Kalamar Clerics and ranged weapons.

[Lord Ben]

Okay, in one game I'm playing a LG Hobgoblin Fgt4/Clr1 and I'm basically an archer with all the archer feats. I plan on continueing as a Cleric since I've recently started worshipping Heironious, the god of Valor in Greyhawk.

I also am about to start a Kalamar campaign and wanted to use this guy as an NPC since none of my players know him and Hobgoblins fit in Kalamar really well, plus everyone has their own PC's they love.

Here is the rub. In Kalamar the god that Heironious would translate into forbids their Clerics from using ranged weapons? What's up with this? What is dishonorable with ranged weapons? Flamestriking someone is okay, but shooting them with a crossbow isn't? Obviously I could just house-rule it and I probably will, but what is the reasoning behind not allowing ranged weapons?

I'm new to RPG's (only ever played D&D), so I didn't know if this was a common theme or what. Is it common in novels for honorable types not to use ranged weapons?

Thanks.

 

[Sodalis]

basically yes-

i dont know the history, but I would think that if you were going into combat with someone, i would not consider it too honorable to soften him up with a couple of arrows before you take to teh sword. It is a smart tactic, but somewhat cheap.

If you really want to go extreme- and worship the guy to the T- then you would look at his domain spell list and have that as the basis of your spells- all the rest are supplementary.

I am using a cleric right now (St Cuthbert as my patron deity) and the domain spells get used first- or exclusively. The other spells are for use against army battles and such where there is not real 1 to 1 combat or duel type fighting.

 

[Orclicker]

yes

Not only is this a common theme in RPGs, but it comes from the Chivalric rules of combat where knight were not allowed to use ranged weapons.

 

[Lord Ben]

Well, the Chivalric code didn't have flying creatures in mind when it was written. I'm sure if the Knights had to fight flying Dragons they'd have made allowances for the Longbow.

 

[Hard8Staff]

Ben,

Are you insinuating that St. George shot the dragon before he slew it?

 

[Lord Ben]

I'm saying the DM played him wrong! He never should have gotten into melee so the Paladin could use his smite ability against him while charging on his mount with the spirited charge feat and a lance.

St George did a smackdown and the DM that played the Dragon needs to get BADD.

 

[Hard8Staff]

heh, good one!