Composite Bow Crafting Questions

[Luguolo]

hey there! i was curious about a few things with crafting Composite items, and with mighty, which i assume is the same, except for melee.

now what are the rules on it?

1) do items need to be MW before they can be made composite/might?

2) does it count as an enchantment?

3) can you increase the composite or the mighty AFTER the item is made? (like can i make a composite longbow (+1) into a (+2) or is it locked once made?)

i think thats all for now!! thanks!

 

[coyote6]

1) No.
2) No.
3) I don't think so; I'd say not. However, I don't know of anything that officially and clearly says "no".

 

[irdeggman]

IIRC "mighty" was the strength rating bows in 3.0.

In 3.5 all composite bows have a str rating(thus there is no longer a "mighty" bow) and this is not considered an "enhancement bonus", which masterwork and magical are (hence they don't stack, but the str rating for a composite bow does.

I don't believe you can increase the str rating of composite bow after it was made, since it a function of construction - just like you can't make a weapon masterwork after initial construction.

 

[Luguolo]

IIRC "mighty" was the strength rating bows in 3.0.

In 3.5 all composite bows have a str rating(thus there is no longer a "mighty" bow) and this is not considered an "enhancement bonus", which masterwork and magical are (hence they don't stack, but the str rating for a composite bow does.

I don't believe you can increase the str rating of composite bow after it was made, since it a function of construction - just like you can't make a weapon masterwork after initial construction.

while i know mighty used to be for bows, i know it also went with things such as whips, to which i am still using mighty for given i have no replacement to counter-act it with. so that is why i said composite AND mighty.

now i didn't know Masterwork items could not be made after creation, is there a spot that mentions this in any of the books?

and the only reason i figured it might have to be MW first is that it seems to need specific detail.

i also wondered about the ability to continue adding it after since adding lacquer to a bow or new, better rope to a whip could add this qualities.

so if you have any new answers to this, or to a replacement for the word "mighty" in terms of non-bow items, let me know!

 

[Ashtagon]

Ship of Theseus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

i also wondered about the ability to continue adding it after since adding lacquer to a bow or new, better rope to a whip could add this qualities.

Personally, I'd say it's no longer the same item at this point.

 

[Luguolo]

Ship of Theseus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Personally, I'd say it's no longer the same item at this point.

exactly my point, i want to take this normal whip/bow and make it into a MW, composite, or Mighty version (MW for either, composite for the bow, mighty for the whip).

i dont see why you cant do this, again, is there a link someone can share where it restricts this? not trying to upset anyone or anything just curious!

 

[irdeggman]

while i know mighty used to be for bows, i know it also went with things such as whips, to which i am still using mighty for given i have no replacement to counter-act it with. so that is why i said composite AND mighty.

Nope.

PHB (3.0) pg 66 talks about the craft (bowmaking) check required to make mighty bows, also pg 113. There was only mighty combposite bows (short and long) - not other weapon had that specific label.

Mighty added your str rating to the damage you dealt with the bow.

Projectile weapons use dex mod to add to the to hit roll, mighty composite bows added the str rating to the damge dealt.

Melee weapons always added the str rating to hit and to damage rolls. A whip had a special caveat that specified that it only did subdual damage.

3.5 - you add the str mod to damage for all melee weapons including the one-handed exotic melee weapon (the whip) - now the whip only deals non-leathal damage so this bonus is non-lethal damage only.

now i didn't know Masterwork items could not be made after creation, is there a spot that mentions this in any of the books?

PHB pg 122

You can’t add the masterwork quality to a weapon after it is created;
it must be crafted as a masterwork weapon (see the Craft skill,
page 700.

and the only reason i figured it might have to be MW first is that it seems to need specific detail.

masterwork only applies to weapons and armor - it has absolutely nothing to do with "detail" or intricacies - it only does what it says it does - adds a +1 to the attack bonus for weapons and -1 from the AC penalty for armors - and it allows such items to be enchanted.

It is a common mistake to think that masterwork (in D&D terminology) means fine artistry.

 

[Luguolo]

Nope.

