Pixies

[Sound of Azure]

I wouldn't allow the pixie to automatically have the arrows, but allow it the ability create the arrows with its XP and gold/items as if the arrows were magic items (and the pixie had the relevant feats).

 

[moritheil]

Easy there, tiger.

In your initial post, you wrote as if you were allowing the pixie as a beginning PC. PCs begin at level 1, so...... I'm glad to see you're up on the whole ECL thing.

To be fair, not all campaigns begin at level 1.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

Check out the orc entry in the MM. You'll note orcs have "javelin" listed in their weapon entry, as a ranged attack. How many javelins does an orc warrior have? One? A quiver full?

Check out the drow elf entry, page 103. Which of the drow's weapons have poison on them? One? All? A quiver full?

A balor has a +1 vorpal longsword, and it's listed as a (Su) ability. If the Balor sells his longsword, does he immediately gain another? A quiver full?

Etc.

Orcs...don't have any weapons listed as an (Ex). Therefore it probably doesn't matter how many mundane javelins they have. It's not unbalancing for an orc warrior to have a cliff with a thousand javelins, because a level 1 sorcerer can hose him off in about 3 rounds with almost no chance of failure. I'd let a beginning orc character start with as many javelins as he wanted to carry, because it's not going to do anything to my game besides have a PC with the nickname "Javelin Man" (obscure River City Ransom reference).

Drow? Please, if you're going to try and smart aleck me, at least read the entries you're referencing.

A typical drow carries 1d4-1 doses of drow knockout poison.

Wow. That was hard to notate. Too bad they didn't do that for the pixies. I think it's safe to assume drow don't create their own poison, but maybe they do. Maybe their hair grease squeezings are their poison. Or maybe their emo eyeliner doubles as poison. That's why 1 in 4 doesn't have any poison, because he got all gussied up for the metalcore show. Does that mean 3 in 4 drow PCs has a bottle or 3 of poison on him when he starts the game? Who knows? I don't see why it'd be a problem, honestly. No balance issues there as far as I'm concerned.

Balor...I dunno. I guess if he sells his (Su) longsword then it's gone, since it says all balors have a vorpal longsword. (Su)? Maybe he grows a new one from his horn. Maybe he craps one out. Maybe he buys it at Ye Olde Balor Shoppee. Maybe Dispater materializes and sticks it in his forehead and gives him a tattoo that says "demon is sux lol heres a sord". This one doesn't matter at all because nobody's going to have a balor PC, ever, unless you're running a ridiculously high-level epic game in which case I refer you to the orc example; doesn't matter how many +1 vorpals you have, because everything you fight has epic DR and it doesn't unbalance the game.

The pixie, however, presents a balance issue. With no explanation, and no price guide (the DMG quip doesn't count...if you've ever tried using that thing it's a very rough guide at best), and nowhere to find these items, it isn't unfair to assume that pixies have relatively easy access to them and may or may not begin play with some. It's also silly to assume they get an unlimited supply, since an invisible rogue flying around putting everything to sleep negates most of the challenge and fun of a D&D game, thus creating a balance issue. How much of one is what I'm trying to get at.

That's why I asked the question, because there really is no clear cut hard fast rule on what to do about this situation. Most of the suggestions that have been given are sound, some of them very sound, but none of them are concrete rulings, and there's really no need to treat your own opinion on what to do as a ruling that everyone should follow.

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

how are the pixies dying?

Fireball up to 10d6... reflex HALF

Unless you have evasion, you still burn... the DR doesn't help.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

Sorry, I was thinking people would have their "duh" hats on and play pixie rogues with evasion...there's really no other class to play as a pixie...if you're a pixie fighter I guess you're getting what you've got coming. I did know that saves are generally for half damage though, strangely enough.

 

[Tonguez]

Can one of them chase a party for miles and put them all to sleep and erase all of their memories, then hire someone to beat them silly and deposit them in a different place half-way around the world,

Hmm that would be a fun encounter - or an interesing way to restart a new campaign

 

[isoChron]

There are no pricing guidelines anywhere in the core rules for such items, nor are there any precedents; therefore, one can't say with perfect certainty that they absolutely do or do not get the arrows. ...

See Magic Weapons section in Savage Species p.51: Pixie Arrows: Memory Loss and Sleep Arrow... as I posted above. Not Core but WotC.

 

[Drowbane]

At what level of play are they starting? If you're starting at level 1, the thing I'd pay attention to is the fact that she'll have one hit die... for five levels. Even if she's a pixie barbarian, that's 12 hit points plus Con until she gains 15,000 XP. And if she's going to play the favored class (sorcerer), it'll be 4 plus Con. How many other level 5 characters do you know with 6 hit points?

The first thing that hits her is going to kill her; then it won't matter if she has a billion sleep arrows.

Greater...

Invisibility...

but yea, even so... one hit and she drops.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

When I played a pixie, the DM made me craft my own arrows. He did let me take a "Craft: Bow & Arrows" skill, so I could craft my own bows, too, if I wanted. The description of the Craft skill in the PHB mentions several types of bows, but not arrows.

Having to craft your own arrows really limits the number--and replenishment rate, especially when you're stuck in the world's largest dungeon.

I recall that figuring out the DC to craft arrows was something of a pain, but I can't remember why. Probably because they're not listed in the PHB skill entry for Craft.

 

[hong]

Yes, Old Gumphrey, you can ban the arrows.

... where were we again?