Ranged Skills

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Ranged Skills
Character Skill Combat Skill

These are the skills allow characters to use different types of ranged weapons.

Description

This skill represents being able to use ranged weapons on far away targets.

Effects

Projectile Training allows a character to use a bow or crossbow with damage based on your accuracy.

The Thrown Weapon Training skill lets you throw standard throwing weapons with damage based on your accuracy.

Next, Thrown Weapon Proficiency lets you use javelins.

Finally, Thrown Weapon Expertise allows you to throw great javelins.

Skill Name	Skill Tree	Prerequisite(s)	Skill Point Cost	Description
Projectile Training	Combat	Accuracy Training	2	Use Bows and Crossbows.
Throwing Training	Combat	Accuracy Training	2	Use Thrown Weapons.
Throwing Proficiency	Combat	Throwning Training, Melee Proficiency	1	Use Javelins.
Throwing Expertise	Combat	Throwning Proficiency, Melee Expertise	2	Use Great Javelins.

Strategy

Bows are a staple of the fantasy genre and very popular among players at Novitas as well. Be warned that finding an appropriate prop for them that meets safety requirements can sometimes be difficult. Crossbows in particular nearly always have to be custom made to meet safety standards.

Ranged weapons can be very difficult to use effectively in our style of combat. Shields are popular and make landing arrow shots significantly more challenging at the speeds a giant foam padded arrow flies. To balance this, you can deliver spells with arrows and bypass shields. For this reason projectile weapons pair best with spells that create tag bags.

Thrown weapons do not provide the most powerful of attacks. Landing a thrown weapon shot is doable but requires a lot of ammunition if you intend on having a lot of impact with them. Thrown weapons are often most useful as a one at a time bonus surprise attack.

You'll also likely want to have regular access to the sanctuary spell or be part of a party that knows how to keep enemies from running up to you if you wish to use ranged weapons effectively.

Be prepared to lose ammunition in the woods. Arrows and thrown weapons can easily get lost in leaves on the ground and have a nasty habit of periodically being stepped on by accident. You'll want to inspect them often to make sure they aren't damaged from use.

The above is not intended to discourage using these types of weapons at Novitas; they are very popular, and many characters use them. However, it is important to recognize the investment and downsides before being disappointed if they don't work for you.

References

Projectile Weapon Rules

Projectile weapons include both bows and crossbows. These missile weapons deal damage based on a character's Accuracy which is capped at 4 for projectile weapons.

Projectile weapons may never be fired inside of any fully enclosed building. This is to prevent real damage to the campsite and objects kept in the buildings.

Modern archery equipment is not allowed, although there are some exceptions for fletching and nocks. Arrows and bolts must always be fired, they can never be thrown. Bows (and crossbows) can never be used to parry or block. If a bow is struck in melee combat it gains the Broken condition. When firing a missile weapon at a range less than 10 feet archers are required to only half-draw their bows (pull it back only half way). Crossbows may only fire at targets under 10 feet away if their bow has been tested to have a draw of 15 pounds or less.

Archers (within reason) can declare hits on their targets. This might be done if the arrow lands too lightly on heavy plate armor, or if the confusion of melee combat causes the person to not notice the archer's shot. Abusing this can result in being barred from using archery.

When firing a bow or crossbow a character may reduce their Accuracy by half (after cap is applied, rounded down) to add the 'Pierce!' modifier call to an attack.

If a crossbow requires a stirrup, goatsfoot lever, or other comparable device it always adds the 'Pierce!' call, following the normal rules for that call.

In order to use a bow or crossbow a character must have the Projectile Training skill.

Spells (such as Silvershine) and effects (such as the Corruption alchemical) that enhance weapons are applied to a bow or crossbow and not on its ammunition. Each attack made from such an enchanted weapon will gain the effect of the spell (or effect).

Projectile Weapon Types

Compound bows, PVC bows, takedown bows, brightly colored fiberglass bows, modern crossbows, or any other obviously modern archery equipment (including but not limited to peep sights, weights, camouflage or brightly colored shafting) are prohibited.

Brightly colored and/ or rubber fletching is allowed. Brightly colored plastic nocks will not disqualify arrows.

Each bow entering play must have at least 3 legal arrows accompanying it.

Bows must have a draw weight of 35 pounds or less at 28 inches draw.

Crossbow draw weight should comply with the table below.

