Long-range combat (overview)

To get the basic value for shot and throw weapons, there is another rule. You have to calculate the basic Long-range value (bLR) first: bLR=IN+DE+ST/4. And you only take the integer, no rounding, but cutting off everything behind the comma. You add the talent-TaP to this value and get your Long-range skill (LR) for throwing and shooting. A better description of how ti deal with Long-range combat is available here 

If our now well-quoted hero has a DEXTERITY of 12, her basic long-range value will be 9 (11+12+14=37; 37/4=9.25; INT(9.25)=9). If her TaP "Shot weapons" is 5, her Long-range skill will be 14 (9+5=14) for shot weapons.  
 
 

Shot weapons

Shot weapons are the most difficult to try your luck with, they require a quiet hand. Their range is dependent on the tension of the bow or crossbow which are made from a variety of materials.  

In Arkania, the most common types of bows range from short bows of the Amazons to the solidly mounted crossbows on defence towers or ships. The bow is better for the experienced archer and allows more precise shots, the crossbow, however, may be used by unexperienced adventurers.  
 
 

Throw weapons

Throw weapons are one-handed weapons, although to be precise, this is not really a type of weapon but a way to use such things as spears, knifes and axes in long-range way. This is the reason why many people prefer these weapons since they may be useful in any kind of fight. 

 

Initiative

The fighter with the highest value of COURAGE has always the first strike, if he does not decide to let his enemy strike first or the attack occurs as a surprise. One of them will finally begin, and if not, then all the better, there is no fight at all.  

You will not really need this rules very often during a chronicle, because other conditions as e.g. surprise drive the initiative in that case and the defender has to throw an AGILITY-test if he is even capable of parrying the strike. If a fight involves more than two people, the side with more fighters will usually start first. 

Before the real fight - a math lesson with a weapon's CV

(In my opinion this is an optional rule, but the rule book sees things different, but do not worry, this rule is not complicated, it is only capable of keeping suspense before a fight exceptionally high, too high ! - Translator 

Before the real fight may begin, you have to take a short time to calculate the comparison value for your weapon (nice word isn't it ? The german equivalent is about the same...), abbreviated CV. This value will give you a relative value how well your weapon is employable in AT and PA.  

It is noted as AT/PA, that is the value before the slash is a relative value for attack and so the value after the slash has to be the value for parade. The higher any of these values the better for you !  

When two fighters approach each other, they are in similar unsecure position as their players, because the players have to crosscheck their CVs right now. You subtract the one PA from the other AT and the other way round, i.e. the other PA from the on AT. So you got two differences, that are now eligible to be substracted from the player with the worse CV, but take a look at our examples:  
Example 1: Alrik uses a sword (CV:7/7), Mara carries just a dagger (CV:2/1). Now crosscheck the AT of the sword (7) with the PA of the dagger (1) resulting in a difference of the value 6. This number will now be substracted from Mara's PA-value, since she had the worse value. Now crosscheck the PA from Alrik's sword with the AT of Mara's dagger. Again, Mara has the worse value and this results in her subtracting 5 (7 minus 2) from her AT-value. So Mara looses 5 points on her AT and 6 points on her PA-value, Alrik looses nothing.  

Suppose Alrik would have AT:12 and PA:11 for swords, then Alrik would still fight with those values 12/11. If Mara, however, had AT:13 and PA:12 for knifes and daggers, her new values would now be AT:8 (13-5) and PA:6 (12-6), or shortcut 12/6, for this unequal fight.  

Example 2: Swanja (AT/PA:13/9 in Axes and hatchets) carries a barbar's battle-axe (CV:10/2) and Tiro (AT/PA:12/12 in Thrust weapons) carries a rapier (CV:7/6). The crosscheck would give the differences 4 (AT:10 of the axe minus PA:6 of the rapier) and 5 (AT:7 of the rapier minus PA:2 of the axe). So, in this case, Swanja looses 5 points on her PA and Tiro looses 4 on his PA, i.e. Swanja is fighting with AT/PA:13/4 and Tiro with AT/PA:12/8. 

So, as you can see, not complicated, but delicate... 

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