THISTLE ARROWS

[Crocell666]

how exactly do thistle arrows work? does vital strike add to the bleed? what about strength bonus?

[Kalindlara]

Your caps lock is on. :)

May I have a source, please? (A link to d20pfsrd or Archives of Nethys would be even more helpful.)

That said, without seeing it and making an educated guess, I believe neither would apply. Vital Strike only affects the base weapon damage, which does not include damage. Other bleed effects do not increase with high Strength - see the wounding weapon property for an example (with reminder text).

Hopefully this helps. :)

[Crocell666]

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/ammun ition/ammunition-bow-arrow-thistle

these are the thistle arrows

[Deighton Thrane]

It's exceptionally poorly written in the adventurer's armoury, but in the pathfinder campaign setting, where they originated, they did 1 point of bleed damage for 1d6 rounds.

[Crocell666]

are you sure your not thinking of the bleed arrow?

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/ammun ition/ammunition-bow-arrow-bleeding

[Just a Guess]

I think Deighton is right. Thistle arrows deal 1 point of damage for 1d6 rounds and that's it.
Bleeding arrows deal normal damage on hit and 1 point of damage as bleed from then on until dead or healed.

[Melkavar]

Just a Guess wrote:

I think Deighton is right. Thistle arrows deal 1 point of damage for 1d6 rounds and that's it.

Bleeding arrows deal normal damage on hit and 1 point of damage as bleed from then on until dead or healed.

Actually, they are supposed to deal normal damage per the bow that fires them, with the bleed as additional secondary damage. The entry for the arrows in AA is very poorly written, because it is meant to convert the entry from Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting (3.5) to Pathfinder RPG rules.

Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting wrote:

Thistle Arrow: These arrows are a specialty of the Ekujae

shamans, who craft the arrowheads out of the thistles of a toxic
plant that most creatures find highly caustic. They deal normal
damage but then become embedded in the wound and deal an
additional 1 point of damage each round for 1d6 rounds from their
irritating sap. Creatures immune to poison are immune to this
extra damage. A creature can remove an embedded thistle arrow
as a move action without provoking attacks of opportunity, but
doing so deals an additional 1d3 points of damage as the thorny
barbs are pulled free. A DC 12 Heal check (made as a standard
action) can pull free a thistle arrow’s head without dealing any
additional damage. A single thistle arrow costs 1 gp.

Pathfinder Companion Adventurer's Armory wrote:

Thistle Arrow: Crafted from the thistles of a poisonous

plant, these barbed arrows deal damage as a bleed effect
for 1d6 rounds after a hit.

Emphasis mine. The "after a hit" from AA is emphasized as well, because you have to hit with the arrow (and thus deal your bow's normal damage) before the bleed takes effect.

The key difference between bleeding arrows and thistle arrows is the bleeding arrows' bleed damage doesn't end until a successful heal check or magical healing occurs, but the thistle arrow bleed is short duration. Also, the thistle arrows are much cheaper than bleeding arrows (160 gp per bleeding arrow vs. 1 gp per thistle arrow).

Honestly, I can't understand where the astronomical cost of bleeding arrows comes from.