Difference between revisions of "Bow (weapon)"

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==== Arrows ====
 
==== Arrows ====
For game purposes, long and short bows both fire the same arrows.  Fired arrows may be recovered if the intended target is missed and a [[Saving Throws|saving throw]] is madeIn the outdoors, where the primary surfacing is wood and earth, this save is against "normal blow"; but in a stone-and-wood [[Urban (range)|urban]] setting, underground [[Cave|cave]] or [[Dungeon|dungeon]], the save counts as "crushing blow."
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For game purposes, long and short bows both fire the same arrows.  Fired arrows may be recovered if the intended target is missed and a [[Saving Throws for Items|saving throw]] for thin wood against "crushing blow" is successful (13)It may be deduced in the outdoors or in some [[Subterranean (range)|subterranean]] settings that some "broken" arrows have landed somewhere they cannot be found.
  
 
==== Bowstrings ====
 
==== Bowstrings ====
The bowstring is made predominantly of animal sinew, though linen, hemp, silk and rawhide are twisted into the string for durability.  After several minutes submerged in water, sinew is of little use.  It's good to have a number of bowstrings on hand, as they can easily break.
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The bowstring is made predominantly of animal sinew, though linen, hemp, silk and rawhide are twisted into the string for durability.  After several minutes submerged in water, sinew is of little use.  It's good to have a number of bowstrings on hand, as they can easily break.
  
 
==== Breaks ====
 
==== Breaks ====
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[[Damage (hit points)|Damage]] from the '''long bow is 1-8'''; from the '''short bow, 1-6'''.  The weapon's range is excellent, as shown on the table.  Hitting with a bow can be improved by a high [[Dexterity (ability stat)|dexterity]].
 
[[Damage (hit points)|Damage]] from the '''long bow is 1-8'''; from the '''short bow, 1-6'''.  The weapon's range is excellent, as shown on the table.  Hitting with a bow can be improved by a high [[Dexterity (ability stat)|dexterity]].
  
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=== Loading ===
 
To '''load a bow and aim''' requires 4 [[Action Points|action points]] (AP).  This prepares a long or short bow for [[Attacking in Combat|firing afterwards]].  The length of time includes selecting an arrow while consciously observing the battlefield and judging the position and movement of the intended target.  Characters with multiple attacks per round may load and aim a bow at a cost of 2 AP.  Loading a bow can be done while [[Sight & Fire (sage ability)|sighting]].  It requires 2 AP to fire a bow.  An aimed bow cannot be fired more than one time per round.
 
To '''load a bow and aim''' requires 4 [[Action Points|action points]] (AP).  This prepares a long or short bow for [[Attacking in Combat|firing afterwards]].  The length of time includes selecting an arrow while consciously observing the battlefield and judging the position and movement of the intended target.  Characters with multiple attacks per round may load and aim a bow at a cost of 2 AP.  Loading a bow can be done while [[Sight & Fire (sage ability)|sighting]].  It requires 2 AP to fire a bow.  An aimed bow cannot be fired more than one time per round.
  
 
'''Loading without aiming''' requires 2 AP.  This describes preparing the bow without paying attention to the combatant's surroundings, so as to concentrate on the action itself.  A character with 4 total AP can load a bow and fire it in a single round, but doing the action this way incurs a -4 penalty to hit.  Characters with multiple attacks can load without aiming at a cost of 1 AP.  An unaimed bow can be fired up to twice a round.
 
'''Loading without aiming''' requires 2 AP.  This describes preparing the bow without paying attention to the combatant's surroundings, so as to concentrate on the action itself.  A character with 4 total AP can load a bow and fire it in a single round, but doing the action this way incurs a -4 penalty to hit.  Characters with multiple attacks can load without aiming at a cost of 1 AP.  An unaimed bow can be fired up to twice a round.
  
==== Horseback ====
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A bow can be loaded and "held," ready to fire at a moment's notice, though this can only be done for a space of 5 rounds, and only once per bow stringOtherwise, it reduces the flexibility of the gut, making the string useless.
Characters possessing [[Horse Archer (sage ability)|horse archer]] skill may fire a short bow while riding a moving horseA long bow cannot be used for this purpose.
 
