wally said:If someone picks up a strength bow of +2 or +4, and they don't have any strength bonus, does it state somewhere in the rules that they can't use it, or that they just don't get the +2 or +4 bonus to damage?
-wally
Is it just a flat -2? I thought it was -2 per point of Str bonus they are light, but I can't remember where I got that form now.Caliban said:They don't get the extra damage, and they get a -2 on attack rolls.
If your Strength is lower than the bow's strength rating, you take a -2 penalty to attack rolls.SRD said:Longbow, Composite
You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a composite longbow while mounted. All composite bows are made with a particular strength rating (that is, each requires a minimum Strength modifier to use with proficiency). If your Strength bonus is less than the strength rating of the composite bow, you can’t effectively use it, so you take a -2 penalty on attacks with it. The default composite longbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite longbow can be made with a high strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 100 gp to its cost.
That's just a very common houserule.glass said:Is it just a flat -2? I thought it was -2 per point of Str bonus they are light, but I can't remember where I got that form now.
Oddly enough, while that explicitly applies to longbows and shortbows, it's not specified in the description of composite bows. Since the descriptions are otherwise self-contained, that would seem to indicate that composite bows don't suffer this penalty.pawsplay said:Str sucks: -2 to hit, Str penalty to damage
MarkB said:Oddly enough, while that explicitly applies to longbows and shortbows, it's not specified in the description of composite bows. Since the descriptions are otherwise self-contained, that would seem to indicate that composite bows don't suffer this penalty.
Actually, they do thanks to the section on Projectile Weapons.MarkB said:Oddly enough, while that explicitly applies to longbows and shortbows, it's not specified in the description of composite bows. Since the descriptions are otherwise self-contained, that would seem to indicate that composite bows don't suffer this penalty.