Shoot a spear from a bow

[Temennigru]

Is there any way to shoot a spear from a bow and take advantage of that mechanics-wise?
I'm building a character that fluff-wise does that.

[Morcleon]

Is there any way to shoot a spear from a bow?
I'm building a character that fluff-wise does that.

If you're only looks for it fluff-wise, just fluff your arrows as spears and do everything the same. :smalltongue:

[HolyDraconus]

Monkey grip goliath with an appropriate greatbow.

[Troacctid]

You could use a ballista.

[DrMotives]

Sounds like what you could use is an atlatl. That's a handheld device for extending the range of a thrown spear, which would make it work like a bow or sling under D&D's enchanted weapon rules.

[daremetoidareyo]

Javelin? Frostburn has an ice chucker.

And gimme a sec to find my icechucker abuse from the villainous competition. Kill em from a mile away. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20332970&postcount=42

The spike shooter from races of faerun p.157. You can make any polearm into a ranged weapon and due to the poor description, i have no idea of how it works.

Spikards from Magic of Eberron p.137 is another weird one. Load it with crossbow bolts that only discharge on a melee attack...unless of course you're a bloodstorm blade.

Atlatl is a your mileage may vary situation as the spears that they use are defined as ammunition, but are not your average spear from the PHB. The atlatl is found in sandstorm.

Spear Spikard: A spear spikard resembles a thicker-than-normal shortspear. In fact, it can be wielded as if it were a shortspear even by a character who is not proficient with the spear spikard, though such a char- acter cannot access the weapon’s significant added function.
A spear spikard is actually a hollow weapon capable of delivering a bolt as part of a melee strike. Along the rear third of the shaft is a miniature spring-driven firing mechanism, as well as a channel into which a bolt can be loaded.
Loading a spear spikard is equivalent to loading a light crossbow (a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity). A character with Rapid Reload (light crossbow) can reload a spear spikard as a free action, though this still provokes attacks of opportunity.
A spear spikard cannot fire bolts at range or when the weapon is thrown— instead, it discharges a bolt in conjunction with a successful melee attack. If you have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spear spi- kard) feat, any time you hit a foe in melee with a loaded spear spikard, the mechanism auto- matically triggers, discharging the bolt directly into the target of the attack. The target takes piercing damage equal to the base damage of the weapon (1d4 points of damage for a Small spear spikard or 1d6 points of damage for a Medium spear spikard) in addition to the damage dealt by the initial attack. No additional attack roll is required. This extra damage is not multiplied as part of a critical hit.
Creating a spear spikard requires a DC 20 Craft (weaponsmithing) check.
Characters who take Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spear spikard) can treat the spear spikard as a shortspear for the purpose of any feat or ability that affects the character’s ability to use a shortspear (such as Weapon Focus:shortspear).

War Spikard: A war spikard is similar in principle to the spear spikard, but its crossbow mechanism is melded smoothly into a weapon that resembles an oversized war- hammer. The war spikard’s hammerhead is a mostly solid cylinder pierced with a small channel through which the bolt is discharged. The spring-driven firing mechanism is built into the rear half of the hammerhead, and is loaded through a channel similar to the one on the striking surface of the weapon.
Loading a war spikard is the equivalent of loading a light crossbow (a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity). A character with Rapid Reload (light cross- bow) can reload a war spikard as a free action, though this still provokes attacks of opportunity.
Like the spear spikard, the war spikard can’t fire bolts as a ranged attack. If you have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (war spikard) feat, any time you hit a foe in melee with a loaded war spikard, the mechanism automatically triggers, discharging the bolt directly into the target of the attack. The target takes piercing damage equal to the base damage of the weapon (1d6 points of damage for a Small war spikard or 1d8 points of damage for a Medium war spikard) in addition to the damage dealt by the initial attack. No additional attack roll is required. This extra damage is not multiplied as part of a critical hit.
Creating a war spikard requires a DC 20 Craft (weaponsmithing) check.
Despite the similarity in appearance, the war spikard is not close enough in size and heft to a typical warhammer for a character to benefit from feats or abilities that affect the use of that weapon.

Spike Shooter: This is a modification of a class of weapons, rather than a specific weapon itself, and thus does not require any additional weapon proficiency. This spring-driven device canmodify any weapon that has a spike at the end of a long pole (such as battleaxes, morningstars, and most polearms). The spike shooter allows the spike to be launched at a target as a normal ranged attack. The spike shooter is an inaccurate weapon, and those who use it suffer a –2 penalty on the attack roll. Resetting the spike is a full-round action.

Icechucker: The icechucker appears to be a large cross- bow at a casual glance, larger even than a heavy crossbow. Its launching mechanism is designed to fire large shards of ice (usually icicles) rather than regular crossbow bolts. You draw an icechucker back by pulling on a thick lever on the underside of the weapon. Loading an icechucker is a full- round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
If icicles aren’t handy to load into an icechucker, it can also be used to fire a javelin, dealing the same damage.

Atlatl: An atlatl is a cross between a thrown weapon and a projectile weapon. It uses a flat, thin board made of wood or antler, ranging from 1 to 3 feet long. One
end is held in the hand while the butt of a light spear, 2 to 3 feet long, is placed in a groove at the other end. At the end of the groove is a raised spur or pin to hold the bottom of the spear in place. You hold the loaded spear and handle end of the atlatl in the same hand. With a sidearm or overhead throw, you propel the spear with a force far greater than that of a hand-thrown spear. An atlatl often has a carved stone weight attached to the board’s underside, and many feature a thong of hide or cord to attach to the hand.

[Temennigru]

What I want is more on the lines of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1WgsziSa6A

I don't want to be throwing spears. I want a single spear that I can shoot with a bow. Or something like that.

