Ammunition

AMMUNITION
Item	Cost	Weight		Item	Cost	Weight
Arrows				Crossbow Bolts
Alchemical (10)	20 gp	1/2 lb.		Broad-tip (standard bolt) (20)	1 gp	1½ lb.
Barbed (20)	10 gp	1 lb.		Disk (30)	5 gp	1½ lb.
Fire (10)	5 gp	1/2 lb.		Notch-tip (20)	10 gp	1½ lb.
Flight (20)	2 gp	1 lb.		Grappling	2 gp	1½ lb.
Frog-crotch (10)	5 gp	1/2 lb.		Inking	1 gp	1/2 lb.
Grappling	2 gp	1½ lb.		Stabilized (20)	2 gp	1½ lb.
Screaming (10)	10 gp	1/2 lb.		Sling Bullets
Sheaf (standard arrow) (20)	1 gp	1 lb.		Alchemical (10)	15 gp	1½ lb.
Smoke (10)	15 gp	1/2 lb.		Dimpled (20)	5 gp	1½ lb.
Blowgun Needles				Leaden (standard bullet) (20)	4 cp	1½ lb.
Hooked (50)	15 gp	1 lb.		Razor glass (20)	10 gp	1½ lb.
Steel (standard needle) (50)	1 gp	1 lb.		Stone (20)	—	1½ lb.

Descriptions

Arrow, Alchemical. The forward end of the shaft is a blunt glass tube delicate enough to break on impact, dispersing its liquid contents onto the target.
Any liquid that is effective on contact can be placed into an alchemical arrow, including acid, alchemical solvent, alchemist’s fire, defoliant, holy water, unholy water, and all sorts of contact poisons. When fired from a bow, an alchemical arrow halves the weapon’s normal and long range increments and changes its damage to 1d4 bludgeoning. In addition to damage, a successful ranged attack applies the contained liquid, as though it had been splashed onto the target.
A substance that comes in a vial fills one alchemical arrow. A substance that comes in a flask fills two alchemical arrows, but that dose is diluted; any applied damage is halved and any effect that grants a saving throw is rolled with advantage.
Arrow, Barbed. This piece of ammunition has wicked barbs that make it hard to remove from the target.
This applies the cruel weapon property to attacks made with it.
Arrow, Fire. This arrowhead has a small, bulbous cage just behind the tip. The cage holds flammable, fibrous material soaked in an accelerant, like the material used for torches.
You may spend a bonus action to knock this arrow and dip the point into an active fire source prior to shooting. A lit fire arrow adds 1 fire damage to the bow’s attack. The arrow might also light highly-flammable materials that it touches, like thatched rooves, dry crops, and the like.
Arrow, Flight. This arrow is crafted of materials carefully selected for their aerodynamic properties. With lighter heads and superior fletching, flight arrows are tremendously accurate missiles.
When using this ammunition, both the bow’s range increments are increased by a distance equal to half the weapon’s normal range increment. When firing a flight arrow, apply a –1 penalty to the damage roll.
Arrow, Frog Crotch. The head of this arrow forms a razor-sharp crescent, points facing forward, theoretically allowing the archer to cut ropes from a distance.
Targeting a rope is a difficult shot; apply disadvantage to the attack roll unless it is made within 10 feet of the target.
Arrow, Grappling. The head of this heavy arrow has four opposite claws that form a grappling hook.
This arrow allows you to use your attack roll in the place of the normal ability check when trying to place a grappling hook.
The head of a grappling arrow is attached to a 100-foot length of silk cordage. The coiled cord is spooled or is placed on the ground before firing so that it can unwind as the arrow flies toward its target. The line has loops knotted into it just large enough to serve as footholds for a climber. The cord has 1 hit point and can be burst with a DC 12 Strength check.
If used as a weapon, the grappling arrow reduces the bow’s damage to 1d4 bludgeoning.
Arrow, Screaming. The head of this arrow makes a screaming noise in flight.
The sounds this arrow emits in flight can be easily heard within 100 feet of any point along its path.
Arrow, Sheaf. This is the most common type of arrow used in combat, a sturdy shaft of reliable length, topped by a heavy broadhead or bodkin point.
These are normally referred to as just “arrows.”
Arrow, Smoke. A thin wrap of an alchemical material encases the shaft of this arrow behind the head.
You may spend a bonus action to knock this arrow and dip the point into an active fire source prior to shooting, causing the material to smoke vigorously. The arrow trails smoke as it flies and creates a 5-foot cube of smoke wherever it hits. The smoke dissipates in 1d4 rounds, or until dispersed by a wind of at least 10 mph. Smoke arrows are each crafted to emit a specific color of smoke, useful for signaling.
Blowgun Needle, Hooked. This blowgun needle has several small hooks behind the tip that make it hard to remove from the target.
This applies the cruel weapon property to attacks made with it.
Blowgun Needle, Steel. This is a lightweight needle, about six inches in length, used as blowgun ammunition. A puff of downy feather attached to one end allows the projectile to be fired from a blowgun with a firm blast of lung power. Steel needles are often used to deliver toxins, being dipped in a vial of poison or other substance just before firing.
These are normally referred to as just “blowgun needles.”
Crossbow Bolt, Broad Tip. This is the most common type of bolt used in combat, a short shaft with a razor-sharp broadhead at the tip.
These are normally referred to as just “crossbow bolts.”
Crossbow Bolt, Disk. These aerodynamic disks are the only ammunition usable with a disk crossbow. They cannot be used with any other weapon.
A pouch can hold 30 disk crossbow bolts; disks will not fit in a crossbow bolt case.
Crossbow Bolt, Grappling. The head of this heavy bolt has four opposite claws that form a grappling hook.
This bolt allows you to substitute your attack roll in the place of the normal check for trying to place a grappling hook.
The head of a grappling arrow is attached to a length of silk cordage. The coiled cord is spooled or is placed on the ground before firing so it can unwind as the arrow flies toward its target. The line has small loops knotted into it at intervals, placed to serve as footholds for a climber.
The cord weighs 2 pounds and is 100 feet long. It has 1 hit point and can be burst with a DC 12 Strength check.
If used as a weapon, the grappling crossbow bolt reduces the crossbow’s damage to 1d4 bludgeoning. Because of their shape, these bolts cannot be loaded into a repeating crossbow magazine.
Crossbow Bolt, Inking. This heavy crossbow bolt bears a large, spongy head soaked in bright ink. The bolt is typically carried inside a wax coating that covers the head to preserve the ink prior to use. Such bolts are often used by spotters in battle to mark certain targets. By prearranged agreement, this focuses the attention of allied ranged units like archers and war wizards.
The wax coating on the head of this bolt can be removed as a bonus action during loading, making it ready to fire. Anything the missile hits is splattered with the bright ink. A crossbow firing an inking crossbow bolt reduces its damage to 1d2 bludgeoning.
Because of their shape, these bolts cannot be loaded into a repeating crossbow magazine.
Crossbow Bolt, Notch-Tip. The long, thin head of this piece of ammunition has a pair of notches on opposite sides, about one inch below the head. These weaken the shaft, causing it to break on impact, leaving the tip inside the target.
This bolt applies the cruel weapon property to attacks made with it.
Crossbow Bolt, Stabilized. This bolt is crafted with a target tip and some small fletching.
When using this ammunition, both the crossbow’s range increments are increased by a distance equal to half the weapon’s normal range increment. When firing a stabilized crossbow bolt, apply a –1 penalty to the damage roll.
Sling Bullet, Alchemical. This spherical projectile is made of clay or glass, designed to shatter on impact, dispersing its liquid contents onto the target. It is larger than a normal piece of sling ammunition.
Any liquid that is effective on contact can be placed into an alchemical sling bullet, including acid, alchemical solvent, alchemist’s fire, defoliant, holy water, unholy water, and all sorts of contact poisons. When fired from a sling, an alchemical sling bullet halves the weapon’s normal and long range increments. In addition to damage, a successful ranged attack applies the contained liquid, as though it had been splashed onto the target.
A substance that comes in a vial fills one alchemical sling bullet. A substance that comes in a flask fills two alchemical sling bullets, but that dose is diluted; any applied damage is halved and any effect that grants a saving throw is rolled with advantage. These ammunition pieces are favored by kobolds, who call them “stink pots.”
Sling Bullet, Dimpled. These bullets are carefully molded for symmetry and drilled with dimples around the circumference to improve flight characteristics.
When using this ammunition, both the sling’s range increments are increased by a distance equal to half the weapon’s normal range increment.
Sling Bullet, Leaden. This is the most common type of sling bullet, a simple lump or sphere of molded lead.
These are normally referred to as just “sling bullets.”
Sling Bullet, Razor Glass. This piece of ammunition is designed to shatter into sharp slivers that imbed themselves in the target.
This design applies the cruel weapon property to attacks with the ammunition.
Sling Bullet, Stone. In a pinch, a slinger can make use of appropriately-sized stones in the place of bullets.
Stones cost nothing to collect but are less effective due to their irregular shapes; they apply a –1 penalty to the weapon’s damage roll.

