Any reason why a Rogue can't use a shortbow?
The rogue is thematically linked to small, precise, stealthy weapons--which rather fits the crossbow more than the shortbow. Likewise, because they have better striker damage than other striker classes, they're linked to weapons with lower damage dice and comparatively shorter range. Shortbow, being a d8 damage weapon with a 15/30 range, is too good to be given out automatically. At the cost of a feat, it's probably balanced, but I haven't combed over the available bow weapon feats to see if there are any that would break if a rogue used them.
ricardo440
First Post
Also so that Rangers can't MC into Rogue for the Sneak attack damage.
mach1.9pants
Hero
yeah the main reason is a shortbow is just better than a sling. If a PC wanted to thematically use one I would just re-skin a sling but otherwise I wouldn't allow it IMC
Drow rangers can get hand crossbows to be D8 high crit weapons that don't provoke OA's and get a free ranged basic attack when they crit with them....
And multiclass to rouge and sneak attack with it =)
But yeah, nothing stopping a rogue from using a short bow with a proficiency, ranged sneak attack is often hard to come by anyway.
The issue is less with sneak attack and more with the fact that you can't use a shortbow with any rogue powers, so you'd be stuck with basic attacks.
ahh true, though I did just notice for the first time (and I'm not saying this is news but that I just noticed it) that a rogue can take weapon proficiency superior crossbow and use that for their attacks.. hmmmmmmmm, Quick draw and a superior crossbow for my burst attacks. Minor to stow my dagger, standard to draw and use the crossbow for the attack, maybe cost another minor to load it the first time, still that's pretty spiffy. I may buy one and carry it around to use non-proficient just for the ridiculous range, seriously, at 10-20 range even if I am non proficient I'm just as likely to hit with a superior crossbow as my hand crossbow.
Aenghus
Explorer
Its the price of making the dagger and sling rogue viable mechanically. I really like that it's possible to make a dagger-using rogue without worrying I'm gimping my character unduly.
The issue is that if a rogue can use weapons better from a min-max point of view but with less rogue flavour, many players will choose power over flavour.
I could see a shortbow feat for elven rogues, which allows sneak attack with a die subtraction, equivalent to the eladrin longsword feat in Martial Power.
The issue is that if a rogue can use weapons better from a min-max point of view but with less rogue flavour, many players will choose power over flavour.
I could see a shortbow feat for elven rogues, which allows sneak attack with a die subtraction, equivalent to the eladrin longsword feat in Martial Power.
The sad part here is that with a feat you can use a shortbow with reduced sneak attack or the same feat can be spent on superior crossbow, get you a better chance to hit with it's +3 and be used with full sneak attack damage. The main difference between the two being of course load minor vs load free.
Saeviomagy
Adventurer
The problem with that is that the eladrin longsword feat is a steaming pile of garbage, good only for abusing HBO or oddball weapon enchants.
Just let your rogue spend a feat and use a shortbow. It's not unbalancing to do so.
Hell, it's not unbalancing to let him spend a feat and use a longbow.
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