Cupid’s Bow (Multi System) [Cypher System, D&D 5E, PF1E]

And Venus’ son replied: ‘Your bow, Apollo,
May vanquish all, but mine shall vanquish you.
As every creature yields to power divine,
So likewise shall your glory yield to mine.”
― Ovid, Metamorphoses

In case you haven’t heard it yet, “Happy Valentine’s Day!!!”. Remember that the Greeks had multiple words for love, so don’t get stuck on “eros” today. Anyhow, what follows is a little of the might of Cupid in a Cypher System, D&D 5E, and Pathfinder 1E friendly format.

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Cypher System

Cupid’s Bow (Artifact)

Level: 9

Form: Bow with gold and lead inlay

Effect: This bow functions as a normal weapon of its type. Due to its exceptional Olympian craftsmanship, the difficulty of ranged attacks made with the bow are eased. Arrows fired from this bow vanish instantly after striking or failing to strike their target, leaving no visible trace.

Additionally, as a part of the action to fire an arrow from the bow, the user can cause the arrow being fired to transform into gold or lead. These special arrows do not deal damage, but attacks made with them are eased by an additional step. A creature struck with a gold arrow instantly feels a strong romantic desire, or strong platonic affection if sexual preferences or other limitations would prohibit this, for another creature of the user’s choice. A creature struck with a lead arrow instantly feels strongly repelled and repulsed by another creature of the user’s choice. 

Depletion: 1 in 1d10 (check each time a transformed arrow is fired; upon depletion the bow returns to Cupid)

 

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D&D 5E

Cupid’s Bow

5th-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (a miniature bow inlaid with gold and lead, worth 250 gp)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You summon into your hand a ranged weapon of your choice, with the ammunition property, that you are proficient with. It lasts for the duration. If an attack with this weapon would reduce a creature to 0 hit points, that creature falls unconscious and is stable. This weapon’s attacks are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistances.

As a reaction, when making a successful attack roll against a creature with this weapon, you can choose for the ammunition fired to take on the appearance of gold or lead, doing so ends the spell. The ammunition has a different effect depending on this choice. A creature struck by a piece of gold ammunition affected by this spell must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by a creature of your choice for 1 hour. A creature struck by a piece of lead ammunition affected by this spell becomes frightened of a creature of your choice for 1 hour. Ammunition reverts to its normal appearance after 1 round. 

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the number of pieces of ammunition you can affect with this spell as a reaction, without ending the spell, increases by 1 for for each slot level above 5th.

Spell Lists. Bard, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

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Pathfinder 1E (Akashic Mysteries)

Cupid’s Bow

Descriptors: Enhanced (longbow)

Class: Any

Slot: Hands, Wrist

Saving Throw: See text

“Two diff’rent shafts he from his quiver draws; One to repel desire, and one to cause.” ― Ovid, Metamorphoses [translation by John Dryden] 

As a free action, you can summon a longbow of pale wood inlaid with gold and lead into your hands. If this bow leaves your grip, it immediately disappears. This bow never needs to be reloaded; after a shot is fired a new arrow made of akashic energy automatically forms. All damage dealt by this weapon is non-lethal. You may choose to use your veilweaver level in place of your base attack bonus when attacking with this veil.

Essence For each point of essence invested in this veil, the weapon deals an additional 1d8 points of damage. Like the base damage of this weapon, this damage is nonlethal. Additionally, if at least 3 points of essence are invested in this veil, the damage the weapon deals ignores the immunity to nonlethal damage possessed by some creatures. If a construct or undead creature would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this weapon’s nonlethal damage they are not destroyed. Instead they fall unconscious, even if they could not normally do so. Constructs and undead do not heal in this state unless they have fast healing or a similar ability and can remain in this state indefinitely unless healed to 1 or more hit points. However, a single point of lethal damage instantly destroys them.

Chakra Bind (Hands) [D4, E3, F2 G2, H2, N2, R3, S4, V2] Binding this veil to your Hands chakra grants you the ability to cast lesser unnatural lust as a spell-like ability, a number of times per day equal to 1 + your veilweaving modifier, with a caster level equal your veilweaving level. Additionally, arrows fired by this bow count as magical for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.

Chakra Bind (Wrists) [D7, E12, F2, H8, N8, S8, V8] Binding this veil to your Wrists chakra grants you all the benefits of binding it to your Hands chakra and allows you to fire two unique types of arrows. As a free action when this bow forms a new arrow you can decide for that arrow to be a golden arrow or leaden arrow instead of a normal arrow. The unique effects of these special arrows on creatures are mind-affecting emotion effects that last for 1 hour + 1 hour for each point of essence invested in this veil; after which an affected creature’s attitude moves one step towards its previous state. Any alterations to the affected creature’s attitude resulting from successful Diplomacy checks or other similar actions taken after the creature was affected by the effect remains.

When firing a golden or leaden arrow, the critical threat range of this bow increases by +1, but the bow is treated as one size category smaller than it actually is and the additional damage from investing essence becomes 1d6 per point of essence. The bonus to the bow’s critical threat range is applied after abilities such Improved Critical and cannot be doubled. Creatures suffering a critical hit from a golden or leaden arrow instantly forget that they were attacked by you and struck with the arrow.

Any creature hit by a golden arrow, even if the arrow doesn’t deal damage, must succeed on a Will saving throw or become romantically interested in another creature of your choice. Unless the target’s normal sexual preferences or other limitations would prohibit this, in which case the creature feels an strong platonic fondness for the chosen creature instead. This changes their attitude to helpful towards the chosen creature. A leaden arrow deals bludgeoning damage, and any creature hit by a leaden arrow , even if the arrow doesn’t deal damage, must succeed on a Will saving throw or be filled with scorn for another creature of your choice. This changes their attitude to hostile towards the chosen creature.

 A creature that has passed or failed their save against a golden or leaden arrow cannot be affected by that type of arrow’s mind-affecting emotion effect again for 24 hours.

 

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