Author Topic: Help with Arrow-Wielder  (Read 5319 times)

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TheChrisWaits

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Help with Arrow-Wielder
« on: January 05, 2009, 10:37:08 PM »
Ok, I know this idea is completely ridiculous, so you don't have to tell me that.

I want to make a character that melees with various magic arrows. The idea is that eventually he'd have a Quiver of Elhonna with 60 arrows that each have a different set of magic properties, so he'd have the perfect one for the job every time.

I also want some way to get Iajutsu Focus as a class skill, since the arrows are free to draw. Current ideas are Flexible Mind (from some issue of Dragon that I don't care to look up at the moment), Human Paragon, or Factotum+Able Learner.

Any ideas on a build? My original idea was an Artificer to save even more on the arrows past level 5, but any other suggestions are welcome.

All books allowed, including Dragon. I could probably even convince the DM to allow 3rd-party material.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2009, 12:57:46 AM by TheChrisWaits »

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Help with strange artificer
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2009, 11:04:01 PM »
Spell storing arrows are a definite must.  Magical hypodermics at their finest.

If you can get telekinesis, you can 1 arrow/CL someone to death.  Since the attack is resolved as if you were meleeing... the 50% chance for ranged weapon destruction shouldn't apply.
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TheChrisWaits

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Re: Help with strange artificer
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2009, 11:12:52 PM »
Spell-storing had certainly occurred to me, as well as a bane arrow for every possible thing I might fight.

The telekinesis idea sounds fun as well.

BowenSilverclaw

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2009, 07:58:16 AM »
Is there a way to use arrows as melee weapons without incurring the -4 penalty for doing so?
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Amadi

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2009, 08:12:22 AM »
Is there a way to use arrows as melee weapons without incurring the -4 penalty for doing so?

We're at CharOp, who cares. We're taking -20 and still hitting opponents of our level without any difficulties? :P

Most probably no, though, unless your DM allows you to use colossal arrows as clubs. (Or spears, whatever.)

BowenSilverclaw

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2009, 08:23:34 AM »
Yeah, figured as much.
Anyway, you're right, we have the technology, we can make him stronger, faster...

:P

Say, would Shuriken work for this?
I'm AFB, but isn't the cost to enchant them the same as for ammo?Maybe you can make a decent throwing build using the same concept of a ninja star for every enemy? XD

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woodenbandman

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2009, 11:05:58 AM »
Raptor arrows. Bane vs all your targets, don't break on impact, you calculate the savings.

BowenSilverclaw

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2009, 12:29:34 PM »
Can you upgrade a Relic with more enhancements just like you can with normal weapons/ammo?

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TheChrisWaits

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2009, 07:40:50 PM »
Well, my main concern was not breaking them every time, so I don't belive shuriken would work (Correct me if I'm wrong, because that sounds awesome).

Raptor arrows seem unnecessary given the concept, but I'd maybe try actually firing some if I could upgrade them.

On the -4 penalty, I may or may not be able to talk the DM into letting me take EWP to remove it. If not, I can live with it.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2009, 05:41:32 PM »
I believe shuriken are specifically disallowed as melee weapons.
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BowenSilverclaw

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2009, 05:47:19 PM »
I believe shuriken are specifically disallowed as melee weapons.
I was talking about a throwing build...
Been AFB for a while though, so I'm not sure anymore if they're destroyed on impact like normal ammo though...

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SixthDeclension

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2009, 05:49:46 PM »
They are treated like other ammo for the purposes of creation, enhancement, and breaking.
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Operation Shoestring

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2009, 05:52:55 PM »
Arrows are enchanted in lots of 50.  Technically, that +1 brilliant energy arrow has a cost of less than 1,020 gold.

I abused this fact as a DM to give one of the Villains 6 +2 Returning, Brilliant Energy Arrows at a level well before he could shell out 88,000 for the full set of 50.  (technically I think returning shouldn't work that way, but as a DM I handwaved that.)
« Last Edit: January 07, 2009, 06:03:15 PM by Operation Shoestring »

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2009, 05:59:39 PM »
Is there a way to use arrows as melee weapons without incurring the -4 penalty for doing so?

They are improvised weapons, so any class that grants profs with Improvised weapons negates the penalty outright. Off the top of my head: Drunken Master.


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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2009, 07:04:50 PM »
Raptor arrows seem unnecessary given the concept, but I'd maybe try actually firing some if I could upgrade them.

Unnecessary, but awesome. One arrow ends up covering all your bases for bane. Leaves a lot of room for other arrows. Shadowstriking (for lycans/golems/DR anything) covers some more bases. Probably not a bad idea to TWF if possible.
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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2009, 07:22:20 PM »
Raptor arrows seem unnecessary given the concept, but I'd maybe try actually firing some if I could upgrade them.

Unnecessary, but awesome. One arrow ends up covering all your bases for bane. Leaves a lot of room for other arrows. Shadowstriking (for lycans/golems/DR anything) covers some more bases. Probably not a bad idea to TWF if possible.
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BowenSilverclaw

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #16 on: January 07, 2009, 07:24:53 PM »
Sorry Lycan, it looks like everyone's plotting against you ;)

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TheChrisWaits

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2009, 07:47:18 PM »
Arrows are enchanted in lots of 50.  Technically, that +1 brilliant energy arrow has a cost of less than 1,020 gold.
Yes, that is the general idea. The words "fucking nuts" were used in response the first time I explained that my +5-equivalent weapons costed just over 1k each.

They are improvised weapons, so any class that grants profs with Improvised weapons negates the penalty outright. Off the top of my head: Drunken Master.
Ooh. I hadn't thought of that but it sounds like a good idea. I'll look into that some more.

Unnecessary, but awesome. One arrow ends up covering all your bases for bane. Leaves a lot of room for other arrows. Shadowstriking (for lycans/golems/DR anything) covers some more bases. Probably not a bad idea to TWF if possible.
Good point.

I think I'd want to do TWF, yes, but that is even more penalty to my attacks. I was thinking a Factotum base, headed into Warblade and then Bloodclaw Master if I went this way.

EDIT: Looks like my build at this point is Factotum 1/Monk 2/Factotum+2/Drunken Master 2/Warblade 1/Bloodclaw Master 3/Something else X
« Last Edit: January 07, 2009, 09:59:01 PM by TheChrisWaits »

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #18 on: January 08, 2009, 04:55:05 AM »
If you're getting a monk level anyway, why not also get some +5, returning, brill-en Shuriken, for when you need to fight at range?

All the fun of custom crafted arrow, and they qualify for returning by raw, so you keep 'em.

does the 50% destruction rule apply to magical ammo?  It really shouldn't....

A warning though... improvised weapons break on a natural 1.  Anyone know the rules for fixing a broken (sundered?) magical weapon?

TheChrisWaits

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Re: Help with Arrow-Wielder
« Reply #19 on: January 08, 2009, 05:12:45 AM »
Well I'm likely going to invest in a raptor arrow now that I've been talked into it, and I had planned on keeping a bow just in case, so that gives me enough ranged power, I think.

Yes, the destruction thing applies to magic ammo.

Where are you getting that they break on a 1? I don't see it anywhere in the SRD.

Fixing a broken magic item costs half as much as it would to make it.