Bow Idea

[pbdr]

So, i'm trying to throw a bone to the party's archer and want to give them a bow. The group is just about 9th lvl, but this would be a weapon for the archer fro a while.

My idea is a bow made from a single rib of a young Force Dragon (they still have some flesh and blood at that age I think).

+1 Mighty (+2, but can be adjusted with a DC 22 craft check) Force Dragon Bone Bow (of Force), each arrow does 1d10 base force damage.

The drawback is that if the archer uses poison, which she does, it does not work if they use the force arrow.

So overall a +3 weapon, probably about 20 k value (18 for +3, masterwork, mighty, bone bow, etc. gets it to 20 ish).

Decent idea? Ok for a 9th - 12th lvl character?

[Rebel7284]

The best thing you can give to an archer is a splitting bow.

[pbdr]

The best thing you can give to an archer is a splitting bow.

I don't have that book. What do you think about the bow idea above?

[Azoth]

If you want to give out a free bow that is around 20k in value might I suggest Hank's Energy Bow


http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a

[pbdr]

If you want to give out a free bow that is around 20k in value might I suggest Hank's Energy Bow


http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a

I know this is very similar, but Hank's bow is Hank's bow and I can't get over that.....

Plus this gives the option of using magic arrows.

[ZamielVanWeber]

No magic arrows; in return bull's strength is way better on them. Trade off.

[Forrestfire]

I'm going to second Splitting (I'm sure google can find a description of it at least, it's a fairly straightforward ability) as the best thing you could give an archer, although the force dragon bow is fairly cool as well.

[Fouredged Sword]

Lets break down what you are giving and check off boxes.

+1 mighty - Total +2
Force effect - The arrows are made of force and hit ghosts - Ghost touch +1

So yeah, a +3 bow. This is very in line with 12th level play and shouldn't be restricted by the poison thing.

[Incanur]

I know this is very similar, but Hank's bow is Hank's bow and I can't get over that.....

Plus this gives the option of using magic arrows.

The energy bow also gives the option of using magical arrows.

[Slipperychicken]

The drawback is that if the archer uses poison, which she does, it does not work if they use the force arrow.


How often do you really need a poisoned force arrow anyway?

[pbdr]

The energy bow also gives the option of using magical arrows.

I see that now, but it's still Hank's bow. I'd rather make a unique bow than re-use something from the D&D Cartoon....

I'm not a fan of splitting bow for some reason. Plus one of the issues with archer builds is the lack of ability to overcome DR.

This group is not very optimized, they just aren't that experienced with it, so i try to keep it simple.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Important question: what class is the archer? Depending on what they are doing, those might be amazing/terrible for them, or you might be better of handing them an "energy bow." Poison implies rogue into assassin (or ninja), but otherwise I am clueless.

[pbdr]

Important question: what class is the archer? Depending on what they are doing, those might be amazing/terrible for them, or you might be better of handing them an "energy bow." Poison implies rogue into assassin (or ninja), but otherwise I am clueless.

Chaotic Neutral (ugh) Ranger 5/ Deepwood Sniper 2 (It's 3.0 but i thought it would work for 3.5 as is). They have run into some poisons and she is getting decent use out of them.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Okay. Bone bow is an exotic weapon, so I assume they already have proficiency. I would say let them use poison; they have the class feature coming to them, don't punish them for it. Are incorporeal dudes enough of a problem that force is needed? Otherwise I would REALLY recommend that you look into splitting; it is amazing for archers.

[Mithril Leaf]

Give them a +1 Force (MIC 35) Dragonbone Bone Bow, with free proficiency. Solid distance, auto-adjusts for Strength, bypasses DR. Doesn't remove the poison, simple makes the attack resolve as a force attack.

[tyckspoon]

...Bone Bow... auto-adjusts for Strength

No, it doesn't. It should, because that's such an obvious thing for archers to get and it's a reasonable bonus to get in exchange for the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat you spend on it (much better than +20 range increment, anyway..), but it doesn't.

