No it's not too powerful. Gravity Bow only gives you an average of 2 extra points of damage per arrow fired. If that's too powerful for your GM, I don't know what a spell like Haste is to him.
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No it's not too powerful. It's the equivalent of a longsword to a greatsword without the 1.5x damage from two handed. 5 damage on average per arrow vs. 7 damage on average per arrow is not amazing. It's good, certainly, but not overpowered.
The house rule that all arrows fired with it being irretrievable isn't a house rule. Any arrow that hits a creature is destroyed. Any arrow that missed has a 50% chance of being destroyed.
I don't know what level this character is, but I don't think Gravity Bow can be the reason you are breaking the game. Presuming you just got this spell, you are at least level four. It lasts one minute at that level so usually one encounter. In a short fight, it probably isn't worth it. It only increases your average damage from 4.5 to 7 for a difference of 2.5. Your standard arrow from a +2 composite longbow is at least a d8+3 or average 7.5. Two arrows means you sacrificed a potential 15 points of damage to increase that bow size. If the fight doesn't last long enough for you to fire seven more arrows, it wasn't even worth it. Also, the round you spent casting is a round your enemies weren't being killed or pelted with arrows. I would hesitate to cast Gravity Bow unless you knew the fight would be prolonged or you had time to prepare. This is definitely not game breaking in my opinion.
I would lobby strongly against the every-arrow-lost house rule, but if you are okay with it then fine. You will only be losing 50% more of the arrows that miss anyway. I usually work on the presumption that all my arrows will be destroyed anyway since I always plan to hit :D. That's my two copper anyway.
Gravity bow is part of synergizing a wide range of feats, items, class abilities and spells to create a very powerful ranged combat character.
By itself it's no big deal. By itself rapid shot is no big deal. By itself manyshot is no big deal. By itself a +2 composite bow is no big deal. By itself Greater Magic Weapon is no big deal. By itself precise shot is no big deal.
Add it all up, and it's a big deal.
Sorry, you're only allowed to start "Is X overpowered?" threads relating to content from the most recent hardback. Gravity Bow has been off-limits for a couple of books now. ;)
To be fair, it could be his most recent hardback. ;)
To be fair, damage bonuses for bows are generally more powerful then damage bonuses for melee weapons, because it is much easier for an archer to get multiple attacks.
==Aelryinth
To be fair, damage bonuses for bows are generally more powerful then damage bonuses for melee weapons, because it is much easier for an archer to get multiple attacks.
==Aelryinth
Don't the multiple attacks for ranged attacks compare pretty closely with the TWF tree? Two attacks per round at -2 for each one?
I think ranged characters are actually at a disadvantage at the lower levels:
-- You need Dex to hit and Str for damage; melee fighters can get away with just Str
-- You have to burn 2 feats to get Precise Shot, so you can't pick up Rapid Shot until level 2 (unless you're a human fighter).
-- Composite bows are ridiculously expensive compared to melee weapons. A composite longbow with +2 str costs 300gp, 600 for masterwork. (And if you get hit with a Str drain in a combat, you're at -2 to hit unless you drop the extra 1000gp for adaptable.)
-- Melee fighters have a lot of options to increase their damage (TWF tree, Power Attack tree, Bull's strength, rage, etc.). Ranged fighters pretty much have Deadly Aim and Clustered Shots.
To be fair, damage bonuses for bows are generally more powerful then damage bonuses for melee weapons, because it is much easier for an archer to get multiple attacks.
==Aelryinth
Well, yes and no. If you devote as many feats and other things into getting full attacks every round you can do a pretty good job of ensuring a lot of full attacks in melee too. What's that thing, the "rage/pounce barbarian" or something?
The counter to the limited number of melee full attacks is the simplicity of greatly reducing or completely negating arrow attacks with simple low level spells or other simple tactics.
gravety bow broken, no. Having a small character wielding a medium bow with gravety bow, bent. If your dm is giving you flack, tone it down a little, or try a rediculous called shot for fun. Move then attack instead of full round. If you have spells, buff or heal.
