Thorn Pouch thorns as arrow tips

[SalterisSolaris]

One of my players is a ranger specializing in ranged bow combat. Among other shrubbery-related stuff, he has taken a special liking to the Entangle spell - and is now looking to soon acquire a Thorn Pouch. (MIC p188, allows for casting Entangle, SpikeGrowth, WallOfThorns by expending thorn tokens). So far, so nice.

Now... he hasn't done so yet, but if history is any indication, he will ask whether he can attach these thorn tokens to arrows - to launch them at enemies / generally apply the effects at range. (instead of just dropping them on floor as the pouch text suggests).

What's your take on this?
Or would you even claim that the 3 spell effects can be applied at range anyway, no matter where the thorn is dropped?

[Fouredged Sword]

The spells you get from the pouch have the range listed in their entries unless specifically overwritten in the item entry. Take the entangle use. You can chuck that thorn 400+40 per CL feet. How? Magic. The thorn must be thrown though, not shot. Why? Magic. That is how the pouch works.

[SalterisSolaris]

The thing is, the pouch text explicitly talks about dropping them - not throwing them...


[...] single thorn that has one of the following effects (each as the spell of the same name, but with a duration of 9 rounds): 1 charge: Entangle. 3 charges: Spike growth. 5 charges: Wall of thorns. To use a thorn after drawing it forth, you drop it into your own space or any adjacent square (a free action). After 1 round, the thorn produces the desired effect.

I can well understand the notion of simply saying "works as the spell". But then again, if the mere act of dropping triggers the (otherwise normally resolving) spell, then why did they go through the whole trouble of specifying valid squares for it?

[Fouredged Sword]

The item then overrides the range of the spell. If the thorn is thrown or shot more than the distance of "your own space or any adjacent square", it has no effect. This is a case of the item explicitly overriding the range the spell would normally have.

EDIT - I am trying to give general advice in how to read items. I am AFB right now, and cannot check the actual wording. Just remember, the item is magic and using it is preforming a set list of actions that cause the item to activate. deviating from the correct steps fails to activate the magic.