LMBishop · Krakenied · Jan 15, 2026 · Dec 15, 2025
diff --git a/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/BukkitQuestsPlugin.java b/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/BukkitQuestsPlugin.java
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@
 import com.leonardobishop.quests.bukkit.util.CompatUtils;
 import com.leonardobishop.quests.bukkit.util.FormatUtils;
 import com.leonardobishop.quests.bukkit.util.LogHistory;
+import com.leonardobishop.quests.bukkit.util.Projectile2ItemCache;
 import com.leonardobishop.quests.common.config.ConfigProblem;
 import com.leonardobishop.quests.common.config.ConfigProblemDescriptions;
 import com.leonardobishop.quests.common.config.QuestsConfig;
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@ public class BukkitQuestsPlugin extends JavaPlugin implements Quests {
     private QuestsBossBar bossBarHandle;
     private QuestsActionBar actionBarHandle;
     private VersionSpecificHandler versionSpecificHandler;
+    private Projectile2ItemCache projectile2ItemCache;
 
     private LogHistory logHistory;
     private WrappedTask questAutoSaveTask;
@@ -370,6 +372,10 @@ public void onEnable() {
             };
         }
 
+        // Instantiate Projectile to ItemStack cache
+        this.projectile2ItemCache = new Projectile2ItemCache();
+        this.projectile2ItemCache.registerEvents(this);
+
         // Set item getter to be used by Quests config
         this.questsConfig.setItemGetter(this.itemGetter);
 
@@ -972,6 +978,10 @@ public VersionSpecificHandler getVersionSpecificHandler() {
         return versionSpecificHandler;
     }
 
+    public Projectile2ItemCache getProjectile2ItemCache() {
+        return projectile2ItemCache;
+    }
+
     public QuestItemRegistry getQuestItemRegistry() {
         return questItemRegistry;
     }

diff --git a/...in/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/hook/versionspecific/VersionSpecificHandler.java b/...in/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/hook/versionspecific/VersionSpecificHandler.java
@@ -245,9 +245,13 @@ public interface VersionSpecificHandler {
     /**
      * {@link DamageSource}s were introduced in {@code 1.20.4}.
      */
-    @SuppressWarnings("UnstableApiUsage")
     @Nullable Player getDamager(@Nullable EntityDamageEvent lastDamageCause);
 
+    /**
+     * {@link DamageSource}s were introduced in {@code 1.20.4}.
+     */
+    @Nullable Entity getDirectSource(@Nullable EntityDamageEvent lastDamageCause);
+
     /**
      * {@link Tag#CANDLE_CAKES} was introduced in {@code 1.17}.
      */

diff --git a/.../java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/hook/versionspecific/VersionSpecificHandler20.java b/.../java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/hook/versionspecific/VersionSpecificHandler20.java
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ public String getSmithMode(SmithItemEvent event) {
         }
     }
 
-    @SuppressWarnings("UnstableApiUsage")
     @Override
     public @Nullable Player getDamager(@Nullable EntityDamageEvent event) {
         if (!DAMAGE_SOURCE_API) {
@@ -74,4 +73,18 @@ public String getSmithMode(SmithItemEvent event) {
 
         return null;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public @Nullable Entity getDirectSource(@Nullable EntityDamageEvent event) {
+        if (!DAMAGE_SOURCE_API) {
+            return super.getDamager(event);
+        }
+
+        if (event == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        DamageSource source = event.getDamageSource();
+        return source.getDirectEntity();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/...n/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/hook/versionspecific/VersionSpecificHandler8.java b/...n/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/hook/versionspecific/VersionSpecificHandler8.java
@@ -226,6 +226,11 @@ public List<Entity> getPassengers(Entity entity) {
         return null;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public @Nullable Entity getDirectSource(@Nullable EntityDamageEvent lastDamageCause) {
+        return null;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public boolean isCake(Material type) {
         return type == Material.CAKE;

diff --git a/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/tasktype/type/DealDamageTaskType.java b/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/tasktype/type/DealDamageTaskType.java
@@ -45,9 +45,7 @@ public void onReady() {
 
