My friend wants his Archer build improved...

[Jimlock]

A +4 Composite Longbow would not be among them, as it costs over 32K.

No. But I could get some lesser bows (+2s or +1s) and other great stuff instead!! "Something of Flying" would be great wouldn't it?

But this debate is pointless because a) A feat has no price, no matter your quote & b) The Bone Bow as you said yourself is probably not what you thought it was.

Not in the real world, no. However, we play a game where you can carve out tunnels in solid rock with longswords. (And which seems to lack mechanics for breaking parts off of weapons other then, perhaps, by using Sunder.)

You know very well that this sort of logic does not help decipher the rules of the game.
Just because you CAN become superman in the game and fly, it does not mean that you can take any power, feat or spell and say:
"Here it doesn't say I can't fly! So I can use the power to fly!"

So for our example: Just because in D&D characters can do incredible stuff does not mean they can melt rock at will by default.
Moreover the text does not specify how this whole thing works mechanically (by providing rules)... which means that RAI is the only way to go. So, unfortunately for your game abusing thirst, logic HAS to come into play.

Alter Self states:
"You do not gain any extraordinary special attacks or special qualities not noted above under physical qualities, such as darkvision, low-light vision, blindsense, blindsight, fast healing, regeneration, scent, and so forth."

So the text you quoted from Polymorph overrides that.

I'm not going to feverishly take a side here, but I remember reading quite a few threads on BG, GITP... and here, that it all comes down to whether the attacks are considered natural or not... and that in case of "more hands for more manufactured weapons" Alter Self's restriction takes precedence...

 

[Dandu]

So, unfortunately for your game abusing thirst, logic HAS to come into play.

Whose logic? Your's? Mine? Spock's?

 

[Jimlock]

Whose logic? Your's? Mine? Spock's?

I'm sure that Spock would agree to the following rules:

Given the text (and bow sketch), the bow can be used without a problem on the following surfaces:
1)Ice
2)Soil (as in "Ground"- that means most outdoor terrains... woods, plains etc),
3)Sand (?... I think)
4)Wood
5)All other soft and pierce-able surfaces I'm forgetting about.

OTOH, The bow cannot be used on:

1)Plain Rock (Unfortunately, this is prime material used in many a dungeon)
2)Concrete Metal
3)All other hard as rock surfaces I'm forgetting about

Of course there are some categories that fall in-between like cobblestone, rock tiles, and the like where it all depends on the density of the gaps between the tiles (there where the spike can go in). Some places where the gaps are dense the DM might rule that the archer has no problem, while somewhere else he'd disallow it, because the gaps are so far apart.

Even in the cases of Plain Rock or other hard materials, the DM might allow the archer to shoot with the specific bow in case he is not in a fight moving and shooting. If for example he is setting an ambush he might have had the time to find spots with crevices, cracks, protrusions or whatever have you so as to stick the bow in.

If the DM does not want to break his head over it he can simply rule that:

You cannot use the bow while air born or while on a rocky surface.

 

[Dandu]

 

[Sekhmet]

A few notes on the Bonebow: After some cursory Google-fu, I've noticed that everyone who mentions it (with exception only to this thread) agrees that it adjusts to it's user's strength score. It's syntax; "functions as a composite longbow with regard to applying the user's Strength bonus to damage done with arrows shot from it", heavily suggests that it allows for users of any Strength score to use it to their advantage.

Regarding the spikes; "the bow has along, thick spike protruding from both ends (...) used to brace against a solid object (either the ground or an overhanging protrusion or cieling) to ad in pulling the bow's string".
If you can brace it against an overhang, you can brace it against your own foot; assuming you've got a good stance.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

I don't think it heavily suggests users of any strength getting a benefit from it. The wording is such that it's supposed to act like a regular composite longbow, which means needing to modify it for different strengths. Interpreting it to mean a user with any strength can use it means it's decidedly not like a normal composite longbow. WotC's usual line of thinking with exotic weapons is just extra damage after all. In this case it's 1 point more average damage, plus an extra 20 feet of range

To make it fully worthwhile as an exotic weapon along the lines of the spiked chain, I would agree that it does need automatic adjustment, although perhaps with a limit.

 

[Sekhmet]

[MENTION=6678119]Jackinthegreen[/MENTION]
Composite Bows allow users with high strength to add damage to their arrows. Different amounts of bonus strength can be applied depending on the amount of money you throw into the creation of the bow.
Bonebows function as a composite bow with regard to applying the user's Strength bonus.

If the Bonebow were to need specific strength scoring, "with regard to" would have been left out. As written, the Bonebow does not need specific scoring, it just adds your Strength to damage.

 

[kingius]

"If you can brace it against an overhang, you can brace it against your own foot; assuming you've got a good stance."

I'd definitely not rule that way in my games. The very description states that it must be braced against something, if it could be your foot there would be no need to include this in the description at all. It's clearly saying (to me, at least) that the bow's power is such that it takes a solid unmoving object to resist the pull or the bow cannot be successfully drawn. It's also obvious (to me, anyway) that this is intended to balance the power of the bow by restricting the circumstances it can be deployed in.

I'd also rule that the spike on the bottom of the bow is not intended to be driven into rock and pulled out again, forcing the bow to make a saving throw in extreme circumstances like this or suffer damage. This would be (to my mind) in line with the spirit of the bow's description and help keep some balance against other bows that can be purchased, which (to me) is what the author intended.

 

[Sekhmet]

[MENTION=85123]kingius[/MENTION] A strong stance is much more resilient than ice or soil, especially a protruding overhang made of either.

Physically speaking, the spikes would be absolutely useless in a real-world scenario. Rooting one end of the bow will not help you pull the string, but it will affect the angles at which you can fire.
Imagine how useless a fixed position bow would be. Anyone with a shield would be immune to it, because the arrows are coming from a fixed angle. Anyone could crouch and the arrows would whiz over them. Anyone could move six inches left or right and be completely out of the path of the arrows. Small or smaller creatures could never be affected by it, and huge or larger would consider it a pin prick to the shin.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

@Jackinthegreen
Composite Bows allow users with high strength to add damage to their arrows. Different amounts of bonus strength can be applied depending on the amount of money you throw into the creation of the bow.
Bonebows function as a composite bow with regard to applying the user's Strength bonus.

If the Bonebow were to need specific strength scoring, "with regard to" would have been left out. As written, the Bonebow does not need specific scoring, it just adds your Strength to damage.

The problem with that is the only way a composite bow can get the strength rating is it has to be paid for and modified as such. "With regard to" is clarifying "Bonebows function as a composite bow." I can't say for certain, but I believe the assumption the authors made with that wording is that players would look at it, notice they're referring to the composite bow rules, and then look at those rules. And that is how it's worded. "It functions as a composite bow with regard to applying the user's Strength bonus." "Oh, I need to look up the rules for composite bows and use those, go it."

Of course we all know how ass/u/me goes.