Deflect Arrows

[hong]

Stupid feat. Like the machine-gun archer schtick needs even more encouragement. Die, stupid feat.

 

[Imp]

Eh, how often do you even see that feat? And then, characters who take it and aren't monks?

I dunno, I think the monk shtick ought to be "hard to kill"*, every little bit helps, and they don't have enough now as is.

*Honestly though, there should be a "physical path" monk prestige class that gives them fighter BAB, the current unarmed damage progression, and attribute bonuses like a dragon disciple in lieu of the high-level mystical stuff, and the default class should be lower-damage but harder to kill and have a variety of options for running interference, like maybe a ki status-smacker attack that takes a will save.

 

[kolikeos]

Being magical doesn't inherently disqualify the feat from functioning. Only "unusually massive ranged weapons and ranged attacks generated by spell effects can’t be deflected." So if your bow was enchanted to turn regular arrows into flying telephone poles, I think I would probably agree with you.

I did not say that being magical would make the feat useless against them, but it should be harder to deflect.

Unless it reaches bullet speed, I think the feat is still working as intended.

I think that even then the feat should work, but with a higher DC.

You could always just go back to the way it worked in 3.0. Or make it reflex DC 10/15/20/whatever+enhancment bonus+str. bonus (for mighty bows).

That's a good idea, the question is what would be an appropriate DC?

 

[Sejs]

That would be an awesome weapon, wonder how much it would cost.

Base it off the Enlarge Weapon spell, or the Expansion psionic power with a particularly high manifester level.

Personally, what I'd like to see along those lines: a heavy crossbow that effectively fires ballista bolts.

 

[hong]

I did not say that being magical would make the feat useless against them, but it should be harder to deflect.

I think that even then the feat should work, but with a higher DC.

That's a good idea, the question is what would be an appropriate DC?

Make it a counter, based on the pre-existing stat that says how hard you are to hit: 1/round as an immediate action, you gain (char level) to AC vs ranged weapons.

 

[Darklone]

Injecting real-life physics doesn't always work.

Shilsen: Physics is a houserule.

 

[Particle_Man]

Also, you need to be aware that the arrow is coming (so if you are flat-footed it doesn't work) and you need a hand free (so if you are using "Sword and Board" or a 2-hander or two weapons it doesn't work).

 

[shilsen]

Shilsen: Physics is a houserule.

Damn - I was just going to post that! And you had me worried for a moment, since I misread it as "Shilsen is a house rule"

As for the original query, as a number of posters have mentioned, it really isn't that powerful a feat. But if you really want to house rule it, just make it a DC 20 Ref save, with arrows having an enhancement bonus raising the DC by the amount of the bonus. Simple.

 

[Drowbane]

Deflect Arrows is prime example of a feat that is far cooler in concept than practice. How often do you see people bothering to take it? I have seen several Monks neglect to take it for Combat Reflexes.

The only problem with the way that Deflect Arrows works in 3.5 (the automatic deflection) is when you combine them with the epic feats, Infinite Deflection and ... the other one, that allows you to deflect ranged spells. Then it becomes hideous.

Later
silver

Compared to what others are doing at similiar Epic levels? Not so bad really.

 

[Drowbane]

Damn - I was just going to post that! And you had me worried for a moment, since I misread it as "Shilsen is a house rule"

Shilsen *is* a Houserule. Clearly, Shilsen is far too powerful to be Core.

Afterall, Shilsen is broken.