Bow/arrow question

I was wondering how the AB for ranged weapons worked. I was in the Dark Realms the other night and I noticed that I couldn't hurt the mariliths. Every time I hit one I got a 'weapon ineffective' message. I was using a +5 bow at the time.

So the question is; Do arrows fired from an enchanted bow get treated as +# arrows as far as damage resistance/reduction? If not, can that be made to happen? Otherwise creating a ranged character, aside from AA, seems fruitless since any ranged character will likely be using an everfull quiver (ie. standard arrows with only crystal enhancements).

Thanks

1d20 + dex modifier + bow attack bonus + AA enchant arrow bonus (if applicable) + all other AB boosters, up to +20 boost. The AA boost and dex modifier do not count towards the +20 AB boost cap.

As for beating damage reduction, the attack bonus on the bow operates just as an enhancement bonus on a melee weapon for the purpose of beating DR. AA's enchant arrow also counts towards beating DR. In the case of an AA with a bow with an attack bonus, the higher of the two is used for determining the DR you can beat.

ANd for the mariliths... they MIGHT have a higher than +5 DR, in which case, all characters will have trouble with that. THere's only 2 classes that offer a natural DR penetration (soulfire warrior and arcane archer), and there's only 4 weapons available that can get higher than +5 enhancement bonus (blazing staff, impaler, withering, and the demonbreaker legendary weapon).

Thanks Manny

And ah, correction... Four classes. Shifters and druids with dragonshape can penetrate +6 DR, and shifters with gargoyle shape can as well.

1 other related question. I know the Dex bonus does not apply to the AB cap, but, if using zen archery, does the Wis bonus apply to the cap?

No, it's merely substituted for the dex (if your wisdom is higher), and still does not count towards the cap

That's what I thought. Thanks again

The Dervishes do have damage reduction, but it is only 3 points worth of soaking, but the enhancement bonus needed to penetrate is exceptionally high, so most PCs will not be able to ignore it.

The real problem you might have when trying to do physical damage is their damage resistance to slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning weapons.... but while those resistances are higher than 3 points, they are by no means set to unreasonable levels for Epic PCs to get damage through.

Aside from those physical resistances, most of the Dark Realm demons also have a suite of elemental resistances and immunities, so your garden variety crystal enhancements are not likely to do a whole lot, but some damage might get through.

I checked it out earlier tonight. They have damage resistance, not reduction.

I checked it too, they have reduction, it just isnt on their items.

Shifter: Epic Kobold and Epic Drow have +6 weapons, same as a Soulfire 10.
Epic Manticore has +20/5 DR, so Epic manticore spikes as a ranged attack will penetrate Epic Warding! But they do crap damage.

Just FYI

But doesn't the 'weapon ineffective' message mean you can't damage it with that weapon? I don't think it pops up if all the damage you would have done is absorbed or resisted.

I believe "weapon ineffective" will indeed pop up if the attack you make is fully resisted, moreover, I believe it also indicates that even on a roll of maximum damage for all damage types, nothing would penetrate the targets resistances..... crits are an exception, of course, assuming the target can be critted.