Gravity bow is part of synergizing a wide range of feats, items, class abilities and spells to create a very powerful ranged combat character.
By itself it's no big deal. By itself rapid shot is no big deal. By itself manyshot is no big deal. By itself a +2 composite bow is no big deal. By itself Greater Magic Weapon is no big deal. By itself precise shot is no big deal.
Add it all up, and it's a big deal.
this
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On the other hand I don't see how he does much over 20 damage against anything but his best favored enemy.
Bow 2
Str 4 (high guess)
Point blank 1
Best Favored enemy 4
Gravity bow avg 7
Sounds like horrible other stats or lots of missing due to low dex ( or since most targets get cover until improved precise shot).
On the other hand I don't see how he does much over 20 damage against anything but his best favored enemy.
Bow 2
Str 4 (high guess)
Point blank 1
Best Favored enemy 4
Gravity bow avg 7Sounds like horrible other stats or lots of missing due to low dex ( or since most targets get cover until improved precise shot).
Remember he's shooting two arrows per round. I dunno if he's getting hasted or other spells (like greater magic weapon) are in play. Assuming he's rolling well, to get to 40 damage per round would require a +10 or so on each arrow. Against a favored enemy that would not be hard.
Against any random creature he just needs a greater magic weapon cast on his bow to get close.
Now, when this guy gets to level 6, and can afford his first +1 enhanced +4 str adjusted bow (with bull's str) with an energy effect (another d6 of damage) then he'll be shooting something like three 3d6 + 13 arrows per round and the GM will have an absolute conniption. Throw manyshot into that mix as soon as he can pick it up, and maybe another type of energy enchant... well, it's easy to see why some GMs consider archers broken.
what is the strength bonus on the bow?
If it is like +3 strenght rating +2 bow which may be too powerful for the level that is 2d6+5 for each arrow +6 if has point blank shot. Might be human with deadly aim as well to get to that damage and getting lucky with at that level start doing 2d6+10 damage at -4 to hit. Is he taking the penalties from rapid shot and deadly aim?
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No it's not too powerful. Gravity Bow only gives you an average of 2 extra points of damage per arrow fired. If that's too powerful for your GM, I don't know what a spell like Haste is to him.
Nevermind haste, I wanna know what the party wizard when s/he gets 7th+ level spells will do to his mind....
No, it's not broken.
To be fair, damage bonuses for bows are generally more powerful then damage bonuses for melee weapons, because it is much easier for an archer to get multiple attacks.
==Aelryinth
Well, yes and no. If you devote as many feats and other things into getting full attacks every round you can do a pretty good job of ensuring a lot of full attacks in melee too. What's that thing, the "rage/pounce barbarian" or something?
The counter to the limited number of melee full attacks is the simplicity of greatly reducing or completely negating arrow attacks with simple low level spells or other simple tactics.
This isn't 3.5. Full attacks and moves are considerably harder to get for all classes. Only a very few archetypes can access true Pounce, so picking up pounce for a dip in Psy Warrior or Barbarian isn't happening, or grabbing an item of Psychic Charge or Lion's Charge.
You'd think that being able to shut down archery with simple spells would have an effect. In practice, those spells never get cast, either because the caster doesn't realize too late he's going to get dead, or he has much more powerful spells he wants to get off first, or they simply aren't memorized. Sorcs, especially, tend not to invest in Wind Wall. And how many monsters with spell-likes have that spell? it's not like every enemy is a wizard with a spell book specifically anti-PC, or a wind cleric.
Vs concealment, Archers tend to invest in either magic items or feats to overcome.
And, of course, those spells can be dispelled/brought down, too.
the cost of a Str bow is negligible by level 2-3. Sure, at level 1 it's an investment. After that? Change.
Note that if the character is playing a switch hitter ranger, he could well have a decent str score and lower Dex. Still hard to see 40 a round before 6th, but possible with a crit, I suppose.
==Aelryinth