Wight VS a Magic Bow

[dymondy2k]

I had something come up recently and I wasn't sure what the answer was..

A wight can only be hit with silver or magic weapons. If I shoot a wight with a regular arrow shot from a magic bow, would that hit or would the actual arrow itself need to be magical? I guess I just need to know if the magic from a magic bow rubs off on the arrow or not.

[Xyphon]

Found this on dragonsfoot: Magic bows vs creatures requiring magic weapons to hit

From that there seems to be a few options and no-one seemed to be willing to draw a hard and fast rule.

Matthew- dragonsfoot gives these options

1) A +2 Arrow shot from a +1 Bow is considered a +3 weapon
2) A +2 Arrow shot from a +1 Bow is considered a +2 weapon
3) A +0 Arrow shot from a +1 Bow is considered a +1 weapon
4) A +0 Arrow shot from a +1 Bow is considered a +0 weapon

Personally would play 1,3 many seem to follow 2,4.

That is I like to keep it simple and just add the pluses together.

This can of course open a much larger can of worms than the simple table above see the thread on df.

[Maliki]

From our 2E days, the arrow itself had to be magical. Of course as always the GM has final say on this in his game.

[Hywaywolf]

If the bow is magical but not the arrow, how does the magic from the bow reach the target if the magic is not imbued through the arrow into the target?

[SmootRK]

I am of the group inclined to say the missile itself needs to be magical (or silver or whatever) to damage various creatures. Magic Bows only add a degree of accuracy to the equation (but this affects both 'to hit' and 'damage' due to this accuracy, and like Xyphon, I simply add bonuses together with the missile bonus), but only the missile Plus counts when determining if a creature can be hit. For instance, if a creature can only be damaged by Magical Weapons, the arrow/bolt/bullet/etc must be magical, as this is the part that actually strikes the monster.

[dymondy2k]

Thanx guys.. I let it slide that time because I was unsure but as I gave it some thought I started getting on the same boat as the rest of you, that the missile has to be silver or magical in order to damage those creatures. In a related note, if the missile or weapon isn't silver or magical does the weapon just bounce off?, heal immediately after being struck?

[Hywaywolf]

I can see the argument that damage from a magical bow isn't magical since it would be possible for the bow to give more power to the arrow simply by sending it off with more strength from the bow. But how does the bow make the arrow more likely to hit without magically correcting the path of the arrow to hit a moving target?

[SmootRK]

I can see the argument that damage from a magical bow isn't magical since it would be possible for the bow to give more power to the arrow simply by sending it off with more strength from the bow. But how does the bow make the arrow more likely to hit without magically correcting the path of the arrow to hit a moving target?

Consider a rifle bought at walmart, run of the mill, essentially bottom of the line quality... then consider shopping at a celebrated hunter's paradise store, where only the best of the best guns are featured, exceeding the highest military specs, using the best of materials and engineering of the highest that science can offer....

... now using the exact same ammo, which one is likely a better shot (user ability not considered)?

Now against a tank, it will matter little which gun is better (well, maybe the better gun will have a better chance to damage) but the ammo is now of great importance. Standard rounds will do nothing, but special armor piercing depleted uranium tipped ammo slices right through regardless of the gun shooting.

Of course these are mundane (non-magical) examples to try to illustrate my point... but that is where I get my general equivalencies.

[Hywaywolf]

By the book, the game makes no correction for using top of the line equipment or bargain basement, bought at a yard sale stuff. If you have it, it doesn't matter where you got it. The only thing that makes a normal weapon better than another is if its magical. So to make something more accurate it has to impart magical corrections to make it hit something. So a normal arrow shot from a magic bow is imbued with magic for accuracy. Your mileage may differ.

[SmootRK]

I would have thought my comparisons were apparent...

In my example,
walmart gun = non magical
superior hunter gun = magical

normal ammo = non magical
special armor piercing bullets = magical

of course, we don't have real magical stuff to make equivalencies with... these examples are to give some rough comparisons here in our real world.

Of course, this is my own opinion for my justifications... others can and do have other differing opinions which are equally valid to them... even if wrong just kidding.