Author Topic: Bow Range  (Read 2922 times)

Offline Demelain

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Bow Range
« on: December 09, 2012, 03:03:38 PM »
This is going to seem kind of odd, but what ways are there to make the range increment of a bow as short as possible? The only one that I can come up with off the top of my head is an aquatic longbow.

Offline BearsAreBrown

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2012, 03:51:17 PM »
Smaller bows

Offline NunoM

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2012, 07:13:30 PM »
The most of basic of shortbows. An aquatic longbow underwater, or maybe a short version of it.
Special ammunition, such as the blunt arrows from "Races of The Wild" also have reduced range increments.

I don't think a small shortbow reduces range increment, though...

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2012, 09:48:14 PM »
The most of basic of shortbows. An aquatic longbow underwater, or maybe a short version of it.
Special ammunition, such as the blunt arrows from "Races of The Wild" also have reduced range increments.

I don't think a small shortbow reduces range increment, though...

As per http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#weaponDescriptions, going from medium to small does not lower the range increment.  Going from longbow to shortbow does though.

It used to be that smaller ranged weapons had shorter ranges (and larger ones longer) in 3.0.  For example, on page 4-5 of the Arms and Equipment Guide it says:

"Size and Range: Larger and smaller versions of
ranged weapons have correspondingly longer or
shorter range increments. Each time you increase a
weapon’s size, lengthen its range increment by 25%.
For example, Huge longbows, such as those wielded
by ogre mages, have a range increment of 125 feet.
Each time you decrease a weapon’s size, shorten
its range increment by 25%. A Medium-size longbow
in the hands of a halfling has a range increment
of 75 feet."

The weapon size rules in this case refer to the size of the weapon itself and not strictly who it was meant for.  A 2h weapon like a longbow was typically one size category larger than the user, hence the huge for a large creature and medium for a small.

Offline nijineko

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #4 on: December 11, 2012, 07:17:20 PM »
throw the bow? then it would only have 5 range increments...

Offline Demelain

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2012, 07:20:44 AM »
throw the bow? then it would only have 5 range increments...

Humorous, but if I were considering a throwing character I'd not be in this mess :P

Was looking at single-shot type archery options, of which there are few. This particular question was largely related to the Sagitteer homebrew, and minimizing bow range to maximize comet fall.

Offline nijineko

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2012, 02:47:20 PM »
is it based specifically on range increments? or the size of said increments? rather than where the arrow lands?

Offline Demelain

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2012, 02:51:51 PM »
Based on the range increments. Probably not going this way anyway, though.

Sagitteer
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Offline nijineko

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2012, 03:03:34 PM »
soooo, shoot almost straight up? hit the guy just a bit away with a massively high narrow arc, artillery style?

Offline Jackinthegreen

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2012, 03:19:48 PM »
soooo, shoot almost straight up? hit the guy just a bit away with a massively high narrow arc, artillery style?

Problem with that being it's impossible with a ceiling.

And that ability looks poorly written specifically because of this kind of attempted abuse.

Offline nijineko

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Re: Bow Range
« Reply #10 on: December 12, 2012, 11:25:13 PM »
soooo, shoot almost straight up? hit the guy just a bit away with a massively high narrow arc, artillery style?

Problem with that being it's impossible with a ceiling.

And that ability looks poorly written specifically because of this kind of attempted abuse.

oh.

well, i know of an actual arcing shot ability, but it increases range, not decreases.


since, i'm not getting anywhere fast, how about i go all out and say we use a pair of ring gates, position them just an inch apart above each other, and shoot through the exit side into the entry side of the other gate. actually, come to think of it, that would probably cause the arrow to hit itself. then hold them at least an arrow's length apart. still above each other mind you, cause then gravity will keep the arrow going while you move the gates around. position above your target, and time it so you whip the lower gate out of the way in time for the arrow to hit the target. now, for a way to get the target to stand still....


^^