D&D 4E Looks like 4e's combat is closer, and I LIKE it!!

[Cabled]

I would assume that that's simply a reaction a deer would make to any loud sound rather than an actual attempt to dodge the arrow.

And yet it is exactly what's at the crux of this arguement. It's not really important how far away someone can dodge an arrow...it's out there around a couple hundred feet where someone starts to have a realistic chance. However, in combat, modern or not...not seeing the enemy, or running in nice straight predictable pattern when you do, is just asking to get shot. The target only has to do 50% of the work of not getting shot...the other 50% is giving the shooter some unpredictability to deal with. It's tough to lead slippery target...and god forbid the wind be blowing, those feathers are sails in a crosswind.

Having said all that, I've always felt the longer ranges were just fine, that's what the -2 per range increment penalty is for...you CAN shoot that far, you're just not going to hit anything.

 

[Imp]

I've never noticed the long missile ranges in 3e to come up nearly often enough to be any kind of tyrannically oppressive issue. Usually I've had to go out of my way to set up fights like that, to be a special kind of obstacle or give an archer character a chance to shine. In 4e, it's probably a bit easier for archers because defender-types are much more effective in an offensive-lineman role.

 

[malraux]

I would assume that that's simply a reaction a deer would make to any loud sound rather than an actual attempt to dodge the arrow.

Point being that its more than reasonable for non-magical creatures to have a reasonable shot of dodging arrows, which was a point of contention up thread. In addition, my experience from bowhunting was that 100 feet is pushing it for reasonable accuracy of game. Competitive games extend the range, but they are shooting at a stationary target.