Animating arrows.

[Sapreaver]

Is it possible to use the animate object spell on a arrow (making it persist) and than fire the constructs as arrows that then attack on their own for a tiny bit of damage?

[Talothorn]

It would seem that they would do normal damage (and take damage) when fired, and then if they survived being fired they could hop around and try to do 1 point of piercing damage on their own.

[Vizzerdrix]

Now what if you fired them out of a bow with splitting, or with the arrow split spell cast?

[Fizban]

No, you cannot fire a creature out of a bow. Unless your DM says you can, in which case you can. Arrows are tiny size, so they'd make a tiny animated object, which deals 1d3-1 damage with it's slam attack. Since arrows deal 1d4 if used in melee, an animated arrow might be given a stab attack for 1d4-1 instead.

In any case Animate Objects is not a viable target for Persistent Spell, and the massive xp cost of Permanency makes this a terrible tactic if done by any normal means. A better plan would be to find the already printed arrow that summons a creature when fired (I can't remember what or where it is), and then use that price.

[Necroticplague]

Is it possible to use the animate object spell on a arrow (making it persist) and than fire the constructs as arrows that then attack on their own for a tiny bit of damage?

No. You can't fire creatures with a ranged attack. Those animated arrows are creatures. You can no more fire an animated arrow out of a bow than you can fire a swarm of bees out of your bow (though on reflection, the latter sounds like it would be an awesome magic weapon).

[Vizzerdrix]

No, you cannot fire a creature out of a bow. Unless your DM says you can, in which case you can. Arrows are tiny size, so they'd make a tiny animated object, which deals 1d3-1 damage with it's slam attack. Since arrows deal 1d4 if used in melee, an animated arrow might be given a stab attack for 1d4-1 instead.

In any case Animate Objects is not a viable target for Persistent Spell, and the massive xp cost of Permanency makes this a terrible tactic if done by any normal means. A better plan would be to find the alreajdy printed arrow that summons a creature when fired (I can't remember what or where it is), and then use that price.

Oooh! I think Minor Servitor can get them animated! And isnt their a rune based class that can put activated runes on stuff? Now if we could ALSO give the arrows a fifty fifty chance of becoming either a whale or a bowl of flowers.....

[Fizban]

Minor Servitor has the same xp cost problem, even if you can get it to count an arrow as 1/2 a cubic foot and 1/2 a hit die and cuts the minimum cost in half.

[Inevitability]

No, you cannot fire a creature out of a bow. Unless your DM says you can, in which case you can. Arrows are tiny size, so they'd make a tiny animated object, which deals 1d3-1 damage with it's slam attack. Since arrows deal 1d4 if used in melee, an animated arrow might be given a stab attack for 1d4-1 instead.

In any case Animate Objects is not a viable target for Persistent Spell, and the massive xp cost of Permanency makes this a terrible tactic if done by any normal means. A better plan would be to find the already printed arrow that summons a creature when fired (I can't remember what or where it is), and then use that price.


No. You can't fire creatures with a ranged attack. Those animated arrows are creatures. You can no more fire an animated arrow out of a bow than you can fire a swarm of bees out of your bow (though on reflection, the latter sounds like it would be an awesome magic weapon).

In that case, what if one Animates arrows, enters an antimagic field and fires the now-nonmagical arrows with a nonmagical bow? They don't become magical until mid-flight.

[Vizzerdrix]

Xp is a river, my friend.


What about turning things into arrows? Lets go with badgers. We turn badgers into arrows, then fire them through a dispelling rune. Could that work? We may need to stick a tube on the bow to put the runes on at this point, so an arrow enters one end, and a high velocity badger (or 1d4+1!) Comes out the other.


Now if we can just get the badgers to explode....

[Necroticplague]

In that case, what if one Animates arrows, enters an antimagic field and fires the now-nonmagical arrows with a nonmagical bow? They don't become magical until mid-flight.

Actually, the become magical when you Animate them. And AMF doesn't change that,

The spell has no effect on golems and other constructs that are imbued with magic during their creation process and are thereafter self-supporting (unless they have been summoned, in which case they are treated like any other summoned creatures) Since they're constructs, they don't stop being creatures in an AMF.

[Eldariel]

No, you cannot fire a creature out of a bow. Unless your DM says you can, in which case you can. Arrows are tiny size, so they'd make a tiny animated object, which deals 1d3-1 damage with it's slam attack. Since arrows deal 1d4 if used in melee, an animated arrow might be given a stab attack for 1d4-1 instead.

In any case Animate Objects is not a viable target for Persistent Spell, and the massive xp cost of Permanency makes this a terrible tactic if done by any normal means. A better plan would be to find the already printed arrow that summons a creature when fired (I can't remember what or where it is), and then use that price.

That might be Serpent Arrow from Champions of Ruin. Though unfortunately it only turns into a Tiny Viper and they're kinda ****ty (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/snake.htm#viperSnake). Still, as it's cast on 8 projectiles at once, if you fire a volley of Arrows, you at least get a whole bunch of them, especially since they last for 10 min/level or until a target dies with no other targets in range.

[Fizban]

In that case, what if one Animates arrows, enters an antimagic field and fires the now-nonmagical arrows with a nonmagical bow? They don't become magical until mid-flight.

What about turning things into arrows? Lets go with badgers. We turn badgers into arrows, then fire them through a dispelling rune. Could that work? We may need to stick a tube on the bow to put the runes on at this point, so an arrow enters one end, and a high velocity badger (or 1d4+1!) Comes out the other.
When the arrow stops being an arrow, there's no more arrow to deliver the attack.


Xp is a river, my friend.
Limited Wish spending 300 to tank their next save or pull up the perfect spell in order t swing a fight is one thing. The amount of combat advantage gained by a tiny animated object is insufficient to swing a battle worth xp for someone capable of creating them, at least with those two spells.

Finally found the Summoning Arrow (AaEG), but it doesn't finish the attack, just transforms and attacks after firing.

[Eldariel]

Finally found the Summoning Arrow (AaEG), but it doesn't finish the attack, just transforms and attacks after firing.

Serpent Arrows get one autohit. Sadly that only deals 1 damage and 1d6 Con with a Fort of 11.

[Inevitability]

Actually, the become magical when you Animate them. And AMF doesn't change that,
Since they're constructs, they don't stop being creatures in an AMF.

I'm not sure. One might argue that because Animate Objects has an ongoing duration, the Animated Objects aren't 'self-supporting' at all. If Dispel Magic works against them, why not Antimagic Field?