Arrows of True Strike?

[wuyanei]

In Weber's '[size=-1]Der Freischutz' or 'The Marksman', Max the forester is tempted with seven charmed bullets -- bullets which will always hit.[/size] In Weber's opera, six of the seven bullets will hit whatever Max desires, but the seventh will hit what Zamiel (the Devil) wills.

Lets say the charmed bullets are +1 ranged seeking bullets of true strike...

Naturally, in D&D we'd use arrows or bolts instead of bullets.

So how much should a set of such arrows cost in 3.5ed?

Here's how I figure it:

(1) by the +20 insight bonus

20 x 20 x 1000 / 50 = 8000 per arrow
+1 range seeking: 18000 / 50 = 360 per arrow
Total: 8360 per arrow

I'd say this seems a bit too expensive, even for the +20 bonus. You cannot power attack with ranged weapons, and the item is one use only, so you don't have abuses that arise from a continuous item such as a ring. Come to think of it, a scroll of Gate costs only 8825 gp! A certain hit is great thing to have, but 8360 gp great? I not quite sure about that.
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(2) as use activated true strike:

use activated true strike: +2000 per arrow (one use only)
+1 ranged: 8000 / 50 = 160 per arrow
Total = 2160 per arrow

The cost is on par with a scroll containing a 7th level spell (2275 gp) -- that's a quickened fireball, or a maximized cone of cold. It's also one twentieth the total wealth of a 10th level character. OTOH, I'd expect a 13th ~ 15th level ranger to keep a few of these things in his quiver, just for those dragon sniping sessions.
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(4) as use activated true strike, but 50 arrows per casting

use activated true strike: +2000 / 50 = 40
(*) maximum (without feats) 4 attacks per turn: 40 * 4 * 4 = 640
(*) normal true strike is usable only once per two rounds: 640 * 2 * 2 = 2560
+1 ranged: 160 per arrow
Total: 2720 gp ,,, hmm works out about the same as (2)

(*) nobody would dream that +40 gp for a +20 insight bonus could be remotely balanced. the 8 * 8 modifier comes from the possibility of using the arrow (and getting the insight bonus) eight times (4 times per round for two rounds) as often as if you cast true strike on yourself every other round.
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(4) arbitary +4 or +5 virtual enhancement bonus

Harder to justify beyond 'it just feels right', but probably works better with additional flaming, shocking, keen, etc. enchantments. Works out to the same price range anyways:

+1 range (+1) seeking (+1) true strike (+4) arrows:
7 x 7 x 2000 / 50 = 1960 gp per arrow

+1 range (+1) seeking (+1) true strike (+5) arrows:
8 x 8 x 2000 / 50 = 2560 gp per arrow

+1 true strike (+4) arrows:
5 x 5 x 2000 / 50 = 1000 gp per arrow

+1 true strike (+5) arrows:
6 x 6 x 2000 / 50 = 1440 gp per arrow
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So by my reckoning, the price should be about 2560 gp per arrow, which is expensive (four of them -- one full-attack's worth -- will set you back 10240 gp!) but probably *marginally* worth it at medium-high levels... maybe. I'd like to ask the experienced DMs out here, how would you price these arrows? How would you justify/rationalize the cost? I'd really like to hear your opinions.

For the RBDMs out there: In the interests of source material accuracy, have one in every 7 arrows of true striking (1 ~ 15 on d%) be cursed, so that they automatically strike an ally for a crit. when fired. Magic is just unrealiable like that. Can't be helped .

 

[Khayman]

Hey, the Devil has a lot of money...

I'd just give 'em to PCs for free. Just make sure they come in groups of seven, just like the legend.

Mwahahaha.

 

[whydirt]

If you give them seven, where six arrows work regularly and the last is cursed, I'd only price the set as the cost for five regular arrows. I'd say around 2,500 per arrow seems reasonable.

 

[Nifft]

IMHO, the big issues with True Strike are melee attack and ray attacks, so I wouldn't worry about it in this case -- just make sure each arrow breaks after exactly one use.

