Your archer tactics (not necessarily smackdowns)

[Elder-Basilisk]

Wow, great idea. Is there any reason you couldn't use this on magic arrows?

Yup. Look up the place where it says that magic arrows that miss have a 50% chance of being broken. It says that magic arrows that hit are destroyed.

For the cost of a zero-level wand, you can reuse 50 arrows!

"magical abilities are not restored" - but are the magical abilities of an arrow lost when it breaks? I would think it is just a broken "arrow +3" or whatever. Or is this trying to say that the magical abilities are dispelled when a broken magic item is mended?

If you sunder someon's magic sword, do they have to get it re-enchanted after it is repaired? If not, then the same should apply to arrows, which means mending should be fine for fixing up your broken magic arrows right?

Magical abilities are mostly dispelled when a magic item is destroyed. A sword that is sundered and then repaired--through the make whole spell, for instance--no longer has it's magical abilities, although I think I've read somewhere that they can be restored for 1/2 the normal cost of making a new sword. If this were applied to arrows, I don't think it would break the game.

Of course, realistically speaking, magic arrows come from the Greater Magic Weapon spell almost exclusively anyway. Consequently, they really cost 1 sp each and there's not much point to recovering them.

The mending trick is useful for special materials arrows and masterwork arrows during the times that a character may not have access to GMW. GMW makes it somewhat superfluous unless the party is on a long trek and has no opportunity to replace arrows for weeks.

 

[drnuncheon]

"magical abilities are not restored" - but are the magical abilities of an arrow lost when it breaks? I would think it is just a broken "arrow +3" or whatever. Or is this trying to say that the magical abilities are dispelled when a broken magic item is mended?

If you sunder someon's magic sword, do they have to get it re-enchanted after it is repaired? If not, then the same should apply to arrows, which means mending should be fine for fixing up your broken magic arrows right?

Arrows are priced like disposable, charged items - that's why you can enhance 50 of them for the price of one sword. So, if you cast mending on a magic arrow, it's definitely nonmagical.

(Although, I'd say if you were willing to drop the 2k on a single arrow - go ahead, knock yourself out, it's as tough and reusable as a +1 sword.)

I believe that technically a sundered/broken weapon would have to be re-enhanced as well. It'd be a bit off if a cantrip could do the job anyway, although a higher-level spell might be a possibility.

Not that it's come up in my game, but I would definitely allow a discount on XP and materials for someone who was merely repairing a broken blade (or forging a new one out of the remnants of the old!), just because I think it'd be cool to do things like finding part of the shattered blade of a dragonslaying sword and forging its tip into a longspear to help you fight the beast.

J

 

[Kannik]

aquire a Quiver of Elhona first unless you found getting above things to be mandatory. A Hewlets Handy Haversack might be a better choice at low levels since it's similar in price, but can permit you to carry a pretty much infinite supply of arrows (since the limitation is based on weight) and effectively removes your non-weapon/armor items from encumberance consideration.

The only problem I see with a HHH is the bag of holding limitation about 'sharp objects'. It isn't explicit about what could pierce the bag'o'holding, but I've seen many rule that shoving an unsheathed weapon into it could very well do it.

Unless doing so for RP purposes. Fletching is generally not cost effective to put Skill points into. It takes WAAYYY too long to make anything worthwhile. So it's useless unless your characters have long stretches of down time.

Egads, I just realized that; it takes FOREVER to make MW arrows. Definitively not worth it...

Alas, I'm not sure I will have access to a GMW cast on my arrows when we hit high enough level...

Consider a two handed weapon for melee. You probably aren't using a shield in any case. So you might as well go for a big damage dealer and take advantage of the Str bonus muliplier with THWs.

Done } I'm using a halberd... iffn' I have extra feats later on its the Improved Trip route for me...

Thanks a tonne. } I think I know what I shall be doing... and I'll see how well the 5' dance works in our campaign. }

Kannik

 

[Rackhir]

The only problem I see with a HHH is the bag of holding limitation about 'sharp objects'. It isn't explicit about what could pierce the bag'o'holding, but I've seen many rule that shoving an unsheathed weapon into it could very well do it.

Egads, I just realized that; it takes FOREVER to make MW arrows. Definitively not worth it...

Alas, I'm not sure I will have access to a GMW cast on my arrows when we hit high enough level...

Done } I'm using a halberd... iffn' I have extra feats later on its the Improved Trip route for me...

Thanks a tonne. } I think I know what I shall be doing... and I'll see how well the 5' dance works in our campaign. }

Kannik

HHH, may not get along well with pointy object, but that doesn't mean you can't bundle the arrows up VERY WELL first... Another option would be to either remove the heads or have a cork stuck on the points.

