Sling = no Str bonus to dam, correct?

[Zaruthustran]

Just wanted a second (confirming) opinion on this question.

High Str gives no bonus to damage with a sling, right?

SRD:
"Add no Strength bonus to damage with a projectile weapon unless the weapon is a mighty composite shortbow or longbow."

Seems pretty explicit to me.

 

[Berk]

all depends on what you image of a sling is

is it the type ya pull back cuz if it is then you can make mighty versions of it, otherwise it would do standard damage cuz the pull only allows so much like a bow

or maybe it's the type that you swing around and fling in which case I would allow a str bonus or negative

my personal view of a sling is the type you swing around and fling, but you aren't allowed mulitple attacks with it

 

[kreynolds]

High Str gives no bonus to damage with a sling, right?

Correct.

Seems pretty explicit to me.

Yup.

 

[Pbartender]

all depends on what you image of a sling is

is it the type ya pull back cuz if it is then you can make mighty versions of it, otherwise it would do standard damage cuz the pull only allows so much like a bow

Feh. That's a slingshot, which is not so much a weapon as it is a toy for small children.

Though some people house-rule it, Slings are technically "projectile" weapons in all respects.

 

[Corlon]

wait

I thought they counted as thrown weapons for somethin or somethin

grr, lemme go get my PHB

and slingshots aren't kiddy toys, check slingstick in arms and armor

 

[CRGreathouse]

Re: wait

and slingshots aren't kiddy toys, check slingstick in arms and armor

Slighshots are toys, and Arms & Armor is a joke.

 

[Mistwell]

There is controversy about this issue. Some evidence suggests that the sling counts as a thrown weapon for some things, and projectile weapon for others. There is other evidence that it is only a projectile weapon, and never counts as a thrown weapon. There have been huge threads about this issue, usually involving halflings, and weather they get their bonus to thrown weapons from using a sling (and sometimes also involving the halfling skip rock).

No matter how loud people scream from each side, and no matter how many rules they quote (usually with a paragraph that starts with "Clearly...", always a sure sign on these boards that what is to follow is anything but clear and certain), in my opinion this is an unresolved rules issue. Perhaps someday it will find its way into published Sage advice or the FAQ, and perhaps not.

So here is my best advice (well, it's advice someone else gave me at one point on this board). "There is no spoon." It doesn't matter what the "official" ruling on this issue might be. The rules are all 100% suggestions and guidance only.

So just decide what you want your sling to be in your game. There are good, solid arguments on both sides. You can view a sling as something that is more about the strength of the individual whipping the sling forward that matters, much like a javelin. You can also view a sling as something that is more about the "shot" or stone that is in the sling, and the tensile strength of the fabric of the sling, much like a bow and arrow. The former would use strength, the later wouldn't.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Thanks Mistwell (and others). Ordinarily this wouldn't be an issue, I'd just house rule the sling (no Str bonus to dam, takes two hands and a move-equivalent to load and "wind up" the shot, halflings get bonus). But I play in an RPGA game, where house rules and creative interpretations of rules are frowned upon.

I guess, to be safe, each time I play I'll just ask the particular DM what he or she thinks. No big deal.

Thanks!

-z