A Strung Bow

[Water Bob]

I think one thing that hasn't been mentioned, but probably should, is that if you're going to bring up the un/strung condition of a bow it's something that you should mention at the get go of the game. So that you don't wind up in a situation like this:

Archer: I attack!
DM: But your bow isn't strung, you need to take a moment to do that.
Archer: Why isn't my bow strung?!
DM: You were sleeping.
Archer: All the more reason to expect an attack!

(Yes, I've been in a game where there was an argument like that.)

My players are used to me being anal. They keep track of all of their equipment, right down to their socks and loincloths.

In a D&D game, I make all mages keep track of spell components. And, to that end, some of the most fun moments I've had in a game is following the mage trying to find a particular spell component in the wild or in a dungeon.

This strung bow thing won't phase them. Plus, I'm only going to "charge" them a Move action to string it.

 

[Ragmon]

This is written with D&D 3.5 in mind, I'm not familiar with the Conan system.

Watching bow stringing videos, I would a say:
a. 1 full-round action of you need to use your leg to brace the bow while stringing. (This would be the standard speed for everyone bellow 13 STR)
b. 1 standard action if you just basically use 1 hand to bend the bow while bracing it against the ground and the other hand to string it (if STR is above 13).
c. Improve the action time by one step if the character succeeds at a Dex check.

Extra: These actions provoke attacks of opportunity.

Maybe involve Bow proficiency too in some fashion.

 

[chaochou]

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=989271

 

[Empirate]

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=989271

Very interesting stuff, thanks for the link! Will probably adress this in my gaming group (when and if my 2-month old ever learns how to sleep proper, and I can get back into gaming again, that is...). I'll never give my guys grief over bow stringing again!

 

[DnD_Dad]

Very interesting stuff, thanks for the link! Will probably adress this in my gaming group (when and if my 2-month old ever learns how to sleep proper, and I can get back into gaming again, that is...). I'll never give my guys grief over bow stringing again!

Ha, you got about 3-4 more months before that happens. This whole situation sounds very simulationist and if your not playing a high simulation game then I'd omit it. The question is do you force everyone to do the same things? Does the soldier take his armor off after wearing it for some many hours, with the help of 2-3 people? Do they have to sharpen weapons? Do they have to unpack and dry their gear on a regular basis? Do they bath/groom, and is there time and resources involved? If so, add it and make them micromanage ever moment of theirs character's lives, or if not, then just play and tell a great story.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

In a D&D game, I make all mages keep track of spell components. And, to that end, some of the most fun moments I've had in a game is following the mage trying to find a particular spell component in the wild or in a dungeon.

While I'm personally not a huge fan of keeping track of inexpensive components, it's come in handy before. Like when my 1st-level wizard (and the rest of the party) got arrested, and his spellbook and components taken away, and I found enough colored sand to cast Color Spray.

(This was Eberron, and the cops were only doing their job, so I didn't Color Spray them, which is why I still had the spell memorized in jail.)

This strung bow thing won't phase them. Plus, I'm only going to "charge" them a Move action to string it.

This isn't any worse than the swordman who has to draw a sword and charge (losing full-round attacks, if that's how it works in Conan). Does that include nocking the bow too?

(Not being familiar with d20 Conan, could you tell us a bit about it? Is it d20 Conan?)

 

[Empirate]

Ha, you got about 3-4 more months before that happens. This whole situation sounds very simulationist and if your not playing a high simulation game then I'd omit it. The question is do you force everyone to do the same things? Does the soldier take his armor off after wearing it for some many hours, with the help of 2-3 people? Do they have to sharpen weapons? Do they have to unpack and dry their gear on a regular basis? Do they bath/groom, and is there time and resources involved? If so, add it and make them micromanage ever moment of theirs character's lives, or if not, then just play and tell a great story.

Our first little one let me play after a few weeks, but with a second, it gets complicated...

We're not that into simulationist realism. But having a bow strung or unstrung actually makes a tactical difference, which spoiled rations don't. The armor thing, btw, has happened in my group. But we're not really consistent about it. Sometimes we'll handwave it, sometimes we'll feel that maybe the matter bears closer examination. Case by case, you know?

