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I'm working on a new setting an I want to add a new type of bow. The compound bow. It was developed in the 1960's but in fantasy where they have guns, crossbows, and fireball spells I don't see much of a problem with it.
Specifically I'm wanting the compound bow to be a Elven Style of weapon.
My Thoughts on the game mechanics are as follows
"Longbow Compound
At almost 5 feet in height, a compound longbow is made of Mithral, and unlike other bows is far less curvy and is arranged with a pulley system.
Description: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a compound longbow while mounted. A compound longbow adds 1-1/2 times your Strength bonus (Strength penalties are not multiplied)
Ammunition: A compound longbow cannot fire normal arrows but must instead fire compound arrows. These arrows are specially crafted to handle the increased power of the compound bow
For purposes of Weapon Proficiency and similar feats, a compound longbow is treated as if it were a longbow.
Cost: 2000
All Compound Longbows are considered Masterwork"
Compound Bow Arrows: These arrows are crafted from hollow tubes of mithral. Compound bow arrows don't break due to normal use, wheter or not they hit their target; unless the arrow goes missing an archer can retrieve and reuse a Compound Arrow again and again.
Hardness 15 Hit Points 5
Cost: 200 GP for 20 Arrows includes a quiver. If bought individually they cost 10 gp each.
Tell me what you think as far as the pricing and cost.
I valued the Bow as a mithral composite bow with a +5 str rating. To cover the fact that it gives a blanket 1.5 times your str on attacks.
I built the Compound Arrows out of mithral and followed the guid for Durable Arrows.
Thanks for your advice.
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Your version is not bad. Pricing does not seem bad for the bow. The +5 Str is about 500 gp for a composite, but I would increase the cost by 50% for 1 1/2 Str. The mithril weight would be close to 2 lbs = 1000 gp. But that is not figuring in the cost to create perfectly matched sets of pulleys to ensure the weapon is balanced when drawn. Or string, grips, and the masterwork component. 2000 gp seems abllpark though. I really have a problem with your arrows though. Too cheap to make. How are they too be made with fantasy construction techniques? And pricing seems low. An adamantite arrow is 60 gp and that is just the tip, you are suggesting the whole arrow is made of mithril in a complex procedure.
In my world, they are a Gnomish invention. I didn't worry about the arrow too much. Here is what I have been using:
Bow, Compound: At almost 4 feet in height, a compound longbow is crafted from Mithral to decrease weight and allow for greater tension, while a pulley system increases damage and range. You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a compound longbow while mounted. If your Strength bonus is lower than the strength rating of the compound bow, you can't effectively use it, so you take a –2 penalty on attacks with it. The default compound bow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. All compound bows are made with a particular strength rating. A compound longbow can be made with a high strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your 1 1/2 Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. The range is increased by +10 feet per point of Strength modifier. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 150 gp to its cost. If you have a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls and reduce the range by -10 feet per point of negative Strength modifier when you use a compound longbow.
For purposes of Weapon Proficiency and similar feats, a composite longbow is treated as if it were a longbow.
Compound bows are always masterwork items as well; the masterwork cost is included in the prices given below.
Compound Bow: 1500 gp, Small 1d6, Medium 1d8, x3, 100 ft, 2lbs., P
Item Craft: DC 18 + (2 x rating)
I took the Durable arrows from the book Elves of Golarion. Durable arrows don't break when used and can be reused over and over. They have a cost of 1 GP each and a Alchemy DC of 25.
As the mithral description does not have any cost for ammunition I just though it was fair to remake the Durable arrows as Mithral Compound Arrows. However I initially thought that 20 Arrows weighted 1 lb. Thus the 500 GP for 50. It would seem that the weight for arrows is 3 lb. Thus I guess to be more correct it should be 1500/50 so 30 gp each or 600 GP for 20. To fit the rules correctly.
However when I look at this the benefit of Mithral is negligible for arrows shafts or heads. I guess it technically counts as silver for the purposes of damage reduction.
I think for a standard weapon the
Longbow, Compound
Cost 2000gp
Damage 1d6/1d8
Critical x3
Range 110
Weight 3 lbs.
Type P
Special 1.5 x STR Damage, +10 ft range for each point of STR Modifier
Arrows, Compound
Cost 600 for 20
Weight 3 lbs.
SpecialMay be reused again and again.
My concerns here are of course:
Does this item balance well with the game system?
Is the cost for the Arrows too high?
Should I instead use durable arrows at 1 GP?
Is the Cost for the Bow to high?
For the Same Price one cold have;
Longbow, composite masterwork + 16
or
Longbow, composite masterwork darkwood +15 for the same prices
The benefit of this weapon is the 1.5 multiple of the STR modifier for damage.
Mithral is not a benefit for the weapon, yes it helps vs. sundering but it's not as important as with armor.
Mechanically I'm left with the concept that the fluff of the weapons is it is made of Mithral, but that is not important for the weapon to function. It is only there for fluff.
The Benifit of this weapon as I see is
1. Two-handed STR modifier to Damage
2. Small Range Increase by Strength
Does that balance out with a cost of 2600 gp to effectively use the item.
Adamatine at least is great for Sunder, and I would never by a Adamatine Arrow unless it was a Durable arrow.
As too technology developing the hollow tubes, heck the Compound bow was not invented till the 1960's so I'm not too worried about that. But it seems the technology needed to make hollow tubes of metal has been around for over 600 years.
I like it very much, and I would love to use it.
Are we really all that concerned with how much arrows cost or what they're made out of? I mean, if your DM was super strict and made you count every fracking arrow that you used, lost, and retrieved, sure. I can see that. But every DM I've ever played with has never been concerned with my arrow-count. It's the "legolas" concept, you just never run out of ammunition, as an archer.
In the CRB, a quiver of 20 arrows cost 1gp and weighs 3lbs.
A real life arrow weighs 400 grains (0lb) on average. so 20 would weigh about 1lb. So they're actually lighter. Of course, this all depends on what materials you've used in their manufacturing. But, I don't think that'd be an issue in a world where we have dozens of crafting materials, magic, and so forth.
-- Sources --
http://www.hungry-for-hunting.com/compound-bow-arrows.html
http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/grains-to-pounds.htm
Personally, I've always wondered what the draw-weight of these in-game bows would be (normal, composite and masterwork). You'd think that medium sized bows would have a greater draw weight/length than that of a small sized one.
Or maybe I'm just over thinking this entire thing?
... NAH! Compound bows in Pathfinder would be awesome as fruck!