Your prices are good.

For the "devil's strike" arrow, I'd add +5d6 Sneak Attack damage.

-- N

 

[Saeviomagy]

Or just ... don't price them. As written in the legend, the bullets are effectively an artifact. I'd probably add an "of target slaying" to them too. Just so that the upside (and downside) is that much better.

For a true strike arrow... I think possibly 2000 is a bit much. After all, a potion of true strike will only set you back 50gp, a scroll a mere 25gp... A quickened scroll will be as much as 700gp. All of these are totally legal too, without needing any bending. The only real penalties are: No full attacks with them, and the opportunity cost of a high UMD check/spellcasting ability for the quickened scroll...

Finally - making them seeking is a bit redundant except in the first instance (where we add an insight bonus): true strike already ignores concealment. Perhaps ghost touch would be a better alternative?

 

[Nifft]

Oh, yeah, not pricing them seems like the best option.

I'd add that whatever damage they deal is NOT subject to DR, including any immunity to missiles, piercing damage, spells, etc.. Put some fear back in that flying mirror image'd, stoneskin'd and wind wall'd mage.

-- N

 

[wuyanei]

Or just ... don't price them. As written in the legend, the bullets are effectively an artifact. I'd probably add an "of target slaying" to them too. Just so that the upside (and downside) is that much better.

For a true strike arrow... I think possibly 2000 is a bit much. After all, a potion of true strike will only set you back 50gp, a scroll a mere 25gp... A quickened scroll will be as much as 700gp. All of these are totally legal too, without needing any bending. The only real penalties are: No full attacks with them, and the opportunity cost of a high UMD check/spellcasting ability for the quickened scroll...

Finally - making them seeking is a bit redundant except in the first instance (where we add an insight bonus): true strike already ignores concealment. Perhaps ghost touch would be a better alternative?

All too true (especially the last point: yoinked)! Actually, I'd probably use these arrows as semi-artifacts myself (best thing about artifacts -- as long as you've thought up a way to get rid of the artifact if neccessary, you can throw the house at the PCs, and then shrug "Well, its an artifact! What did you expect?" However, I'd still like to know how much you would choose to price the arrows *if* you would allow PCs to make them. What price would you consider 'balanced'? 500 gp? 1000 gp? 2000 gp? Infinite gp?

Essentially, I'd like to know how you would price the 'full-attacks allowed' feature vis a vis the normal one-attack-per-two-rounds true strike. How much is the ability to make full attacks with the arrows worth? I'd really appreciate your input. Thanks a lot!

 

[ARandomGod]

If a quickened scroll is 700 GP, a 'quickened potion' would be 1400 gp. ... which would be effectively use activated true strike.

I'd use that as the base price for a use activated true strike arrow. High, but I can see some people buying them, and it would allow full attacks.

Then add on other enhancements as normal (and, of course, they have to be at least +1, additional cost there*).

Additionally. "The last one". Was the legend really that the last one would behave in this way? Or that ONE of them would? 'Cause what's to stop the PC's from just not firing the last one?


* Actually, considering that in 3.5 enhancement bonuses don't stack, I'd personally either houserule that you don't need the +1 enhancement, but in that case it must be shot from an enhanced bow, or that the enhancement bonuses of arrows DO stack with those of the bow, but only up to a max of +5.

 

[Staffan]

For a true strike arrow... I think possibly 2000 is a bit much. After all, a potion of true strike will only set you back 50gp

Except you can't make potions out of spells with a range of Personal.

 

[wuyanei]

Additionally. "The last one". Was the legend really that the last one would behave in this way? Or that ONE of them would? 'Cause what's to stop the PC's from just not firing the last one?

Well, in the legend it is the last (seventh) one -- persumably the Devil has ways to safeguard its 'interests'. In D&D, however, I'd just use a 15% chance for shooting a cursed arrow since, as you said, there is no way to force the PC to shoot the arrow.