From:	David Buehrer <dbuehrer@****.ORG>
Subject:	Re: Bows and crossbows
Date:	Sun, 20 Jul 1997 18:06:28 -0600

Mike wrote:
|
| when reviewing the SR rules concerning archery, I saw that bows were
| severely shortchanged in comparison to crossbows.
| I am talking about the rate of fire, which is the same in both cases
| (simple action to ready and simple action to shoot). This is
| ludicrous. After all, the main advantage of the bow was it's high
| rate of fire...

Um, no. The advantage of a crossbow is that just about anyone can use it.
Bows require a fair ammount of strength and training.

| So, I came up with this simple solution: make the readying of a bow
| a free action (though I think this would require easy acces to
| arrows, like stuck in the ground before you, or in a quiver on your
| hip).

I disagree. "Free actions are relatively simple, nearly automatic
actions that require little or no effort to accomplish." Picking up
an arrow is pretty easy, but nocking(sp?) the thing requires some
concentration (I have a fair ammount of RL experience on this one).

| Maybe make readying a crossbow a complex action,

"A Complex Action requires the most intense concentration of all the
possible action types." IMO, readying a crossbow doesn't fit into
this category. It's the reverse of readying a bow, pull back the
line, load the bolt, and you're ready to go.

| I also hope this is not one of the "once a week" topics on this
| list... (It was not in the FAQ, anyway)...

Naw, this one only comes up about once a year :)

[snip: 19/19/19 Drow Fighter/Mage/Cleric. What's a munchkin?]

| <grin, duck & run>

Gah! ;)

-David
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm
--
"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing
which ones to keep."