Take Archer, Add Enlarge, Arrows=2d6

[two]

Is this correct?

Medium bow turns Large bow, projectile fired under Enlarge Person spell, recieves enlarged weapon damage, which would be (for a 1d8 arrow)...

drum roll...

2d6?

Is this really right? Does this bother anyone?

Greatsword damage from a level 1 spell?

So a Fighter1 with BPShot, Rapid Shot, Precise shot when enlarged can dish out 4d6 of ranged goodness a round. From day 1?

(scratches head).

Either I'm wrong, which is cool, or I'm not, in which case it's OK that bow and arrow bonuses don't stack anymore. Yikes!

 

[Hypersmurf]

It gets better.

Ranged weapons don't have the light, one-handed, two-handed designator.

In another thread, WotC just confirmed that someone can use a ranged weapon up to two size categories disparate from their own, with the cumulative -2 penalty.

So a Medium human can use a Huge Longbow (at a -4 penalty), for 2d8 damage. When Enlarged, he becomes a Large human with a Gargantuan Longbow - 4d6 damage.

So with Rapid Shot, he can do 8d6 damage a round (with a -7 penalty on each shot: -4 for mis-sized weapon, -1 for size Large, -2 for Rapid Shot). Weapon Focus, Point Blank Shot, +1 BAB, and a 16 Dex (say) gives him +6, so he's at a net -1 Attack Bonus. If the arrows are masterwork, he's even-stevens.

-Hyp.

 

[Waldo]

You're right as far as I can tell.

But the greatsword does 3d6 after being enlarged! Enlarge is a good spell, and not just for archers.

 

[Savage Wombat]

I thought I read in the spell description that the projectile returns to it's original size upon departing the Enlarged hero.

 

[youspoonybard]

I thought I read in the spell description that the projectile returns to it's original size upon departing the Enlarged hero.

Thrown weapons do.

Projectiles do as well, but the damage is based upon the weapon that fired them.

 

[Jens]

Looking at it in a different way

Medium bow turns Large bow, projectile fired under Enlarge Person spell, recieves enlarged weapon damage, which would be (for a 1d8 arrow)...

drum roll...

2d6?

That's an increase of 7 - 4.5 = 2.5 and he's attacking at -1 for being large. It's a little better than Power Attacking with a two-handed weapon, but not by much

So a Medium human can use a Huge Longbow (at a -4 penalty), for 2d8 damage. When Enlarged, he becomes a Large human with a Gargantuan Longbow - 4d6 damage.

Adding the attack penalty for size, he's at -5 before other modifiers. His damage per arrow has increased by 14 - 4.5 = 9.5 oso he's getting 9.5 / 5 = 1.9 points of damage per point of attack bonus, not quite as good as what Power Attack can provide.

Maybe it's not so obscene as it first appears?

 

[Wormwood]

Re: Looking at it in a different way

Maybe it's not so obscene as it first appears?

That statement covers a *lot* of 3.5 edition.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Re: Looking at it in a different way

His damage per arrow has increased by 14 - 4.5 = 9.5 oso he's getting 9.5 / 5 = 1.9 points of damage per point of attack bonus, not quite as good as what Power Attack can provide.

Yup. And Ranged Power Attack was widely considered obscene in 3E, even when it was -1 => +1.

-Hyp.

 

[Angcuru]

Re: Looking at it in a different way

Maybe it's not so obscene as it first appears?

I dunno, man. When you get into the higher levels and have Attack bonus to spare, something like this can really tip the scales.

 

[two]

for me the great bonus is the 6-8 guaranteed

Over a d8, which has a high variance (I think the stat people call it), meaning, on any given roll, you are as likely to get a 1 as an 8. Over the long term, a d8 averages out to 4.5, but that long term could be 10 campaigns of time!

I MUCH prefer a bell-curve 2d6 where I'm pretty assured to get 6-8 points of damage per arrow.

Also, the lower of 2d6 vs. 1d8 is higher (2 vs. 1) and the high is higher (12 vs. 8) by 4 points.

Overall, yes, 1d8 vs 2d6 is a BIG jump in consistency and damage output.

I think the new no-brainer for archers is to get the more expensive bracers of archery pronto, (+2 to hit, +1 damge), and use a bow one size larger. Forget enlarge, you dont' need it. This nets you +0 to hit, and 2d6+1 damage (for all ranges now, not just within 30').

Can't wait to that first arrow critical... 6d6 of damage...owww.

More pedestrian, a 6th level fighter / archer type with the good bracers of archery and +4 mighty bow will be outputting 2d6 + 5 per arrow, before magic bow. Let's make it a +2 bow. 2d6 + 7 per arrow, 3 attacks a round at 6th level. That's getting to be rather... something. Abusive comes to mind. Attack bonus of 6 + 3 (dex) + 2 (magic) -2 rapid shot = +9/+9/+4. Not great to-hits, but not bad for 6th level. Pretty much guarantess 2 hits a round vs. typical opponents, i.e. 4d6 + 14. I dunno. That sounds like an awful lot.

Am i overreacting?