[Mithril Leaf]

No, it doesn't. It should, because that's such an obvious thing for archers to get and it's a reasonable bonus to get in exchange for the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat you spend on it (much better than +20 range increment, anyway..), but it doesn't.

I'm looking at the rules for Composite Longbows, and they have this to say:


You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a composite longbow while mounted. All composite bows are made with a particular strength rating (that is, each requires a minimum Strength modifier to use with proficiency). If your Strength bonus is less than the strength rating of the composite bow, you can’t effectively use it, so you take a -2 penalty on attacks with it. The default composite longbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite longbow can be made with a high strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 100 gp to its cost.

Bone Bows function as Composite Longbows with regards to adding Strength to damage. Composite Longbows say about adding your strength to damage that it is capped by the number listed. Bone Bows have no number listed and therefore, no cap. It's good enough to be RAW if you look at it and squint a little.

[cerin616]

Bone Bows function as Composite Longbows with regards to adding Strength to damage. Composite Longbows say about adding your strength to damage that it is capped by the number listed. Bone Bows have no number listed and therefore, no cap. It's good enough to be RAW if you look at it and squint a little.

Where can i see the rules on bone bows?

In other news, our DM made a bow for our ranger that still has some properties we can figure out in the future. so far though, it does not fire arrows, but instead fires, for lack of better words, force bolts. these force bolts can be toggled into piercing damage, bludgeoning damage, and slashing damage.

It ends up being pretty cool. and the ranger is OK with not using that bow for poisoning things

[tyckspoon]

Bone Bows function as Composite Longbows with regards to adding Strength to damage. Composite Longbows say about adding your strength to damage that it is capped by the number listed. Bone Bows have no number listed and therefore, no cap. It's good enough to be RAW if you look at it and squint a little.

The PHB listing for Composite Longbow in the weapons chart also has no attached number. Your same argument would apply just as well there, and thus there is never any requirement to ever buy a Composite Longbow made for a higher Strength rating. But we know that is incorrect, because the PHB spends a couple of paragraphs on a clarifying example that is very clear about it. Composite Longbows don't work that way. And Bone Bows function as Composite Longbows in this respect. Ergo, Bone Bows don't work that way either.

[underlaud]

The best thing you can give to an archer is a splitting bow.

Splitting was a 3.0 enhancement. +3 bonus, every time you fired an arrow it breaks into two, giving you two attacks for one. So every attack becomes 2. It was replaced in 3.5 with Speed.

[sleepyphoenixx]

The cheapest bow with variable strength bonus is the Bow of the Wintermoon (3400gp, CC) iirc. That's always a good starting point.
Strip of the silly relic stuff, make it out of Serren (BoED) for automatic Ghost Touch and add one or two additional enhancements (Seeking is always nice and Transmuting(MIC) bypasses DR while still allowing use of arrows) and your player will probably be happy.

Force is overrated anyway. If i wanted to shoot force missiles i'd make a sorcerer.

[Kudaku]

How would you feel about a bow that granted the PF version of Manyshot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/manyshot-combat---final)? It helps archers out tremendously compared to the 3.5 version.

[PraxisVetli]

How often do you really need a poisoned force arrow anyway?
Those pesky wizards.

[Mithril Leaf]

The PHB listing for Composite Longbow in the weapons chart also has no attached number. Your same argument would apply just as well there, and thus there is never any requirement to ever buy a Composite Longbow made for a higher Strength rating. But we know that is incorrect, because the PHB spends a couple of paragraphs on a clarifying example that is very clear about it. Composite Longbows don't work that way. And Bone Bows function as Composite Longbows in this respect. Ergo, Bone Bows don't work that way either.

I fully acknowledge that it doesn't quite work by RAW. What I'm saying is that since the idea is to throw a bone to the archer, it's close enough to almost RAW that fudging it would go unnoticed.

[PraxisVetli]

+1 Mighty (+2, but can be adjusted with a DC 22 craft check)

What does that mean?
Are you referring to the enchantment or the Str bonus of the bow?