Fire Arrow (3.5e Equipment)

Fire arrows are arrows that have a small charge of explosive alchemical powder in a thick paper or wooden tube tied to the shaft. These charges are set with a fuse to first rocket further than normal, and shortly after impact, to detonate in a powerful and lethal explosion. However, in practice, the rocketing action decreases the accuracy with which the weapon may be used at range.

Arrow, Fire (5)

Exotic Light Ammunition Critical: — Range Increment: -15 ft. Type: — Hardness: —
Size	Cost^1	Damage	Weight^1	hp
Fine	*	+1d2	*	—
Diminutive	*	+1d3	*	—
Tiny	*	+1d4	*	—
Small	10 gp	+1d6	1 lb.	—
Medium	10 gp	+2d6	3 lb.	—
Large	20 gp	+3d6	6 lb.	—
Huge	*	+3d8	*	—
Gargantuan	*	+4d8	*	—
Colossal	*	+6d8	*	—
The SRD only gives a means to determine costs and weights of weapons for Large and Small versions based on the Medium weapons. Any other supplied values are the author's best determination.

A weapon firing a fire arrow increases its maximum range to fifteen range increments, but cumulative penalties still apply on the attack's accuracy. The extra damage dealt by a fire arrow is treated as fire damage.

A fire arrow always breaks when used, whether or not it hits its target. The only exceptions are when the user is outside in the rain, underwater, or rolls a 1 on her attack roll. In any of these events, the fire arrow becomes a normal arrow of its size, and has a 50% chance to break if it misses its target.

A fire arrow used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (-4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (critical multiplier x2). It does not deal its extra damage when used in this manner, but it does break.

Crafting five fire arrows requires a successful Craft (alchemy) check made at DC 30 at the end of an hour of work, and 7 gp 50 sp worth of materials. Failure of 5 or less creates arrows that deal only 1 extra fire damage on a successful hit. Failure of more than 5 causes the arrows to be useless, and ruins half the raw materials. They must be taken apart and remade again.

Variant

You may treat half of the extra damage dealt by a fire arrow as force damage. When using this rule, you should also treat the damage dealt by most other explosions in the same manner, excepting those that specificaly describe themselves as causing little pressure in the surrounding area. (For example, the spell fireball.)

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