Craft skill needed to make: Bows, arrows and arrowheads (both normal and special)

[Max Caysey]

I am playing thief, both the PC game and a thief-styled urban campaign in D&D 3.5.

I want to be able to craft my own bows, arrows, both special and normal, just like in the PC game, so I have the option of extinguishing torches from a distance or cut a rope or deal non-lethal blunt damage to someone. I want to be able to create all parts my self, including the metal arrow tips and the small glass vial containing the alchemical substance (which I wont be making).

What craft skills would you guys say were needed for me to be able to create all the above my self from scratch?

[Professor Chimp]

Not very knowledgeable on the subject, but I'd say that at the very least you'd need:

- Bowmaking
- Weaponsmithing
- Glassblowing
- Alchemy

That's under the assumption that if you have the woodworking skills to make a bow with Craft (Bowmaking), you can also make the arrowshafts with it. If not, that's another skill, although it could be argued to fall under Weaponsmithing. I would allow it, since you're already spending a lot of skill points on something that could otherwise be solved by throwing a little gold at it.

After all, Garret in the Thief series (at least the first 3, don't know about the newest game) didn't craft his own gear either, he had it made for him/bought it.

[etrpgb]

Assuming splatbook 3.5 in the list of all "Craft(Int)" I'd say the relevant are:

Armorsmithing, DC is: 10 + the AC of the item you are making.
Weaponsmithing, DC are Crossbow: 15, Simple melee or thrown weapon: 12, Martial melee or thrown weapon:15, Exotic melee or thrown weapon: 18, Ammunition, Normal: 10, Ammunition, Complex: 20

and do not forget the spell Magecraft (Wizard 1).

Special mention to Alchemy that can be used to make sprays and similar weapons.

[Max Caysey]

Not very knowledgeable on the subject, but I'd say that at the very least you'd need:

- Bowmaking
- Weaponsmithing
- Glassblowing
- Alchemy

That's under the assumption that if you have the woodworking skills to make a bow with Craft (Bowmaking), you can also make the arrowshafts with it. If not, that's another skill, although it could be argued to fall under Weaponsmithing. I would allow it, since you're already spending a lot of skill points on something that could otherwise be solved by throwing a little gold at it.

After all, Garret in the Thief series (at least the first 3, don't know about the newest game) didn't craft his own gear either, he had it made for him/bought it.

I am going to assume that Craft: Bowmaiking give the necessary woodcarving skills to be able to craft bows. Anything but would seem weird.

Indeed I see your list. Would you say that that is a appropriate list, which you yourself would enforce in a game? I'm asking since it would seem to be a high investment in total number is skill points...? Would it be too much to assume, that all things concerning bows and its ammunition could be made by bowmaking or weaponsmithing?

Any armor, of any material can be made by Craft armorsmithing. If that's a thing, why not have all items concerning weapons under the same? Is that too much?

EDIT: Fletchery and Bowmaking go under the same craft skill according to Arms and Equipment Guide, page 62.



Assuming splatbook 3.5 in the list of all "Craft(Int)" I'd say the relevant are:

Armorsmithing, DC is: 10 + the AC of the item you are making.
Weaponsmithing, DC are Crossbow: 15, Simple melee or thrown weapon: 12, Martial melee or thrown weapon:15, Exotic melee or thrown weapon: 18, Ammunition, Normal: 10, Ammunition, Complex: 20

and do not forget the spell Magecraft (Wizard 1).

Special mention to Alchemy that can be used to make sprays and similar weapons.

Im not sure I fully understand your mentioning of Armorsmiting? Could you elaborate? Thanks.

[etrpgb]

I implicitly assumed you also wanted to craft your armors. That's it.

If you just want to make your special arrows, consider the DC of 20. Magecraft can easily give you a +5, so it's 15. With one level of Wizard, Craft(Weaponsmith) with 4 ranks, and 12 of Intelligence you can cast the spell, take 10 and be done with it.
About Alchemy as far as I know, the rules are quite few. I guess you need to homebrew something, you can start from here (http://www.realmshelps.net/magic/items/alchemy.shtml).

[Max Caysey]

I implicitly assumed you also wanted to craft your armors. That's it.

If you just want to make your special arrows, consider the DC of 20. Magecraft can easily give you a +5, so it's 15. With one level of Wizard, Craft(Weaponsmith) with 4 ranks, and 12 of Intelligence you can cast the spell, take 10 and be done with it.
About Alchemy as far as I know, the rules are quite few. I guess you need to homebrew something, you can start from here (http://www.realmshelps.net/magic/items/alchemy.shtml).

Thats cool...

Yeah, I mainly want to make my own arrows for the different uses I might come across as a thief. So I'll be needing to make most parts of my arrows. The heads, the shaft and the feathers. I might also want to make my own bows. Specifically composite shortbows or perhaps if my DM will let me, a few homebrew bows. But yeah arrows and bows will be my main focus.

[Zancloufer]

Craft : Bowmaking. If you want to add/imbue alchemical items you need Craft : Alchemy. You would need 15+ for a Composite bow, and an additional DC 20 check to make the bow masterwork. Alchmical heads for the bow would probably be 'complex' on the relative scale, so probably a DC 25. Do note that by RAW you need a caster level to Craft Alchemy (for some stupid reason) so ask your DM if it can be waved first.

It is RIGHT there in the SRD if you want a quick online reference. If you want to make armour you need armoursmithing, and melee/thrown weapons need weaponsmithing. Projectile weapons that are usable by a person are under Bowmaking.

[etrpgb]

Good point, here are the Craft (Bowmaking) DC:
Longbow or shortbow: 12
Composite longbow or composite shortbow: 15
Strength Composite longbow or composite shortbow: 15 + (Str Rating x 2)
Arrow (Normal): 10
Arrow (Flight, Sea, Serpentstongue, Signal, Swiftwing): 20
Arrow (Alchemist, Dragonsbreath, Thunder): Alchemy Only

It's quite funny that to make an Arrow you need bowmaking, but to make a bolt you need weaponsmithing. But that's RAW for you.


I also wanted to add, you might find useful the Unseen Crafter spell. With masterwork crafting equipment, the spell Magecraft and few ranks you can easily send your unseen servant to make your stuff. Unfortunately it's a level 2 spell, so you require a bit more investment than a single Wizard dip, unless you craft/buy a wand or similar.