[Andezzar]

I don't want to be throwing spears. I want a single spear that I can shoot with a bow. Or something like that.Make a custom magic item. A bow that can cast flame arrow/lightning bolt or some similar spell x/day and refluff it so that the spell looks like a shot spear.

[Temennigru]

Make a custom magic item. A bow that can cast flame arrow/lightning bolt or some similar spell x/day and refluff it so that the spell looks like a shot spear.

Actually, now that you mention it, is there a spell that lets me create some sort of projectile that I can shoot from a bow? Something like arrow of bone from complete arcane pg. 97

[Andezzar]

I know of no spell that actually creates projectiles that need to be fired from a weapon. There are however several that enchant ammunition.

[daremetoidareyo]

The closest that you are going to get is the icechucker. It is a crossbow that shoots javelins.

[Temennigru]

The closest that you are going to get is the icechucker. It is a crossbow that shoots javelins.

It can't be the weapon itself. I will be shooting a force bow.

[Andezzar]

It can't be the weapon itself. I will be shooting a force bow.What do you need a physical spear to put on the bowstring for?

[Gallowglass]

What do you need a physical spear to put on the bowstring for?

Because he's not able to wrap his mind around the fact that he can fluff or describe the force bow as launching a spear shaped and sized force projectile rather than whatever he currently envisions it as.

Or he wants to get a larger dice size for his shots.

[khadgar567]

Because he's not able to wrap his mind around the fact that he can fluff or describe the force bow as launching a spear shaped and sized force projectile rather than whatever he currently envisions it as.

Or he wants to get a larger dice size for his shots.
I go with large dice for his shots

[snowblizz]

For the record, that..thing.. in the viedo turns into an arrow when the string is drawn, so...

[khadgar567]

For the record, that..thing.. in the viedo turns into an arrow when the string is drawn, so...
fyi its a sword that shot from bow

[BWR]

I would use the Solar Wind (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/path-of-war/disciplines-and-maneuvers/solar-wind-maneuvers) discipline from Path of War and just fluff it.

[Temennigru]

I wanted a lance both for fluff reasons and so I wouldn't lose it after firing.
Caladbolg is a sword in theory, but it doesn't look like a sword. It looks like a lance.
And it doesn't turn into an arrow when fired. It just elongates when he pulls the string and turns back into its original form when in mid air. That's supposed to make firing it easier.

For now I've decided to stick to arrow of bone, but I'm still open to better ideas.

[flamewolf393]

You would have to size up the bow to be able to shoot the spear. An arrow is a light weapon for your size, a spear is going to be a two-handed weapon so you would need two size categories higher bow-size. You would need to be able to weild said bow. Monkey grip and weild over sized weapon for a -4 to hit. Then a spear would be improvised ammo for another -2.

Two feats and a -6 to hit. Have fun. Or just get shrink weapon on a siege ballista and wield it as a heavy crossbow still doing full damage.

[Temennigru]

You would have to size up the bow to be able to shoot the spear. An arrow is a light weapon for your size, a spear is going to be a two-handed weapon so you would need two size categories higher bow-size. You would need to be able to weild said bow. Monkey grip and weild over sized weapon for a -4 to hit. Then a spear would be improvised ammo for another -2.

Two feats and a -6 to hit. Have fun. Or just get shrink weapon on a siege ballista and wield it as a heavy crossbow still doing full damage.

Or I can get a tiny spear.

__________________________________________________ _

I found a spear that fits the description for caladbolg:
Conflagrant from Planar Handbook
+1 flaming burst ignan longspear, can cast fireball when I throw it.

Still need to find a way to shoot it from a bow (not a crossbow or ballista).

Or I can just use the personal weapon augmentation infusion with one level of artificer and give that ability to an arrow.


Can I just shoot it as an improvised weapon and take -4 to hit?

[Necromancy]

I go with large dice for his shots

Longspear 5 gp 1d6 1d8 ×3 — 9 lb. Piercing
Longbow 75 gp 1d6 1d8 ×3 100 ft. 3 lb. Piercing


Mechanically it's pretty much the same, your ammo costs more and weighs more and thats about it

[ExLibrisMortis]

You can use launch bolt on a spear, and claim it's really a colossal crossbow bolt?

[Andezzar]

You can use launch bolt on a spear, and claim it's really a colossal crossbow bolt?You can't actually do that, because a spear is not a very large crossbow bolt.

BTW What's the purpose of the spell? how often do you have a bolt, but no crossbow?

[ExLibrisMortis]

You can't actually do that, because a spear is not a very large crossbow bolt.

BTW What's the purpose of the spell? how often do you have a bolt, but no crossbow?
You're right, you should reverse it: buy yourself a colossal crossbow bolt, and call it a spear. If it's too thick, make it out of something really strong, like adamantine.

I guess crossbows are too expensive after you've spend all those gps scribing launch bolt into your spellbook? It's easier to smuggle a spell component pouch, too.

[AnimeTheCat]

So, His bow is quite large. Larger in size and structure than most longbows. If you're wanting to launch something like a spear from it, you'll need to make your own weapon. I suggest a greatbow.

Martial Weapon
Medium Dmg - 1d10
Range - 110 feet
Crit - x3
Weight - 6 lbs

Ammunition:
Spears

You're going to weigh yourself down if you don't have some sort of way to lighten the load or magically hold that load.

[Temennigru]

So, His bow is quite large. Larger in size and structure than most longbows. If you're wanting to launch something like a spear from it, you'll need to make your own weapon. I suggest a greatbow.

Martial Weapon
Medium Dmg - 1d10
Range - 110 feet
Crit - x3
Weight - 6 lbs

Ammunition:
Spears

You're going to weigh yourself down if you don't have some sort of way to lighten the load or magically hold that load.

Again, or a really small spear