 

[Balesir]

To answer the OP and add what is required to string a bow, it depends on the bow. Based on using a longbow, I just tried it to check and I can string, draw an arrow, nock, draw and loose in under 6 seconds pretty easily, but that's with a bow I'm very used to. I'd call it a move action, in general. A bow that is too heavy for your strength will just be impossible to string without a "stringer", and using that could take several rounds (12-18 seconds, easily).

A bow left strung will eventually take on a "set" - in other words it will become bent without having any "spring". The best system effect for that would probably be for it to lose a little damage (-1, say). Don't overdo this, though; crossbows are kept almost permanently strung, as are modern compund bows. The materiels of construction of the bow make a big difference - composite bows will fare better than self bows, but might eventually weaken slightly (making a break more likely). And, unless the bow was kept strung for months, the effect would be temporary - say it might last as long as the bow was strung for after a day or two left strung* (for a self bow - longer for a composite).

Possibly the worst short term effect is if you pull the bow to full draw and hold it rather than loose immediately. Not only will the elasticity of the bow reduce (reducing damage) but your arms will tire (bows intended for combat are heavy to draw!) and you'll lose accuracy. Any trained archer will avoid doing this almost instinctively, though.

Incidentally, ancient and medieval bow strings were very badly affected by wet. Most arcers would carry a few spare strings inside their hat - wearing a hat is a good idea as, if a bow breaks at its top limb, the string will pull the broken end straight towards your head. It doesn't happen often, but I'm told it can be very painful on a bare noggin! Stringing a bow with a fresh string takes only a little longer than if it's held part-strung, but you have to get the new string out, first...

All that said, I'd only bother with all this in a very "gritty" game - but I imagine Conan might possibly qualify.

Edit: * - I mean a full 24 hours, here. I have regularly used a bow for a full day's shooting without it suffering any noticeable ill effects whatsoever. If you travel all day with it strung and then un-string it at night it should do fine.

 

[Water Bob]

This whole situation sounds very simulationist and if your not playing a high simulation game then I'd omit it.

I don't think it's any more simulationist than requireing a move action to pull a sword from it's scabbard, or a GM figuring how long it takes a character to pull his shield off his back and use it in combat.

I'm still thinking a Move action to string the bow. That way, the bow can be strung and fired in the same six second round--all the character gives up his is movement.

(The rules address readying a shield is a Move action, too.)

Does the soldier take his armor off after wearing it for some many hours, with the help of 2-3 people?

Yes. That's in the rules (in the d20 D&D rules, too, I'm pretty sure).

Do they have to sharpen weapons?

There's a special rule in Conan, that if they do sharpen their blades, and make a check, they can get a +1 to Critical Threat Range on their first attack. So, most of my players do make this check during their downtime.

Do they have to unpack and dry their gear on a regular basis? Do they bath/groom, and is there time and resources involved? If so, add it and make them micromanage ever moment of theirs character's lives, or if not, then just play and tell a great story.

Our stories are pretty addictive, but yeah, players will buy new clothes, pay for a bath or indicate that they're having one, from time to time--when it's appropriate.

We do tend to skip going to the bathroom.

While I'm personally not a huge fan of keeping track of inexpensive components, it's come in handy before. Like when my 1st-level wizard (and the rest of the party) got arrested, and his spellbook and components taken away, and I found enough colored sand to cast Color Spray.

I've had some fantastic times with spell components. I remember a mage needed iron slivers for a spell once, and he ended up taking filings from the rusted hinges on the dungeon doors!

I gave him extra XP for creative thinking!

(Not being familiar with d20 Conan, could you tell us a bit about it? Is it d20 Conan?)

Yes, published by Mongoose. It's 3.5 d20 based. Many of the same rules. Some rules are quite different.



ANYBODY INTERESTED IN THE CONAN RPG SHOULD CHECK OUT THIS THREAD: CLICKY, CLICKY.

 

[Maccwar]

I had a chance to chat with a reenactor not so long ago and he talked to us about the use of the longbow. He had obviously had a lot of practice as he showed us how to sting the bow and could do it in just a few seconds - it took a lot less time than I had expected.