     @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.MONITOR, ignoreCancelled = true)
     public void onEntityDamage(EntityDamageEvent event) {
-        Entity entity = event.getEntity();
         Player player = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getDamager(event);
-
         if (player == null || player.hasMetadata("NPC")) {
             return;
         }
@@ -57,10 +55,15 @@ public void onEntityDamage(EntityDamageEvent event) {
             return;
         }
 
+        Entity entity = event.getEntity();
         if (!(entity instanceof Damageable damageable)) {
             return;
         }
 
+        Entity directSource = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getDirectSource(event);
+        ItemStack bowItem = directSource != null ? plugin.getProjectile2ItemCache().getItem(directSource) : null;
+        ItemStack item = bowItem != null ? bowItem : plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getItemInMainHand(player);
+
         // Clamp entity damage as getDamage() returns Float.MAX_VALUE for killing a parrot with a cookie
         // https://github.com/LMBishop/Quests/issues/753
         double finalDamage = event.getFinalDamage();
@@ -87,7 +90,6 @@ public void onEntityDamage(EntityDamageEvent event) {
             }
 
             if (task.hasConfigKey("item")) {
-                ItemStack item = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getItemInMainHand(player);
                 if (item == null) {
                     super.debug("Specific item is required, player has no item in hand; continuing...", quest.getId(), task.getId(), player.getUniqueId());
                     continue;

diff --git a/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/tasktype/type/MobkillingTaskType.java b/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/tasktype/type/MobkillingTaskType.java
@@ -106,6 +106,11 @@ private void handle(Player player, LivingEntity entity, int eventAmount) {
             return;
         }
 
+        EntityDamageEvent lastDamageCause = entity.getLastDamageCause();
+        Entity directSource = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getDirectSource(lastDamageCause);
+        ItemStack bowItem = directSource != null ? plugin.getProjectile2ItemCache().getItem(directSource) : null;
+        ItemStack item = bowItem != null ? bowItem : plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getItemInMainHand(player);
+
         //noinspection deprecation
         String customName = entity.getCustomName();
 
@@ -144,7 +149,6 @@ private void handle(Player player, LivingEntity entity, int eventAmount) {
             }
 
             if (task.hasConfigKey("item")) {
-                ItemStack item = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getItemInMainHand(player);
                 if (item == null) {
                     super.debug("Specific item is required, player has no item in hand; continuing...", quest.getId(), task.getId(), player.getUniqueId());
                     continue;

diff --git a/...om/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/tasktype/type/dependent/MythicMobsDealDamageTaskType.java b/...om/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/tasktype/type/dependent/MythicMobsDealDamageTaskType.java
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ public void onEntityDamage(EntityDamageEvent event) {
     }
 
     private void handle(final EntityDamageEvent event, final String mobName, final double level) {
-        Entity entity = event.getEntity();
         Player player = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getDamager(event);
 
         if (player == null || player.hasMetadata("NPC")) {
@@ -112,10 +111,15 @@ private void handle(final EntityDamageEvent event, final String mobName, final d
             return;
         }
 
+        Entity entity = event.getEntity();
         if (!(entity instanceof Damageable damageable)) {
             return;
         }
 
+        Entity directSource = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getDirectSource(event);
+        ItemStack bowItem = directSource != null ? plugin.getProjectile2ItemCache().getItem(directSource) : null;
+        ItemStack item = bowItem != null ? bowItem : plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getItemInMainHand(player);
+
         // Clamp entity damage as getDamage() returns Float.MAX_VALUE for killing a parrot with a cookie
         // https://github.com/LMBishop/Quests/issues/753
         double finalDamage = event.getFinalDamage();
@@ -147,7 +151,6 @@ private void handle(final EntityDamageEvent event, final String mobName, final d
             }
 
             if (task.hasConfigKey("item")) {
-                ItemStack item = plugin.getVersionSpecificHandler().getItemInMainHand(player);
                 if (item == null) {
                     super.debug("Specific item is required, player has no item in hand; continuing...", quest.getId(), task.getId(), player.getUniqueId());
                     continue;

