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 (AP); 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
| 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. Firing requires re-loading, which requires differing amounts of AP for each type of weapon. Normally, when loading a fired weapon, the character must concentrate on the task and nothing else. Since crossbows can be cranked and locked in place, often this task is assigned to one or more servants, allowing an entrenched crossbowman to fire once or even twice per round.
Because slings must be spun around the slinger's head, the whole combat hex is required when firing. Other persons entering or passing through the hex, or the presence of large objects like a doorway, wall or furniture, will foul a sling, disallowing its use. Slings are notoriously less practical indoors.
The table shown gives ranges for missile weapons. Fired weapons cannot be fired against targets in melee range, or 1 combat hex, as it's presumed the enemy combatant is swinging a weapon that must be dodged. "Point blank" describes a distance so close that it's easier to hit; thus weapons fired at point blank are +1 to hit.
There is no penalty for firing at "short" range. Targets at medium range give a penalty of -2 to hit, while long range targets are -5 to hit.
Hurled Weapons
| 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 |
ARCHED MISSILES
See also: strengthened arm, opportunity fire, siege engines, ballista, catapult, trebuchet, giants, cover, grenade-like missiles, combat, deflect missile, poisoning missile, bowyer
