Bow and Arrow Stacking

[RyanL]

I was reading about the new rule in 3.5 that enhancement bonuses for bows and arrows no longer stack. Of course, different enchantments still stack, right (a flaming bow with shocking arrows gets +2D6 damage)? Does this mean that you can achieve a maximum effective enhancement of +20 with a bow and arrow, as opposed to the +10 max for other weapons? Is there anything in the rules to prevent this? Does there need to be?

Just curious.

-Ryan

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

the enhancement bonus is the actual +1, +2, etc. that applies to hit and damage.

Maitre D

 

[RyanL]

the enhancement bonus is the actual +1, +2, etc. that applies to hit and damage.

Maitre D

I realize that. Perhaps I'm not phrasing the question clearly enough, or not using the proper terms.

Let's suppose there's an enchantment called "Elite", which carries an effective +5 bonus (maybe effective is not the right term, but I think you know what I mean). My character has an Elite Longbow +5. The total enhancement "worth" of the bow is +10 (actual enhancement bonus +5). He's using Flaming arrows. Flaming is worth, what, +2? So the total effective bonus is +12.

Doesn't the DMG state that +10 is the max?

I was curious to know if there's anything to prevent this, or if the potential for abuse is so small that it's not a concern. Or if it wasn't possible to begin with because I'm misremembering the DMG.

-Ryan

 

[kreynolds]

Flaming is worth, what, +2?

+1.

So the total effective bonus is +12.

No. The total effictive bonus of the bow is +10. The total effective bonus of the arrow is +2 (remember, the arrow would need to have a +1 enhancement bonus before it could have the flaming enhancement on it).

Doesn't the DMG state that +10 is the max?

Yes, but the arrow isn't part of your bow. It has it's own +10 limit.

I was curious to know if there's anything to prevent this...

Cost. A +10 (effective) bow and 50 +10 (effective) arrows would cost you 400,000 gp.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

IMO, if you have say a leet (equiv. enchant. +7) bow +3, and you use to shoot with it dope (equiv. enchant. +8) arrows +2, you'll get both the leet and dope effects, but only +3 to hit and damage.

Maitre D

 

[RyanL]

+1.

No. The total effictive bonus of the bow is +10. The total effective bonus of the arrow is +2 (remember, the arrow would need to have a +1 enhancement bonus before it could have the flaming enhancement on it).

Yes, but the arrow isn't part of your bow. It has it's own +10 limit.

Cost. A +10 (effective) bow and 50 +10 (effective) arrows would cost you 400,000 gp.

Okay. So, in other words, it's possible but it's cost prohibitive. Fair enough.

-Ryan

 

[kreynolds]

Okay. So, in other words, it's possible but it's cost prohibitive. Fair enough.

Yup. At epic levels, you see a lot of this though, but it isn't a problem.

 

[Arc]

IMO, if you have say a leet (equiv. enchant. +7) bow +3, and you use to shoot with it dope (equiv. enchant. +8) arrows +2, you'll get both the leet and dope effects, but only +3 to hit and damage.

So where do I get the twink enchantment? There a splatbook for that?

 

[LokiDR]

YA! No more GMW+bow+arrow = cheese. This just made my day.

 

[green slime]

Not mine.

The answer would have been to allow bow and arrow stacking but stop the cheese of GMW affecting 50 arrows!

Nobody is ever going to actually purchase arrows +5. Not in 3.0, not 3.5. Bloody stupid if you ask me... Which you weren't, but still.

Now players are either going to invest in a high enhancement bow, and fire twigs, or low enhancement bow with extra added, and GMW the twigs. Powergamers will do the later.

I'd rather have seen them stacking but the exhorbitant price of the 50 +5 arrows causing some hesitation as to their immediate use. Having GMW affect a single arrow per casting would encourage the purchase and hoarding of stackable arrows.