diff --git a/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/util/Projectile2ItemCache.java b/bukkit/src/main/java/com/leonardobishop/quests/bukkit/util/Projectile2ItemCache.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+package com.leonardobishop.quests.bukkit.util;
+
+import com.destroystokyo.paper.event.player.PlayerLaunchProjectileEvent;
+import com.leonardobishop.quests.bukkit.BukkitQuestsPlugin;
+import org.bukkit.entity.Entity;
+import org.bukkit.entity.LivingEntity;
+import org.bukkit.entity.Player;
+import org.bukkit.entity.Projectile;
+import org.bukkit.event.EventHandler;
+import org.bukkit.event.EventPriority;
+import org.bukkit.event.Listener;
+import org.bukkit.event.entity.EntityShootBowEvent;
+import org.bukkit.inventory.ItemStack;
+import org.bukkit.plugin.PluginManager;
+import org.jspecify.annotations.NullMarked;
+import org.jspecify.annotations.Nullable;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.WeakHashMap;
+
+/**
+ * Provides a cache that links projectiles to the item used to fire them.
+ *
+ * <p>This cache exists because damage-related events do not expose
+ * information about the item from which a projectile was fired.
+ * By capturing this association at the time the projectile is created,
+ * the item can later be retrieved when handling damage events.</p>
+ */
+@NullMarked
+public final class Projectile2ItemCache implements Listener {
+
+    private final Map<Entity, @Nullable ItemStack> backingMap;
+
+    public Projectile2ItemCache() {
+        this.backingMap = WeakHashMap.newWeakHashMap(1024);
+    }
+
+    public void registerEvents(final BukkitQuestsPlugin plugin) {
+        final PluginManager pluginManager = plugin.getServer().getPluginManager();
+
+        pluginManager.registerEvents(this, plugin);
+
+        try {
+            Class.forName("com.destroystokyo.paper.event.player.PlayerLaunchProjectileEvent");
+            pluginManager.registerEvents(new PlayerLaunchProjectileListener(), plugin);
+        } catch (final ClassNotFoundException e) {
+            // not supported on Spigot
+        }
+    }
+
+    @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.MONITOR, ignoreCancelled = true)
+    public void onEntityShootBow(final EntityShootBowEvent event) {
+        final LivingEntity shooter = event.getEntity();
+        final Entity projectile = event.getProjectile();
+        final ItemStack bow = event.getBow();
+
+        // Currently there are no advantages of caching projectiles for non-player arrows.
+        // It would be needed to cache these if we needed a task to take damage from mobs.
+        if (shooter instanceof Player) {
+            this.backingMap.put(projectile, bow);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public final class PlayerLaunchProjectileListener implements Listener {
+
+        @EventHandler(priority = EventPriority.MONITOR, ignoreCancelled = true)
+        public void onPlayerLaunchProjectile(final PlayerLaunchProjectileEvent event) {
+            final Projectile projectile = event.getProjectile();
+            final ItemStack item = event.getItemStack();
+
+            // TODO: doesn't really work for tridents
+            // https://github.com/LMBishop/Quests/pull/833
+            Projectile2ItemCache.this.backingMap.put(projectile, item);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public @Nullable ItemStack getItem(final Entity projectile) {
+        return this.backingMap.get(projectile);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/docs/task-types/dealdamage-(task-type).md b/docs/task-types/dealdamage-(task-type).md
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@ Deal a certain amount of damage.
 | `exact-match`          | Whether the item should exactly match what is defined. | Boolean                              | No       | true    | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
 | `worlds`               | Worlds which should count towards the progress.        | List of world names                  | No       | \-      | \-                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
 
-{: .caution }
-It's not possible to use item option for projectile weapons (like bow or other projectile shooters). Currently, the API is insufficient to implement such a feature without any unwanted side effects.
-
 ## Examples
 
 Deal 100 HP of damage: