Help rock my quiver!

[Quickleaf]

Last game session another player asked me "What are you, the Green Arrow?" Thinking about my ranger/seeker hybrid I realized yeah she was spot on. To give me a little more parity with other ritual-slinging controllers our DM has allowed me to create magic arrows... including any I homebrew and he approves! I am particularly interested in non-offensive type arrows. For example, I came up with a thieves' arrow which allows me to make a ranged thievery check to lift a small unequipped object from a target. So what are the coolest trick arrows you can think of to rock my quiver? Fire away!

 

[cobrazarro]

That thievery one, unless you explain it more, doesn't make much sense... unless it's a boomarang arrow with a camera attached. Maybe a gluebomb arrow. I recall a monster that has throwable globes that burst upon impact or stick you in a spot for a round, those globes attached to the end of an arrow seem like a neat idea.

 

[Quickleaf]

It just carries the item to some point along the arrow's flight path. Think of it like a disarm potion attack Or any number of fun uses.

 

[The Human Target]

Yeah I'd just check out a lot of consumable items and attach them to arrows.

 

[Nichwee]

Flashbomb Arrow - Blind
Darkness/Smokecloud Arrow - AE Concealment Generator
Thunderclap Arrow - AE Deafened
Wrapping Rope Arrow - Restrained/Slowed (Depends if seen to wrap around whole body or just legs)
Bashing Arrow - Dazed
Oil Slick Arrow - AE Slowed/AC+Ref Debuff
Dousing Arrow - AE Acid/Fire Damage + Ongoing
Miracle-Gro Arrow - AE Restrained/Immobalised (Outdoor only?)
Can-Opener Arrow - AC/Defense Debuff
Tackyball Arrow - Atk Debuff
Ramming Arrow - Push/Prone
Haymaker Arrow - Stun
Hypnotic Lights Arrow - Pull (Maybe AE pulling toward centre of burst)
Lasso Arrow - Pull (1 or 2 at most imo)
Rebounding Arrow - Can target a square out of LoE if you have LoE to a solid object that has LoE to the square you want to target (still -5 to hit if no LoS)
Mirror Arrow - Shoot at an object/ground and grant LoS as tho at that square. (Minor Action - Lasts until 'smashed', which is a Melee 1 Free Action, or any damage effect targets that square)
Ladder Dragging Arrow - Bonus to climb checks (could be an additional function of Lasso Arrow if not in combat)


I assume you can imagine what I mean these to look like most of the tme. Most of these couldn't last long, so would be UEONT, but basically you can Batman/Green Arrow pretty much every condition in the game pretty simply. Including all the different damage types, as they all have a science equivalent. All AEs would have to be "Target : All creatures in burst" to denote the lack of choice once the arrow is shot. Could do "Target : All enemies in burst" stuff by allowing multiple shots of a single target version. Also all the AE stuff could be single target by assume the area of effect is limited to one square.

 

[Klaus]

Alchemical Arrow (Consumable): Use an alchemical item, but replace the item's range with the bow's range (including the long range, with a -2 to the alchemical item's attack roll).

 

[cobrazarro]

You could always do the classic boxing glove arrow... I mean spiked gauntlet arrow.

 

[El Mahdi]

Magical:

Arrow of Rock Piercing - Originally 2E (I converted it a bit, but it may still need some tweaking by you and your DM for use).

This arrow is made of a special, magical metal. Upon striking non-living rock, the arrow embeds itself with only the last 6 inches of the arrow shaft exposed. A small metal ring is set into the rear of the arrow, to which can be tied a thin line or cord (or silk rope). If an archer with an Arrow of Rock Piercing encounters a deep chasm with no way across, they need only tie the cord or rope to the end of the arrow, and shoot the arrow at a suitable rock structure on the side of the chasm opposite the archer. (A suitable Rock structure is any stone or brick material capable of supporting the weight of anyone hanging from it by a rope.) The arrow automatically imbeds itself upon striking non-living rock. If the rock structure is of adequate size (normal target size) and within range of the bow (with normal range penalties), any roll result other than a 1, should result in a successful hit. If the target is smaller, adjust the roll accordingly.
The Arrow of Rock Piercing is reusable; in order to retrieve the arrow, the archer simply grasps it, speaks the arrows command word, and pulls it from the rock as easily as if it was embedded in butter. Alternatively the arrow may also be used by grasping the arrow in hand, speaking the command word, and then stabbing the arrow into non-living rock. After the arrow is released, it is firmly fixed into the rocky material and can be used as above. It can then be removed again by speaking the command word and pulling it out of the rock.
When used against any material other than Rock, the arrow acts as a normal, non-magical arrow. At the DM's discretion, the arrow may provide a bonus when used against a living or animated target composed of stone (Stone Golem, Crystal Warrior, etc.), and may also instantly slay any petrified creature.

Some other ideas (you'd need to flesh them out)

Arrow of Silence - Arrow has a permanent area of silence around it when drawn from a quiver or a command word is spoken. The area of silence negates any sound of the arrow being fired (the creak of the bow, the "twang" of the string, etc.), and the sound of the arrow striking its target. Highly useful when stealth is desired, or for negating, from a distance, a creatures ability to speak or use a sound based ability or attack.

Arrow of Darkness - Upon striking, the target and a set area around it are enveloped in magical darkness.

Arrow of Paralyzation - Upon striking, the target must make a save (I know that's older edition speak, just convert to 4E), or be paralyzed (4E conditions: Immobilized, Helpless, or both?).


Non-magical arrows:

Signalling Arrow - a blunt arrow that has a ball-shaped tip (wooden). The ball is carved so that when it travels through the air, it makes a sound like a specific kind of bird in flight (a hawks call, etc.).

Frog-crotch - used for cutting ropes.

 

[cobrazarro]

I never would have thought to use a frog's crotch to cut a rope.

 

[catastrophic]

Arrow of Regrets
This magical arrow can be recalled as a Minor action. It can be recalled from a target once it has struck it, as long as the target is still alive. Doing so heals the target of the damage they suffered from the arrow. It can also be recalled if it misses a target. When the arrow is recalled, it can be re-fired as an RBA as a minor action.

Elastic Arrows
When fired, these arrows split in half, enabling two targets adjacent to one another to be attacked with a single ranged basic attack. If both attacks hit, the two targets are held together with a strand of sticky material. When one moves, the other is pulled with them, taking their place in whichever square they vacate. The bond ends if either target makes a saving throw.

Arrow of Swarming
These magical arrows home in on one another when fired. A target hit by one of these arrows suffers a cumulative -1 penalty to their defences against all further attacks made with an arrow of swarming. However, for every arrow of swarming that the attacker misses with, they suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to all attacks with arrows of joining. Both of these effects end with a sucessful saving throw- only one save is needed no matter how many penalties are incured.

Arrow of Elemental Channeling
These arrows come in pairs. Successfully hitting two seperate targets with the arrows will form an elemental conduit between them, mixing and mingling their energy types to terrible effect. If the two targets have different energy type keywords (such as cold, water, fire, ect), they both take damage of the energy types in question when the second arrow strikes.