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View Full Version : Elven Double Bow with Manyshot? [3.5]



Volos
2009-10-28, 04:58 PM
I'm a new DM, having only run a handful of out-of-the-book adventures. An interesting question came from one of my newbie players the other day and I'm not sure how I should rule on it. She asked me if she were to combind the elven double bow (Arms and Equipment Guide) with the Rapidshot and Manyshot feats, would she be able to shoot four arrows with the special bow? I thought this to be fairly reasonable. It takes a move action to load the second string, which might be easier to do for someone with the rapid shot feat. If you can shoot more then once a turn, stringing a second arrow should be too hard, right? And with the manyshot feat, you would be able to shoot two arrows per string. The cumilative penalty I would apply would be a -4 for the manyshot and a -2 for the bow, to a -6 for shooting four arrows. Does this seem broken? The bow itself costs 1000 gp, and I don't hand out heavy amounts of gold in my campain in the first place. She's been saving up for this weapon but I'm not sure if this would be fair to the other players. She is the only ranged weapon fighter, so giving her this advantage would be helping the party in the long run. Feel free to correct me if I misquoted something.

Double Bow, Elven: This double-stringed longbow
can be used as a normal longbow by anyone proficient
in that weapon. Characters with Exotic Weapon Proficiency
(elven double bow) can use the bow to fire two
arrows at once. Nocking an arrow on the second string
requires a move-equivalent action. Once the wielder
has taken an action to load the second string, his next
attack is a double shot that launches both arrows
simultaneously at the same target. The wielder makes
one attack roll at a –2 penalty to determine whether or
not both arrows strike the target. If the attack is successful,
both arrows deal normal damage. If the attack
is a critical hit, only one arrow deals extra damage, and
extra sneak attack damage is applied only once.

Shadwen
2009-10-28, 05:09 PM
It sounds about right, what level might they be at atm?

Cieyrin
2009-10-28, 05:12 PM
I could see Manyshot getting off 3 shots, two for the feat, an extra one for the double bow. Rapid Shot won't stack with Manyshot, since Rapid Shot requires a full attack, which Manyshot is not.

Otherwise, your logic is sound. You're spending a feat to get proficiency with the Double Bow on top of everything else, so you should benefit, though what it comes down to is that you get an extra arrow from Manyshot earlier by making it a full round attack. You're also putting all your eggs in one basket this way, as it's all or nothing with one attack roll, as opposed to the 3 separate shots you could be getting by doing a normal full attack at -2 per.

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

Shadwen
2009-10-28, 05:14 PM
Agreed it does cost alot, and there is a high fail chance that you will hit.

sofawall
2009-10-28, 05:34 PM
You get two attacks from BAB, one extra attack from Rapid Shot, and one extra shot from the second string. Four attacks as a full-round action..

Rapid Shot is part of a full attack, Manyshot is a standard action. They don't work together, sadly.

EDIT: Alternatively:
You get two attacks from BAB, and one extra from the bow as a standard action using Multishot.