price check: quiver of infinite arrows

[Question]

Lucky for me, i saved that page as an MHTML file a while back. Unfortunately, i can't attach it here because that's not one of the supported file types. :\

Open it and copy/paste the text here......

 

[evilbob]

Thank you all for the great assortment of answers! This is all extremely helpful.

So let me sum up:

There's a semi-official infinite quiver that I'm thinking would supply an entire army and put all fletchers out of business that costs 28,000, with additional costs for better quality arrows as Unkabear posted. (These might also only last 1 round, but I don't know why any infinite arrow generator would create arrows that last only 1 round, since "holding" your action would be impossible and quite devalue the item.)

Using poser psionic haxxor, you could create an item that generated arrows that last for a minute (or disappear on use) using the DMG's rules for as little as 2000 gold.

Someone pointed out that over the lifetime of your character/campaign, you'll probably fire less than 10,000 arrows (possibly less than 7,000). Purchasing 10,000 standard arrows would cost 500 gold. (They would also weigh 3,333 pounds.) (But, purchasing 10,000 MW arrows would cost 70,000 gold.)

Heward's Handy Haversack costs 2000g and could hold something on the order of 800 arrows, theoretically. However, drawing each arrow would be a move action.

Most importantly, there are important RP implications for having a quiver of infinite arrows; not the least of which are that without a duration you could supply an army with arrows (or heck, build the hoover dam), but with a duration they are powerful assassin tools; and that ultimately it depends on the flavor of your campaign as to whether or not this is an amazingly overpowered item or a wonderful bookkeeping timesaver (or just worthless).


I would also like to say that while I like the idea of limiting the item to something like, "produces 20 arrows 3 times per day" - and I think that would certainly help with pricing - if the goal of the item is to eliminate bookkeeping, this doesn't work. You still have to keep track of 20 arrows, AND you have to remember how many times you've used the thing per day. I'd say this is a great solution for the heavy RP + nitpicky DM campaign, but for the "I just don't want to erase a hole in my character sheet" camp, it's not as useful.

At this point, I'm certainly convinced that the price range can be narrowed to between 2000g and 28,000g, and I'm sure it would be closer to 2000. I still think 2000g pings a little low in my opinion, but even 28,000 seems way too high, especially with the evidence listed above. And then you have the argument for a "scalable" item, like the semi-official one posted, that might give MW, +1, +2, etc. arrows for a higher price. Something like that is harder to figure out, since - using the same scale given above - 6000g for a quiver of infinite +1 arrows seems low again.

 

[evilbob]

For clarification:

50 arrows: 2.5 gold
50 MW arrows: 350
50 +1 arrows: 2000
50 +2 arrows: 8000
50 +3 arrows: 18000
50 +4 arrows: 32000
50 +5 arrows: 50000

The magic item listed appears to have taken these numbers, doubled them, and added them to 28000 to get their prices (with the exception of MW, which just rounded from 700 to 1000).

Edit:
Part of the issue in my opinion is trying to create a pricing structure that works for more powerful items: for example, playing 2000 gold for infinite arrows doesn't seem unreasonable, since you're buying 40,000 arrows. But 6000 gold for infinite +1 arrows is a sweet deal since that's equal to 150 of them. No one would buy more than 150 +1 arrows again. (For that matter, no one would make individual +1 arrows anymore either!)

Also, another smaller issue is that the psionics solution is good for just placing the item in the world, but it would be hard for a player in a non-psionics campaign to create one of these items.

 

[Crothian]

If people are tracking that of course...

I think it is highly campaign dependent

Really? People tracking equipment is campaign dependant? I want to play in a game like that. Those potions I ghave will last forever!!

 

[LiquidBlue]

I would argue that 2,000 gp is the perfect price for a quiver that produces +1 arrows that evaporate after 2 rounds.

The analysis has already been given that the price for arrows over the entire career of an adventurer is almost completely negligible. So the infinite quiver is essentially nothing more than a convience, a convience that goes away when mundane weapons are needed the most - in an antimagic field, or subject to a targeted dispell.

Furthermore +1 arrows are not really all that great over the course of a career. They do not have any of the special material properties, nor any special abilities. Once the archer enchants their bow for any special ability, there is no difference between the +1 arrows and regular arrows. And at what point does the archer use a special bow? Usually in the mid low levels.

As for the assasin arguement, in a world of magic, there are many ways to kill that leave even less evidence than an evaporating arrow.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

If you're willing to search there was a thread about this exact same item a few months ago and it should still be here a few pages down. I posted the complete excerpt from WOTC on the quiver and all it's variants and their costs.

 

[evilbob]

If you're willing to search there was a thread about this exact same item a few months ago and it should still be here a few pages down. I posted the complete excerpt from WOTC on the quiver and all it's variants and their costs.

Do you mind to link to the thread? Was it the 28,000 gold version or something different?

 

[Question]

IIRC quiver of anariel was something like 25k+ for infinite standard arrows, which i found obscence........you cant possibly use even half of that amount in arrows from level 1 to 20 unless the entire campaign has you sniping a army.

Unfornately non-donators cant use search to find the quiver of anariel post.

 

[Christian]

The analysis has already been given that the price for arrows over the entire career of an adventurer is almost completely negligible. So the infinite quiver is essentially nothing more than a convience, a convience that goes away when mundane weapons are needed the most - in an antimagic field, or subject to a targeted dispell.

I dunno. Our party's archer has made the fascinating discovery that a character with two iterative attacks, the Rapid Shot feat, and under the effects of a haste spell, can run through her entire stock of fifty arrows in just over twelve rounds of combat. And for a character without massive Strength, even fifty arrows can be a significant load to carry. I know for a fact she'd love to have on of these items ...

 

[Jack Simth]

I dunno. Our party's archer has made the fascinating discovery that a character with two iterative attacks, the Rapid Shot feat, and under the effects of a haste spell, can run through her entire stock of fifty arrows in just over twelve rounds of combat. And for a character without massive Strength, even fifty arrows can be a significant load to carry. I know for a fact she'd love to have on of these items ...

Ah, but that's what the Efficient Quiver (or Quiver of Elhonia (sp?), if you're not using the SRD) is for:

Efficient Quiver: This appears to be a typical arrow container capable of holding about twenty arrows. It has three distinct portions, each with a nondimensional space allowing it to store far more than would normally be possible. The first and smallest one can contain up to sixty objects of the same general size and shape as an arrow. The second slightly longer compartment holds up to eighteen objects of the same general size and shape as a javelin. The third and longest portion of the case contains as many as six objects of the same general size and shape as a bow (spears, staffs, or the like). Once the owner has filled it, the quiver can produce any item she wishes, as if from a regular quiver or scabbard. The efficient quiver weighs the same no matter what’s placed inside it.

Moderate conjuration; CL 9th; Craft Wondrous Item, secret chest; Price 1,800 gp;Weight 2 lb.

(Emphasis added). An 1,800 gp item, holds 60 arrows for 2 pounds. Sure, a sufficiently skilled archer can run through that in ten rounds... but if you're still spending arrows on it after ten rounds, chances are, you shouldn't be. Most battles don't last that long. After the battle, you just refresh your quiver from the mundane quivers you carry in Bags of Holding or Portable Holes.

Of course, an Efficient Quiver can have any kind of arrow stored inside - Adamantine, Alchemical Silver, Cold Iron, +1 Bane, et cetera. Or multiple types at once. The infinite quiver of +1 arrows? Not so much.