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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kobold Stew" data-source="post: 7147581" data-attributes="member: 23484">The reputation of ancient slingers is high, and it's important that as a technology slings continued to be used even after advanced bows could be made. the reason for this is *not* just that they were in expensive. In Xenophon's Anabasis (an account of a Greek mercenary expedition in Persian territory in 400 BCE), a specialist unit of slingers is made to respond to the changing types of engagements they are fighting during the campaign:(3.3.17) Now I am told that there are Rhodians in our army, that most of them understand the use of the sling, and that their missile carries no less than twice as far as those from the Persian slings. [17] For the latter have only a short range because the stones that are used in them are as large as the hand can hold; the Rhodians, however, are versed also in the art of slinging leaden bullets.Specifically, issues of range are mentioned: [3.3.15] For at present the enemy can shoot arrows and sling stones so far that neither our Cretan bowmen nor our javelin-men can reach them in reply.Once established, (3.4.16) “the barbarians were no longer able to do any harm by their skirmishing at long range; for the Rhodian slingers carried farther with their missiles than the Persians, farther even than the Persian bowmen”So lead bullets can outdistance javelins and bows on both sides. Issues of ammunition supply are also mentioned: the mercenaries did not have ready access to markets, but making lead bullets was a nonspecialist technology, as was picking up rocks.In addition to Rhodians, Balearic slingers (already mentioned) were noted among Roman auxiliaries, but there are no actual claims about the effectiveness as a weapon outside of Xenophon (Strabo 3.5.1.167-68 and others do describe good individual shots, of course, as does 1 Samuel 17). * * *The traditions of the game and Robin Hood legends (and their descendants) romanticize archery, and slings end up being misunderstood. As for your game: perhaps instead of making new rules, your DM would consider just re-skinnning an existing weapon: call it a Balearic sling and give it the exact same game stats as a short bow, or a Rhodian sling with the same stats as a long bow, and you should be good. (accept that you're paying 25gp for "sling training" or something). Hope this helps.</blockquote>

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