D&D General Do you track ammunition?

[Older Beholder]

Here's a pretty guesome story about reusing arrows. Friend of mine was turkey bow hunting using carbon fiber arrows I believe. He recovered and arrow and he put it back in his quiver. Next time he went bow hunting he used the same arrow and once he released the bow string to fire the arrow it exploded and went through his hand holding the bow, left hundreds of shards in his wrist & hand. He had to have multiple surgeries to remove all the shards, took a long time for the feeling to come back and the nerves to grow back. Could've been a fluke, but more likely using an arrow multiple time compromises its integrity.

There’s a joke to be made about not using critical fumble tables, but I don’t want to make light of what happened to your friend, that sounds awful.

 

[Edgar Ironpelt]

Here's a pretty guesome story about reusing arrows. Friend of mine was turkey bow hunting using carbon fiber arrows I believe. He recovered and arrow and he put it back in his quiver. Next time he went bow hunting he used the same arrow and once he released the bow string to fire the arrow it exploded and went through his hand holding the bow, left hundreds of shards in his wrist & hand. He had to have multiple surgeries to remove all the shards, took a long time for the feeling to come back and the nerves to grow back. Could've been a fluke, but more likely using an arrow multiple time compromises its integrity.

That's carbon fiber arrows. I've used - and reused - carbon fiber arrows back when I did archery, including bow hunting, and a check after each use is needed to ensure they're not cracked. I've discarded no-longer-good arrows, and while I have heard of arrows breaking or shattering when shot, I've never witnessed this personally.

On the other hand, I have had bowstrings break on me. This happens about two or three orders of magnitude less frequently than the usual kewl fumble tables (in games and house rules that use fumble tables) would have you believe.

For game purposes, the 50% non-recovered arrows includes both "can't find" and "damaged, unshootable."

 

[R_J_K75]

There’s a joke to be made about not using critical fumble tables,

Yeah that occurred to me too

 

[R_J_K75]

a check after each use is needed to ensure they're not cracked.

I think he did check, probably not very good, or it wasnt really visable. Imsure theres a lot of factors involved, such as pound test of the string, the bow it self, probably arrow gage and tips that could effect this

For game purposes, the 50% non-recovered arrows includes both "can't find" and "damaged, unshootable."

I havent thought about this in years, unless its been changed in recent editions, or Im misremembering, I thought it was 20% in 2E??

 

[kigmatzomat]

The magical weapons that supply their own ammo tend to make it fall by the wayside. That or the storage item. Or a mule.

10lbs gives you 100 arrows+quivers. Skip the individual quivers to buy a large leather drum and it's closer to 150. If you have horses, every saddle carrying a quiver of arrows is just common sense. Even mages and sorcerers can use shortbows in 5e and they have 3-5x the range of almost all spells. It's not like arcane casters are encumbered by armor.

So only after several prolonged combats should most parties need to actively husband arrows and funnel resources to the archer.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I think he did check, probably not very good, or it wasnt really visable. Imsure theres a lot of factors involved, such as pound test of the string, the bow it self, probably arrow gage and tips that could effect this

the mending cantrip can repair a lot of broken arrows.

 

[mrpopstar]

It depends on the game really. If I'm running a game at the local store, I don't focus on that. If I'm DMing at home, survival horror is a theme I enjoy. Tracking ammunition, water, rations, etc., is a fun part of the game where appropriate.

If you don't track resources, how do terrorize your players with character-afflicting diseases like Sight Rot? There are cool things for DMs to play with that are only truly usable via resource management.

 

[GrimCo]

It depends on the game really. If I'm running a game at the local store, I don't focus on that. If I'm DMing at home, survival horror is a theme I enjoy. Tracking ammunition, water, rations, etc., is a fun part of the game where appropriate.

If you don't track resources, how do terrorize your players with character-afflicting diseases like Sight Rot? There are cool things for DMs to play with that are only truly usable via resource management.

I also enjoy running survival horror. But managing limited resources is part of fun in that kind of games. Will you use arrow/bullet at range, thus reducing risk, but loosing precious resource or you save ammo and go for melee at higher risk of injury is meaningful choice in survival horror.

 

[Professor Murder]

It always seemed feasible in my view for D&D archers to run out of arrows in an adventure, though less likely in a single fight. AD&D archers shot two arrows a round from level 1, and specialists could get off a third with an opening strike. 3.5 archers really got going with iterative attacks and a feat to get in an extra shot so 3/round at 6th level. A dungeon for 6th level PCs can require more than seven rounds of combat before expecting the party to withdraw. The 17th level fighter archer in my 3.5 high level game was a machine gun of five shots a round regularly. His movement and improved many shot was not far behind.

3e archers could generally buy the cheap everfull magic quiver at relatively low levels along with a ton of mundane arrows and generally not run out until hitting a restock normal village/city option though. Also there is the 50% recovery chance for shot arrows in 3e.

It's certainly feasible. I just dont care. Needing to track it adds nothing to my game. It's just busy work for me. "Realism" and bookkeeping that make the game less enjoyable aren't elements worth preserving. YMMV.

 

[Voadam]

Even mages and sorcerers can use shortbows in 5e and they have 3-5x the range of almost all spells.

That is only 24 5e for sorcerers and wizards where they get all simple weapons, in 14 5e they only got light crossbow proficiency and not shortbows. Warlocks got all simple weapons in both 14 and 24 PHs.