Shortbow of Missiles

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Shortbow of Missiles


Aura Moderate evocation; CL 7th
Slot —; Price 18,000 gp; Weight 2 lb.

DESCRIPTION

This finely crafted recurve shortbow appears mundane at first glance, though faint runic patterns ripple subtly within the woodgrain upon closer inspection. Its string resembles a strand of condensed mist or vapor, cool to the touch and impossibly resilient. When drawn, the bow conjures a shimmering bolt of force in place of a physical arrow.

A shortbow of missiles creates its own ammunition. Each time the wielder draws the string, a bolt of force identical in effect to a magic missile is formed and immediately loosed upon release. These force projectiles require no attack roll and automatically strike their target, provided it is within range (maximum range 300 feet, no range increment penalties).

Each round, the wielder may fire up to four such force bolts as part of a full attack action, distributed among targets as desired. Each bolt deals 1d4+1 points of force damage, as the magic missile spell. The wielder’s base attack bonus does not grant additional attacks with this weapon beyond this limit.

Additionally, the wielder may choose to “charge” a single missile by holding the drawn bowstring. For each full round spent aiming (up to 4 rounds), the missile gains an additional +1d4 damage, to a maximum of 5d4+1 damage. Releasing the bowstring fires the empowered missile, which still strikes automatically. If the wielder takes damage, moves, or is otherwise disrupted, the charged missile dissipates harmlessly.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, magic missile
Cost 9,000 gp + 720 XP

LORE

Though widely believed to be a relatively modern invention, the first shortbows of missiles are attributed to a reclusive circle of battlefield arcanists who sought to arm scouts and skirmishers with reliable magical force. Frustrated by the limitations of mundane ammunition in damp or hostile environments, they wove evocation directly into the structure of the bow itself, ensuring that each shot would strike true regardless of wind, darkness, or obstruction.

Many examples of these bows bear faintly different runic signatures, suggesting that the technique spread informally among magewrights rather than through formal academies. Some versions hum softly when drawn, while others remain eerily silent. Veteran adventurers often claim they can tell the origin of a bow by the “feel” of the force it produces - some sharp and crackling, others smooth and fluid like flowing water.

In certain regions, these bows have earned a reputation as tools of assassins and bounty hunters, prized for their reliability and the impossibility of tracing their ammunition. Yet among arcane scholars, they are regarded less as weapons and more as elegant proofs of concept - demonstrations that even the most fleeting spell effects can be given permanence through careful craft.

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