Epic Artifact - Bow of The Elemental Lords

[ShadowGlade]

Major Artifact - Epic

Bow of The Elemental Lords
  This bow appears to be made out of some unknown metal shot through with streaks of red, green, blue, white, and violet.  Intricate carvings of Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran origins the likes of which you have never before seen cover its length.

  The Bow of The Elemental Lords is a +7 composite longbow, with the distant shot, ghost touch, and unerring accuracy special qualities, the bow also has a Strength bonus that matches its users current Strength at all times..  Additionally the Bow of The Elemental Lords has the following unique abilities that draw directly from the users own power.
  Energy Bolts: The user of the bow can fire energy bolts in place of normal arrows, energy bolts deal 1d8+ Str modifier + an additional 1d8 points of damage for every point of your Constitution modifier (minimum +0) and the damage is either acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic.
  Elemental Wrath: 3 times per day the wielder of the Bow of The Elemental Lords can unleash an energy bolt from the bow that will explode upon contact with its target (Radius = 5x the users Constitution modifier) and deals 1d8 points of damage for each Hit Dice that the bows user possesses.  With each use of this ability you can fire a number of shots equal to if you had done a Full Round attack with a normal bow.  A successful Reflex Save (DC 10 + the users HD + Constitution modifier) halves the damage, though the primary target, if the attack roll succeeds receives no save to reduce the damage.
  Elemental Decomposition: 3 times per day for 1 round the owner of the bow may fire arrows from the bow that when they strike an enemy they can rip them apart by disrupting the very forces that hold their body's together.  When struck by an arrow after the user decides to activate this ability all effected creatures must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ the users HD+ Constitution modifier) or die as their bodies are ripped apart by elemental forces.  If the target(s) succeed on their saving throw they instead take normal damage.

[Phoenix_ArchMage]

Well I will admit it is clearly an epic item, though I would consider a wisdom mod or intelligence mod instead of a strength mod for the energy bolt, largely because it is a magical effect/attack.  And with it being an energy attack I would stick with a 1d6 or 1d4+ wis/int then 1d4 per 2 points of con mod for the additional.  Also a declaration of the type of damage would reflect some changes as well, though giving them the option should lower the threat.  I just see the potential of dealing hundreds of points damage on a critical is all, and while epic in its own right should have limitatons, just my opinion as a DM.  More on this when i get the chance to read it all...thanks it is an interesting item though.

AMQ

[ShadowGlade]

(Me and my late replies)

  1d6 or 1d4 is the normal for energy damage in most cases or at least seems to be though the reason I put it at 1d8 was due to it being an epic item (also convenient for not having to switch dice for when rolling weapon damage).
  Assuming a +6 Con mod by epic/early epic it would deal 7d8+1+Str energy damage, a non-epic weapon can get pretty close to that if you have a 'mighty bow' with Frost (+1d6 cold), Flaming (+1d6 fire), Acidic (+1d6 acid), Shocking (+1d6 electric), applied to it for a total of 1d8+Str+4d6 energy damage.
And then at epic when you get the funds you can apply splitting (3E Forgotten Realms - Champions of Ruin, Page.42) each arrow you fire effectively becomes 2 so if you have 4 attacks you get 8x 1d8+1+Str+4d6 energy damage.
-Also for the non-epic there is always adding banes, like Magebane that adds another +2/+2d6 vs anything with Spell-Like Abilities or Spells to boost the damage up even more.  That would make it 1d8+3+Str+4d6 energy+2d6 bane against most things you would be fighting.

  A critical with the bow might be a problem if they have their Con up extremely high but shouldn't be too bad, assuming a +6 con it would be an average of 31.5+1+Str x3 = 97.5 damage on a critical and there is only a 5% chance of that happening, 10% if they have Improved Critical.  But that could be solved by making it not be able to critical, not sure if energy damage beyond Rays can critical anyways.

  The reason(s) I linked it to Strength and Con is because the weapon is for mainly a martial classes such as Rangers and Fighters (though wouldn't be bad for a rogue I suppose) and they are more likely to have a decent Str and Con then Int, Wis, or Cha (Cha was my first choice).  Also I wanted it to more or less draw its power from the users life force (mainly Con but also Str)


-It's late here so my reasoning might be a bit screwy.

[Phoenix]

-It's late here so my reasoning might be a bit screwy.

Nah, it's early there.