Alchemist's Bow

At first glance, it appears to be just a bow handle and brace with a hole in the brace. However, if you slowly fill the hole with a liquid while attuning to the handle, a bow and string appears.

Attunement

If you spend a short rest with this hilt, while inserting a liquid, you create an Alchemist's Bow. The kind of liquid inserted determines the appearance and damage type of the blade (see Example Bows table). If the bow is destroyed for any reason, you are no longer attuned, and must take another short rest to create and attune to a new bow.

Alchemist Weapon

An Alchemist's Bow deals 1d8 slashing damage, plus an additional 2d8 damage determined by the liquid used to make the bow and string. Some bows may also cause an additional effect.

Liquid	Bows and Bowstrings	Description	Damage Type	Effect
Acid	Corrosive Bowstring	A pungent bow	2d8 acid damage	On a critical hit, this weapon burns through a creature's armor. The target must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw to not have their AC reduced by 1 for 24 hours if they have natural armor or forever while wearing the corroded armor.
Blood	Crimson Bowstring	A disturbing bow that seems almost alive	2d8 necrotic damage	On a critical hit, you gain temporary hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt.
Oil/Pitch	Flammable Bowstring*	A slick bowstring that can be lit	2d8 fire damage when lit as an action	A foe hit by the unlit arrow is covered in flammable liquid, and does not take 2d8 additional fire damage. If touched by fire, they are set on fire, and take 1d10 fire damage at the start of their turn until they use an action or some other method to quench the flames.
Poison	Venomous Bowstring	A sinister, dripping bowstring	2d8 poison damage	On a critical hit, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 1d6 poison damage and become poisoned. The poisoned creature must repeat the saving throw at the start of their turn, taking 1d6 poison damage on a failed save. The effect of the poison and the poisoned condition end after a successful saving throw or 1 minute.
Water	Frozen Bowstring*	A bow made of ice	2d8 cold damage	If you hit a fire elemental or another flame based creature, they take an additional 3d8 cold damage, but the blade instantly melts (this doesn't trigger the Bow Breaker feature).
Other	N/A	Other bow's may be created, with your DM's approval	Determined by DM	Determined by DM

*Some bows may be destroyed without causing the Bow Breaker effect. For example, the Flammable Bow burns out after 1 hour, and the Frozen Bow melts after 1 hour, both leaving only the hilt. These bows will still trigger the Bow Breaker effect if broken in any other way, however.
After 24 hours, the blade breaks without triggering the Bow Breaker feature. You must spend a short rest creating a new bow, as described in the Attunement section.

Bow Breaker

If you roll a 1 on an attack using this weapon, or if you deliberately break the bow by succeeding a DC 15 Strength saving throw, the bow explodes. When this occurs, everyone in a 15 ft. by 15 ft. sphere centered on the weapon, including you, must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, you take 3d6 damage, with the damage type being the one associated with the bow (e.g. if the Venomous Bowstring explodes, take 3d6 poison damage.) On a successful save, you take half damage. The handle and brace is left empty but unharmed.

Item type

Weapon, Ranged

Rarity

Very Rare