  
==== Other Actions ====
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=== Mounts ===
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Characters possessing [[Horse Archer (sage ability)|horse archer]] or [[Camel Archer (sage ability)|camel archer]] skill may load and fire a short bow while riding a moving horse.  A long bow cannot be used for this purpose.
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=== Other Actions ===
 
Drawing a bow and getting it ready for combat, which includes loosing the string holding arrows together in a quiver, requires 3 AP.
 
Drawing a bow and getting it ready for combat, which includes loosing the string holding arrows together in a quiver, requires 3 AP.
  
 
Slinging a bow over the shoulder, if the weapon is strung, requires 2 AP.  Sheathing an unstrung bow into a back scabbard requires 3 AP; the scabbard must be specially designed for the bow being used.
 
Slinging a bow over the shoulder, if the weapon is strung, requires 2 AP.  Sheathing an unstrung bow into a back scabbard requires 3 AP; the scabbard must be specially designed for the bow being used.
  
Stringing a bow requires 3 AP, assuming that both string and bow are already in hand.  Characters who have 5 AP can string a bow and load it without aiming in one round.
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Stringing a bow requires 3 AP, assuming both string and bow are already in hand.  Characters who have 5 AP can string a bow and load it without aiming in one round.
  
== Other Notes ==
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== Additional Footnotes ==
 
The long bow is a [[Hereditary Weapon I (sage ability)|hereditary weapon]] for elves and other characters raised in England & Wales.  The short bow is hereditary among characters in Arabia; it's favoured among gamekeepers.  This grants a +1 bonus to hit for these peoples.
 
The long bow is a [[Hereditary Weapon I (sage ability)|hereditary weapon]] for elves and other characters raised in England & Wales.  The short bow is hereditary among characters in Arabia; it's favoured among gamekeepers.  This grants a +1 bonus to hit for these peoples.
  
The [[Puissance (sage study)|sage study of Puissance]] enables authority-status characters improved speed in [[Draw Speed (sage ability)|using]] a bow, shaving 1 AP from both loading and aiming & loading without aiming.
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The [[Sage Study|sage study]] of [[Puissance (sage study)|Puissance]] enables authority-status characters improved speed in [[Draw Speed (sage ability)|using]] a bow, shaving 1 AP from both loading and aiming & loading without aiming.
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Characters with the [[Assassin (class)|Assassin's]] [[Sage Ability|sage ability]] [[Target Assassination (sage ability)|target assassination]] area able to us a bow to commit [[Assassination (sage ability)|assassinations]].
  
 
[[Brownie|Brownies]] use a bow of unusual construction.  Though only 18 in. long, it's made of high quality composite materials combined with an unnatural construction, allowing creatures of such small size to have a useable bow.  The bow causes 1-4 damage with it's arrows; brownies receive a +3 bonus when aiming with the bow.  It's much too small for any character race to employ.
 
[[Brownie|Brownies]] use a bow of unusual construction.  Though only 18 in. long, it's made of high quality composite materials combined with an unnatural construction, allowing creatures of such small size to have a useable bow.  The bow causes 1-4 damage with it's arrows; brownies receive a +3 bonus when aiming with the bow.  It's much too small for any character race to employ.
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[[Gnoll|Gnolls]] employ a "great bow," which is 6¾ ft. long and requires that a human, who is much shorter and of less weight than a gnoll, an 18/51 strength to pull it.  The making of the bow is hardly known among other races, though [[Bowyer (sage ability)|bowyers]] with more than 60 points of [[Knowledge Points|knowledge]] can manage it, and the arrows it fires.  The bow uses a larger arrow and causes 1-10 damage on a hit.
  
 
The 2nd level illusionist spell, [[Phantasmal Bow (spell)|phantasmal bow]], creates an illusionary bow free from the rules described on this page.
 
The 2nd level illusionist spell, [[Phantasmal Bow (spell)|phantasmal bow]], creates an illusionary bow free from the rules described on this page.

Latest revision as of 23:55, 10 June 2024

Bow (weapon).jpg

The bow, also the long bow or short bow, is a missile weapon used in combat, consisting of a wooden semi-rigid flexible arc, with a high-tensile bowstring joining the ends of the bow's "limbs." It fires wooden arrows tipped with metal and stabilized by feathering called fletching. The maker of a bow is called a "bowyer"; the maker of arrows is a "fletcher." The crossbow is discussed on a separate article.

