Can you recover magic/alchemical arrows?

[Abraham Z]

I had always understood that if you recover ammunition (arrows, bolts, etc.), following the 50% chance that a missed shots is recoverable rule, that said recovered ammo lost any magical and/or alchemical properties it may have had, and just become normal arrows or bolts. Is that incorrect and can anyone please point me to the relevant rule? It came up in a game I was running the other night and when I looked it up I couldn't find any reason why, for example, a scent arrow, or a +1 bane arrow, couldn't be used again (if you missed the first time and successfully recovered the arrow).

[liamfisher]

Same as any other ammo - I'd assume alchemical stuff does the same.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons/

Magic Ammunition and Breakage: When a magic arrow, crossbow bolt, or sling bullet misses its target, there is a 50% chance it breaks or is otherwise rendered useless. A magic arrow, bolt, or bullet that successfully hits a target is automatically destroyed after it delivers its damage.

[Doonamis]

Interesting.  I'd always assumed like Abraham.

So, does that make it a 50% breakage and a 50% to find?  Does that also mean that you can recover your regular arrows out of dead creatures until you get a +1 bow and then they all explode when they hit the enemy?

Also, who's buying magic ammo?

[Abraham Z]

Interesting.  I'd always assumed like Abraham.

So, does that make it a 50% breakage and a 50% to find?  Does that also mean that you can recover your regular arrows out of dead creatures until you get a +1 bow and then they all explode when they hit the enemy?

Also, who's buying magic ammo?

It came up because they found some magic arrows in the scenario.

[liamfisher]

Interesting.  I'd always assumed like Abraham.

So, does that make it a 50% breakage and a 50% to find?  Does that also mean that you can recover your regular arrows out of dead creatures until you get a +1 bow and then they all explode when they hit the enemy?

Also, who's buying magic ammo?

Some of us do buy magic ammo, because they don't make slaying bows.  The 50% assumes find and broken. 

And no, it is only for enchanted ammunition.  Ammo inherits the bonuses of the weapon firing it, but only if the ammo
doesn't have a better enchantment.

Things like holy on the bow and things like bane on the arrow stack.  For enhancement bonuses you use whichever is higher, 
the bow or the ammo.

[Kevin Willis]

Also, who's buying magic ammo?

Some of us do buy magic ammo, because they don't make slaying bows.  The 50% assumes find and broken. 

And no, it is only for enchanted ammunition.  Ammo inherits the bonuses of the weapon firing it, but only if the ammo
doesn't have a better enchantment.

Things like holy on the bow and things like bane on the arrow stack.  For enhancement bonuses you use whichever is higher, 
the bow or the ammo.

Also, be aware of the FAQ item from Friday, May 12, 2017.

Magic Ranged Weapons and Ammunition: When a ranged weapon shares its enhancement bonus with its ammunition, does this count as “true” enhancement bonus or more like a temporary bonus like greater magic weapon? In other words, does the shared enhancement bonus allow the arrow to bypass damage reduction as if it was cold iron, silver, adamantine, and aligned?

No, other than the ways indicated in the Core Rulebook (if the ranged weapon is at least +1, they count as magic, and if the ranged weapon is aligned they count as that alignment as well) the enhancement bonus granted to ammunition from the ranged weapon doesn’t help them overcome the other types of damage reduction. Archers and other such characters can buy various sorts of ammunition or ammunition with a high enhancement bonus to overcome the various types of damage reduction.

Enhancement Bonus on the Bow doesn't overcome DR (other than magic).  Hooray for Clustered Shots!

[url=http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1fm#v5748eaic9vo0][/url]

[Abraham Z]

I think I figured out the source of my confusion. According to Elves of Golarion (p. 22), when speaking about alchemical arrows, it says "Unless otherwise stated, these alchemical arrows are only effective for one shot." Not having played any ranged characters so far, I just extended this in my mind to all sorts of ammo. But now I think the rule can be summarized as: 

1. Magic ammunition (non-firearm) has a 50% chance of being recovered after a missed shot, and if recovered, it retains all magic properties.

2. Alchemical ammunition loses its alchemical properties after being shot, regardless of whether it's a hit or a miss (so that recovering the ammunition on a missed shot just gets you an ordinary arrow).

Sound right?

[liamfisher]

I think I figured out the source of my confusion. According to Elves of Golarion (p. 22), when speaking about alchemical arrows, it says "Unless otherwise stated, these alchemical arrows are only effective for one shot." Not having played any ranged characters so far, I just extended this in my mind to all sorts of ammo. But now I think the rule can be summarized as: 

1. Magic ammunition (non-firearm) has a 50% chance of being recovered after a missed shot, and if recovered, it retains all magic properties.

2. Alchemical ammunition loses its alchemical properties after being shot, regardless of whether it's a hit or a miss (so that recovering the ammunition on a missed shot just gets you an ordinary arrow).

Sound right?

Yeah, because alchemical arrows do stuff when they impact.  It just doesn't do it to your target.  

There is an exception - the durable arrow.  Durable arrows have to be destroyed or fired where you can't retrieve them to lose them.  Things like
shooting creatures with burn or acid touch defense effects destroys durable arrows.   Still a good choice for the expensive material composite arrows.