Replenishing Ammo Enhancement

[Drake M]

I'm looking to homebrew a ranged weapon enhancement (provided one doesn't already exist) that immediately replenishes the weapon with standard, mundane ammunition.

The player could chose to not activate this power if they desired (to load the weapon with other ammunition).
It would, in essence, provide infinite ammunition, albiet mundane ammunition, and reduce the time it takes to reload the weapon to a free action.


Does something like this already exist? If not, what would a good base price modifier be? +1? +2? +3?

 

[delericho]

That's about equal in value to the Rapid Reload feat. Given that the keen property is roughly equivalent to the Improved Critical feat, and stands at a +1 bonus, I would therefore suggest that you price this enhancement at the same level.

But you should probably note: even at a +1 cost, it's probably a little underpowered. (In the "Complete Book of Eldritch Might", Monte introduces enhancements with a +1/2 bonus cost. That might actually be a better price-point for the enhancement you describe. Indeed, it might be worth checking that that book doesn't already include the very thing you want!)

 

[Drake M]

Underpowered? Well that's good to hear. I was worried it might be a little overpowered at +1, being that it would make even Heavy crossbows a free action.
Not that the difference between 1d8 and 1d10 is that massive.

Thanks
I'll definitely check out Complete Book of Eldrich might.

Anyone else have thoughts?

 

[delericho]

Underpowered? Well that's good to hear. I was worried it might be a little overpowered at +1, being that it would make even Heavy crossbows a free action.

Yep, I considered that. But bear in mind that the Fighter could get almost the same effect by using a mundane longbow, and yet is paying at least 6,000gp for the benefit (and significantly increasing the cost of any further enhancements).

 

[Belzbet]

I would say that it is in general underpowered (if it is but on a bow). A bow is already essentially a free action to reload so all this mod would be doing is giving you infinite ammo; something that is practically achievable by just always stocking up on arrows (actually, as a DM even, I hate the tedium of buying arrows so I use the upkeep rules and add arrows as something the PC's always have with them, if I for some reason dont want them to have arrows its easy enough for me to take, a grappler, etc). But, if given to a crossbow you want this mod to make reloading the weapon a free action (so the magic of the MOD actually pulls the string back for you and knocks an arrow, since what takes time is for you to pull the string not necessarily knock the arrow). This is more powerful but feats can achieve this effect (I am sure there is a feat out there that allows a heavy to be fired as a free action, cant find it right now though, but at least 2 feats are going to be needed to get to fire a heavy as a free action; now if your a druid or cleric 2 feats is actaully quite alot of youre feat reserve; and why would a fighter (or anyone that can use a bow and high STR) use a crossbow (composites allow you to add STR a crossbow never does because the firing of the arrow is not a function of YOUR STR)?. So now this MOD is actually usefulif put on a heavy or even a light.

I would say it is only worth only +1/2 if put on a bow.

I would say that the heavy crossbow is worth at least +1 maybe even +1.5 or +2 (+2 might be pushing it though it does allow you to use your iterative attacks with a heavy; it guess it comes down to the prereqs that one needs to get the feats enough to allows them to use a heavy as a free).

Also would say that the light crossbow is not worth more than +1.

 

[Dozen]

I'm looking to homebrew a ranged weapon enhancement (provided one doesn't already exist) that immediately replenishes the weapon with standard, mundane ammunition.

Well, geez. This is awkward. I should have noticed the thread before things started to escalate. Sorry everyone, there is an encancement for this. Page 41 of the Magic Item Compendium. Also, even if an effect places the ammo for you immediately, you still have to pull the string back, reflected in how loading heavy crossbows with the enchancement is a move action.

 

[delericho]

Yep. That's very similar, but not quite identical, to what the OP described.

I do still maintain that it's actually underpowered for a +1 enhancement, and would be even if it made reloading a heavy crossbow into a free action.

 

[Grogg of the North]

The quick loading weapon (MIC) enhancement is probably the closest to what you're looking for.

As an alternative, there is the Quiver of Plenty (DR 328) which creates masterwork arrows at will along with a few special arrows per day.

 

[delericho]

Oh, just a thought: if doing the "replenishing ammo" enhancement described in the OP, you probably need to put in a clause to the effect that ammo generated disappears after 1 round. Otherwise, some cheeky scamp is liable to use it as a source of infinite money.

 

[Sunseeker]

Oh, just a thought: if doing the "replenishing ammo" enhancement described in the OP, you probably need to put in a clause to the effect that ammo generated disappears after 1 round. Otherwise, some cheeky scamp is liable to use it as a source of infinite money.

Well, the easiest solution for a player trying to do this is "Sorry, but while a merchant is interested in resupplying their arrow stock, they don't need infinite." Now, if your player is willing to invest in Bill's Arrow Shop and send him a load of arrows in the same way Bill would order from a guy who makes them, sure, but that's going to be a very small amount of coin and spread out over a very long time period. 20 arrows is what, 1 gold? But at best they're only getting 10%, maybe 20%, so we're looking at between 10 silver and 20 silver per 20 arrows. It would take a level 20 fighter 6 seconds to generate 4 arrows, so Bob the low-level guy could only make 1 every 6 seconds. So he'd only get 10 per minute, 600 per hour which is only 60-120gp per hour. Assuming of course....someone wants to buy all those arrows.

*as an aside: allowing players access to "magic item shops" with infinite goods and services and infinite money has always been a pet peeve of mine.