Ranged weapons with no range

[MisterVimes]

I've been thinking of this idea a lot lately and it harkens back to the days of yesteryear and IIRC Rainbow Archer.

 

RA had bought a MP full of attacks with No Range/OAF/Charges as a quiver of Arrows. Then she bought Usable at Range on the MP through an OAF (Bow).

 

It's more of an excercise in "would it be cool" than a character concept, but it does bring up some other examples:

 

1) LOTR: Legolas stabs an Orc with and arrow and then notches it and lets fly

2) Green Arrow: GA uses a "Torch Arrow" to cut through a lock rather than using it as a weapon

3) Bloodstone: Old-never-quite-caught-on Marvel character with a Shotgun. His shotgun sheels we "metally activated" and when deprived of his shotgun, he tossed then at someone and made them explode mentally.

 

What do you think? Is this a viable way of buying a Bow and Arrow? Or a Grenade Launcher?

[Monolith]

I personally run my games with a strong emphasis on SFX. In my game a character would be allowed to stab with an arrow, but at a decreased damage level. Many times the SFX of the power need to make more common sense than the way the power is designed. Also keep in mind that there is no rule which says a Ranged Attack MUST be used at range, only that it CAN be used at range. You can "touch" someone with your Energy Blast. You do not just have to shoot it across the room.

[MisterVimes]

Originally posted by Monolith

I personally run my games with a strong emphasis on SFX. In my game a character would be allowed to stab with an arrow, but at a decreased damage level. Many times the SFX of the power need to make more common sense than the way the power is designed. Also keep in mind that there is no rule which says a Ranged Attack MUST be used at range, only that it CAN be used at range. You can "touch" someone with your Energy Blast. You do not just have to shoot it across the room.

 

That's an incredibly good point. As I said... it was just an excercise, but your point is well taken, don't let the system overwork the game.

[archermoo]

Personally for bows I usually buy the standard arrows at least as HKAs and HAs, with a Bow that adds ranged to the arrow multipower.

[MisterVimes]

Originally posted by archermoo

Personally for bows I usually buy the standard arrows at least as HKAs and HAs, with a Bow that adds ranged to the arrow multipower.

 

That's exactly what I had in mind... but did you choose HA or HKAs, to add strength (as would be the usual case) to simulate the strength required to use the bow?

[archermoo]

Originally posted by MisterVimes

That's exactly what I had in mind... but did you choose HA or HKAs, to add strength (as would be the usual case) to simulate the strength required to use the bow?

 

Exactly. For super powered archers, I just leave it at adding their strength. For Hero level, a bow has a set strength that it will add to attacks fired through it. For regular bows, if you aren't that strong you can't use it, but being stronger doesn't add more damage. For crossbows, it just changes the amount of time it takes for you to load the crossbow if you are weaker than it.

[MisterVimes]

Originally posted by archermoo

Exactly. For super powered archers, I just leave it at adding their strength. For Hero level, a bow has a set strength that it will add to attacks fired through it. For regular bows, if you aren't that strong you can't use it, but being stronger doesn't add more damage. For crossbows, it just changes the amount of time it takes for you to load the crossbow if you are weaker than it.

 

Great call... We are in total agreement. Now I can just start working on a new archer villain...

[tiger]

Personally I wouldn't have "normal" bows doing the extra damage.

 

I do use STR bow in my fantasy campaign. They are rare but they allow you to add your STR, upto the STR of the bow, into the damage.

 

But as a rule They give range only to the arrows only.