Does an enhancement bonus on a bow make the arrow magical and thus negate the bonuses of the class? (i.e. non-magical arrow). Please list page number for rule in answer. Thanks.
Enhancement bonuses overlap, not add together. I'm not going to look up page number for one of the most common rules in the book.
The answer is found at the end of the Arcane Archer's Enchant arrow ability:
"At 1st level, every nonmagical arrow an arcane archer nocks and lets fly becomes magical, gaining a +1 enhancement bonus. Unlike magic weapons created by normal means, the archer need not spend gold pieces to accomplish this task. However, an archer's magic arrows only function for him.
In addition, the arcane archer's arrows gain a number of additional qualities as he gains additional levels. The elemental, elemental burst, and aligned qualities can be changed once per day, when the arcane archer prepares spells or, in the case of spontaneous spellcasters, after 8 hours of rest.
At 3rd level, every non-magical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains one of the following elemental themed weapon qualities: flaming, frost, or shock.
At 5th level, every non-magical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains the distance weapon quality.
At 7th level, every non-magical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains one of the following elemental burst weapon qualities: flaming burst, icy burst, or shocking burst. This ability replaces the ability gained at 3rd level.
At 9th level, every non-magical arrow fired by an arcane archer gains one of the following aligned weapon qualities: anarchic, axiomatic, holy, or unholy. The arcane archer cannot choose an ability that is the opposite of his alignment (for example, a lawful good arcane archer could not choose anarchic or unholy as his weapon quality).
"
No bonuses of the same type stack.
Please note that that wasn't the question Cartigan:
Does an enhancement bonus on a bow make the arrow magical and thus negate the bonuses of the class? (i.e. non-magical arrow). Please list page number for rule in answer. Thanks.
He's asking if using a magical bow will prevent him from using his class abilities.
The answer is no it doesn't negate the class abilities, as per the class ability quote I supplied above.
Your answer, while a correct statement of fact, doesn't actually address the OP's question.
Enhancements on the bow cancel out identical enhancements from class ability.
Enhancements on the bow cancel out identical enhancements from class ability.
Again not quite the answer that was looked for: He wanted to know if the bow being magical prevented from using the class abilities at all, since ammunition fired from a magical bow is magical, and the class ability doesn't work with magical arrows. Fortunately (again) the ability states it can be used with a magical bow.
Now if the bow had the flaming property and he chose the flaming property for his enhancement for the day he wouldn't get "double flaming" but if he instead chose frost he would have a flaming frost +'x' shot provide the arrows he used were not magical in and of themselves, instead just getting what the bow gave.
So to recap:
Does a Flaming +1 bow work with the class abilities? Yes, however like abilities do not stack.
Does a Flaming +1 arrow work with the class abilities? No.
Again not quite the answer that was looked for: He wanted to know if the bow being magical prevented from using the class abilities at all, since ammunition fired from a magical bow is magical, and the class ability doesn't work with magical arrows.
Which is reading more into what he said than what he actually said.
EDIT: Having re-read the Arcane Archer entry I must say that that class ability restriction is stupid. Not only is it stupid on its face, but it necessitates unnecessary rule gymnastics. Here's a better idea: the Arcane Archer can enhance ANY ARROW, magical or not, but - AS ALWAYS - duplicate abilities don't stack.
Which is reading more into what he said than what he actually said.
That is exactly what he asked, and the correct answer to boot. No where did he ask if the abilities stacked.
EDIT: Having re-read the Arcane Archer entry I must say that that class ability restriction is stupid. Not only is it stupid on its face, but it necessitates unnecessary rule gymnastics. Here's a better idea: the Arcane Archer can enhance ANY ARROW, magical or not, but - AS ALWAYS - duplicate abilities don't stack.
That would add a lot more cheap stacking potential. A +1 Flaming burst Bow with +1 Holy arrows adding on Shocking Burst and Axiomatic would be effectively +10, for a cost of only 36k. Normally would be 50k. It gets sillier if you allow past +10 total.
Man people buy enchanted arrows?
That would add a lot more cheap stacking potential. A +1 Flaming burst Bow with +1 Holy arrows adding on Shocking Burst and Axiomatic would be effectively +10, for a cost of only 36k. Normally would be 50k. It gets sillier if you allow past +10 total.
Or you can have a +1 Flaming Burst Bow and normal arrows and add on Shocking Burst and Axiomatic making an effective +7 bonus for a cost of only the +1 Flaming Burst Bow - a +3 weapon. Make it a limit of "enchantments can't exceed +10" and it isn't any more absurd than it already is.