Post by klingor on Sept 4, 2012 18:29:02 GMT -5
Hi again,
The amount of damage that a bow does is dependent on its heft, but this takes no account of the type of arrow being fired (specifically the arrow head). When the use of armour, especially metal armour, became more commonplace, new types of arrowheads were developed to punch through the armour and still inflict damage (cf the bodkin).
My proposed idea is that a fletcher of a given level would be able to produce arrows that would negate armour+shields up to that level ie only physical protection above the fletchers level would work, and even then at a reduced level. So an arrow made by a fletcher+3 would ignore chainmail (prot 3), and plate (prot 5) would only provide protection of 2.
These arrows would not cause extra damage if they hit someone who was unarmoured, merely the base damage for bow type modified by any Bow skill of the archer himself.
Useful if you expect to come up against a lot of plate-covered knights..
NB This idea could be expanded by having a Bowyer skill, which would allow Longbows to be made that would cause damage of +1 per level of Bowyer skill above d6+2, but would require the archer to have a Strength of the appropriate level.
eg A longbowman of ST 13 using a longbow made by a Bowyer+2 would inflict d6+4 per shot.
The rationale for this is that longbows can have greater drawing
strengths and so send arrows off with more impact power and hence more damage. They have to be constructed more skillfully.
NNB The GM could insist that the arrows must be produced by a Fletcher of equal or greater level for the benefit to accrue.
Cheers
Colin
The amount of damage that a bow does is dependent on its heft, but this takes no account of the type of arrow being fired (specifically the arrow head). When the use of armour, especially metal armour, became more commonplace, new types of arrowheads were developed to punch through the armour and still inflict damage (cf the bodkin).
My proposed idea is that a fletcher of a given level would be able to produce arrows that would negate armour+shields up to that level ie only physical protection above the fletchers level would work, and even then at a reduced level. So an arrow made by a fletcher+3 would ignore chainmail (prot 3), and plate (prot 5) would only provide protection of 2.
These arrows would not cause extra damage if they hit someone who was unarmoured, merely the base damage for bow type modified by any Bow skill of the archer himself.
Useful if you expect to come up against a lot of plate-covered knights..
NB This idea could be expanded by having a Bowyer skill, which would allow Longbows to be made that would cause damage of +1 per level of Bowyer skill above d6+2, but would require the archer to have a Strength of the appropriate level.
eg A longbowman of ST 13 using a longbow made by a Bowyer+2 would inflict d6+4 per shot.
The rationale for this is that longbows can have greater drawing
strengths and so send arrows off with more impact power and hence more damage. They have to be constructed more skillfully.
NNB The GM could insist that the arrows must be produced by a Fletcher of equal or greater level for the benefit to accrue.
Cheers
Colin