-4 AC penalty when using missile weapons?

[Martian Agitator]

I thought I read for sure that when a character uses a missile weapon, should another character or creature attack him in melee, the missile-using character receives a -4 AC penalty. Now, however, I have scoured the srd and not found a single mention of it.

Can someone point out to me where this might be in the srd or phb, whether it was changed in 3.5, or if they just added the rule in to Neverwinter Nights, please?

 

[javcs]

I thought I read for sure that when a character uses a missile weapon, should another character or creature attack him in melee, the missile-using character receives a -4 AC penalty. Now, however, I have scoured the srd and not found a single mention of it.

Can someone point out to me where this might be in the srd or phb, whether it was changed in 3.5, or if they just added the rule in to Neverwinter Nights, please?

You may have misinterperted that when a ranged attack is made into melee, it's at a -4 penalty (without precise shot), and the target may have soft cover, granting a +4 cover bonus to AC.

 

[Martian Agitator]

No, no, I knew that. I'm remember an AC penalty against melee when using ranged weapons.

 

[Thurbane]

The only things I am aware of are that you do not gain a shield (buckler) bonus while using a bow or other two handed missile weapon, and that using a missile weapon provokes AoO from threateneing creatures...

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Using a missile weapon in melee provoking an AoO was the thing I immediately thought of. Could that possibly be what you were thinking?

Olaf the Stout

 

[Aaron L]

I thought I read for sure that when a character uses a missile weapon, should another character or creature attack him in melee, the missile-using character receives a -4 AC penalty. Now, however, I have scoured the srd and not found a single mention of it.

Can someone point out to me where this might be in the srd or phb, whether it was changed in 3.5, or if they just added the rule in to Neverwinter Nights, please?

Pretty sure its just a NWN thing.

 

[Bad Paper]

well, can't you use a missile, e.g. an arrow, as a melee weapon with a -4 to hit?

 

[interwyrm]

The only things I am aware of are that you do not gain a shield (buckler) bonus while using a bow or other two handed missile weapon, and that using a missile weapon provokes AoO from threateneing creatures...

This is actually kind of silly.
I'm pretty sure there have been historical troops which used bow+buckler, or crossbow+pavise (pavise is kind of like a tower shield).

 

[MarkB]

This is actually kind of silly.
I'm pretty sure there have been historical troops which used bow+buckler, or crossbow+pavise (pavise is kind of like a tower shield).

You can eliminate the loss of shield bonus with Improved Buckler Defense IIRC. And you can, at a penalty, fire a crossbow one-handed.

 

[Victim]

Or you plant the tower shield in the ground (or prop it up somehow) and then use it as cover while firing the crossbow normally.

No such AC penalty for using a missile weapon though.