Missile Weapons

Missile weapons include numerous weapons that can be fired or hurled over a distance in order to cause damage. This includes [Using Found Objects as Weapons|found objects]], such as stones, chairs, boxes or even a back pack. Missile fire occurs simultaneously with other forms of combat, as part of the expenditure of action points; as with melee, the combatant identifies a target and then rolls to hit.

Hand-sized objects like natural or magic stones, chromatic orbs and flasks of oil have a range like any other weapon, as described below.

Bonuses

Depending on the character and the weapon, some combatants have hereditary bonuses that increase their chance to hit. Additionally a sufficient dexterity, one above 15, also allows bonuses to hit with a missile weapon. Unlike their use in melee, strength bonuses don't apply to fired or hurled weapons.

Fired Weapons

Fired Weapons (range in hexes)

Weapon	Point Blank	Short	Medium	Long
heavy crossbow	2	3-14	15-28	29-40
light crossbow	2	3-10	11-20	21-30
long bow	2-3	4-22	23-44	45-66
short bow	2-3	3-16	17-32	33-48
sling	—	2-13	14-25	26-37
staff sling	—	4-18	19-35	36-52

Sometimes called projectile weapons, these launch solid projectiles at targets, usually with a much greater range than hurled weapons. Bows fire arrows, crossbows fire bolts and slings fire stones or metal bullets.

Hurled Weapons

Missile Range in Combat Hexes

Weapon	Point Blank	Short	Medium	Long
axe (short)	2	3-5	6-7	8-10
bola	—	3-9	10-16	17-23
club	2	3-5	6-7	8-9
dagger	2	3-5	6-9	10-12
dart	2	3-5	6-10	11-15
hammer (short)	2	3-4	5-6	7-8
hand axe	2	3-6	7-9	10-13
javelin	2	3-9	10-18	19-27
spear	2	3-6	7-12	13-18
trident	2	3-5	6-9	10-13
warhammer	2	3-5	6-8	9-11

Missile Ranges

The table shown gives ranges for missile weapons. Weapons thrown or fired at point blank range are +1 to hit. There is no adjustment at short range. Medium range gives a -2 penalty, while long range gives a -5 penalty.

ARCHED MISSILES

See also: strengthened arm, opportunity fire, siege engines, ballista, catapult, trebuchet, giants, cover, grenade-like missiles, combat, deflect missile, poisoning missile, bowyer