Barbed arrows have jagged hooks along the shaft and on the head of the arrow. These hooks point toward the fletching of the arrow. The hooks serve to keep the arrow attached to its target and deal additional damage when the arrow is removed. In order for a creature to safely remove a barbed arrow from themselves, they must succeed on a DC 25 heal check. If someone else performs this task, the check is reduced to DC 20. Removing a single barbed arrow takes a full-round action. If the heal check is unsuccessful, the arrow is still removed from the creature, but they take additional damage equal to the normal damage for the arrow (minus any magical effects such as flaming or frost).

Because barbed arrows do not fly as straight as normal arrows, any creature firing with them takes a -2 penalty to the attack roll. In addition, the arrows have only 75% the normal range increment.

Barbed arrows are sold in quivers of 20 for 15 gp.