Str Bonus to Composite Bows

[James McMurray]

So, basicly a tree trunk with a string attached.

Or an otherwise normal looking bow made from metal instead of wood and with an insane number of pulleys and wheels on it.

 

[Saeviomagy]

*shudders at the thought of bows with insanely strong pulls*

Well, I think I'm gonna just pretend that there are caps on the str bonus, probably along the lines of the 3.0 version (short max=+2, long max =+4). With those, what would you say the Greatbow's max should be? +6 or +8? I'm leaning toward +8.

I guess I have to just say, if it were a 3.0 weapon, what would its max be?

Thanks for the clarification about the 3.5 rules though.

Why have a max? What is the reason? You're living in a world where a wizard can cast a spell to shape ANYTHING into your bow, and then use magic to give it the structural properties needed. Where a regular axe can be used by someone with a strength of 40+ (ie - in real world terms over 20 times the strength of the strongest man in the world) without a chance of breakage.

What is the point in limiting strength bonus on a bow? It doesn't really serve a game-balance benefit any more (since arrows and bows don't stack any more), and even when the rule existed, it wasn't used (as evidenced by the strength bonuses on the bows of various monsters). Just let it slide.

Or an otherwise normal looking bow made from metal instead of wood and with an insane number of pulleys and wheels on it.

Why pulleys and wheels? Pulleys and wheels would have the net effect of reducing the strength minimum for a bow. If you just want to increase the strength bonus, make a stronger bow.

 

[Hypersmurf]

There was an item in the first Grimtooth's Traps book called "Satan's Longbow".

A steel bow, with diamond-dusted wire for the string.

That radiated lots of supercool nifty magic, to really tempt people into trying it out...

-Hyp.

 

[clark411]

Now that's just mean... Almost as mean as the variant "Satan's Codpiece" but still quite mean.

As for the remainder of the thread, I gotta toss my vote in with people suggesting no cap for ranged weaponry. It is already obvious that the Composite Longbow is the superior weapon and "only choice" for many a gamer. I see no reason to make Shortbows and so forth even less appealing.

 

[James McMurray]

Why pulleys and wheels? Pulleys and wheels would have the net effect of reducing the strength minimum for a bow. If you just want to increase the strength bonus, make a stronger bow.

Because those pulleys and gears are all fitted together in a manner that makes it harder to pull the string, not easier. And because I knew someone would try to apply real world mechanical principals to my example.

 

[Greatfrito]

Okay, so no cap for str bonus. Easy enough.

Heh, I was looking at it anyways, and crap, does that get expensive fast. Especially at low levels. Even worse when you're using a Greatbow (which is really, from all I can tell, just for show... oh, and an extra point of average damage, but meh, who cares 'bout that).

 

[Ahrimon]

I don't have the CW around at the moment, but is the Greatbow listed as a composite bow? Or does the description specifically state that it can be made as a strength bow? If I remember correctly that normal bows cannot be made as strength bows, only composite ones can.

Ahrimon

 

[Ysgarran]

The 3.5 SRD has the Solar's bow doing 2d6 + 7 (+ slaying) which seems correct. I don't have my books with me so the MM may be incorrect.

Ysgarran.

Remember that a Solar's (normal-sized, for some reason) Longbow in 3E allowed +5, and a Storm Giant's Gargantuan Longbow allowed +14... so you can justify pretty much any figure you choose.

I'm afraid I have no idea what a greatbow's stats are, though - I don't have Complete Warrior.

-Hyp.

 

[silentspace]

I always thought you shouldn't be able to pull bows that have a higher strength mod then your own. Then again, a character with 3 Strength, who can only lift 30 lbs maximum, shouldn't be able to wield a greatsword either. Oh well.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

I always thought you shouldn't be able to pull bows that have a higher strength mod then your own. Then again, a character with 3 Strength, who can only lift 30 lbs maximum, shouldn't be able to wield a greatsword either. Oh well.

Well he can't, really. Hence the -4 to hit and damage.