Magic Ammunition - Does it Stack

[TarionzCousin]

If an archer with a +2 bow shoots a +3 arrow at the Evil Nerf Monster™, what is her to-hit bonus?

A. +2
B. +3
C. +5
D. +8 because ENM's™ are particularly deadly and you need all the oomph you can muster.

 

[TarionzCousin]

See page 26 in the Adventurer's Vault 2 for the answer (sblocked below).

[sblock]You would use the +3 enhancement from the ammunition. If it was a +1 arrow, your to-hit bonus would be +1.[/sblock]

However, the poll should reflect what we want the answer to be.

 

[kaomera]

If an archer with a +2 bow shoots a +3 arrow at the Evil Nerf Monster™, what is her to-hit bonus?

Ability bonus plus half-level bonus plus proficiency bonus plus enhancement bonus plus whatever other bonuses apply. So: none of the above.

What I want it to be: no enhancement bonus on ammunition, or even better no item enhancement bonii at all. Still none of the above.

 

[FireLance]

I think the reason why the enhancement bonus of magical ammunition overwrites the enhancement bonus of a magical projectile weapon is so that the character has an incentive to upgrade his magical ammunition as well. If the higher of the projectile weapon's and the ammunition's enhancement bonus applied to the attack roll, then there would be no incentive for a character to obtain magical ammunition with a higher enhancement bonus than the minimum necessary to get the power or property he wants.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

I haven't seen many/any threads regarding this "problem" and it is nothing that is essential for playing D&D 4E. Therefore, I don't really care and stick to the rules.

 

[lukelightning]

It should not stack. Bow users are already powerful enough. If you give rangers magic arrows, you should give warlocks magic ammo for their rods too.

 

[TarionzCousin]

This is the most lopsided poll in the history of ENWorld.

 

[Black Knight Irios]

What did you expect? This question is no serious business.

 

[TarionzCousin]

What did you expect? This question is no serious business.

Perhaps I should restate: It's the saddest/most pathetic poll in the history of ENWorld.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I think the reason why the enhancement bonus of magical ammunition overwrites the enhancement bonus of a magical projectile weapon is so that the character has an incentive to upgrade his magical ammunition as well. If the higher of the projectile weapon's and the ammunition's enhancement bonus applied to the attack roll, then there would be no incentive for a character to obtain magical ammunition with a higher enhancement bonus than the minimum necessary to get the power or property he wants.

QFT

If the bow gets to provide the bonus then your epic archer with a +6 bow can simply fire limitless quantities of +1 Lightning Arrows and be tacking burst damage and a condition on top of every attack for a cost so low it isn't even worth charging them for it. Magic Ammo HAS to work the way it does. Even as-is magic ammo is dubious, its still pretty easy for a ranger to get a very cheap enhancement to his powers.