Jump to content

Historic Missile Weapon Ranges revisited


Sunwolfe

Recommended Posts

There's a file in the file section of the Alternate earth Yahoo Group you might find interesting (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/alternateearthrq/files/), entitled "RuneQuest Bronze Age Rules Source Book"

It's by Eduardo Chamon who was a regular poster on that list but I don't think is a member here as yet.

Cheers,

Nick

Thanks for the tip, Nick. That's a really interesting document!

Thalaba

"Tell me what you found, not what you lost" Mesopotamian proverb

__________________________________

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

there is a difference between the disd\tance a missile weapon can throw it.s payload and the range at which it is effectively lethal

An historical example...

An 11 century English longbowman drawing a bow of 150-225 lbs draw

was expected to be able to fire six aimed shot pre minute at 200 yards or less each being leathal to an armoured man. at 200-400 yards he was able to fire three awwows at a time (High arc middle arc and straight on) all three stiking at the same time this is volly fire aimed at masses of men not individuals. They could actually lob arrows at easily twice that range but thos arrows would hit with the force of gravity alone

The english military longbow fired a 40+ inch arrow weighing around three ounces

the mongol comp bow (Arguably the best in it's class) fired a 36 inch arrow weighing two ounces...

Whith it's shorter draw lentgh and smaller size the comp bow is better suited to fast shots and maneuver.thus a mongol archer was gettong ten to fifteen aimed shots per minute!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a file in the file section of the Alternate earth Yahoo Group you might find interesting (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/alternateearthrq/files/), entitled "RuneQuest Bronze Age Rules Source Book"

It's by Eduardo Chamon who was a regular poster on that list but I don't think is a member here as yet.

Cheers,

Nick

Starting to feel like subconscious stalking, right Nick? :D I checked with the wife and she already had a Yahoo account for her Xena group. I got approved by the AlternateEarth Yahoo guys and my hands on that Bronze Age file. It would still be cool to have a copy in the Downloads section here though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Starting to feel like subconscious stalking, right Nick? :D I checked with the wife and she already had a Yahoo account for her Xena group. I got approved by the AlternateEarth Yahoo guys and my hands on that Bronze Age file. It would still be cool to have a copy in the Downloads section here though.

Simon (Soltakks here) and I have both emailed Eduardo through his (last know) Yahoo email address so we'll see if he gets in touch.

Cheers,

Nick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:D I checked with the wife and she already had a Yahoo account for her Xena group. I got approved by the AlternateEarth Yahoo guys and my hands on that Bronze Age file. It would still be cool to have a copy in the Downloads section here though.

The AlternateEarthYahoo guys are - me. I try and approve people I have heard of or don't sound spammy straight away. I hope you find the group useful.

Simon (Soltakks here) and I have both emailed Eduardo through his (last know) Yahoo email address so we'll see if he gets in touch.

I haven't checked my home email account since Friday (International Women's Day and my wife complaining that I always go on the computer when I get home) but I'll keep everyone updated if I get a reply.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Approximately what diameter were these clay balls?

Lead shot, like the ones used by Rhodian slingers, were about half the size of the fist. Stones used for sling were about the size of the fist. I don(t know for the clay 'special ammunitions'.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Approximately what diameter were these clay balls?

Lead shot, like the ones used by Rhodian slingers, were about half the size of the fist. Stones used for sling were about the size of the fist. I don't know for the clay 'special ammunitions'.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Simon (Soltakks here) and I have both emailed Eduardo through his (last know) Yahoo email address so we'll see if he gets in touch.

I've had a reply from Eduardo and he is happy for the gile to be posted to the BRP Forum.

I've uploaded it to the Other Settings area but can change that if necesary.

http://basicroleplaying.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=191

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just in case no one'S mentionted this yet.

Realistically, you can't hit a man sized target with an arrow beyond 80 yards or so. Virtually all hits beyond that range historically were with volley fire against massed groups. So technically, while the arrow can fly out to as far as 700m with some bows, an archer couldn't hit anything smaller than the "broadside of a barn" at that range.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Realistically, you can't hit a man sized target with an arrow beyond 80 yards or so.

Well, no. The 90 m (98 yards) distance is a standard FITA competition distan-

ce, and experienced archers rarely miss the target at that distance, with mo-

dern bows as well as replicas of historical ones. :)

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, no. The 90 m (98 yards) distance is a standard FITA competition distan-

ce, and experienced archers rarely miss the target at that distance, with mo-

dern bows as well as replicas of historical ones. :)

rust,

90m is only used for the qualify round, not for the elimination rounds. During the 90m round, the target is 122cm in diameter. Few people I know are over 1.2m wide. But I suppose shooting an obese person would be possible out to further ranges.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

90m is only used for the qualify round, not for the elimination rounds. During the 90m round, the target is 122cm in diameter.

True, but most of the experienced archers I have seen at the local archery

club hit that target close enough to the center that a person standing in

front of it would have been wounded severely. :)

"Mind like parachute, function only when open."

(Charlie Chan)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Vile Traveller

Even in field archery the normal distance for a bear target (a bit bigger than a human but not much) is around 80 yards. I don't think anyone in my club was Olympic quality, but people perforated the kill zone often enough to make me nervous about the prospect of taunting lone archers from less than 100 to 150 yards. ;)

This was without sights, longbows or composite bows, nothing over 60lbs draw weight. It's more difficult to hit with a heavier bow, of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And modern archers are probably using aluminum or carbon-fiber arrows. Even "crappy" Wodden arrows today are fairly uniform.

This would help explain the abilities of Aldryami elven bows and arrows (grown with gardener care).

Just ask for the copper top. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This would help explain the abilities of Aldryami elven bows and arrows (grown with gardener care).

Just ask for the copper top. :D

Not to mention what Speedart would do for an arrow's range and damage potential.

That is how setting, genre and style factor into an RPG system. Since most RPGs tend toward heroic fantasy, with larger than life characters and magic, reality may not be relevant. There is a Japanese hero who, in legend, sank a ship with a arrow fired from a bow. Admittly it was a very powerful bow, but realistically speaking it's just not possible. But in a "Mythic Japan" setting it might be.

Chaos stalks my world, but she's a big girl and can take of herself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...