Just to remind you, the basic
value of Long-range combat (bLR) is determined via the formula: bLR=int[(IN+DE+ST)/4].
To this basic value you will add your talent points (TaP) in Shot weapons
and Throw weapons to result in you Long-range skill for each individual
kind of long-range weapon (LR).
| Example: Yallina is an elf with IN: 13, DE:12,
ST:9 and a TaP "Shot weapons" of 6 as well as a TaP "Throw weapons" of
3. So her basic value for long-range combat will be bLR=(13+12+9)/4=34/4=8.5.
You take only the integer and get 8. Now her talent abilities will be added
to give 14 in "Shot weapons" and 11 in "Throw weapons". |
Now, the interesting point: Archery and throwing knifes
are difficult to present as simple rules. Many factors have a strong influence:
the kind of weapon, size and distance of the target, is there any cover
? You have to look for a compromise between reality and playability. So
let us have a look at these determining factors and their effects:
Targets
There are many targets a hero could aim at: possibilities
range from silver daler to dragons. So targets have to be judged and put
into categories according to their size:
|
tiny |
Silver daler, dragon eye, mouse, rat, toad etc. |
| wee |
Snake, fasan, cat, raven etc. |
| little |
Wolf, hobgoblin, dwarf, roe etc. |
| average |
Goblin, elf, men, ork etc. |
| big |
Horse, elk, ogre, troll etc. |
| huge |
Barn-door, dragon, elephant, giant
etc. |
The master may decide which item fits into which of these
categories. If the target is covered it is usually smaller than its actual
size. A goblin, for example, is an average target. If you can only see
the upper part of its body, this reduces to a little target. Only its head
and this will even be a wee target.
If a target moves you should deal with it as
one size smaller. So a moving snake would be a tiny target instead of a
wee target. If you can actually sink of the target as an intelligent moving
body, you have to reduce it by two classes. This is only possible for intelligent
creatures and hares. |
Distance
As the targets the distance is also split up into ranges:
| extremely near |
1-5 steps |
| very near |
5-10 steps |
| near |
10-15 steps |
| average |
15-25 steps |
| far |
25-40 steps |
| very far |
40-60 steps |
| extremely far |
60-100 steps |
These distances do not give any maximum ranges for weapons,
they give a range in which reasonable aiming is possible. Of course, an
arrow of a long bow may fly further than that, but if it will hit the target
has to be considered from situation to situation. It is the master's choice
alone outside these ranges.
Archery and throwing
Each time a hero wants to use a long-range weapon to actually
hit something or somebody, she has to roll a test on her Long-range skill.
The difficulty of such a test depends on distance and size of the target
and this difficulty, i.e. an additive to the test, may be determined by
one of the following tables. You proceed as always: Roll the 20-sided die,
add the additive to the result and compare it to your long-range skill.
If the result is equal or less than the skill, you have succeeded. Otherwise
you failed.
| Yallina (Shot Weapons:11) wants to hit an elk (big
target) with an arrow of her long-bow in a distance of 50 metres (very
far). So, as we can see from the long bow
table, she has to stand a harder test plus 7, i.e. the additive +7,
she may only roll a 7 or less to succeed (14-7=7).
Now, consider Yallina (Throw weapons:11) had a spear
instead of her long bow. Looking at the spear
table, you will see that it is impossible for her to succeed in the
test. (The whole line is missing as you might notice) Only the gods (presented
by the gamemaster) may help her in this situation and the gods are very
reluctant to mess about with men. |
|