Halflings and Slings
- Thread starter Cymsdale
- Start date
Vocenoctum
First Post
Especially in that instance, since the PHB on page 8 says "a strength penalty, but not a bonus, applies to attacks made with a bow or a sling."
Mistwell
Crusty Old Meatwad
Sigh.
PHB also says sling is the favored weapon of halflings, and the halfling skip rock description implies that the use of a sling is an action that throws a stone.
Can something be both a ranged weapon and a thrown weapon at the same time? Why not? Sword & Fist, an official product, seems to think so. Customer Service of WOTC seem to thing so too.
So far the only people who think it cannot work that way are the rules strict constructionists. Me, I tend to be a moderate constructionist (and there are liberal constructionists as well). However, being a moderate or liberal rules constructionist does not mean that we are bending the rules, or making house rules, or following the rules any less than the strict constructionists. You see this in law as well, with appeals court judges. It's just a different way of viewing the same rules. So you strict constructionists keep preaching away how a particular chart in PHB lists slings as ranged weapons, and therefore the sling cannot gain the halfling thrown bonus. Us moderate and liberal constructionists will continue to grok the two concepts that: 1) the Halflings favor this weapon because it throws stones, which is where their throwing bonus comes from; and 2) the use of a sling, a ranged weapon, throws a stone or bullet solely with the force applied by the user of the sling (and not the force put directly into a bow while stringing it during its creation), thus also counting as a thrown weapon, for purposes of the halfling throwing bonus.
PHB also says sling is the favored weapon of halflings, and the halfling skip rock description implies that the use of a sling is an action that throws a stone.
Can something be both a ranged weapon and a thrown weapon at the same time? Why not? Sword & Fist, an official product, seems to think so. Customer Service of WOTC seem to thing so too.
So far the only people who think it cannot work that way are the rules strict constructionists. Me, I tend to be a moderate constructionist (and there are liberal constructionists as well). However, being a moderate or liberal rules constructionist does not mean that we are bending the rules, or making house rules, or following the rules any less than the strict constructionists. You see this in law as well, with appeals court judges. It's just a different way of viewing the same rules. So you strict constructionists keep preaching away how a particular chart in PHB lists slings as ranged weapons, and therefore the sling cannot gain the halfling thrown bonus. Us moderate and liberal constructionists will continue to grok the two concepts that: 1) the Halflings favor this weapon because it throws stones, which is where their throwing bonus comes from; and 2) the use of a sling, a ranged weapon, throws a stone or bullet solely with the force applied by the user of the sling (and not the force put directly into a bow while stringing it during its creation), thus also counting as a thrown weapon, for purposes of the halfling throwing bonus.
Mistwell said:
*sigh* right back.
Nope. It's a favored weapon, but not one they get an inherent bonus with. The halfling skiprock is irrelevent, it's not a core rules weapon. It can't be used to prove anything one way or the other about halflings.
Sure it can be ranged and thrown at the same time. It just can't be both a projectile weapon and a thrown weapon at the same time.
An answer from Customer Service means nothing. The Sword and Fist is a supplement, not a core rule. It's obviously a mistake on the part of the author (Sword and Fist was full of mistakes, in case you missed the pages of errata already released on that supplement.)
I know that halflings had a bonus with slings in previous editions, but the fact remains that they don't have it in 3e. Elves had a bonus with swords in previous editions, but they don't have it in 3e. It's not the same anymore.
In any case, it's pretty clear in the core rules. Slings are projectile weapons, and haflings only get a bonus with thrown weapons.
It's a fine house rule if you want them to have it again. But please don't pretend that the most error ridden builder book released to date and WOTC customer service are a more authoritative source of rules information than the PHB.
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