For Hyp, or anyone else with Silver Marches

[Korak]

I don't have a copy with me at work. Can someone provide me with a copy, or reasonable paraphrase of the ranged threat ability at level 8?. I seem to remember some type of restriction on it, besides just within 30'.

 

[Taren Seeker]

You threaten with your bow at 10' but not at 5' and only when wearing light or no armor. It doesn't expressly say that you can flank with it but you do threaten.

The drawback is that it seems to be an always on ability, meaning that you cannot shoot at a target 5' away ever.

 

[Seraphna]

Yes you can, you just do not threaten at 5 feet. It has to specifically mention that you can't attack to prevent you from doing such. Threatening affects 3 major things, Flanking, Attacks of Oppurtunity, and Special Attacks. A longbow's range does not change from 100' to 10-100' when you gain this ability, and much like any other extraordinary ability Threaten can be ignored by the character too. (You don't HAVE to use an ability you have, that's half the beauty of having it.)

Taren, I suggest you go back and read the rules more closely, before you make you brain hurt. Threaten does 2 things, it allows you to threaten with a bow as if you were wielding a polearm, and it Makes Ranged Sneak attacks actually possible to pull off after the 1st round. <.< (Well... it's possible but annoying to set up.)

 

[Taren Seeker]

Thanks for the condescension Seraphna, but my brain is not hurting. I did not say that you could not flank with it, I mentioned that it doesn't expressly state that you can. I then mentioned that you can threaten with all that implies. Forgive me for not spelling it out for you.

And how about you go read the entry again. The bow is treated in all ways as a reach weapon that cannot be used at 5'. Nothing about opting not to or that you "may" do this.

 

[Korak]

Thanks for the condescension Seraphna, but my brain is not hurting. I did not say that you could not flank with it, I mentioned that it doesn't expressly state that you can. I then mentioned that you can threaten with all that implies. Forgive me for not spelling it out for you.

And how about you go read the entry again. The bow is treated in all ways as a reach weapon that cannot be used at 5'. Nothing about opting not to or that you "may" do this.

Then I guess it's a good thing that my build uses a greatbow and exotic weapon master to threaten at 5'.

Thanks for the info.


edit...

As for flanking, since I will threaten, I can help my allies gain a flanking bonus. However, I will not get the bonus myself, since I will not be making a melee attack.

FLANKING
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by a character or creature friendly to you on the opponent’s opposite border or opposite corner.
When in doubt about whether two friendly characters flank an opponent in the middle, trace an imaginary line between the two friendly characters’ centers. If the line passes through opposite borders of the opponent’s space (including corners of those borders), then the opponent is flanked.
Exception: If a flanker takes up more than 1 square, it gets the flanking bonus if any square it occupies counts for flanking.
Only a creature or character that threatens the defender can help an attacker get a flanking bonus.
Creatures with a reach of 0 feet can’t flank an opponent.

 

[andargor]

Thanks for the condescension Seraphna, but my brain is not hurting.

I'm waiting for Hyp to come in and use his Calm Emotions at will innate ability.

Andargor

 

[Taren Seeker]

The bow is actually treated as a melee weapon. You get both the flanking bonus and the sneak. I don't have the close combat shot ability of the EWM in front of me so I don't know if it has similar wording. I believe not, so you would get sneak from 10' but could only grant a flank to an ally from 5'.

...threaten nearby areas with her bow as if she were wielding a melee weapon...Her bow functions as a reach weapon, threatening anything 10 feet away...

The description does state that the attack is treated as a normal ranged attack for AoO's, so you would not be able to claim a flank in that case.

 

[Korak]

The bow is actually treated as a melee weapon. You get both the flanking bonus and the sneak. I don't have the close combat shot ability of the EWM in front of me so I don't know if it has similar wording. I believe not, so you would get sneak from 10' but could only grant a flank to an ally from 5'.



The description does state that the attack is treated as a normal ranged attack for AoO's, so you would not be able to claim a flank in that case.

Bah, my memory is getting shaky. Atm, I am uncertain wether close combat shot from EWM just lets you not provoke AOOs when firing your bow in melee range, or if it also allows you to threaten at 5'. I suppose I'll have to wait until I get home and can read CW or someone else beats me to it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The bow is actually treated as a melee weapon.

I don't have the book in front of me, but I'm pretty sure it only threatens as a melee weapon. You're not making a melee attack with it; you don't use Strength bonus on your attack rolls; you're still making a ranged attack.

Therefore you don't receive a flanking bonus when attacking.

As noted, however, since you threaten, you can provide a flanking bonus for an ally.

I'd somehow missed the "don't threaten at 5'" restriction, which means that Karmic Strike is almost completely a waste of time, which makes my choice even easier

Close Combat Shot doesn't involve threatening at all; it only allows you to avoid provoking an AoO... again, from memory.

-Hyp.