Manyshot, your opinion ...

[Stormrunner]

Overpowered? No.
Unrealistic? Definitely.
I took a bow and some arrows and did a little real-world testing . Admittedly I am not a good archer, however I found it very difficult to get all the arrows in the target (not the bullseye, just in the target somewhere!), unless I was quite close. If you spread the arrow nocks out along the string, they aren't properly centered and the uneven thrust sends them veering off to the sides. If you bunch them up then the fletchings interfere with each other as they leave the bow.

Also, realistically you are dividing up the bow's thrust among all the arrows - fire three arrows at once, each hits only one-third as hard.

"Realistic" Multishot:

Pick a 10x10 foot square. Each arrow of the multishot attacks a random target within that square. Each arrow gets its own attack roll (at a -1 for each arrow in the shot: fire four arrows, each strikes at -4). Range increment is multiplied by one over the number of arrows fired (fire 4 arrows, range increment is 1/4 normal. Five arrows, range inc. is 1/5, etc.) Make ONE base damage roll (including Str bonus) and divide the result evenly by the number of arrows in the shot, dropping fractions (if you fire 4 arrows, and roll a damage of 9, each arrow does 2 damage and the 9th point is wasted). Sneak attack, precision strike, death attack, and similar "precise strike" damage CANNOT be applied to the manyshot at all (the paths of the individual arrows are too unpredictable and uncontrolled to be able to make any sort of "called shot"). "Extra" damage from enhancement bonus and properties such as flaming, holy, etc. applies normally to each arrow (so in the above example, if the 4 arrows were fired from a +2 flaming bow, each would do 4 damage plus 1d6 fire damage).

 

[Zweischneid]

Manyshot was also in Robin Hood: King of Thieves...

It may not be realistic, but it's sort of an action movie staple... even without magic.

(Whirlwind attack? *cough* *cough*, you may twirl around with a sword, but the chance of actually hitting (with hitting I mean more than a glancing blow) more than one person with a sword if they've got you surrounded and are themselves defending and fighting is just totally out there... again it's an action movie thing mainly.)

 

[johnsemlak]

It's broken. Rapid Shot should be -3 instead of -2, and Manyshot propagates that problem. Furthermore, Manyshot also breaks the cardinal rule of "if you want more than one attack in a round, you have to use a full attack action."

It don't care at this point whether or not it's realistic, it's too good and violates a core game rule.

Well, these matters are always ultimately subjective, but I'll agree with above posters that overall, archers don't seem to become overpowered compared to fully-beefed melee combatants in the game.

Ultimately, I'm not sure that the difference between -2/-3 could make or break all that much.

As for manyshot allowing multiple attacks without a fullround action, isnt' it possible to view manyshot as simply a single attack (it is really), doing potentally more damage in exchance for a to-hit penalty?

 

[shilsen]

tell that to shilsen: Soup

I saw Mystery Man's post and was about to post a link. Thanks

 

[Li Shenron]

I don't think one can easily support the idea that shooting more arrows at the same time could be any realistic... But is there a problem to have an archer character doing so alongside a wizard casting spells? They are just heroic deeds who belong to fairy tales and RPGs...

 

[candidus_cogitens]

As for manyshot allowing multiple attacks without a fullround action, isnt' it possible to view manyshot as simply a single attack (it is really), doing potentally more damage in exchance for a to-hit penalty?

That's how I would prefer to think of it too, but still, the name of the feat influences its flavor, at least for me.

Maybe I'll just take the feat but call it "Shoot to Kill" instead. The action could be described as taking aim at a small vulnerable spot--more difficult but more deadly.

 

[Laurel]

As to the reality of it - who cares- I don't see many beholders roaming my office, but they are still in the game. It doesn't seem that far-featched to load two arrows and shoot them.... the four arrows gets a little even further out there.
If you have a really hard time visualizing it, then think/watch Robin Hood men in tights. There is one part when Robin pulls out a row of arrows held together by string Then it works perfectly- only has to draw one thing, and they are all connected

Where it is a feat and after two arrows a penalty is accrued for each additional arrow, no I don't think it's unbalanced.

Also, it's not as bad as in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves when Robin takes the feather from one and shoots two individual guards. With manyshot in D&D it has to be one single target taking all arrows.

Edit: Just saw that at least one of ther person thought of the RHoT movie shot

 

[Zappo]

What about seeing the feat as the archer shooting several times while moving?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Maybe I'll just take the feat but call it "Shoot to Kill" instead. The action could be described as taking aim at a small vulnerable spot--more difficult but more deadly.

That makes it precision-based, which therefore wouldn't work against golems and undead, who have no vulnerable spots to target (therefore making them immune to criticals and sneak attack)...

 

[Imret]

I went with what I discovered was the majority; unrealistic, but I like it. It's not as if the game is without unrealistic edges...

- A rogue or monk can avoid being burned at all by a 20' x 20' ball of fire, and when the fire is over, they're still standing in the same place. Or, more to the point, standing on a pillar 3' wide, they can avoid the fire AND not fall off.

- As stated above, Whirlwind Attack. Unless monomolecular blade edges crept into D&D, there's no way this feat is even still clinging to realism with the tips of its fingers.

Plus, I like a little Exalted in my D&D, so to speak.

(ramble) On another note...for some reason this feat is most palatable to me if the bow is held horizontally. Not for mechanics, realism, or really anything but style. I don't care if it doesn't work, I like it. Same with Shot on the Run. (/ramble)