Make

Bows used in Alexis' game world are composite in construction; they are moderately recurved, meaning that the limbs curve away from the archer when unstrung. They are more advanced than bows used in the 15th century. The "long bow" is between 5 and 6 ft. long; the short bow, by comparison, is between 3 ft. 6 in. and 4 ft. 9 in. long. The combatant must be as tall as the bow is long, so that use of the bow is rare among gnomes and halflings. Characters skilled as a bowyer can make either.

The weight of a long bow is judged to be 10 lbs.; a short bow, 6 lbs. There are seven arrows to the pound.

Arrows

For game purposes, long and short bows both fire the same arrows. Fired arrows may be recovered if the intended target is missed and a saving throw for thin wood against "crushing blow" is successful (13). It may be deduced in the outdoors or in some subterranean settings that some "broken" arrows have landed somewhere they cannot be found.

Bowstrings

The bowstring is made predominantly of animal sinew, though linen, hemp, silk and rawhide are twisted into the string for durability. After several minutes submerged in water, sinew is of little use. It's good to have a number of bowstrings on hand, as they can easily break.

Breaks

If a roll to hit produces a fumble, the first break roll is applied to the bowstring — strings will break on a roll of 1 in 4. If the string breaks, the character must roll a d12; on a 1, the bow itself breaks as well.

Combat

Missile Range in Combat Hexes
Bow Point
Blank
Short Medium Long
Long bow 2-3 4-22 23-44 45-66
Short bow 2-3 3-16 17-32 33-48

Damage from the long bow is 1-8; from the short bow, 1-6. The weapon's range is excellent, as shown on the table. Hitting with a bow can be improved by a high dexterity.

Loading

To load a bow and aim requires 4 action points (AP). This prepares a long or short bow for firing afterwards. The length of time includes selecting an arrow while consciously observing the battlefield and judging the position and movement of the intended target. Characters with multiple attacks per round may load and aim a bow at a cost of 2 AP. Loading a bow can be done while sighting. It requires 2 AP to fire a bow. An aimed bow cannot be fired more than one time per round.

Loading without aiming requires 2 AP. This describes preparing the bow without paying attention to the combatant's surroundings, so as to concentrate on the action itself. A character with 4 total AP can load a bow and fire it in a single round, but doing the action this way incurs a -4 penalty to hit. Characters with multiple attacks can load without aiming at a cost of 1 AP. An unaimed bow can be fired up to twice a round.

A bow can be loaded and "held," ready to fire at a moment's notice, though this can only be done for a space of 5 rounds, and only once per bow string. Otherwise, it reduces the flexibility of the gut, making the string useless.

Mounts

Characters possessing horse archer or camel archer skill may load and fire a short bow while riding a moving horse. A long bow cannot be used for this purpose.

Other Actions

Drawing a bow and getting it ready for combat, which includes loosing the string holding arrows together in a quiver, requires 3 AP.

Slinging a bow over the shoulder, if the weapon is strung, requires 2 AP. Sheathing an unstrung bow into a back scabbard requires 3 AP; the scabbard must be specially designed for the bow being used.

Stringing a bow requires 3 AP, assuming both string and bow are already in hand. Characters who have 5 AP can string a bow and load it without aiming in one round.

Additional Footnotes

The long bow is a hereditary weapon for elves and other characters raised in England & Wales. The short bow is hereditary among characters in Arabia; it's favoured among gamekeepers. This grants a +1 bonus to hit for these peoples.

The sage study of Puissance enables authority-status characters improved speed in using a bow, shaving 1 AP from both loading and aiming & loading without aiming.

Characters with the Assassin's sage ability target assassination area able to us a bow to commit assassinations.

Brownies use a bow of unusual construction. Though only 18 in. long, it's made of high quality composite materials combined with an unnatural construction, allowing creatures of such small size to have a useable bow. The bow causes 1-4 damage with it's arrows; brownies receive a +3 bonus when aiming with the bow. It's much too small for any character race to employ.

Gnolls employ a "great bow," which is 6¾ ft. long and requires that a human, who is much shorter and of less weight than a gnoll, an 18/51 strength to pull it. The making of the bow is hardly known among other races, though bowyers with more than 60 points of knowledge can manage it, and the arrows it fires. The bow uses a larger arrow and causes 1-10 damage on a hit.

The 2nd level illusionist spell, phantasmal bow, creates an illusionary bow free from the rules described on this page.


See also,
Men-at-Arms
The Adventure
Weapons List
Weapon Proficiencies