RECOVERING AMMUNITION

The ammunition weapon property says that characters can recover half the ammunition used after a combat by searching for 1 minute. Where did the rest go? This system assumes that the other pieces are harder to find or are broken and unusable.
Searching for another minute allows recovery of the rest of the ammunition. Half this second batch of found ammunition (a quarter of all ammunition fired) is broken.
Constraints. The ability to recover any ammunition assumes the party has time after a battle; that it is not being pursued or racing after its goal. It also assumes that the battlefield is readily searchable; firing at a sea monster from the safety of a boat is likely to make the ammunition totally unrecoverable. A fight in pitch blackness, which the party can’t see through, is just as likely to prevent the recovery of any ammunition.
Repairs. Broken pieces of ammunition can be repaired with magic or tools. This allows careful archers to maintain their stocks of ammunition on extended adventures.
A mending cantrip is sufficient to fix each piece of broken ammunition, requiring only one action per piece repaired.
Without magic, broken ammunition can be repaired using the appropriate artisan’s tools, as though the remnants were craft components. Repairing requires about 1 minute of time per copper piece of the product’s value. (This figure is a distillation of the 8-hour workday which allows up to 5 gp of total market value production.) This means that it takes 5 minutes to repair a standard arrow, bolt, or sling bullet, since each has a 5-cp market value.
Example. A ranger fires 20 of her standard arrows in a battle. Afterward, she recovers 10 arrows in the first minute of searching. In the second minute of searching, she recovers 5 more whole arrows and 5 broken ones. With the right artisan’s tools, the ranger can repair the broken arrows in 25 minutes.