How much for real arrows?

[0-hr]

How would one go about making arrows so that they acted like arrows in the real world? You know, the kind that don't shatter the instant they strike something? I'd really, really, like to be able to take a quiver of 20 arrows with me and use those same arrows a few times before having to restock. Having two quivers, plus 4 more on my horse, plus 4 more in my Haversack, is just silly...

Is there a material I could make them out of (there must be something in Faerun)? I don't mind if one breaks every so often, but 100% with every hit and 50% with every miss is going from silly into absurdity.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I don't know of anything in the rules. . . but what some of my characters do with their masterwork and silver arrows is just cast mending on the broken arrows or make a big pile of them and cast Make Whole.

 

[Angcuru]

Or you could just say that the rules are broken.

If you've ever used a bow in your life you'd know that an arrow of even moderate quality is a lot sturdier that the 3ED rules make them seem. I mostly do target shooting, so I don't keep any stuff behind the target that would mess up my arrows(just a sheet or two of plywood), should I miss, but they still get damaged every now and then.

EX. Back in the day, I had a crappy hay-bale target stood up on some cinder blocks. If I shot too low and hit the blocks, the arrow would sometimes get dulled and sometimes be perfectly O.K. Sometimes they riocheted and flew all over the place(I still have a scar on my left arm from when one arrow did a 180), which was not too much fun.

My target was backed by 1 1/2 inches of plywood, and the arrows commonly pierced all the way through (you'd be surprised what a recurve bow can do) the hay target + plywood. I'd say that's more or less the equivalent of piercing some creature with a thick hide and doing a fair amount of damage. And they were only rarely damaged.

ANYway, the arrows I use are aluminum, and if I'd have to stat them up, I'd say 10% damaged on a hit, 5% on a miss.

With what little experience I do have with wooden arrows, they get damaged about twice as often, 20% on a hit, 10% on a miss. (I use these rules IMC)

Now if you were to spend a little bit of cash and get some mithril arrows made, I'd say you'd get 5% damaged on a hit, 0% on a miss. Only broken if you roll a critical failure.

I'd also rule that since damaged arrows are salvageable, you can role a Craft: Arrow(Fletcher, whatever) check DC 15 to repair the arrow, if failed, it becomes effectively a -1 to attack arrow.

There ya go.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Now if you were to spend a little bit of cash and get some mithril arrows made, I'd say you'd get 5% damaged on a hit, 0% on a miss. Only broken if you roll a critical failure.

Of course, that still leaves us with the oddity that you have a 5% chance of breaking your mithral arrow by shooting a gelatinous cube, but no chance if you miss and it hits the stone wall...

-Hyp.

 

[Angcuru]

Of course, that still leaves us with the oddity that you have a 5% chance of breaking your mithral arrow by shooting a gelatinous cube, but no chance if you miss and it hits the stone wall...

-Hyp.

Gelatinous cubes have bits o' metal and stuff floatin' around in them(y'know, swords and armor from dissolved warriors, etc.), so it's resonable, not to mention that gelatinous cubes ARE acidic. Think about it, mithril arrow vs. stone wall. The mithril will be fine.

 

[thalmin]

Hitting straw targets, even backed, is not the same as hitting a creature that may still be moving after being shot. Any deer or bear hunters out there able to tell us of their experiences?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Any deer hunters shot arrows at deer wearing chainmail? I suspect back in the day that arrow breakage increased dramatically when armor penetration was part of the equation.

No carbon-fiber or composite shafts or tempered steel arrowheads back then, either.

 

[bret]

Within the rules, you best bet at low levels is Craft: Bowsmith (yes, I know -- but that is what it is called in the rules) and convince the GM that repairing is easier, the Mending or Make Whole spells, and eventually Fabricate.

In our high level group, the archers are very thankful that my Elven Wizard has a very good skill at Craft: Bowsmith. Want masterwork arrows, no problem!

[ Edit: Formatting ]

 

[0-hr]

Maybe if I had them made out of Duskwood? Or used the Ironwood spell?

 

[diaglo]

Any deer hunters shot arrows at deer wearing chainmail? I suspect back in the day that arrow breakage increased dramatically when armor penetration was part of the equation.

No carbon-fiber or composite shafts or tempered steel arrowheads back then, either.

ditto that.

also the 50% of not recovering a missed arrow includes just plain not being able to find them.

i know i've lost more than a few in RL that way.