austenandrews Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 I know the topic must have been settled by now. What are the game effects of a fire arrow? I mean a standard arrow wrapped in an oiled cloth and set aflame. Thanks, -AA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farik Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 I'd do it with the sticky advantage but the specifics are going to depend on how "effective/dangerous" you want fire arrows to be. Activation roll and side effects would help disuade their use for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 I usually use them as a plot device, i.e. a threat to people in a cottage or on board a ship. As for people, I'd probably just damage them twice, once vs. PD, then vs ED. I wouldn't continue damaging them unless they had unluck or were wearing really flammable clothing. Keith "But then I improv like that a lot" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted January 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 Like everyone else I've always just hand-rolled fire arrows when I need them. I just find it odd that such a simple and ubiquitous genre convention has never been given a ruling in an official publication. -AA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 Originally posted by austenandrews I just find it odd that such a simple and ubiquitous genre convention has never been given a ruling in an official publication. -AA Thats just because, like so many other things in the HERO System, there are many ways to model this effect, and none of them are more correct than any other. Personally, I would handle a spur of the moment flaming arrow bit as a plot element -- if it serves to increase the drama of the scene then it works, otherwise it fizzles. If a player wanted their character to be able to do it on demand I'd require them to pay points for the privelege. Depending on the genre and the point range of the game this could range from a custom linked RKA vs PD + RKA vs ED to a simple Uncommon Weapon Familiarity: Flaming Arrow and specialized Equipment, and several variations in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsider Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 A fire arrow isnt balanced the same as a fighting/hunting arrow, so there is one OCV penalty. It also probably has a slower flight from all that extra drag, so there is a extra to hit penalty at range, and a reduction in damage class to boot. Then I'd give it a 1 body fire attack that goes off three times (say) before burning out. The fire damage would only effect things that are vulnerable to fire, of course. If it didnt do any body with the physical portion of its attack to whatever it was shot at, the fire portion wouldnt do anything either, at least not to the intended target. It might fall onto something flamable, or hit and stick, despite not doing body. (say, for example, it fails to peirce your mail, but it did go through your sircoat, and is now hung up in it while still burning) Basically, Fire Arrows are great against big, soft, flammable targets like barns and houses, but they arent so good against smaller, harder, more mobile things like people and most monsters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outsider Posted January 2, 2004 Report Share Posted January 2, 2004 Forgot the "writeup" Take your normal bow damage/OCV and apply the following : -2 Damage Classes -2 OCV -2 Additional range penalty, beyond 4 hexes range. +1 Pip RKA (E) that goes off once per turn for 3 turns, against whatever the arrow is resting against/stuck in each turn, can start a fire, if appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherSkip Posted January 5, 2004 Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Originally posted by Outsider Forgot the "writeup" Allready forgotten *does it my own waaaaaay* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted January 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2004 Originally posted by Killer Shrike Thats just because, like so many other things in the HERO System, there are many ways to model this effect, and none of them are more correct than any other. Well sure, but you can say the same thing about a sword. I was simply wondering if a writeup had appeared anywhere in some official capacity. Outsider's version is close to my own homegrown one. -AA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest taxboy4 Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 Other Arrows and Swords..and stuff... Ki Ora guys from a Pakeha living in the land of the Long White Cloud... Anyhow , all this discussion over a fire arrow, not sure I really think u need to spend points to wrap an oily rag round an hour and then fire it. Possibly a skill in this area will help it not go out and burn longer? What about different sorts of hours, clothyards, razor sharp, poisoned etc. How do people handle those. I'm a DM that tends to make the arrows do whatever fits to the story but occasionaly use the rules. Also how do people handle weapons of different quality or of better alloys / metals (in my game IRon is the base metal and Steel gives an addition Dam Class or armour penetration) xx Baz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarf Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 Originally posted by Outsider Forgot the "writeup" Take your normal bow damage/OCV and apply the following : -2 Damage Classes -2 OCV -2 Additional range penalty, beyond 4 hexes range. +1 Pip RKA (E) that goes off once per turn for 3 turns, against whatever the arrow is resting against/stuck in each turn, can start a fire, if appropriate. For the arrow can start a fire effect: 5d6 RKA with Sticky, Gradual Effect (20 minutes I guess), the Limited Power of Only Affects Extremely Flammable Materials, and an Activation Roll. That should reduce any barn to ashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 5d6 RKA gradual? Damn, that'd burn pretty good holes in castle walls... "Trebuchets? What for? We have these!" (holds up a quiver of fire arrows) Personally, I just allow players to add a 1 pip ERKA (1 continuing charge, 1 minute) to their arrow and give them a -4 OCV (after all, you have a heavy burning thing on the end of your arrow...) which more or less balances the points out. 1 pip RKA allows fire arrows to set fire to dry stuff like end-of-summer grass or thatching, or cloth - like sails. It also means they can't set fire to things like solid wood - which of course they can only do in hollywood movies. You can try this at home Take a piece of cloth, wet it down with your favorite accelerant and then light it and hold it firmly against a solid piece of wood. Repeat as many times as is necessary to reassure yourself that the wood is not going to burst into flames.... After all, wet skins (DEF1 or 2 at most) were considered pretty good fireproofing. If you really want to set the siege engine on fire dump oil or tallow on it and THEN shoot a fire arrow into it. As for Bazza's question, I like to know the numbers so 1) I can work out what's reasonable, 2) the players know what's possible so they don't plan on covering their escape by turning the great hall into an inferno by firing a fire arrow into one of the supporting beams... and 3) so that it's balanced. I don't want fire arrows being used routinely so that players see it as free way of getting a 1 pip energy attack. Cheers, mate Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarf Posted January 6, 2004 Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 5d6 RKA gradual? Damn, that'd burn pretty good holes in castle walls... Yeah, that's why I had to add the limited power which only lets it ignite thatch and dry brush and such. Your build works way better, it accomplishes the same thing for a tiny fraction of the cost of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austenandrews Posted January 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2004 If it matters, I'm contemplating this issue because I may introduce a monster into my game that is particularly susceptible to fire. Since there's two archers in a group of three PCs, fire arrows will come up, and "plot-devicing" it won't be sufficient. I like Outsider's subtraction of Damage Classes. That does my usual version one better, giving disincentive for a high-OCV character to use a fire arrow, except when necessary. -AA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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