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Are alchemical bombs thrown weapons?
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The Pathfinder GM Core rulebook says on page 244 under Alchemical Bombs in the Treasure Trove chapter, "Bombs are martial thrown weapons with a range increment of 20 feet."
In contrast, the Player Core on page 292 under Alchemical Bombs in the Equipment chapter calls them "a martial ranged weapon with a range increment of 20 feet."
Thus, I don't know. Alchemical bombs are thrown, ranged, or both. My table will use the pre-Remaster rules that view them as thrown weapons.
Are alchemical bombs thrown weapons?
Is there a specific reason for the question? For instance, if you're wondering about a spells and magic item that give bonuses to thrown weapons, GM Core says you apply them to bombs.
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Are alchemical bombs thrown weapons?
Is it 2019? Am I taking crazy pills?!
In all seriousness, I'm hoping the PC2 takes a freaking bulldozer to the lot where the Alchemist and Alchemical Item rules currently stand and rebuild it as something universally functional and consistent. Maybe like a little splash pad or a STEM workshop for kids, they need science more than ever these days.
The Pathfinder GM Core rulebook says on page 244 under Alchemical Bombs in the Treasure Trove chapter, "Bombs are martial thrown weapons with a range increment of 20 feet."
In contrast, the Player Core on page 292 under Alchemical Bombs in the Equipment chapter calls them "a martial ranged weapon with a range increment of 20 feet."
Thus, I don't know. Alchemical bombs are thrown, ranged, or both. My table will use the pre-Remaster rules that view them as thrown weapons.
I strongly suspect that the Player Core 2 is where we are going to see a resolution of both the big discrepancies we are seeing between PC1 and the GMC on Bombs.
My understanding is that Thrown weapons are a subset of Ranged Weapons when they are thrown, but the trait can be given to either ranged or melee weapons. It looks like the Player Core 1 is making moves to take alchemical bombs entirely into the Ranged Weapon category, and removing splash damage on a failed attack roll, which changes a lot more than just bombs. It would also pretty much necessitate alchemists getting improved accuracy. This could be the biggest change in the Player Core 2 if it is the intended direction of development, as it would be taking away the most basic "do damage of multiple types, even on a miss" from martials. Maybe Alchemists get improved accuracy and an ability to add splash damage back to bombs as a feat?
Are alchemical bombs thrown weapons?Is it 2019? Am I taking crazy pills?!
No, you just aren't reading carefully enough.
Are alchemical bombs thrown weapons?Is there a specific reason for the question?
Yes, I'm starting play as an inventor in PFS. Once I realized that inventors were great at Crafting bombs in their downtime (great for targeting specific weaknesses), and were proficient in their use what's more, I wanted to know more about how they operate.
As the question is rather multifaceted, it was deliberately left open ended.
As an example of one such facet: On one hand, I think it's clear that they are thrown weapons. They are described that way in most places. On the other hand, that would mean they get Strength to damage, which I doubt was the intent.
As an example of one such facet: On one hand, I think it's clear that they are thrown weapons. They are described that way in most places. On the other hand, that would mean they get Strength to damage, which I doubt was the intent.Nope, at least that is thought-out: "Most bombs also have the splash trait. When you use a thrown weapon with the splash trait, you don’t add your Strength modifier to the damage roll."
Nice. Where is that stated? I didn't see it in the alchemical bomb description.
I also didn't see the Splash trait on the alchemical bomb entry, so I guess it's possible to have bombs without it, and that do add Strength to damage? (Depending upon the specific bomb's traits.)
It is in the Splash trait.
Which is a weapon trait like Finesse or 2-hand. Not to be confused with the pseudo-damage type of splash damage.
A lot of things about bombs are in a confusing and contradictory state between the PC1 and the GM core. The splash trait defined in the GM core says bombs do damage on a failed attack roll (which is how bombs worked pre-remaster). Bombs were also thrown, ranged weapons in the pre-remaster and still look that way in the GM core, but the PC1 changes the language on bombs and doesn't include a good explanation of the splash trait.
For PFS, until PC2 comes out, I would guess almost everyone is running bombs according to the GM Core definition, and having the splash trait trigger on a failed attack roll, but be aware that the framework for a big change was set up in the PC1 and it is unclear if that is a mistake, or if it is the future of bombs/the alchemist. The bombs published in the Player Core 1 would work just fine either way, as almost all of this is about how the splash trait would be defined. The Player Core 1 though does not define bombs as thrown weapons, that was a pre-remastered reading of the splash trait which said "When you use a thrown weapon with the splash trait," language removed from the GM Core trait. Neither version ever had the thrown trait though.
It is in the Splash trait.
Which is a weapon trait like Finesse or 2-hand. Not to be confused with the pseudo-damage type of splash damage.
LOL Doing it that way means that bombs like the Sticky Algae Bomb and Alignment Ampoule add Strength to damage: neither has the splash trait even though they deal splash damage. One is in Rage of Elements, so it's current for the remaster.
LOL Doing it that way means that bombs like the Sticky Algae Bomb and Alignment Ampoule add Strength to damage: neither has the splash trait even though they deal splash damage. One is in Rage of Elements, so it's current for the remaster.It is in the Splash trait.
Which is a weapon trait like Finesse or 2-hand. Not to be confused with the pseudo-damage type of splash damage.
But a Sticky Algae Bomb is just a ranged weapon that doesn't have the thrown trait either, so you wouldn't add your STR mod to damage anyway. It does do splash damage though, so it really needs the splash trait or else it is in the old "what is splash damage without the splash trait" conundrum. The same is true with alignment ampule.
LOL Doing it that way means that bombs like the Sticky Algae Bomb and Alignment Ampoule add Strength to damage: neither has the splash trait even though they deal splash damage. One is in Rage of Elements, so it's current for the remaster.It is in the Splash trait.
Which is a weapon trait like Finesse or 2-hand. Not to be confused with the pseudo-damage type of splash damage.
*shrugs* I didn't write it, so don't look at me.
Another argument (which I think Unicore is saying as well) would be that the bombs don't actually have the Thrown weapon trait. They are classified as thrown weapons - or maybe only ranged weapons. And they give the range increment in the item description, so they don't need to have the range defined in the Thrown trait. But without actually having the Thrown trait, then it wouldn't have the strength bonus to damage that the Thrown trait adds.
Which is still bizarre and somewhat contradictory... But at least we aren't trying to add strength bonus to splash damage.
One is in Rage of Elements, so it's current for the remaster.
It's only mostly current. There's a big difference between mostly current and all current.