Peerless Archer FLetching ability-Silver Marches

[Croaker]

Does anyone understand the rationale behind the XP cost of the Peerless Archer's fletching ability (Silver Marches page 117)? The price for making 50 arrows is exactly the same as making a single non-consumable weapon of equivalent bonus, but they decided to also put in a listing for making a single arrow, which in all cases except +5 arrows saves the character 20-30 XP if they say "I make 1 arrow 50 times" rather than "I make 50 arrows." It appears that the discrepancy comes from rounding down the division, but putting a listing for an obviously uneven cost seems foolish.

Also, shouldn't arrows be inherently cheaper than regular weapons, given that they are one-shot items (unless you miss, then you have a 50% chance of getting an arrow back, if you can find it...)?

 

[Crothian]

Is this a prestige class? I don't have the book yet, but this sounds interesting. If so, what are the Prerequites?

 

[kreynolds]

Also, shouldn't arrows be inherently cheaper than regular weapons, given that they are one-shot items (unless you miss, then you have a 50% chance of getting an arrow back, if you can find it...)?

Nah. Swinging a sword at someone standing at the horizon won't net you anything, but shooting an arrow at them probably will. That's a very distinct advantage and the "nearly one-time use" balances it out.

 

[Lela]

Wouldn't making 1 arrow 50 times take longer? I think there's a difference by the rules of item creation.

 

[kreynolds]

Wouldn't making 1 arrow 50 times take longer? I think there's a difference by the rules of item creation.

It takes 1 day for every 1000 gold pieces of the item's market price. 50 +1 arrows would have a market price of roughly 2,000gp, and would take 2 days to make. So, a single arrow would have a market price of roughly 40gp. So, technically, you could create a single arrow in no less than 1 day. Also, in the same amount of time, you could create up to 25 arrows (1000gp market price). I'm not sure if you have to work on all 25 at once, as a batch, or if you actually work on each arrow individually, but I'm not that nitpicky.

EDIT: After all, it would take you 19 minutes and 2 rounds to make a single arrow anyways, so it's not like I'm worried about my players spontaneously making magic arrows in the middle of combat.

(19.2 for a single arrow, x25 arrows equals 480 minutes (8 hours))

Keep in mind, however, that the above does not take into account the time of crafting the mundane arrows themselves, if you're even doing that.

 

[Lela]

Keep in mind, however, that the above does not take into account the time of crafting the mundane arrows themselves, if you're even doing that.

Not just mundane, but MW as well.

 

[kreynolds]

Not just mundan, but MW as well.

Yuppers.

 

[Marshall]

EDIT: After all, it would take you 19 minutes and 2 rounds to make a single arrow anyways, so it's not like I'm worried about my players spontaneously making magic arrows in the middle of combat.

Why worry? Arcane Archers do it all the time.

 

[kreynolds]

Why worry? Arcane Archers do it all the time.

Irrelevant. That's a class ability.

 

[Croaker]

Crothian-

prereq's are: BAB +7; Craft: Bowmaking 10 ranks; proficient with any bow; Point Blank Shot; Far Shot; Precise Shot; Quickdraw

class features include a Sneak Attack progression, bonus to Craft: Bowmaking checks, the ability to ignore some amount of cover and/or concealment, a ranged version of the Power Attack feat, the ability to threaten with a bow like it was a reach weapon, and the ability to make magic arrows without having the Craft Magic Arms & Armor feat

kreynolds-

Magic javelins and other thrown weapons can be used at a good distance, and there are relatively few encounters where the shorter range increment would be terribly significant.

Also, the table I referred to has a listing for the number of arrows you can make per day: +1 @ 25/day, +2 @6/day, +3 @3/day, +4@2/day, and +5 @1/day. This still works out correctly with the 50 arrows=1 weapon of equivalent power, but allows you to make less than 50 in one go. My main problem is the advantage you get from the rounding down of the XP cost...