Pathfinder 1E What about compound bows?

[gamerprinter]

Honestly, modern Pathfinder settings don't interest me (modern any system settings don't either). While there probably is a market for modern and/or post-holocaust Pathfinder, I doubt there's a significant number of PF gamers that desire such a setting. And due to the lack of interest by the majority, with the majority of posters on this forum in the not interested category, means this thread is unlikely to gain much attention - no matter how many times its bumped. If I were playing a modern/post-holocaust setting than I'm not interested in compound bows, probably an automatic firearm would be preferable. I am also not interested enough in the idea to spend time experimenting in the development of mechanics for weapons I would never use.

 

[mr_outsidevoice]

Well, since Compound Bows are anachronistic, you could just make them Steampunk style using gears and a brass alloy fused with some type of fantasy metal.

You can assign a strength rating to the bow that the character does not need to have in order to use the bow. just double or triple the base cost and have a malfunction on a natural "1". A craft or Knowledge(Engineering) required to fix it.

Place it in a place where magic is not trusted, guns are too rare or non-existant to be feasible.

 

[Puxido]

I can respect that. I never really asked if anyone could make one, just if they had heard of a way to implement composite bows. Though my setting is post apocalyptic, I would scarce say it is modern. Modern guns are not in use, flintlocks (used loosely, commonly switched with wheel locks and other primitive firearms) are the most a character could use. I tried to keep it medieval-esc with some tech implemented every now and then. The idea really came to me when I was having a conversation with some friends, and I made a joke about how I would survive the zombie apocalypse by wearing chainmail and carrying a blunderbuss.
And I don't understand why people refer to it as anachronistic, while Pathfinder is mostly set in medieval times, it is just a system, you build your plot around it any way you want too. Two great examples I have is the pure steam Campaign, and Ponyfinder. Not typical pathfinder settings, but still too the spirit of the game. They use the system to build their own lore and make a story, I love it! And compound bows, I've researched them before posting this on the forums, and I have developed an opinion on them. Much like the gun, they can show up at any point in time someone comes up with the idea, I have seen too many homemade models to say otherwise. The gun can show up any time it wants, all that is required is access to black powder (Which predates the gun by many centuries), and knowledge of metallurgy. The only reason it showed up in Europe when it did is because Europe had spent many years developing intricate church bells, which was beneficial in the construction of the flintlock mechanism. It is safe to assume that if ancient Greece had church, they may have Spartans going into battle with guns thanks to both the technology developed by the bellmaking and trade with Asia. And I did now bump this to make it popular, just wanted to get an idea on how to use compound bows in a campaign when I do. Plus, I do suppose I am somewhat Anachronistic, as I was also thinking on adding zippo style lighters, but I think that could actually be made in medieval times by a tinsmith, just needs someone to think it up.

 

[gamerprinter]

I say normally I wouldn't play a modern setting, however, though our table never got around to doing it, we discussed the intentions of playing a "Deadlands" style, supernatural old west campaign using Pathfinder gun rules with revolver and rifles as commonly found weapons, and not the rarity that the UC implies. In such a game even the rogue and wizard would have a revolver as a weapon. I even created a Magus archetype called the Shootist whose spellbook is a deck of playing cards, and could wield 2 revolvers and do spell combat (though can't fire the off-hand pistol in the same round as using spell combat.) Unlike the myrmidarch archetype, the shootist only has ranged spell strike, as he's an arcane gunfighter and never plans to do melee styled combat. The shootist was inspired as a cross between Doc Holiday and Roland, Stephen King's Gunslinger. I'd still like to run such a campaign someday, I think the idea has a lot of potential. (This as close to a "modern" setting I'd run, but its quite different than our normal games.)

I even created a map for the conceptual setting - an Arizona/desert southwest setting with Apaches, commancheros, Mexican vaqueros, outlaws, gun fighters, mining camps, ghost towns (with undead), unique spirit magic/religion subsystem, some Cthulhu aspects dropped in - trains, stage coaches, steamboats, but more like the old west and less steampunk (I don't care for steampunk at all).

If I didn't already have so many projects going on that will keep me busy well into next year, plus my freelance cartography schedule for next year, I'd take the time and actually publish such a PF Old West setting.

 

[Puxido]

My goodness, what program do you use? Could you send me a link, would be useful for my campaigns.

 

[gamerprinter]

Well that map is almost completely hand-drawn, though I plan to release much of the drawings as their own map object set, as part of a Kickstarter I ran last year to fund a series of Map Tutorial Guides. I just released the first book to backers this week, and after a final editing pass will update then release it to the public - called 25 Quick & Dirty Map Tutorials Guide. Software wise I use Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 9 which is an affordable vector drawing application. That first book is for digital photo-realistic maps. The third intended guide for the series is hand-drawn maps. You could visit my Map thread here on ENWorld boards - I have many examples of both hand-drawn and purely digital maps.

Even though the Kickstarter is long over, you can visit the KS page to learn more about the products that I'm starting to release now.

I'm a pro game cartographer having done work for Paizo Publishing, Iron Crown Enterprises, ProFantasy Software (makers of Campaign Cartographer), and many small 3PP firms. I just did my first commission for the video game industry about a month ago, creating a bunch of full color maps for the strategy guide for the November release of the next Activision Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare game. I'll be doing a half dozen other video game title strategy guides maps next year - so like I said, busier than hell these days.

 

[Puxido]

I see, well is there anything you can suggest for someone without skills at drawing? Sorry I'm just not that skilled at dwaring.

 

[gamerprinter]

Well my tutorial guides would be a good way to learn at least purely digital maps, which doesn't technically require hand-drawn skills. Campaign Cartographer 3 which I mentioned above is a CAD program with objects for mountains, cities, and terrain detail you just drop into a map. Heck, using a standard drawing program like Xara (the one I use) is fast, easy and intuitive to use. If you've got third party map objects (like ones I create) its easy to drop them into the map, letting you adjust scale and place where you want.

 

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[Arnold Taylor]

I'm sorry the guys that raised the dead from the dead old topic, just have a few interesting observations from personal experience, perhaps someone will need this information in the future
Compound bows have a let off of any where from 65-80%. Guys who are shooting 70lbs with a compound with 80% let off are only holding 14lbs after the let off. Those same guys will not be nearly as accurate with a 60lb recurve or longbow. There are sights for recurve bows but honestly for survival bow, stick to the KISS principal. The only thing that replaces practice & experience, is more practice & experience. Shooting a bow without sights is not nearly as difficult as you would think. I had a 35lb fiberglass longbow https://secretstorages.com/best-compound-bow/ for years (my wife inadvertently sold it during a garage sale - she's still is not allowed in the garage). I had a dozen wooden arrows for it and I was ridiculously accurate within 30 yards. Never shot it with anything other than field points though. Never shot broadheads with it. Look on eBay and check Craigs list. You'll want a finger tab or glove for holding the string. I never used an arm guard because, IMO, it promotes the bad habit of locking out your arm when shooting.There are a lot of useful videos on this topic on Youtube. I'll leave one here for general information, I hope this helps someone.
[video=youtube;pI6aDyURKPM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI6aDyURKPM[/video]