know that I can always count on you guys :D
CharlieRock 03-06-07, 04:14 AM	Yeah, good refresher. Two of my players just got armed with magic bows. One was a longbow of corrosion, the other a heavy x-bow +2. Still sucks they have to take feats to use their second attack they would normally get in melee.
Radijs 03-06-07, 07:50 AM	For both bows? Drawing & nocking arrows for longbows and shortbows is a free action. You don't need to take additional feats to make a full attack for them.
Dunsel 03-06-07, 08:41 AM	For both bows? Drawing & nocking arrows for longbows and shortbows is a free action. You don't need to take additional feats to make a full attack for them. Right, the quickdraw feat is for missile weapons other than bows.
CharlieRock 03-06-07, 08:45 AM	For both bows? Drawing & nocking arrows for longbows and shortbows is a free action. You don't need to take additional feats to make a full attack for them. What exactly does Quick Draw do for you then? (besides just pulling the bow out faster?) I remember somebody had needed to use that feat for using ranged attacks to get all his regular attacks in one round.
CharlieRock 03-06-07, 08:51 AM	Right, the quickdraw feat is for missile weapons other than bows. Crossbows suck more then that, you need rapid reload (and it only helps x-bows)
starfire311 03-06-07, 08:56 AM	I never really though about it too much until recently but when you have a mw bow you get a +1 to attack/ +0 to damage. Now I have a few qestions. 1. So if you had a magic +2 longbow it would be +2 to attack/ would this also add +2 to damage and if it did would this also help the arrow fired from the bow to bypass damage reduction? 2. Now to make things more complicated if you had this same +2 longbow and now the archer is adding to this a +1 arrow the attack bonus would now be up to +3/ and would the damage be +1 or +3? Sorry I've played the game for years but I've not really personally encountered this sitations and help would be appriciated :) Thanks Triss Erventine Triss, it appears to me that you are playing 3.0 not 3.5 since you reference the Damage Reduction +2... I think that is what you meant by "bypass damage reduction? 2" If this is the case then indeed the bonuses from the bow and arrow would stack for attack and damage, however, I think that only the arrow's enhancement bonus would count for overcoming DR(this I am not sure about since I don't have my books with me) I am having trouble finding it in the SRD, I will check my 3.0 Books when I get home tonight. FYI, none of the above applies if you are playing 3.5
Radijs 03-06-07, 09:06 AM	Nononononoo no no no... Quickdraw is not needed for any kind of bow. Quickdraw lets you draw your weapon as a free action (instead of a move action or part of a move action). Rapid reload is needed to decrease the time needed to load crossbows. From move to free action for light crossbows. From full-round to move action for heavy crossbows. Crossbows are simple weapons and as such its not very surprising that they are inferior to the martial handbows.
Cyanide300 03-06-07, 09:22 AM	Quick draw will let you draw a weapon as a free action, so you could do stuff like draw and attack in a suprise round that only gives a partcial action. Also, you need quick draw to use multiple attacks with thrown weapons. In addition, you can draw a hidden weapons as a move action rather than a standard action.
CharlieRock 03-06-07, 09:55 AM	Quick draw will let you draw a weapon as a free action, so you could do stuff like draw and attack in a suprise round that only gives a partcial action. Also, you need quick draw to use multiple attacks with thrown weapons. In addition, you can draw a hidden weapons as a move action rather than a standard action. Okay, I think that was what we were using when this came up as an issue (back in Aug '06). I was trying to throw axes at my regular attack rate but couldn't. I don't play often at all and forget what my characters actually use or do. So, rapid reload is needed for firing X-bows a full attack speed. And , nothing else is needed for handbows. And, quick draw is needed for thrown weapons. Bonus stacked in 3.0 ,not in 3.5. Anything I missed? :whatsthis