PHB (3.0) pg 66 talks about the craft (bowmaking) check required to make mighty bows, also pg 113. There was only mighty combposite bows (short and long) - not other weapon had that specific label.

Mighty added your str rating to the damage you dealt with the bow.

Projectile weapons use dex mod to add to the to hit roll, mighty composite bows added the str rating to the damge dealt.

Melee weapons always added the str rating to hit and to damage rolls. A whip had a special caveat that specified that it only did subdual damage.

3.5 - you add the str mod to damage for all melee weapons including the one-handed exotic melee weapon (the whip) - now the whip only deals non-leathal damage so this bonus is non-lethal damage only.






PHB pg 122





masterwork only applies to weapons and armor - it has absolutely nothing to do with "detail" or intricacies - it only does what it says it does - adds a +1 to the attack bonus for weapons and -1 from the AC penalty for armors - and it allows such items to be enchanted.

It is a common mistake to think that masterwork (in D&D terminology) means fine artistry.

alright, my only question remaining is, since the whip-dagger in 3.0 was considered ranged, and wasnt sent into 3.5, do you think it threatens squares now given it functions like a normal weapon (not hindered by armour)

 

[irdeggman]

alright, my only question remaining is, since the whip-dagger in 3.5 was considered ranged, and wasnt sent into 3.5, do you think it threatens squares now given it functions like a normal weapon (not hindered by armour)

The rules were changed drastically in 3.5.

To ignore armor bonuses (and natural armor) - also noting that in 3.0 this included bonuses from shields since it wasn't a shield bonus like it is in 3.5 - would mean that the weapon is considered a "touch" weapon (or you make a "touch" attack).

In 3.5 a whip threatens any square you can reach, including adjacent ones.

In 3.5 they fine tuned "ranged" and "reach" so that the whip is not "ranged" but instead a "reach" weapon, that also threatens adjacent foes. Now reach weapons attack similar to ranged weapons in that they suffer soft cover penalties (something else not well defined in 3.0).

IMO using the Arms and Equip Guide (a 3.0 book) is a fine line since many, many things do not function the same anymore.

So in a conversion from 3.0 to 3.5 - I would drop the "touch attack" portion {IMO that isw broken} and make the weapon function like a whip, you could however change the damage from non-lethal to lethal using the dagger ends instead, or you could make it have an option of non-lethal or lethal damage depending on how you attack (like weapons that have multiple damage types).

But it is still a melee weapon, so str bonus is added to damage - hence no need for any sort of "mighty" function anymore.

 

[Luguolo]

The rules were changed drastically in 3.5.

To ignore armor bonuses (and natural armor) - also noting that in 3.0 this included bonuses from shields since it wasn't a shield bonus like it is in 3.5 - would mean that the weapon is considered a "touch" weapon (or you make a "touch" attack).

In 3.5 a whip threatens any square you can reach, including adjacent ones.

In 3.5 they fine tuned "ranged" and "reach" so that the whip is not "ranged" but instead a "reach" weapon, that also threatens adjacent foes. Now reach weapons attack similar to ranged weapons in that they suffer soft cover penalties (something else not well defined in 3.0).

IMO using the Arms and Equip Guide (a 3.0 book) is a fine line since many, many things do not function the same anymore.

So in a conversion from 3.0 to 3.5 - I would drop the "touch attack" portion {IMO that isw broken} and make the weapon function like a whip, you could however change the damage from non-lethal to lethal using the dagger ends instead, or you could make it have an option of non-lethal or lethal damage depending on how you attack (like weapons that have multiple damage types).

But it is still a melee weapon, so str bonus is added to damage - hence no need for any sort of "mighty" function anymore.

actually the whip DOESN'T threaten any squares atall, so says PHB v3.5 page 121. also the whip dagger does NOT work as a ranged touch attack, it says it is "unhindered" since the first whip cant hurt people with armour that gives more then +1 or natural armour of +3, so that was incorrect on your part.

also it is already designated in the AaEG (arms and equipment guide) that it deals lethal damage. so my question still remains, given its new-found ability to be letal, does it threaten?