Odd question about bows

[Atgxtg]

13 minutes ago, SDLeary said:

If this is simply for purposes of penetration of armor, then I would apply rules to a particular type of armor, or a particular type of arrow, and not mess with the actual damage of a weapon (which will increase lethality). For example, perhaps a bodkin ignores 1d6 (or perhaps X amount) of armor in exchange for a -1d on the weapons damage.

But the more force behind an arrow the greater the lethality. 

Also, keep in mind that this isn't actually increasing the damage. As it stands now a longbow does 4d6+10 (K&L and GPC) or 3d6+6 (Entourage). That 7d6 and 5d6 respectively, which is going to take a character with a higher damage stat to be able to use in the firest place. Then, with damage dropping off over distance the net effect will be to actually reduce the lethality and of bows- unless the archer has a high damage stat, a high skill, a powerful bow, and is right on top of the opponent. 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Atgxtg

[SDLeary]

5 minutes ago, Atgxtg said:

But the more force behind an arrow the greater the lethality. 

 

Arrow head geometry makes a big difference. A bodkin (a spike at the end of the arrow) is going to do less damage to a soft target (save for critical hits) than a leaf or broad head will (wider heads causing more cutting). But that spike will punch through armor much more easily than a broad head.

This is similar to battle axes with a war pick on the back. The axe head will do wonders on soft targets, but often not on armored ones, while the opposite is true for armored targets vs the pick.

SDLeary

[SDLeary]

15 minutes ago, Atgxtg said:

Also, keep in mind that this isn't actually increasing the damage. As it stands now a longbow does 4d6+10 (K&L and GPC) or 3d6+6 (Entourage). That 7d6 and 5d6 respectively, which is going to take a character with a higher damage stat to be able to use in the firest place. Then, with damage dropping off over distance the net effect will be to actually reduce the lethality and of bows- unless the archer has a high damage stat, a high skill, a powerful bow, and is right on top of the opponent. 

No, I get most of what you're saying with this... its still the damages that bother me. I'm looking at the average of the damages you just put up, and we are looking at 24-25 points and 17-18 points. The latter seems much more reasonable when you consider an average HP or 24-27 (other modifiers and player distribution can adjust this a bit), and at range I think things should go down from there.

SDLeary 

[Atgxtg]

Just now, SDLeary said:

No, I get most of what you're saying with this... its still the damages that bother me. I'm looking at the average of the damages you just put up, and we are looking at 24-25 points and 17-18 points.

Okay, now remember 4d6+10 isn't my doing, but what was in K&L and the GPC. 3d6+6 is the revised damages in Book Of Entourage. And 4d6+10 bothers me and seems to have bothered Greg based on a post he left on the old forum, and the revsion to 3d6+6 (almost indetial to the 5d6 in KAP4)

Just now, SDLeary said:

 

The latter seems much more reasonable when you consider an average HP or 24-27 (other modifiers and player distribution can adjust this a bit), and at range I think things should go down from there.

SDLeary 

 Now what I've got in the works lines up with 3d6+6 or 5d6 for a longbow, maybe 3d6+9 or 6d6 for a very heavy one that only the strongest and best archers might be able to draw back (i.e. Robin Hood).

And with that I'm suggesting dropping the damage down 3 points or 1 die per range band, which the game doesn't do now. So I don't think capping bow damage to the character's damage stat would lead to overpowered bows. It just keeps STR 4 granny from grabbing a Longbow.