You don't have to have GMW at 5th, but if you don't have access to GMW when you are hitting mid levels (6-7) you are going to begin having problems. You might want to look into getting a quiver that casts GMW once or twice a day made. You will not survive with out GMW/Magic arrows once you are getting into the middle levels.

I'm not sure the Halberd is a good choice for an archer. After all if they are 10' away, shoot them. That's what you are an archer for. I would recomend something without reach, Greatsword / Axe / Bastard Sword etc. You need it when you are getting up close and personal. If you are any further away from them than 5', shoot them.

Ah yes. I can't believe I forgot one of my favorite archer tricks. Unlike melee combatants, if you are mounted, you can move and get a FULL ATTACK in. Since your mount is doing the moving and moves on your phase, you don't have to use up your move equivalent action and can get a full attack off.

Note this does require a decent number of levels in riding to work, since there are skill checks involved. But if you have the room to manuver, it can let you pull of tricks like moving into the 30' optimum range, shooting and then moving out of range so they can't get to you. This becomes even more effective at higher levels when you can acquire exotic mounts like a griffon or other flying creature (probably need to take leadership for that though).

Check out the mounted combat section of the PHB if you have any questions.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Halberds aren't Reach weapons.

They do have a Trip bonus, though, and that's what he's after.

-Hyp.

 

[Kannik]

HHH, may not get along well with pointy object, but that doesn't mean you can't bundle the arrows up VERY WELL first... Another option would be to either remove the heads or have a cork stuck on the points.

Actually, that's a good point. I could use HHH as a place to store quivers, and have a quiver on the back for the rapid retreival of arrows in combat (one shoudl be enough). Actually, if you interpret the description of HHH the right way, one could almost say if you left the quiver open, it would put individual arrows at the top of the pack, ready for grasping. }

Now, how to put that halberd in there...

You will not survive with out GMW/Magic arrows once you are getting into the middle levels.

All those DR creatures, oui?

I'm not sure the Halberd is a good choice for an archer. After all if they are 10' away, shoot them.

Actually, a Halberd isn't a reach weapon, its only about 6-7' long. And thus could fit into a QoE (in the bow compartment) without much difficulty. (and oddly it doesn't provide any bonus to trip, but probably should... ).

 

[Hypersmurf]

(and oddly it doesn't provide any bonus to trip, but probably should... ).

Oops - you're right. They're trip-capable, not trip-bonussed.

-Hyp.

 

[molonel]

one of the problems with archery

"Get Spiked Gauntlets (PH) or Clawed Bracers (FRCS?), and when they move up, spike/claw them! They always threaten, can't be disarmed, don't have to be drawn, and don't interfere with your archery! Damage on Spiked Gauntlets is poor (I don't know what Clawed Bracers do)."

If by "always threaten" you mean that they will allow you to take AoO's on creatures around you while firing your bow, then the answer is no. A bow requires both hands to shoot, so you can't threaten with another weapon in or on your hands while using it.

You can, however, use Armor Spikes for this effect, or if you have a level of Monk, I believe you can threaten squares around you with an unarmed strike.

One problem with archery is that it makes you vulnerable to attack modes that normal provoke an AoO: sundering (very bad for an archer, because a bow is very vulnerable to being sundered), grappling, etc.

 

[JoeBlank]

I thought Molonel was correct, but couldn't one use a free action to let go of the bow with one hand, after firing the bow?

For what it is worth, Sage Advice in Dragon #305, p. 86, in response to a lengthy question about shifting from using a longspear with two hands, (the question involves a spellcaster 5' away who starts casting, so the longspear-wielder wants to get an AoO with his spiked gauntlet, as the longspear has reach and does not threaten the area) says:

"The third example (smacking the spellcaster with the gauntlet) is not possible as described. A spiked gauntlet is a melee weaspon, and Gruntharg threatens the area around him with it, but only when he has that hand free. Gruntharg is holding the longspear with that hand, not weilding the gauntlet. He could indeed just let go of the longspear with one hand; this maneuver is the equivalent of dropping the weapon, even though he is still holding onto it with the other hand. Dropping a weapon is a free action, but you can use free actions only on your own turn. Gruntharg could shift the spear to one hand as a free action at the end of his turn, leaving one hand free to threaten the area around him with the spiked gauntlet, but then he would not threaten any area with the longspear."

- emphasis added

 

[Hypersmurf]

I thought Molonel was correct, but couldn't one use a free action to let go of the bow with one hand, after firing the bow?

Yes. This is less of a problem for most bowmen than it is for people with reach weapons, since the polemen are giving up their threatened areas, but the archers aren't giving up anything.

The exception is the OotBI level 6+, who gives up his "Free Shot" ability if he chooses to threaten with his gauntlet at the end of his turn.

-Hyp.