D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Archer changes

[Krug]

Andy Collins said they'd be making some changes so Archers won't be superior to melee combatants in 3.5. What do you think those changes would be? I suspect it'd be stopping ammunition bonuses from stacking with weapon bonuses. (eg: +2 arrow from a +2 bow will only have a +2 bonus.) A good thing, in my opinion. What do y'all think?

 

[Will]

Honestly, unless the changes are deeper than that, I think it's a mistake.

I mean, there are some big drawbacks to being an archer... like not having a shield or, typically, heavy armor. Being fearful of close combat can be a problem in various situations.

Being able to stack arrow and bow enhancements is also tricky. Either you spend money on arrow enhancements and potentially spend lots of money, or you need a constant source of Greater Magic Weapon to keep your power level up.

Really, it seems a fair trade for the fact a fighter can get a shield and stack shield enhancements with armor enhancements.

But maybe I'm odd.

 

[Crothian]

Well, without knowing the changes it is hard to say if it is good, however I do like the idea of hindering the Archer some. I just hope they don't go to far.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I always thought that it was weird that they *did* stack. My house rule has gone like this:

Arrows can only recieve bonuses to damage.
Bows can only recieve bonuses to hit.

So a +1 bow gives you a +1 to hit with all your arrows, but only a +1 to damage with arrows that are also +1.

So a +2 arrow gives you +2 to damage no matter what bow it was fired from.

Typically, you buy a magic bow with a quiver of arrows that are similar.

Likewise, the launcher and the ammo can have different types of bonuses...arrows, for instance, are the only ones that can add elemental damage. But to get Distance, you'd need the bow enchanted.

These are isolated an independant of each other...you can buy a quiver of +3 Shocking arrows that add 3+1d6 damage to any bow's attack, and you can buy a +2 bow that gives you a +2 on to-hit rolls.

 

[Kai Lord]

Having played every edition of D&D I feel a little silly asking this, but did the damage of magic arrows and magic bows stack in 1E and 2E?

EDIT: Not only have I played every edition, but as an archer no less, however having extensively used the Point Blank Shot double damage rules of Unearthed Arcana, all I remember is that I utterly obliterated everything, regardless of whether any stacking was involved.

 

[Agamon]

I also didn't know bow and ammo bonuses stacked. Handy info for my Living Greyhawk elven archer, LG isn't changing over until next year...

 

[Kai Lord]

Having played every edition of D&D I feel a little silly asking this, but did the damage of magic arrows and magic bows stack in 1E and 2E?

Just cracked open the 1E DMG, and magic bonuses from bows and arrows did indeed stack. I say leave 'em, this was never a problem until GMW came along and made it too easy to do.

Nerf the spell, not the weapons.

 

[John Crichton]

I know that the changes to Greater Magic Weapon will make enchanting arrows with pluses not as powerful. That will help as magic arrows aren't cheap.

 

[frankthedm]

Just cracked open the 1E DMG, and magic bonuses from bows and arrows did indeed stack. I say leave 'em, this was never a problem until GMW came along and made it too easy to do.

Nerf the spell, not the weapons.

yes, one per caster level would be fair for something that should be costing you a LOT of money

 

[Angcuru]

Seriously, stop trying to tone down the archers!

Ammunition and launcher bonuses do indeed stack. They always have. It only makes sense that a +3 arrow would be more powerful if it was fired from a +2 bow than a normal one. Archers are only awesome until the melee starts, at which point they are basically little more than targets. I say leave it the way it is, and if they change it, ignore the rule. Just because a rule is printed doesn't mean that it makes sense. Like how magic enhancements don't stack with adamantine weapons. The way I run things, if you enchant an adamantine weapon, the magic and material bonuses stack, since it only makes sense that an enchanted adamantine weapon is better than an enchanted iron weapon.