Bow of Heart Seeking


3.5/d20/OGL


One of my fellow players has become obsessed with acquiring a bow of heart seeking; ever since we fought an elf with one during a campaign three years ago.
Now he wants to have one made for his half-dragon character. He's already having a masterwork, +6 composite longbow crafted; but none of us could find the stats for a bow of heart seeking.
Our current DM said he thought it was a +3 enhancement; making the weapon a +4 in price...
If anyone knows the answer (and the reference for it) I'd be obliged.

Thankee!


Encyclopedia Magica, book one, page 206?

My net search yielded that answer. I'll go look it up later. Right now I'm couch locked trying to watch a bad movie.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

The Jade wrote:

Encyclopedia Magica, book one, page 206?

My net search yielded that answer. I'll go look it up later. Right now I'm couch locked trying to watch a bad movie.

Bow of Heartseeking

XP Value: GP Value:
Normal: 4,000 20,000
Vampiric: 2,000 10,000
Dragon Magazine 127
This type of bow (self or composite) always has a +3 bonus to hit targets. It acts as a normal magical bow, except when a sufficiently high attack number is rolled. Then, the arrow it fires strikes directly at the target's heart (if it has one), slaying the victim instantly. Attack roll required are as follows:

Opponent Attack roll1

Up to man-size 21-23
Larger than man-size 22-23
Metal or stone2 23

1Consider only the bow's bonus of +3.
2If the foe is using a spell or device that has transformed it into this material.

Certain creatures (such as elementals, golems, and undead) do not have hearts, and are not affected by this weapon. Shape-shifting creatures (such as dopplegangers) are not affected by its killing power, either. Ten pecent of these bows are bows of vampire slaying.

Bow of Vampire Slaying
XP Value: 2,000 GP Value: 10,000
Dragon Magazine 127
Ten percent of the bows of heartseeking are enchanted to be useful against vampires. These bows can fire wooden arrows into a vampire's heart and slay it on the spot. Any score of 20 or better, including all bonuses, means that the bow of vampire slaying has killed its vampiric target. No other beings are so affected by this bow.


Gamer Girrl wrote:

Opponent Attack roll1

Up to man-size 21-23
Larger than man-size 22-23
Metal or stone2 23

I must not be reading this right, because it sounds to me like a roll of an 18-20 on your d20 will be an instakill on any regular humanoid (assuming that 18-20 +bonuses hits). Seems way overpowered.

Scarab Sages

Those are First Edition rules, if they are from Dragon 127.
As such, they are similar to the 1E Vorpal Sword.

Crafting items was stupidly difficult in 1E (ie no PC ever did it).
Therefore a weapon like that would only exist in a campaign if it were deliberately placed by the DM, who deserves everything he gets, if it cracks his game-world.

RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

Snorter wrote:

Those are First Edition rules, if they are from Dragon 127.

As such, they are similar to the 1E Vorpal Sword.

Crafting items was stupidly difficult in 1E (ie no PC ever did it).
Therefore a weapon like that would only exist in a campaign if it were deliberately placed by the DM, who deserves everything he gets, if it cracks his game-world.

Yes, these are from the Encyclopedia Magica, those wonderful little books that listed all the bajillions of magical items that had come out in TSR sources for 20 years :)


If you plan on entertaining the player and providing this weapon, it would definitely need to be re-tooled and to do so I would make "Heartseeking" a ranged weapon property equal to the "Vorpal" property/mechanic in the 3.5 DMG. See bolded info below for the mechanic.

Replace every instance of the phrase "sever the head" with "shot in the heart", all monster immunities listed would still apply.

Vorpal (DMG pg. 226) - This potent and feared ability allows the weapon to sever the heads of those it strikes. Upon a ROLL OF A NATURAL 20 (followed by a SUCCESSFUL ROLL TO CONFIRM THE CRITICAL hit)[/b], the weapon severs the opponent’s head (if it has one) from its body. Some creatures, such as many aberrations and all oozes, have no heads. Others, such as golems and undead creatures other than vampires, are not affected by the loss of their heads. Most other creatures, however, die when their heads are cut off. A vorpal weapon must be a slashing weapon. (If you roll this property randomly for an inappropriate weapon, reroll.)

Heartseeking - This property is able to be placed on "piercing" or "ranged" weapons and is a +5 bonus when determining value, making the cost of a 'Heartseeking' weapon 72,000 gp. (ex: +1 Heartseeking Short bow)

That's how "I" would handle(House Rule) it. The "natural 20" and a "confirm" makes it a deadly, but not game breaking item, not to mention the large price tag.

------------------------------------------------
If you don't like that idea, I would keep in mind that a stack(20) of SLAYING ARROWS(DMG pg. 228) costs 45,640 gp, have a DC20 Save and have to be keyed to a specific creature 'type' making them much more difficult to use without planning or advance knowledge of the area you'll be adventuring. (SLAYING ARROWS (GREATER) cost 81,140 gp a stack(20), have a DC 23 and also need to be keyed to a specific creature 'type'.)


Wow!
Thanks guys (and girl!).
Together, you have done an outstanding job of answering my question. You have take what for me was a seemingly impossible task, and molded the data into something both informative and useful. Even going so far as to provide helpful insight as to how to update the weapon from its first edition origins- to a useful- but not game threatening tool for our campaign.
Having no access to either the book or the magazine you mentioned; I am thankful you provided the required material so I could read and review it.
Again, Many Thanks!

Scarab Sages

Daniel Moyer wrote:
Replace every instance of the phrase "sever the head" with "shot in the heart"

Now all you have to worry about is the chorus of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name", every time he shoots...


Bowman-Deuce wrote:

Wow!

Thanks guys (and girl!).
Together, you have done an outstanding job of answering my question.

Having no access to either the book or the magazine you mentioned; I am thankful you provided the required material so I could read and review it.
Again, Many Thanks!

You're Welcome, glad to help! Assuming you don't hit one of the "angry topics", most folks on here(Paizo Forums) are extremely helpful and NEVER at a loss for opinions/suggestions!

Also if you are "lite" on 3.5E CORE books, there are a few D20 SRD(System Reference Document) websites out there to help you. VORPAL & SLAYING ARROW in my previous post up above are linked to one of those sites. I copy&paste info from it quite a bit as I'm lazy and it's easier than re-typing everything.

------------------------------------

LOL, Snorter! But would "Giving Love a BAD Name" count as another +1 bonus? I think Gamer Girrl should make the call on that one! XD

Scarab Sages

He could claim a bonus if he sang some Ozzy, while taking a 'Shot in the Dark'...


Snorter wrote:


Now all you have to worry about is the chorus of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name", every time he shoots...

Or the Atreyu version. It has more throat-destroying "singing" in it.


KaeYoss wrote:
Snorter wrote:


Now all you have to worry about is the chorus of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name", every time he shoots...
Or the Atreyu version. It has more throat-destroying "singing" in it.

You guys are giving me an idea for a terrifying idea - a Bardic Bow, powered by Bardic Performance uses to do... scary things...

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

[moved to 3.5 forum]

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