The Spellbow can be used as an arcane focus. While wielding it, your ranged spell attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover and the range is doubled. You may also use this elven bow as a +1 longbow.
Proficiency with a Longbow allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
This weapon has the following mastery property. To use this property, you must have a feature that lets you use it.
Slow. If you hit a creature with this weapon and deal damage to it, you can reduce its Speed by 10 feet until the start of your next turn. If the creature is hit more than once by weapons that have this property, the Speed reduction doesn’t exceed 10 feet.
Notes: Bonus: Magic, Bonus: Spell Attack Range Multiplier, spellcaster, Damage, Combat, Ammunition, Heavy, Range, Two-Handed, Slow
Is the idea that an elven Wizard created this for their own use? Does "very rare" mean that it is basically an epic artifact-level item?
This item feels overpowered to me in that it almost supplants a feat. I suppose there exist other items that do something similar.
The "story" behind the bow was that it is an instrument used by elven spellcasters, famous for their mix of martial and arcane prowess.
I do not remember the creation of this item and the thought processes behind it. But I don't want to rip off a feat. Perhaps, ignore half cover, 1.5 range and +1 to spell attack bonus?
Looking over the PHB, the Spellbow features look a lot like the Spell Sniper feat: the 2X range, ignore half cover and 3/4 cover.
Anyway, how come you called it a 'Spellbow'? Is it mainly for the arcane focus aspect? Perhaps it could be used to channel a cantrip at the cost of a charge?
Yes, I believe I may have copied and pasted from that feat.
I called it Spellbow because it can be used to cast spells and fire arrows. I don’t really want to give out spells, especially as the spellbow is augmenting spells already.
Just to be clear, when I wrote "channel a cantrip" I did not mean that the user could get to use a cantrip that they did not already have. I mean that they could be able to add the cantrip to the arrow damage if it hit. This could be pretty powerful, which is why I would limit it somehow.