Barbed metal arrows

[Blue]

We have a 4th level bard with limited damage dealing spells. Very useful, but occasionally straight damage is what we need. He has heat metal, but so many of our opponents are monsters or beasts without metal and I was thinking about how to give the bard a chance to use it more often.

We have two archers in the group and I was thinking abotu barbed metal arrows - something that could be shot into an opponent and then have heat metal cast on it. As a one off, I'm sure the DM would ad hoc something.

If this was a more regular "power stunt" he'd probably want rules, so I'm looking for some to suggest.

I'll share my first thoughts, but please suggest others as well.

Barbed metal arrows would have half the range of a normal arrow, and when the weapon die/dice total is 7 or more (so 1/4 of the time plus slightly more than half the crits) it sticks. Removing it can be done safely with DC 10 medicine check, or it can be ripped out dealing normal arrow damage (d8) again. Cost is x10 normal arrows.

This means that it will probably only stick maybe once or twice a combat, and it may be later which would mean limited utility from heat metal. Only disadvantage is ranged and cost, not sure if that's enough, but it's also trivial to ignore except for the heat metal case.

What are your ideas, either on that mechanic or even better on an alternate one you'd allow at your table?

 

[iserith]

It seems fair enough, but it's not a road I'd likely go down at my table. The bard can just swap heat metal for shatter at 5th level if he or she wants damage.

 

[Guest 6801328]

Or you could give him the occasional armored opponent. Or BBEG with a big metal weapon. Or an enemy with a metal prosthesis. Or put a combat in a room that has a checkerboard of stone and iron (in convenient 5' squares).

 

[GMforPowergamers]

heat metal is a powerful enough spell without buffing it. I would be very careful with this, those arrows may make the bard MUCH more powerful.

 

[Blue]

heat metal is a powerful enough spell without buffing it. I would be very careful with this, those arrows may make the bard MUCH more powerful.

How so "much" more powerful? It is unlikely to occur in early rounds by the simple expedient that the damage isn't rolled high enough, and can be ended with a free item interaction at the cost of d8 damage - half a round's worth. So on average it's a 2nd level spell that will do 3d8 damage.

 

[Blue]

Or you could give him the occasional armored opponent. Or BBEG with a big metal weapon. Or an enemy with a metal prosthesis. Or put a combat in a room that has a checkerboard of stone and iron (in convenient 5' squares).

I'm not the DM, I'm looking for suggestions to give to the DM in order to fairly deal with player cleverness without making it too powerful.

 

[Blue]

It seems fair enough, but it's not a road I'd likely go down at my table. The bard can just swap heat metal for shatter at 5th level if he or she wants damage.

True, but the table as a history of characters thinking of clever applications of their abilities. There doesn't seem to be any in-world reasons to disallow this particular bit of cleverness if the the right craftsmen can be found.

 

[Mort]

Seems fair.

I'd certainly allow it at my table - teamwork is always encouraged.

As for concerns that this makes heat metal too powerful - It requires a costly component (essentially what the arrow is), 2 people working in tandem, and imposes a to-hit roll where one didn't exist before - I think that's a steep enough cost!

I think the 10X cost for each arrow may be a bit too much:
-The chance of the combo working isn't THAT high
-and if the combo does work the DM is very likely to rule the arrow has no chance of recovery (it's a pile of molten slag by the end of the spell).

I'd go with 3-5 times the cost.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

How so "much" more powerful? It is unlikely to occur in early rounds by the simple expedient that the damage isn't rolled high enough, and can be ended with a free item interaction at the cost of d8 damage - half a round's worth. So on average it's a 2nd level spell that will do 3d8 damage.

OK, well damage is good the reason the spell is GREAT against armored enemies isn't the damage. see there is this add on

If a creature is holding or wearing the object and takes the damage from it, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or drop the object if it can. If it doesn’t drop the object, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the start of your next turn.

so the arrow hits and deals damage... as far as having to deal 7 or more points, I don't know how likely it is in your game, but in my game world most archers have a 15+ dex so at least a +2 most times +3 or more... you roll 1d8 and ad 2 and that just worse then 50/50, make it +3 and it is 50/50, give him sharp shooter it is 100%...

so lets say you have a big multi attack monster (a solo for lack of a better word) and your archer shoots him and deals 9 damage and it sticks, then the bard goes and makes it 2d8 extra damage AND disadvantage until they remove the arrow.

 

[aco175]

It seems a bit open to abuse for the cost of gp and half the range. It seems gold is little used in 5e and all the PCs have plenty to spend in these at 10gp per arrow. An arrows range is incredible and nearly all fighting is less than 60ft so even making them 1/4 range is more than enough for most fights.

I can see adding more creep to attach ropes to them like a harpoon and be able to pull the arrow out for the +1d8 damage, or make them 'war' arrows for 1d10 base damage. As a DM, I would need to think more about it.