Crossbow Draw Weight

Show Crossbow Draw Weight Table

		Draw Weight in lbs
		15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75	80	85	90	95	100	105
Inches of Draw Length	4	60	80	100	120	140	160	180	200	220	240	260	280	300	320	340	360	380	400	420
	5	75	100	125	150	175	200	225	250	275	300	325	350	375	400	425	450	475	500	525
	6	90	120	150	180	210	240	270	300	330	360	390	420	450	480	510	540	570	600	630
	7	105	140	175	210	245	280	315	350	385	420	455	490	525	560	595	630	665	700	735
	8	120	160	200	240	280	320	360	400	440	480	520	560	600	640	680	720	760	800	840
	9	135	180	225	270	315	360	405	450	495	540	585	630	675	720	765	810	855	900	945
	10	150	200	250	300	350	400	450	500	550	600	650	700	750	800	850	900	950	1000	1050
	11	165	220	275	330	385	440	495	550	605	660	715	770	825	880	935	990	1045	1100	1155
	12	180	240	300	360	420	480	540	600	660	720	780	840	900	960	1020	1080	1140	1200	1260
	13	195	260	325	390	455	520	585	650	715	780	845	910	975	1040	1105	1170	1235	1300	1365
	14	210	280	350	420	490	560	630	700	770	840	910	980	1050	1120	1190	1260	1330	1400	1470
	15	225	300	375	450	525	600	675	750	825	900	975	1050	1125	1200	1275	1350	1425	1500	1575
	16	240	320	400	480	560	640	720	800	880	960	1040	1120	1200	1280	1360	1440	1520	1600	1680
	17	255	340	425	510	595	680	765	850	935	1020	1105	1190	1275	1360	1445	1530	1615	1700	1785
	18	270	360	450	540	630	720	810	900	990	1080	1170	1260	1350	1440	1530	1620	1710	1800	1890
	19	285	380	475	570	665	760	855	950	1045	1140	1235	1330	1425	1520	1615	1710	1805	1900	1995
	20	300	400	500	600	700	800	900	1000	1100	1200	1300	1400	1500	1600	1700	1800	1900	2000	2100
	21	315	420	525	630	735	840	945	1050	1155	1260	1365	1470	1575	1680	1785	1890	1995	2100	2205
	22	330	440	550	660	770	880	990	1100	1210	1320	1430	1540	1650	1760	1870	1980	2090	2200	2310
	23	345	460	575	690	805	920	1035	1150	1265	1380	1495	1610	1725	1840	1955	2070	2185	2300	2415
	24	360	480	600	720	840	960	1080	1200	1320	1440	1560	1680	1800	1920	2040	2160	2280	2400	2520

Ammunition Rules

Arrow shafts may not be made of wood. The head of an arrow must be at least 2 inches in every dimension and must be a uniform, round shape. The head of an arrow or bolt must not be wobbly or move from side to side.

A draw stop must be present on all arrows to ensure they are not drawn past 28 inches.

All arrows must contain a coin or similar small rigid disk perpendicular to the end of the shaft to prevent shaft punch-through. Commercially made rubber bird blunts also fulfill this requirement. Golf tube arrows are not permitted.

All arrows and bolts must have at least two full fletchings and a nock.

Standard Throwing Weapons

A standard throwing weapon is one greater than 6 inches (15.24cm) in length and shorter than 30 inches (76.2cm) in length. These require the Thrown Training skill to use.

Weapon Type	Crafting Skill	Crafting Cost	Combat Skill	Damage Skill
Basic Thrown Weapon	None	None	Thrown Training	Accuracy
Crafted Standard Thrown Weapon	Weaponsmithing Training	None	Thrown Training	Accuracy

Javelins

A javelin is a throwing weapon greater than 30 inches (76.2cm) in length and shorter than 45 inches (114.3cm) in length. These require the Thrown Proficiency skill to use.

Weapon Type	Crafting Skill	Crafting Cost	Combat Skill	Damage Skill
Basic Javelin	None	None	Thrown Proficiency	Accuracy
Crafted Javelin	Weaponsmithing Expert	4	Thrown Proficiency	Accuracy

Great Javelins

A great javelin is a throwing weapon greater than 45 inches (114.3cm) and no longer than 84 inches (213.36cm) in length. These require the Thrown Expertise skill to use. Great javelins can be used in melee or they can be thrown. When used in melee they follow all the standard rules for a great weapon. When thrown they can determine their damage based on the character's Might instead of Accuracy and the cap is increased to 4.

Weapon Type	Crafting Skill	Crafting Cost	Combat Skill	Damage Skill
Basic Great Javelin	None	None	Thrown Expertise	Circumstantial
Crafted Great Javelin	Weaponsmithing Master	16	Thrown Expertise	Circumstantial

Boulders

Boulders are a special kind of thrown weapon. A boulder may never be thrown by a player character, only certain species of Novitas are capable of lifting boulders effectively enough to use them as weapons. When thrown they follow the rules for tag bags to determine if they hit, and always call for 'Torso Wound!'.