Enhanced Ammunition


Advice


I've got an archer-type character that I would like to buy enhanced ammunition for; enhanced with a special ability (e.g. shock arrows, frost arrows, etc.). I was also thinking of buying a Conserving Bow, to keep from wasting expensive arrows if I miss. Does the purchase of enhanced weapons also apply to ammunition, with regards to special abilities? For example, could I buy a set of 50 +1 Frost Arrows for 10,303 gp (masterwork arrows (50) = 303gp, +1 Enhancement = 2,000gp, and Frost special ability = 8,000gp).

Also, are there Specific Arrows other than Hushing, Searing, Sizzling, Sleep, or Slaying? Possibly in approved resource other than the core rulebook or Ultimate Equipment.

Sovereign Court

I'm going to paste the weapons enhancements table from ultimate equipment in a quote, but it's probably going to be difficult to read because it'll lose its formatting. Sorry in advance.

Ranged Weapon Enhancements from Ultimate Equipment:

Quote:


Ranged Weapon Special Abilities

d% +1 Weapon Special Ability Base Price Modifier1
01 Adaptive2 +1,000 gp
02 Impervious +3,000 gp
03 Glamered +4,000 gp
04–06 Allying +1 bonus
07–15 Bane3 +1 bonus
16 Called +1 bonus
17–19 Conductive +1 bonus
20 Conserving4 +1 bonus
21–24 Corrosive3 +1 bonus
25 Cruel +1 bonus
26–28 Cunning +1 bonus
29–36 Distance +1 bonus
37–45 Flaming3 +1 bonus
46–54 Frost3 +1 bonus
55–58 Huntsman +1 bonus
59–62 Jurist +1 bonus
63 Limning +1 bonus
64 Lucky5 +1 bonus
65–66 Merciful3 +1 bonus
67 Planar +1 bonus
68 Reliable5 +1 bonus
69–76 Returning6 +1 bonus
77–84 Seeking +1 bonus
85–92 Shock3 +1 bonus
93–100 Thundering3 +1 bonus

d% +2 Weapon Special Ability Base Price Modifier1
01–10 Anarchic3 +2 bonus
11–13 Anchoring6 +2 bonus
14–23 Axiomatic3 +2 bonus
24–31 Corrosive burst3 +2 bonus
32–34 Designating, lesser3 +2 bonus
35–37 Endless ammunition7 +2 bonus
38–48 Flaming burst3 +2 bonus
49–58 Holy3 +2 bonus
59–69 Icy burst3 +2 bonus
70–73 Igniting3 +2 bonus
74–76 Phase locking3 +2 bonus
77–86 Shocking burst3 +2 bonus
87–90 Stalking +2 bonus
91–100 Unholy3 +2 bonus

d% +3 Weapon Special Ability Base Price Modifier1
01–25 Lucky, greater5 +3 bonus
26–45 Reliable, greater5 +3 bonus
46–85 Speed +3 bonus
86–94 Brilliant energy3 +4 bonus
95–96 Designating, greater +4 bonus
97–98 Nimble shot +4 bonus
99–100 Second chance3 +4 bonus

Footnotes
1 Add to enhancement bonus on the Weapon Pricing by Bonus table to determine total price.
2 Only bows can have this ability (composite only for adaptive).
3 Projectile weapons with this ability bestow this power upon their ammunition.
4 Firearms cannot have this special ability.
5 Only firearms can have this special ability.
6 Only thrown ranged weapons can have this special ability.
7 Only bows and crossbows can have this special ability.

Anything in this table that has a (3) by it will pass the enhancement to ammunition fired out of it.

And to pre-emptively curb a rules debate (or trigger one, we'll see), please note that seeking is not labeled with a 3 here, but because of it's text the enhancement does get passed to ammunition.

Seeking wrote:

SEEKING

Price +1 bonus; Aura strong divination; CL 12th; Weight —
This special ability can only be placed on ranged weapons. A seeking weapon veers toward its target, negating any miss chances that would otherwise apply, such as from concealment. The wielder still has to aim the weapon at the right square. Arrows mistakenly shot into an empty space, for example, do not veer and hit invisible enemies, even if they are nearby.


The alchemy guide has a bunch of specialty arrows for you

Sczarni

As well as Elves of Golarion.


Quote:
Anything in this table that has a (3) by it will pass the enhancement to ammunition fired out of it.

Thanks. I'm clear about how the magic weapon works (passing enhancement to the ammunition), but I was hoping to have magic ammunition. The idea is that I could switch the energy type by switching arrows, rather than weapons. Although the more I think about it, it may be cheaper over the long run to switch weapons. Since it would cost 10,375gp for a +1 Frost Bow, plus 1gp for every 20 arrows shot.

Also, thanks for the info about the Alchemy guide and Elves of Golarion.

Grand Lodge

For magical arrows, you are much better off, usually, just going for something like the various Bane enhancements on them, rather than generic stuff that you can put on your bow.

IIRC, the arrows from Elves are pretty much replaced by the arrows from the Alchemy Guide.

Durable is your friend.

As is the spell abundant ammunition, not to mention the various weapon blanches.

Ghost salt, especially, is of great interest...

Dark Archive

Conserving! That, plus durable arrows, would equate to never-lost ammo.

(It has been argued that durable arrows may still be lost in the case they miss their target).

Sczarni

KrimblKrum wrote:
it would cost 10,375gp for a +1 Frost Bow

A +1 Frost Composite Longbow (Strength +0) costs only 8,400gp. Make it Darkwood, and its price raises by 30gp. Adding Adaptive is only another 1,000gp.

It seemed like you were adding 2,000gp and 8,000gp together. When upgrading magic items you only pay the difference.

A +1 weapon is ~2,000gp, for example, and a +2 weapon is ~8,000gp. To upgrade from +1 to +2 is only 6,000gp.

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