Stocking up on Ammo (3.5)

[blackmage5242]

I need help from everyone to find me something so that my arrows can be recovered after i shoot them. Trying to save lotsa gp from lost magical arrows.

I have checked Returning enhancement, but it is only for thrown weapons.
Are there any thing similar to it but works for ammo?

[balistafreak]

A Relic called the Raptor Arrow always returns to its shooter the next round, perfectly intact. There are two versions, one of which is overpriced (Complete Divine, I think), and the other of which is in the MiC, which is slightly weaker but leaps and bounds cheaper. It's basically a +1 Returning Arrow that never breaks. If you burn a feat (probably not worth it) or a divine spell slot (sometimes worth it), you can also put the bane quality on them for whatever you shoot at, which is pretty sweet.

Do keep in mind that if shooting multiple arrows in one round, you'll need several of them. Talk to your DM about adding further enhancements.

If you're below level 6 or so, though, you'll be out of luck.

[Grumman]

Also worth consideration is the Splitting enhancement, from one of the Faerun books (Champions of Ruin?). It effectively halves the cost of your ammo since every arrow you shoot splits in two.

[Dragosai]

It has been a long time since I ran or played 3.5, but I thought they did away with magic ranged weapons and magic ammo stacking? I was under the impression that if you have a magic bow that the ammo becomes magic when fired so arrows fired from a +1 bow would be magic at +1 for DR effects, and the ammo would still break since it is now magic. If I am wrong sorry I don't have an easy fix, if I am right then the cost of "normal" ammo should really not be an issue.


One thing that might help, I recall at least one and maybe more quivers that were "endless". I think from the basic DMG magic item list.

[IonDragon]

Also worth consideration is the Splitting enhancement, from one of the Faerun books (Champions of Ruin?). It effectively halves the cost of your ammo since every arrow you shoot splits in two.

That book is correct, but it actually just doubles your output because you shoot the same number of arrows, you just hit twice as many things.

[Yuki Akuma]

It has been a long time since I ran or played 3.5, but I thought they did away with magic ranged weapons and magic ammo stacking? I was under the impression that if you have a magic bow that the ammo becomes magic when fired so arrows fired from a +1 bow would be magic at +1 for DR effects, and the ammo would still break since it is now magic. If I am wrong sorry I don't have an easy fix, if I am right then the cost of "normal" ammo should really not be an issue.


One thing that might help, I recall at least one and maybe more quivers that were "endless". I think from the basic DMG magic item list.

Enhancement bonuses do not stack. Special abilities do.

A +1 Shocking Bow with +1 Flaming arrows fires +1 Shocking, Flaming arrows.

[balistafreak]

It has been a long time since I ran or played 3.5, but I thought they did away with magic ranged weapons and magic ammo stacking? I was under the impression that if you have a magic bow that the ammo becomes magic when fired so arrows fired from a +1 bow would be magic at +1 for DR effects, and the ammo would still break since it is now magic. If I am wrong sorry I don't have an easy fix, if I am right then the cost of "normal" ammo should really not be an issue.

You are correct - normal arrows shot from a +1 bow are, indeed, +1. +1 arrows shot from a normal bow are also +1. +1 arrows shot from a +1 bow are still only +1.

The fun starts when you start having money to burn, because you can combine different kinds of enhancements on your bow and arrows - now you can keep a selection of different +1 arrows for different tasks, from flaming to holy to bane to whatever, and shoot them from your plain ol' +5 something bow, ending up with a +5 something whatever shot. The +1 on the arrows is wasted, but it's a necessary tax to put augmentations.


One thing that might help, I recall at least one and maybe more quivers that were "endless". I think from the basic DMG magic item list.

There's the Elhonna's quiver which has a ridiculous carrying capacity, but I don't actually think there are any "endless" quivers, other than plain ol' extradimensional space.

[blackmage5242]

The stacking is nice which i know about, but the amount of gp to constantly do cool things with them is too high.

Anyway i am currently at level 7 going to be 8 soon, the ammo is running through my wealth faster than using potions/wands worth the same amount.
Since i have to have different type of arrows against different DR.

I will be getting the splitting enhancement maybe talk to my GM for the Raptor arrows.

[Vizzerdrix]

Umm... Livewood arrows? Livewood repairs itself over time. you may need to carry a few extra arrow heads, or get them hit with Ironwood spell.

Also, I shall go find for you Hank's Bow. D&D put out a small guide to the equipment used in the cartoon.

[Crow]

A WotC web enhancement has the Quiver of Anariel (sp?), which is basically an everfull quiver.

[Siosilvar]

I will be getting the splitting enhancement maybe talk to my GM for the Raptor arrows.

