Jerthanis
2007-06-07, 02:39 PM
I can't think of a name for this ability beyond the obvious "Adjustable Draw" or "Mercurial Draw", but the idea behind this ability is to allow Composite bows to shift their design to accommodate the strength of the user as it changes. As it stands there's just no way to effectively buff an archer's damage with the same ease as you can buff a melee fighter's damage. This is a change designed to allow certain types of archer to benefit more from certain types of buff; and for Barbarians to be able to maintain a single backup weapon
Lesser Mercurial Draw (+1 special ability)
This enchantment can only be applied to composite bows. A weapon with this enchantment will actually alter its structure, and the pliability of the material it is made with to maximize the strength of the draw while still allowing the wielder to fire normally. There are limits, however. A weapon so enchanted cannot change its draw more than two points in either direction from the pull the weapon had before it became enchanted. Thus, if a +3 strength bonus composite bow were wielded by a character with 12 strength, it would fire as if it were a +1 strength bonus bow. If that character were to don an item which gave them +6 strength, the bow would then fire as if it were designed as a +4 strength bonus composite bow. This will not reduce the composite strength score below 0.
Greater Mercurial Draw (+2 special ability)
This enchantment works as its lesser version, but with fewer limits. First, the bow will alter its form to supernatural extents, gaining or reducing its composite strength bonus by up to 10 points. Thus, a 12 strength character who somehow gets +20 to his or her strength score, would fire such a bow as if it had been designed for someone with a 32 strength. Additionally, this allows characters with a negative strength score to circumvent the penalty associated with being too weak to fire a bow properly, as the magic of the bow will help the arrow along to reaching the full velocity it needs. Thus, if a 12 strength character were to become Exhausted, taking a -6 penalty to his or her strength score, they would fire the bow at no penalty, as if they had a 10 strength.
Any help with the wording, examples, or rules behind this? Thanks.
Lesser Mercurial Draw (+1 special ability)
This enchantment can only be applied to composite bows. A weapon with this enchantment will actually alter its structure, and the pliability of the material it is made with to maximize the strength of the draw while still allowing the wielder to fire normally. There are limits, however. A weapon so enchanted cannot change its draw more than two points in either direction from the pull the weapon had before it became enchanted. Thus, if a +3 strength bonus composite bow were wielded by a character with 12 strength, it would fire as if it were a +1 strength bonus bow. If that character were to don an item which gave them +6 strength, the bow would then fire as if it were designed as a +4 strength bonus composite bow. This will not reduce the composite strength score below 0.
Greater Mercurial Draw (+2 special ability)
This enchantment works as its lesser version, but with fewer limits. First, the bow will alter its form to supernatural extents, gaining or reducing its composite strength bonus by up to 10 points. Thus, a 12 strength character who somehow gets +20 to his or her strength score, would fire such a bow as if it had been designed for someone with a 32 strength. Additionally, this allows characters with a negative strength score to circumvent the penalty associated with being too weak to fire a bow properly, as the magic of the bow will help the arrow along to reaching the full velocity it needs. Thus, if a 12 strength character were to become Exhausted, taking a -6 penalty to his or her strength score, they would fire the bow at no penalty, as if they had a 10 strength.
Any help with the wording, examples, or rules behind this? Thanks.