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Lysander
2007-05-24, 12:10 AM
Here are some ideas for single use magical arrows. Let me know what you think the gp cost should be:

Detonation Bolt

You say a single word as you fire this arrow. If you say that word again within the next ten minutes, regardless of your position, the arrow explodes dealing 2d6 damage to all creatures within 20ft. Reflex save causes half damage.

Acceleration Bolt

After firing this arrow it immediately freezes in midair, becoming completely immobile, without applying enough force to break it and destroy its magic. After thirty seconds the arrow continues on its trajectory at supernaturally fast speeds, dealing 5d6 damage to whatever it strikes.

Saved Bolt

This arrow vanishes upon being fired. The archer can then summon this arrow, at its fired speed, merely by pointing with their finger and willing the bolt back in existence. If the arrow isn't summoned within 24 hours it is gone forever. Only one Saved Bolt can be stored at a time.

Suggestion Bolt

The archer can whisper a suggestion as they fire this arrow. If it strikes a creature that entity, in addition to taking whatever appropriate damage or even if the arrow is stopped by armor, caught, or deflected, must make a will save as though caster level was 5 or be controlled by that suggestion.

Spy Bolt

After hitting a creature if it fails a DC 25 will save the archer will be able to see everything the shot creature can (but not hear or any other senses) for the next five minutes. The archer is still able to see normally as well, they merely have additional sensory data.

Icewalker
2007-05-24, 02:14 AM
Huh, interesting stuff. I've always liked the idea of single-use magic ammo, which you could get in pretty large bundles. Stuff like this.

Saved bolt is particularly cool.

Roderick_BR
2007-05-24, 06:25 AM
These could add cool variations to a ranged character.
Detonation Bolt sounds like a Surge weapon. It's in PHB2, I think. Once a day, or once a day for each positive modifier for a given ability score, you can activate extra damage. Flaming surge, for example, lets you add +2d6 to your weapon a number of times equal to your positive Constitution modifier. Applying it to single use arrows to reduce the cost would be cool.

Acceleration Bolt is interesting, but I don't know why it gets a speed to high when coming out of "pause mode".

Saved Bolt: Can you use more than one in the same day? It could be very abusive. Shot 20 arrows in the morning, and later just make all of them hit the BBEG at once.

Suggestion Bolt sounds like you are just delivering a spell throught your weapon.
Can you shot a orc in the chest and suggest it not to attack you? :p

Spy Bolt: The way it works sound funny too. It would be interesting to make the bolt cast a clairyvoyance(sp?) spell in the area it falls, instead of hitting a creature.

How bout these ones:
Bomb Arrow: The arrow's head is a explosive similar to a Alchemy Fire. Just roll the damage for the arrow, then the damage of an alchemical fire, with all the normal rules (inclusive splash damage)
Manacle Arrow: The head is shaped as a open manacle. Instead of doing damage, you can do a ranged trip attack on an opponent.
Box Glove Arrow: The arrow does bludgeoning damage instead of puncturing, with a +1d4 bonus to damage, due to it's heavy center. The damage dealt is non-lethal.

Yes, it's inspired on DC's Green Arrow :smallsmile:

Lysander
2007-05-24, 06:31 AM
Those three are pretty useful. I guess the manacle thing is just a u-shaped bar that trips them?

The Suggestion arrow is basically just a form of the spell an archer non-caster can get access to.

The Acceleration bolt has a pause built in so you can't stock up on these and use them to easily take out targets by the dozens. Instead it's useful for large creatures that can't escape in time, immobile objects, or against people who don't expect it to come and aren't moving.

And you can only have one Saved Bolt stored at a time. You can use more than one in a day but if you fire a second Saved Bolt while one is already waiting to be summoned then the new one will just act like a normal arrow and be wasted.

jindra34
2007-05-24, 07:07 AM
So what are the costs/craft DCs and other needed info...

Lysander
2007-05-24, 02:01 PM
I was trying to figure that out. Any suggestions?

knightsaline
2007-05-24, 10:40 PM
you need to say what the spells used in the making of these arrows. otherwise, you could get 3 different costs for the detonation bolt (is it a fireball? is it explosive runes? is it a power word BOOM!).

suggestion bolt is easy, suggestion spell (3rd level) X caster level (5) X 50 = 750 Gp for one suggestion arrow. this is assuming that creating magic arrows are created using Craft wondrous items. if not, add 70 GP for masterwork component)

saved bolt is obviously timestop with metamagic, so you might be in for a shock for the cost of one saved bolt.

acceleration bolt could be construed as a contingent haste, sot thats harder to do.

Icewalker
2007-05-24, 10:55 PM
Well, saved bolt would be metamagic timestop, but it seems that it is a simplified version that is tailored to a specific situation, so I can see a lower price for that. Least that is the way I would describe my excuse for giving it a price comparable with its power.

Fax Celestis
2007-05-24, 10:56 PM
You could make it a psionic item and use the Time Hop (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeHop.htm) power for it instead. That'd be significantly more affordable.

Lord_Thanatos95
2007-05-25, 05:15 PM
Detonation Bolt

You say a single word as you fire this arrow. If you say that word again within the next ten minutes, regardless of your position, the arrow explodes dealing 2d6 damage to all creatures within 20ft. Reflex save causes half damage.

This one is relatively simple:

Craft Magic Arms and Armors as the feat should work

Delay Blast Fireball(level 7) x caster level(2 for 2d6 damage) x 50 = 700 Gp per arrow.