Concealing a bow and arrow set:Is it possible?

[Masakan]

This is probably me going on a wild goose chase, but is there any conceivable way to smuggle in a shortbow and about 20 arrows? or is this like what they made the hand crossbow for?

[ketaro]

Shrink Item.

[kitep]

Gloves of Storing, Quiver of Ehlonna, Bag of Holding, etc

I believe there's either an enchantment or a MIC crystal that lets you call for a weapon, and it appears in your hand.

Store it on a Paladin's mount, and call for for it after you're inside.

And I assume enough points in the right skill lets you do it too.

[Kethrian]

Invisibility; HHH; bag of holding; portable hole; quiver of ehlonna; unstring the bow and slide it inside a thick hollowed out staff, and stuff the arrows in the bottom of your backpack; put everything inside a bag, attach a waterskin full of air for buoyancy, float it down the river into town and retrieve it inside; bundle them up and toss them over the city wall at night, then get in and retrieve it; stuff them into a wagon full of hay; bribe (or better, Charm) an employee who has access to wherever you want to smuggle it to; Fabricate new ones after getting past the guard; etc.

Really, your imagination is the only limitation.

[SorO_Lost]

Really, your imagination is the only limitation.

Given that it's a bow, I'd say there is some height requirements for certain storage areas too...

Adding some assembly required would help through.

[Argent Fatalis]

I might add that there also exists, somewhere out there, Collapsible weapons if I recall correctly as a mundane means to do this.

[Masakan]

I might add that there also exists, somewhere out there, Collapsible weapons if I recall correctly as a mundane means to do this.

Thats kinda what im trying to figure out. Is there a way for a stealth character to sneak in a ranged weapon like a bow and some arrows....or is he better off just waiting until he can afford a quick loading hand crossbow?

[ketaro]

Glove of the Master Strategist is 1/3 the price of a Glove of Storing for same effect. Since you're likely trying to assassinate someone, the 1/day true strike from it would also help you out here.

Every response so far besides Portable Holes is far cheaper than waiting to be able to afford a +2 weapon.

The only stuff I know for "collapsible" stuff is either the Sizing enchantment for the Hideaway weapon property in...Races of the Wild?

Google found me a reference to "Modular Melee Weapon", nonmagical, but melee weapons only.

Dragon Magazine 316, page 40.

Simple and martial weapons, maximum of 5 pounds, the weapon can be broken down into (2*number of pounds) mundane looking pieces. It takes an Int check 20 (-1 per two parts visible) to realise it is part of weapon. It can be broken down and remade in 1 minute. If the welder rolls a 1 with the weapon, part of it brakes off and must be reattached.

[Masakan]

Glove of the Master Strategist is 1/3 the price of a Glove of Storing for same effect. Since you're likely trying to assassinate someone, the 1/day true strike from it would also help you out here.

Every response so far besides Portable Holes is far cheaper than waiting to be able to afford a +2 weapon.

The only stuff I know for "collapsible" stuff is either the Sizing enchantment for the Hideaway weapon property in...Races of the Wild?

Google found me a reference to "Modular Melee Weapon", nonmagical, but melee weapons only.

Dragon Magazine 316, page 40.

Simple and martial weapons, maximum of 5 pounds, the weapon can be broken down into (2*number of pounds) mundane looking pieces. It takes an Int check 20 (-1 per two parts visible) to realise it is part of weapon. It can be broken down and remade in 1 minute. If the welder rolls a 1 with the weapon, part of it brakes off and must be reattached.

That is actually a really good idea but....what do i do about the arrows though?

[ketaro]

A quiver can hold your arrows and shortbow. A quiver is one item. A glove of master strategist works just like a glove of storing. A glove of storing stores one item. A quiver is one item.

 

[Masakan]

A quiver can hold your arrows and shortbow. A quiver is one item. A glove of master strategist works just like a glove of storing. A glove of storing stores one item. A quiver is one item.

 

slightly convoluted but i follow ya.

[linklord231]

Smuggle in to where?  Getting something past the town gate guards is going to be considerably easier than getting strip-searched while being booking into prison. 

For most situations, it'll probably be easier to convince the guards to allow you to bring in contraband rather than try to sneak it past them.  Bribery, persuasion, deception (you wouldn't deprive an old man his walking stick), etc.  Maybe you could even forge some kind of appropriate documentation - the Forgery skill is only contested by Forgery, which few people are trained in. 

In any case, you may be interested in reading Complete Scoundrel.  It has rules for creating smuggling compartments and that kind of thing. 

The 2nd level Assassin spell Absorb Weapon lets you magically conceal a light weapon under your skin.  The only way I can think of to count a bow as a light weapon is to make it Elvencraft (counts as a club), then make it 1 size category too small.  Convoluted, but workable. 

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Soulbow PrC gets rid of the hiding problem altogether.

Changeling could hide a short bow inside itself.
Changeling could hide a long bow the same way but might walk with a limp.

[kitep]

Secret compartment on a wagon.  Or hide it on the stuff in the wagon.

I remember one Robin Hood series where Robin and his merry men would sneak bows onto the castle grounds all the time.  No magic needed.

[Nanshork]

Magic Item Compendium has the Hideaway weapon property for 2,000gp that can do this but it wouldn't help with your arrows.

[Masakan]

Magic Item Compendium has the Hideaway weapon property for 2,000gp that can do this but it wouldn't help with your arrows.

Yeah the arrows are the big issue....whats the point of a bow if i cant get me some arrows?

[Kethrian]

What, really, are the limits on what you need?  Money, time, level of scrutiny, magic allowed or not, etc.  With those, most of us could come up with several viable options for you.  As nebulous as it is now, you're just seeing random shots in the dark with generic guesswork.

[Masakan]

What, really, are the limits on what you need?  Money, time, level of scrutiny, magic allowed or not, etc.  With those, most of us could come up with several viable options for you.  As nebulous as it is now, you're just seeing random shots in the dark with generic guesswork.

Let me go over this with a mock example...say you were hired to kill a high ranking official, security is air tight and the guards don't allow weapons at the door for anyone other then staff.

Now your more of a disguiser then a sneak, so you decide to go incognito for a party or as a guard, problem is they don't allow weapons within the walls and without outside aid the most you could probably smuggle in are a couple of daggers your thieves tools and maybe 1 or 2 potions of w/e. A possum pouch would help get more in but considering the size of it, I highly doubt you can fit a whole bow and arrow set into it. A hand crossbow and a quiver of crossbow bolts, would be possible though. But not a full bow and arrow set. you could bribe the guards but if you talk to the wrong one it could blow your whole operation.

Basically the only way you can get anything in is for it to be on your person, in a possum pouch Concealed by magic aura. So with that in mind. How would you get it a bow and arrow set in?

[ketaro]

Anklet of Translocation. Skip the checkpoint.

[Chemus]

Put the stuff in a HHH, or BoH, then cast suppress magic (MoI, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2, Hex 2, 1r/Lvl). Carry your non-magical bag of apples or whatever into the protected area, and let the suppression expire. If you need more time, extend it or whatever.