Do be warned; even the MIC version will run you 6006 gold and you have to be any Good or True Neutral.

[deuxhero]

As for tracking what is destroyed, just say you can recover every other arrow, quicker than rolling.

I second the quiver, but it has been taken down, likely saved by someone though.

[Vizzerdrix]

Hank's Bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a)

Archery Guide (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=642.0)

Another useful Guide (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=103.0)

[tyckspoon]

Anyway i am currently at level 7 going to be 8 soon, the ammo is running through my wealth faster than using potions/wands worth the same amount.
Since i have to have different type of arrows against different DR.


Are you being required to buy your ammo in bundles of 50? If so.. well, stop it. There is no good reason to buy a full sheaf of 50 adamantine/silvered/cold iron arrows unless you know specifically that you're gonna be fighting adventures full of just one kind of enemy; otherwise, you're never going to get through all 50 and just have wasted money. At your level, I'd probably just focus on the bow for magical enhancements right now and use mundane arrows when you don't need special materials.

[ericgrau]

If you can buy a small amount of arrows for hard fights, or are at high enough level where your bow has much stronger enchantments, then arrows can actually save you money versus putting yet another enchantment on your bow. Especially once you start using bane arrows of every flavor, various special materials for different monster types, and so on. At low levels you probably want masterwork arrows of each metal type. Maybe even buy some silversheen and skip silver arrows if you don't face much DR/silver.

Btw, non-magical arrows have a 50% chance of not breaking and being recoverable by RAW.

[Coidzor]

+1 to Tyckspoon. You only need however many adamantine arrows as you believe you're going to use before the next place you can buy them + room for error + the one you use for picking locks by cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.

[taltamir]

isn't there like a "quiver of infinite arrows" somewhere?

[mabriss lethe]

this is a houserule, and one that I use as a DM, and never had a problem with it, run it by your DM.

-If you pay double the cost of a full batch of (50) pieces of ammo, you don't ever have to worry about keeping track of that type of ammunition. The relief from book keeping is worth the cost, and if you still want to keep a handful of special occasion arrows lying around? That's perfectly fine.

[Hague]

Hrm... why the hell would adamantine arrows be destroyed after you fire them anyway? Seems a little ludicrous to me...

[blackmage5242]

Thanks for all the input, it seems there is no real way to prevent ammo destruction except for the Raptor Arrows. Unless i can twist my GM to give Returning to all ranged weapons.

PS. Need to take a look at the Quiver of Anariel if someone have saved the description of it.

[Vizzerdrix]

I'm positive arrows with livewood shafts can repair themselves.


Or can we find some way to chain mending at least?

[Lycar]

Hrm... why the hell would adamantine arrows be destroyed after you fire them anyway? Seems a little ludicrous to me...

Only the arrowheads are adamtine, the shafts and fletchings aren't.

Same deal with normal arrows really. The heads are probably still fine, just the shafts broke. But unless you want to make a point of recovering the arrowheads for crafting your own arrows or get a rebate when you buy new ones, there is no functional difference between 'destroyed' and 'can't seem to find the damn thing in all that foliage'. :smallwink:

Lycar

[Morph Bark]

A Relic called the Raptor Arrow always returns to its shooter the next round, perfectly intact. There are two versions, one of which is overpriced (Complete Divine, I think), and the other of which is in the MiC, which is slightly weaker but leaps and bounds cheaper. It's basically a +1 Returning Arrow that never breaks. If you burn a feat (probably not worth it) or a divine spell slot (sometimes worth it), you can also put the bane quality on them for whatever you shoot at, which is pretty sweet.

Do keep in mind that if shooting multiple arrows in one round, you'll need several of them. Talk to your DM about adding further enhancements.

If you're below level 6 or so, though, you'll be out of luck.

Can that Relic arrow be further enhanced by the magic enhancements from the bow it is fired from?

Because then you could put the Splitting enhancement on the bow and get two arrows back while you only had one before!

[Bharg]

What about enchanting the bow? :\

[Yuki Akuma]

What about enchanting the bow? :\

A +1 Flaming bow that fires +1 Shocking arrows is cheaper than a +1 Flaming Shocking bow.

Additionally, you can't make bows out of adamantine or cold iron, but you can make arrows out of it.

There are plenty of reasons why an archer would want non-mundane arrows.

[Snake-Aes]

As far as customizing one's equipment for battle, ammunition is right there at the top. You can have arrows for just any type of enemy if you get your hands on extradimensional quivers.

[Skaven]

Hank's Bow (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a)

Hmm, I always wondered what his bow was, but that version is missing its ability to creats energy ropes for climbing or enemy entanglement.