Does a +2 Bow hit +2 only Creatures?

[Leopold]

a player of mine says a +2 bow allows the archer to hit creatures that can only be hit by +2 weapons. I view it as the ARROW is the key to hitting +2 creatures and the bow is just the launch mechanism and doesn't pass anything down.


which is right and where can we find the rules?

 

[Crothian]

It's the arrows that determine what DR one can pentrate. I think this can found in the DMG in the magical weapon section.

 

[AuraSeer]

Yah, what he said.
If you have a +5 bow and normal arrows, you can't even penetrate the DR of a werewolf. Conversely, if you have a nonmagical bow and +5 arrows, you penetrate any nonepic DR.

 

[RigaMortus]

However, you still get the +2 (from the bow) to hit and damage (provided you are hitting something with no DR).

 

[Caliber]

However, you still get the +2 (from the bow) to hit and damage (provided you are hitting something with no DR).

Actually, you still get the +2 even against creatures with DR. You just have to do enough damage to get through the DR thresh hold.

 

[kreynolds]

creatures that can only be hit by +2 weapons.

Well, since these creatures went the way of the Dodo with the advent of 3rd edition...

Just kidding. I agree with others that it is the arrows that determine whether or not you can get through DR. You also can't put the Sure Striking enhancement on a bow, crossbow, or sling, but you can put it on the ammunition.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Re: Re: Does a +2 Bow hit +2 only Creatures?

You also can't put the Sure Striking enhancement on a bow, crossbow, or sling, but you can put it on the ammunition.

What if I want to penetrate DR when I smack things with the bow?

 

[Kai Lord]

Re: Re: Re: Does a +2 Bow hit +2 only Creatures?

What if I want to penetrate DR when I smack things with the bow?

Or just use a couple of Rings of Protection +2 as DR penetrating brass knuckles.

 

[DerianCypher]

Don't ranged weapons grant their enchantment to their ammunition??

 

[Staffan]

Don't ranged weapons grant their enchantment to their ammunition??

They grant their bonuses to ammunition, but not the actual enchantment. You'd still get the +2 to attack and damage with a +2 bow, but since the arrows aren't actually magical (they just strike truer and harder) they won't go through DR. This sort of balances the extremely high bonuses you can get by stacking bow and ammo bonuses.