Bow-Sword (3.5e Equipment)

Bow-Sword

Exotic Two-Handed Critical: x2 Range Increment: 80 ft. Type: Piercing, Slashing Hardness: 8
Size	Cost1	Damage	Weight1	hp
Fine	*	1d2/1d2/1d2	1 lb.	1
Diminutive	*	1d3/1d3/1d3	2 lb.	1
Tiny	*	1d4/1d4/1d4	4 lb.	2
Small	250	1d6/1d6/1d6	8 lb.	5
Medium	250	1d8/1d8/1d8	15 lb.	10
Large	250	2d6/2d6/2d6	30 lb.	20
Huge	*	3d6/3d6/3d6	60 lb.	40
Gargantuan	*	4d6/4d6/4d6	120 lb.	80
Colossal	*	6d6/6d6/6d6	240 lb.	160
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.

This horribly expensive weapon is a complex yet elegantly crafted hybrid of melee and raged weaponry. At first glance it appears to be a metal bow however on closer inspection it is revealed that the arms of the bow are actually razor sharp blades with a specialized hook on each tip to hold the string. The blades are held in the middle by a simple yet effective clip that holds the two blades together at the pommel of their handles and is easily disengaged to allow quick separation of the blades.

The Bow sword's cost is primarily due to two factors. First the wide range of crafting skills required to make it as the creator of such a weapon requires extensive knowledge in the skill of Fletching, Bowery, Weapon smithing, Alchemy, Metallurgy, and Trap smithing. This means that there are few people with experience enough to forge such a weapon thus decreasing it's availability.

Second to make the weapon the blades must be composed of a specialized metal alloy that can bend enough for it to be used as a bow while still stiff enough to be used as a sword.

When assembled the Bow-Sword can be used as both a composite bow and a double sword, the bow can be unclasped as a free action and the two arms can be dual wielded as two long swords, however putting it back together requires a full round action.

Single Form

In this form, the bow-sword can be used as either a composite longbow or two-bladed sword by anyone proficient in those weapons. As with a normal composite longbow, the bow-sword can be constructed with a higher rating for an additional 100 gp per point of Strength bonus.

Twin Form

In this form, the bow-sword can be used as two longswords by anyone proficient in that weapon. Normal penalties for dual wielding apply.

Mixed Style

If you have the proficiency Exotic Weapon Proficiency [Bow-Sword], then you can switch form during a Full Attack. This can be done once during during your full attack, and must be made at the same time that you take the one 5-Foot Step allowed to you (although you do not have to move). You can switch from using the weapon to a longbow to using it as a two-bladed sword or dual longswords; or from two-bladed sword to longbow or dual longswords. Firing the longbow in a threatened square incurs the normal Attack of Opportunity.

Masterwork and Magic Bow-Swords

The bow-sword is considered a double weapon for the purpose of crafting a masterwork or magical weapon. The blades of the two-bladed sword are the two heads.

Enchantment bonuses and special abilities given to the two-bladed sword heads transfer to the dual longswords when the bow-sword's form changes.

The composite bow uses the masterwork or enchantment bonus equal to the lowest enchantment level of the two heads. The composite bow benefits from special abilities given to the heads only if both heads have the same special ability and only if they are universal to both melee and ranged weapons. For example, if both heads have the Bane special ability, then the composite longbow also has this special ability.

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