Phoenix042
2016-09-18, 04:36 AM
I'd like some feedback on a powerful magic bow I intend to give to a 5th level Ranger in a game I DM.
I'm not giving +'s to attack and damage with magic weapons in this game. I feel like static bonuses aren't as interesting or exciting as special powers and features.
Even so, I am a little concerned that this bow has too much power, or just too much going on. I'm okay with it being a little ahead on the power curve, but I'd rather not make problems for myself down the road.
So anyways, here it is:
Bow of the Falling Star
Weapon (longbow), very rare
This celestial longbow is made of a single shaped piece of flexible glass, but weighs only one pound. The bow is almost completely an opaque blue-black color except for a glittering crystal lens set into the glass just above the handle, which slightly magnifies distant objects.
If you watch the bow long enough, you notice that silver points of light occasionally streak across its surface, like falling stars across the sky. At night, you can see the stars through the crystal lens even if you aren’t outside or clouds cover the sky.
The handle guard is spiked, and the spikes glow faintly when fiends, undead, or aberrations are within 120ft.
Beacon
Whenever you fire an arrow from this bow, you can use a bonus action to whisper this command word and cause the arrow to shine with pale blue light. The arrow emits bright light out to 10ft and dim light 10ft beyond that. The light fades one minute later or when you use this power again.
Starfire
As an action, you can whisper this command word and fire a single silvered arrow at a point within range. When it reaches that point, the arrow bursts into silver flame, which spreads out to briefly fill a 20ft cube. The fire is cool and deals no damage, but clings to all objects in the area and also to creatures that fail a DC 15 dexterity saving throw. Treat this as the spell faerie fire except this effect does not require concentration and has a range equal to your bow’s long range.
Once you have used this power, you cannot do so again until the next dawn.
Starcall
When you are under the open sky, you can use an action to speak this command word and fire a silvered arrow skyward. When you do so, designate a point on a fixed surface within the long range of this bow and choose a delay of either one round or three rounds.
At the beginning of your turn after the delay, a bolt of silver light lances down from the sky and strikes the point you designated, bursting into a 20ft radius sphere of searing light. All creatures in the affected area must make a DC 15 dexterity saving throw. A creature that fails the save after a one round delay takes 3d8 radiant damage and is blinded until your next turn. A creature that fails its save after a three round delay also takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage and is blasted 10ft away from the point of origin. A creature that succeeds on the save takes half damage and isn’t blinded or pushed. Objects within 5ft of the point of origin take double damage, and creatures in this area have disadvantage on their saving throw.
Once you have used Starcall, you cannot do so again until the next dawn.
Lodestar
While you are under the clear night sky, you can use this bow to perform a 10 minute ritual, beseeching the stars for guidance. During this ritual, you use special materials worth 15gp to carefully inscribe a single question into the shaft of a silvered arrow. This question can be about any goal, event, or activity to occur within 7 days. You then fire the arrow into the sky, where it vanishes with a faint glimmer of light. The answer to your question is then written across the stars, but only you can divine their message.
Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again for 3 days.
I'm particularly interested on feedback about Starcall and Lodestar. Starcall has mechanics that aren't really anywhere else in 5e (besides maybe delayed blast fireball, sort of). I meant it to feel sort of like a siege power, useful when your enemies hold a strategic position they're unlikely to leave soon (like the ramparts at the top of a tower, or a foxhole or other source of cover). I also meant it to destroy structures and surfaces it strikes, collapsing bridges or towers, blasting open gates, etc. But I'm not at all convinced that was clear from the description.
Lodestar was supposed to play to the archetypal affiliation with divination and the constellations, and also provide a sort of "celestial guidance" feel.
But I'm not sure that just copying the effects of the 4th level spell "Divination" fits perfectly here, and I'm still worried that this bow does too much at once.
Any feedback is really appreciated.
I'm not giving +'s to attack and damage with magic weapons in this game. I feel like static bonuses aren't as interesting or exciting as special powers and features.
Even so, I am a little concerned that this bow has too much power, or just too much going on. I'm okay with it being a little ahead on the power curve, but I'd rather not make problems for myself down the road.
So anyways, here it is:
Bow of the Falling Star
Weapon (longbow), very rare
This celestial longbow is made of a single shaped piece of flexible glass, but weighs only one pound. The bow is almost completely an opaque blue-black color except for a glittering crystal lens set into the glass just above the handle, which slightly magnifies distant objects.
If you watch the bow long enough, you notice that silver points of light occasionally streak across its surface, like falling stars across the sky. At night, you can see the stars through the crystal lens even if you aren’t outside or clouds cover the sky.
The handle guard is spiked, and the spikes glow faintly when fiends, undead, or aberrations are within 120ft.
Beacon
Whenever you fire an arrow from this bow, you can use a bonus action to whisper this command word and cause the arrow to shine with pale blue light. The arrow emits bright light out to 10ft and dim light 10ft beyond that. The light fades one minute later or when you use this power again.
Starfire
As an action, you can whisper this command word and fire a single silvered arrow at a point within range. When it reaches that point, the arrow bursts into silver flame, which spreads out to briefly fill a 20ft cube. The fire is cool and deals no damage, but clings to all objects in the area and also to creatures that fail a DC 15 dexterity saving throw. Treat this as the spell faerie fire except this effect does not require concentration and has a range equal to your bow’s long range.
Once you have used this power, you cannot do so again until the next dawn.
Starcall
When you are under the open sky, you can use an action to speak this command word and fire a silvered arrow skyward. When you do so, designate a point on a fixed surface within the long range of this bow and choose a delay of either one round or three rounds.
At the beginning of your turn after the delay, a bolt of silver light lances down from the sky and strikes the point you designated, bursting into a 20ft radius sphere of searing light. All creatures in the affected area must make a DC 15 dexterity saving throw. A creature that fails the save after a one round delay takes 3d8 radiant damage and is blinded until your next turn. A creature that fails its save after a three round delay also takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage and is blasted 10ft away from the point of origin. A creature that succeeds on the save takes half damage and isn’t blinded or pushed. Objects within 5ft of the point of origin take double damage, and creatures in this area have disadvantage on their saving throw.
Once you have used Starcall, you cannot do so again until the next dawn.
Lodestar
While you are under the clear night sky, you can use this bow to perform a 10 minute ritual, beseeching the stars for guidance. During this ritual, you use special materials worth 15gp to carefully inscribe a single question into the shaft of a silvered arrow. This question can be about any goal, event, or activity to occur within 7 days. You then fire the arrow into the sky, where it vanishes with a faint glimmer of light. The answer to your question is then written across the stars, but only you can divine their message.
Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again for 3 days.
I'm particularly interested on feedback about Starcall and Lodestar. Starcall has mechanics that aren't really anywhere else in 5e (besides maybe delayed blast fireball, sort of). I meant it to feel sort of like a siege power, useful when your enemies hold a strategic position they're unlikely to leave soon (like the ramparts at the top of a tower, or a foxhole or other source of cover). I also meant it to destroy structures and surfaces it strikes, collapsing bridges or towers, blasting open gates, etc. But I'm not at all convinced that was clear from the description.
Lodestar was supposed to play to the archetypal affiliation with divination and the constellations, and also provide a sort of "celestial guidance" feel.
But I'm not sure that just copying the effects of the 4th level spell "Divination" fits perfectly here, and I'm still worried that this bow does too much at once.
Any feedback is really appreciated.