D&D 5E (2014) Magic Ammunition

[PnPgamer]

Yeah i would also just say that they are pretty much for bybassing nonmagical resistances and immunities. Nice ideas about the arrows, no more+1! We want ensnaring arrows! We want antimagic arrows!

 

[delericho]

When my group and I were younger, we shied away from consumables of any kind, simply because we found them distasteful. Something about them running out just bothered me. These days, I can't tell you why.

I think it might actually be worthwhile to look at it from the player's in-the-moment perspective. Not the DM, not the character.

When would you, the player, choose a +1 arrow of a certain value (I don't recall, 250gp?) over a normal arrow?

In both cases, it's about the economics of scarcity. The character effectively has the choice: he can either spend a month's wages on a magic arrow or he can save for a year and buy a magic bow. Objectively, the better choice is to save and buy the permanent item - the consumable is a fool's game.

And yet... the character in question routinely finds himself in fights to the death, and although resurrection magic is available it's likely out of his reach (and, indeed, even if it's possible to come back, I expect a violent death isn't a particularly experience!).

Of course, in a fight to the death, that magical arrow might well prove to be the difference between making it out alive and meeting a nasty end. Sure, the maths say there's really only a 5% chance of it mattering on the attack roll and a 12.5% chance of it mattering on the damage roll (for a longbow), but adventurers have a saying - "never tell me the odds". Small though those chances are, what if this time, that turns out to be the difference between coming out alive and, well, not?

Do you dare risk not having, and using, the best equipment available right at this moment?

 

[Shadowdweller00]

Unless you are trying to drum up the full horror of resistance/immunity to nonmagical damage, I too would strongly advise against giving ANY +1 arrows. From BOTH a mathematical AND a narrative standpoint they are anemic. Give the players arrows that do something special...explode, inflict smoking wounds, change into lightning bolts or light rays, strike with supernatural accuracy. Something that makes the players think they possess, are using, and are giving up something rare and powerful. It's almost better if the players do not understand the full extent or nature of what they are using.

 

[AtomicPope]

I have yet to find anything in the rules that states magic arrows don't stack with magic bows. If they do stack then there's an obvious reason to dole out magic arrows as treasure. This was the case in previous versions of D&D, except for 3.5. In previous versions this was also why you'd bust out the magic arrows. In fact, the change in 3.5 was really a break in tradition. We didn't expect it either. I remember when we started playing, it wasn't until higher level that we discovered the change. Then 4e came out and they stacked again.

 

[SkidAce]

They "could" stack...it would still only be 5% increase to hit with a + 1 arrow (i.e 5% better than whatever you are getting with the magical bow)

 

[houser2112]

As a player of an archer PC, I view +x arrows as merely situationally useful. The most common scenario I'd use them is to pierce resistance or immunity. The only other time I can think of is when I absolutely need to hit with this arrow. (Powerful rider effect, BBEG is about to escape, trying to avoid a TPK, etc.) Other than that, they stay in the quiver.

 

[Koren Greenberg]

once used, magical ammo becomes inert and useless. this is why u cant fire a dragonslaying arrow and just pick it up and use it again

 

[CapnZapp]

I'm trying to figure out how many magic arrows/bolts to give out when I want to include magic ammunition in a treasure. For example, instead of a level 1-2 spell scroll, how many +1 arrows?

I'd like to give my low level players some consumables besides potions of healing and spell scrolls .
Magic Ammunition was the perfect solution in the past and would seem great now.
The way I see it, one +1 arrow only affects hit/miss 5% of the time, and only adds one point of damage.
A basic potion of healing can have far more impact on an encounter than a single +1 arrow. The DMG lists +1 ammo as uncommon; potion of healing is common. Table B does not say how many arrows/bolts - it seems to imply just one, which seems way too stingy to me, and given the comparison to healing potion doesn't quite make sense it me (impact and rarity). I know I can award however many I want but I don't want to unbalance things too much. My gut says something like 2d4. How many did the DMG intend? What do other DM's do?

Advice or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Indeed the DMG hands out only one piece of ammo.

This is baffling, of course, but it is less surprising when you consider the decision to price a consumable at 50% the price of a permanent item doing the same thing.

This is what really is baffling, since it makes zero sense. Sane magical prices (the fan made PDF) changes this to 1/10th.

Earlier edition used 1/20th or even 1/50th (infamously so for 3rd edition wands of cure minor wounds).

My advice? Bundle magic ammo in tens or dozens. But also remember to have the monster use them (if at all capable) against the party!

Meaning that if it took four rounds to defeat the Gnoll Hunter, four of the twelve +1 arrows are already gone and used up.

Your other question: yes magic ammo stacks with a magic bow.

Finally, keep in mind that ranged combat is incredibly strong in 5th edition. You would probably be better off making the best magical weapons into melee weapons, and reserve any cool ranged effects to ammunition (since after all it is perishable).

A +3 Flaming Longsword? Sure.

A +3 Flaming Longbow? Probably better to limit this to a +1 Longbow and then put the cool stuff on the arrows: "you find nine +2 Flaming arrows".

The end result is the same, but with the important distinction that melee will feel more reliable.

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