Bow against Sword!

[Ian O'Rourke]

A character is using a bow, he enters melee and someone goes for him with a sword. How does this work rules wise? What are the archers options? How do the AoO figure in?

Basically, the guy is doing the old Legolas thing of using his bow in melee - how does it fair....

He has no special feats beyond, rapid shot and the like nor does he have a prestige class. I realise he is at a disadvantage, and I have no problem with that, just want a break down of what his position actually is.

 

[Yellow Sign]

Reading your post I just had a question to add. Would a archer firing at a swordsman who had engaged him get the firing into melee deduction from his attack?

To answer your question.
Firing a missile weapon invokes a AoO so if the guy is right next to you he is going to get a free attack at you before you fire. Also since you do not have a melee weapon you cannot make AoO yourself. And as to my question above, I think you would have the -4 to your attack for firing into a melee.

 

[Ian O'Rourke]

Mmm....not something to do lightly then. But can't you just take a 5 foot step back? He engages you and gets a swing in. It comes to your turn so you do a five foot step and shoot? This then negates the AoO?

As for the firing into the melee - good question, I always assumed it only came into effect when you where shooting at another character engaged in melee with someone else (to avoid hitting the friend).

 

[LokiDR]

First, if the archer is threatened by a person when he shoots, then he has to deal with the AoO. Most times, however, the archer can take a 5 foot step so he is out of melee range, then fire freely.

As far as the melee oponent of the archer getting a cover bonus from being in melee, I would say no. That bonus is half cover from not wanting to hit an ally. Since the archer can't shoot himself in the back, I would say no cover for swordsman, just suck the AoO.

 

[Spatzimaus]

A 5' step isn't always an option. For one thing, it might take you into someone else's threatened area. For another, it denies you the ability to use actions for moves. Third, if the monster has reach you're still hosed.

Let's say I'm the archer, and Thog the Orc charges at me foaming at the mouth. I take a 5' step backward to get out of AoO range. Now, my only real option is to take a Full Attack on him (which stinks in this case because I'm still low-level and only get one attack). If I did a normal attack, I'd still have a Move-Equivalent Action left, but not be allowed to move. If I did a normal move then attacked, he'd have received a movement AoO on me as I moved away.

On his turn, he can just take a 5' step up to me and start whacking again. Clearly, he comes out better in this exchange.

 

[Ian O'Rourke]

I'm not suggesting for a second that the Archer is not the disadvantaged part - I was just getting a handle on how disadvantaged

 

[Darklone]

At low levels, the archer may as well win. Enter Rapid Shot and Point Blank Shot, the 5ft step back and put two arrows into the fighter may as well cause more damage than a halforc with greataxe going after the archer with his single attack.

The archer REALLY starts to loose when the fighter hits his bow once. Sunder is the winning tactic for the melee guy here.

 

[bertman4]

Regarding AoO, isn't it strange that there is a feat to reduce the chance of getting hit by AoO when you're moving (Mobility) but not for other AoO drawing actions/movement? Which is why The Netbook of Feats has such a feat. Reproduced here for your DM's view. The Netbook of Feats can be found at: http://www.datadeco.com/nbofeats/

DUCKING SHOT [General, Ranged]
You are skilled at dodging while using your ranged weapon.
Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot, Dodge, Dex 13+
Benefit: You get a +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunities caused while making a ranged attack in an area threatened by your enemies.
Notes: A condition that makes you lose your Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) also makes you lose dodge bonuses.
Balance: 4.70 (Purp 4.50, Pow 4.75, Port 5.00, Comp 4.50, Rule 4.75)

 

[LokiDR]

Is the orc guarenteed to break the bow? Wood still has a hardness of 5, and at least 10 hp per inch if memory serves. While the orc is trying to break the bow, archer is putting arrows in him.

The archer is not lost here. He has a big problem, true, but that doesn't mean that lvl 2 warrior beats level 4 archer if warrior gets up to the archer.

On a side note, Dragonstar has a feat called Pressing Attack, which prevents a person from 5' stepping away. Does anyone have any good experience with this? I am planning to use this feat on Forsaker barbarians to keep the mage/archer problem down.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Pressing Attack is very valuable in the Dragonstar Campaign, if you want to play a melee fighter like Monks.
It is something that often surprises the "victims" of this ability, but I think that will not last very long, if you use this feat often enough in game...

Mustrum Ridcully