What are the rules for re-stringing a bow or xbow after snapped string?

[Jeff Wilder]

Hmm. Is shooting an arrow every 2-3 seconds that fast? An arrow a second, sure, but 20 arrows a minute can be done.

It can be done, but not with very impressive accuracy.

Speaking personally, at my best (I was a state junior champion), I could loose one end (six arrows) in under 30 seconds, at 30 meters, and score points with each shaft. (This is on a 1.2 meter target.) I was never aware of any formal speed-target competitions; I'm sure it's done, but I don't think it's common.

Just for comparison's sake, a world-class archer can hit four four-inch targets at 30 meters in under 30 seconds. (I think the world record is somewhere around 24 seconds.) There are a number of speed competitions that don't compare well with the kind of target competition I did; this is pretty much as close as it gets.

 

[lukelightning]

You can't restring a bow in 6 seconds.

Bah. I don't give two hoots about the reality of stringing a bow. Nobody in the real world has ever matched the archery skill of a 10th level ranger or what have you. I care about the game, and if you are going to afflict the PCs with broken bow strings (I'm guessing from some houserule fumble rule), I don't think it should be something that takes the archer out of the entire battle.

That's why I said a full round action. Given the speed of combat, losing an entire round of actions is a sizeable penalty.

As for the rogue sneaking in a cutting bowstrings, a better plan would be using disable device to sabotage the bows.

 

[Darklone]

It can be done, but not with very impressive accuracy.

Speaking personally, at my best (I was a state junior champion), I could loose one end (six arrows) in under 30 seconds, at 30 meters, and score points with each shaft. (This is on a 1.2 meter target.) I was never aware of any formal speed-target competitions; I'm sure it's done, but I don't think it's common.

Just for comparison's sake, a world-class archer can hit four four-inch targets at 30 meters in under 30 seconds. (I think the world record is somewhere around 24 seconds.) There are a number of speed competitions that don't compare well with the kind of target competition I did; this is pretty much as close as it gets.

The speed competitions we had was similar, 50m and you had to shoot as fast as you could, arrows that scored were counted (comparable target size). I managed 23 arrows once, slightly below 20 was considered to be good. With a longbow that means you are done for the day afterwards.

That world record sounds great, I can imagine most competitors are faster but don't hit all 4 targets.

Summed up: Looks like everyone is houseruling as a full round action (or two ME actions as I would rule it, provoking AoOs twice).

 

[CleverNickName]

This actually came up in a game of mine, a few months ago. To fix the broken bowstring, I used the same rules for repairing any other broken item (Craft check, or a mending spell). It worked out rather smoothly, and didn't have any arguments or complaints.

 

[Choranzanus]

Cutting a crossbow string: You'd need a saw. These things are horribly thick and tough.

With a sword.... no problem. Swords are sharp....

On the other hand restringing a crossbow is very difficult, unstrung crossbow is curved completely to the other side.

 

[Emirikol]

I suppose then that there are no SUNDERING rules applicable to this sort of thing?

Jay

 

[sdt]

Next time the rogue will know to steal the arrows, then he doesn't need to worry about the bows.

 

[Christian]

You do know that a bow should be carried un-strung, right? Stringing a bow -- partially, generally the lower loop will be on -- is part of readying a bow. Doing a full re-string -- bottom and top -- will take a little longer, and I agree with a previous poster about provoking an AoO. (This is one thing that bugs me about the otherwise excellent new "Robin Hood" series on BBC: Robin carries and stores his recurved "Saracen" bow constantly strung. Ow.)

Actually, a composite bow (which most recurved ancient bows were) can be kept strung for long periods of time. It's because the power comes primarily from the difference in compressibility between the two materials in the limbs, rather than from the tension of the limbs being pulled into a sharper curve than their resting position, as in a self bow. (This is why you don't need to un- and re-string your heavy crossbows, which would be a huge hassle; the staff of a heavy crossbow is also made of composite materials.)

Unless it's really heavy, you wouldn't want to keep it strung for months on end. But a Mongolian cavalryman might well keep his bow strung for the length of a campaigning season ...

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I suppose then that there are no SUNDERING rules applicable to this sort of thing?

You can't SUNDER a string... It just sounds too silly.

Later
silver

 

[Dross]

As for the rogue sneaking in a cutting bowstrings, a better plan would be using disable device to sabotage the bows.

At a round per bow?

I'll chime in and say that 1-2 rounds with 1 round including provoking AoOs to be a reasonable time.