Bow Combat



This page addresses information about bow-and-arrow-type weapons and their in-character uses in combat at they apply to World 42 roleplaying. Any valuable contributors are welcome to add, especially as new content or ideas come out in-game.

The Basic Concept of Using Bows in Combat
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Offensive Methods of Using Bows
The ways to combat an enemy with a weapon are really only limited to the creativity of the player and his character. A ranger might shoot an enemy with an arrow, he might sharpen the end of the bow, unstring it, and stab his enemy in the shoulder, or anything in between. That being said, there are a few common strategies for entering combat using a bow-and-arrow set.

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Methods of Defending with Bows in Combat
Defending with ice magic is just like attacking with it - the possibilities are limited only by creativity. That said, here are a few common strategies for defending yourself while using a bow and arrow.

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Methods of Defending Against Bows in Combat
Archers have a definite advantage when it comes to the element of surprise in combat and it helps a character stay alive if he knows how to protect himself against the incoming arrows of an enemy.

In Battle
Here are a few common strategies for defending yourself in a situation where you are already engaged in combat, whether you are directly combatting the bowman himself, or are aware that there are non-friendly bowmen in the area who will at some point pose a threat.

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Everyday
In battle, a character already knows he has a threat upon him and can take some very straight-forward precautionary measures. However, a bowman is at his most powerful when his target is relaxed and unaware. There isn't much a man lounging on his patio can do against an arrow shot from 200 feet away but hope that it misses. However, these are some precautionary strategies characters can take if they suspect they might be a target.

Know the environment. This strategy plays very well to characters who reliably experience paranoia. The basic idea of this approach to bow defense is to know where a bowman might lurk and react accordingly. It applies most directly to someone's home and regular habitats. Check the area over and observe any vulnerable spots where he might be an easy missile target. Is there a groove of trees outside of his kitchen window? Close the shutters when he has to stand in front of it for a long time. Does the building on the corner have murder holes with a convenient view of his patio, or does the city wall have a view of his garden in the back? Unless he wants to dress in full armor or put up magical barriers around himself just to go outside, the best defence in these situations is knowledge. Being aware and keeping attentive to these places in his everyday life could easily be the reason he hits the deck fast enough to get an arrow in the thigh rather than the eye socket. Similarly, a concerned character might begin to case environments when not in the comfort of a home setting. Enter an unfamiliar place, find areas of vulnerability and the nearest exits, and watch out for them.

Protect the vitals. This cautious character may also take a bonus precaution against rogue arrows when out in a suspicious or unfamiliar area. The basic idea of this approach is to armor the character in subtle, bare-minimum ways that will save him from death, but not injury. Wearing a coif or thick hood is not an uncommon practice for travellers, so it won't look absurd or paranoid, and it protects the head and neck from blind angles to a certain degree. If an arrow is going to come from a bowman under cover, the only easy headshot will come from directly in front of the character and give him enough warning to hit the ground if he's paying attention. He may also choose to strap a pair of small metal plates to his chest and back over his heart and wear them under his shirt. It won't stop an arrow from hitting him, but it will probably stop a long-distance arrow from piercing his heart. He's more likely to survive a pierced lung than a pierced heart. And lastly, he should carry some form of teleportation, if he is able. He's much more likely to survive a pierced lung if he can get himself to a safe place or access to a healer quickly.

All Known Bow-Type Weapons

 * Shortbows (in various wood-types and qualities)
 * Longbows (in various wood-types and qualities)
 * Composite Ogre Bow
 * Composite Bows (in various woods and qualities)
 * Crystal Bow
 * Dark Bow
 * Guthix Bow
 * Hexhunter Bow
 * Kayle's Shortbow
 * Sighted Bows (in various woods and qualities)
 * Ogre Bow
 * Quickbow
 * Sacred Clay Bow
 * Saggitarian Bow
 * Saradomin Bow
 * Seercull
 * Shield-bow
 * Zamorack Bow
 * Zaryte Bow

Common Mistakes
This section addresses traits or actions that players, often new ones, give their bowmen characters but that aren't actually accurate or otherwise realistic scenarios for someone using this attack style.
 * Certain well-made longbows crafted from high-level wood, paired with metal-tipped arrows, are capable of punching through plate armor from significant distances. However, these bows are often a challenge for even grown men to draw, so do not expect your fourteen-year-old girlscout with a small quickbow to be effective against an armored knight.
 * The design of recurve bows allow for a bowman to shoot an arrow with less strain to himself while maintaining a level of projectile force greater than that of a normal bow of the same size. The downside, however, is that the strain on the bow as it shoots is greater than average and thus creates a much louder thwang! sound. Do not expect your character to be sneaky and unnoticed when shooting around with a seercull.

Other

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