Bowfletching Guide

Overview

Bowfletching is the art of crafting ranged weapons and ammunition on UO:X. This skill allows players to create bows, crossbows, arrows, bolts, and other essential items for archery combat. Fletchers work primarily with wood, transforming logs into deadly weapons and ammunition.

Getting Started

Required Tools

To practice Bowfletching, you need: - Fletcher's Tools - Your primary crafting tool that wears out with use

Primary Skill

  • Fletching - The main skill used for all bowfletching crafts

Skill Gain

Bowfletching follows standard UO crafting skill gain mechanics: - Craft items within your skill range for the best chance to gain - Items below your skill level rarely provide gains - Items far above your skill level will frequently fail - Success and failure both provide opportunities for skill gain

Wood Types and Resources

Bowfletching uses different types of wood, each requiring different skill levels to work with:

Wood Type Required Skill Notes
Regular Log 0.0 Basic wood, available everywhere
Oak Log 65.0 Enhanced wood type
Ash Log 80.0 Enhanced wood type
Yew Log 95.0 High-quality wood
Heartwood Log 100.0 Premium wood type
Bloodwood Log 100.0 Premium wood type
Frostwood Log 100.0 Premium wood type

Note: Different wood types affect the quality and properties of crafted items. Higher-tier woods produce superior weapons.

Craftable Items

Materials

These basic items are used in other crafting recipes:

Item Skill Required Resources Notes
Kindling 0.0 1 Log Basic fire-starting material
Shaft 0.0 - 40.0 1 Log Used to make arrows and bolts; uses all available logs

Ammunition

Essential supplies for archers:

Item Skill Required Resources Notes
Arrow 0.0 - 40.0 1 Shaft, 1 Feather Uses all available materials
Bolt 0.0 - 40.0 1 Shaft, 1 Feather Crossbow ammunition; uses all available materials

Tip: Arrows and bolts will consume all available shafts and feathers in your pack, making them efficient for mass production.

Weapons

Ranged weapons for combat:

Weapon Skill Required Resources Notes
Bow 30.0 - 70.0 7 Logs Classic short-range bow
Crossbow 60.0 - 100.0 7 Logs Powerful ranged weapon
Heavy Crossbow 80.0 - 120.0 10 Logs High-damage crossbow

Crafting Process

  1. Gather Resources - Collect logs through Lumberjacking or purchase them from vendors
  2. Equip Tools - Have Fletcher's Tools in your backpack or equipped
  3. Open Crafting Menu - Use the tools to open the Bowfletching menu
  4. Select Item - Choose what you want to craft from the menu
  5. Select Material - If you have multiple wood types, choose which to use
  6. Craft - The system will attempt to create the item

Quality Levels

Items can be crafted at different quality levels: - Below Average - Barely successful crafts at low skill - Normal Quality - Standard successful crafts - Exceptional Quality - High-quality items made with skill and luck

Maker's Mark

Skilled fletchers can place their maker's mark on exceptional items, identifying them as the creator and potentially increasing value.

Crafting Outcomes

When crafting, several outcomes are possible:

  • Success - Item created successfully
  • Exceptional Success - High-quality item created (with or without maker's mark)
  • Failure (No Loss) - Attempt fails but materials are preserved
  • Failure (Material Loss) - Attempt fails and some materials are lost
  • Tool Breakage - Your Fletcher's Tools wear out and break

Tips for Effective Fletching

Skill Training Path

  1. 0-30 Skill - Craft shafts and arrows/bolts to build basic skill
  2. 30-60 Skill - Begin crafting bows for steady gains
  3. 60-80 Skill - Move to crossbows for continued advancement
  4. 80-100 Skill - Craft heavy crossbows for final skill gains
  5. 100+ Skill - Work with premium woods for exceptional items

Resource Management

  • Mass Production - Arrows and bolts use all available materials, perfect for bulk crafting
  • Wood Selection - Save premium woods for weapons, use regular logs for practice
  • Feather Supply - Keep a steady supply of feathers for ammunition crafting
  • Tool Durability - Keep spare Fletcher's Tools as they wear out with use

Profitable Crafting

  • Exceptional Weapons - High-quality bows and crossbows sell for premium prices
  • Bulk Ammunition - Arrows and bolts are always in demand
  • Premium Wood Items - Weapons made from yew, heartwood, bloodwood, or frostwood command higher prices
  • Maker's Mark - Establishing a reputation for quality can increase item value
  • Lumberjacking - Harvest logs for fletching materials
  • Archery - Use the weapons you create
  • Arms Lore - Identify weapon quality and durability

Sound Effects

When crafting, you'll hear a distinctive sound (0x55) indicating the fletching process. There are no special animations for bowfletching.

Important Notes

  • Fletcher's Tools must be accessible (in your backpack or equipped) to use
  • Tools have limited uses and will eventually wear out
  • The Repair option is available for maintaining crafted weapons
  • Items can be marked with your name when crafting exceptional quality pieces
  • Different wood types affect the final properties of crafted weapons