Speaking of Archers [gaming]

[the_gneech]

Hey, people in my gaming group! Particularly camstone and jamesbarrett...

I just noticed for the first time that technically, you're not allowed to use a Longbow from horseback. I don't know if we've ever used that rule (I'm thinking of Jaer particularly), because I can't remember if Jaer's ever actually tried to do archery from horseback or if he's just dismounted at the beginning of every fight.

So do we stick with the rule-as-written or houserule it away? Theoretically, the D&D longbow is supposed to refer to the really long English-style longbow -- the typical 5' bow that Robin Hood et al. use is actually a shortbow. But shortbows only do d6, which is kinda depressing, and I've been thinking of the longbow as the 5' type, and the shortbow as the really small ones like ninja or halflings might use. So I'm willing to go either way, but I'd like to know your feelings on the subject.

(It also affects Celedras, as I'd have to shift his longbow-focused feats to shortbow-focused, but that's a relatively minor thing.)

What do you guys think? Maybe the English style longbow should be "True Longbow" and do d10 or something like that?

-The Gneech

Comments

[jamesbarrett.livejournal.com]

I'd go with the English style longbow being a "true longbow" and doing d10. I've always thought of the bow Robin Hood had as a longbow too. Legolas in that icon of yours is much what I think of when I think Longbow and he could use his from horseback, couldn't he? -Frisk

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

The reason being, a bow close to 6' long... when you pull the string, bits of HORSE are just going to be in its way... Physically, though, you could do it by standing in the stirrups.. a simple Ride check might be enough. DC 10 while the horse is still, 15 if moving, 20 at a gallop?

it's showier.

Impresses the rubes.

i don't even want to THINK about what a squad of mounted archers, standing in their stirrups as they bear down on some enemies, would do to enemy morale. I get a mental image of an orc, peering out from between shoddy pallisades, pointing and elbowing his friend. "oh, we're fucked."

[hossblacksilver.livejournal.com]

It would explain why mounted archers had less range than their foot counterparts, though stability while shooting would be another reason. But then again, archers (light cavalry) tended to be the fastest moving forces on the battle field, operating with a hit-and-run method. Though that shortened effective range made them vulnerable to their foot counterparts (which in turn where vulnerable to mounted heavy cavalry, who could close with their formations and smash them.)

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

For game purposes, I'd agree that you call the big one the "True Longbow" and make it do d10. That makes more sense to me anyway. I'd think those humongous bows could do that much damage. I always thought of the shortbow being the little Valentine's Day cherubim-style bow, ittie-bittie. The bows that human/elf characters use that aren't the "true longbows" are the ones I think of when I hear "longbow;" they just aren't gigantic like the ones you're talking about.

[willowanderer.livejournal.com]

I would, if I amy like to point outthe japanese long bow which is even longer, and yet (so I hear)they managed to use them on horseback sometimes.

but heck YeAH! a greater longbow should do morethan a d6 those things could punch through platemail in the hands of a properly trained archer.

[mg4h.livejournal.com]

Some real-world experience, if you want.

I've actually used a couple of different bows from "horseback" - this was for a competition, and the person running it made a frame for the middle of the horse, then stuck onto that a saddle, and some bits for the front and back. We had to shoot from that using a crossbow, a recurve (shorter) and a longbow.

In all cases, it was more difficult to aim because your stance wasn't static. Instead of having your feet comfortably set on the ground, you had to hold onto the saddle with your legs, just like a real horse. None of us were used to that, so it made for some interesting shots ;)

As for keeping the bows out of the horse's way - the crossbow was easiest, but reloading that sucker on horseback was painful. Either you'd have to stop a real horse to use a foot stirrup (or have a DC25+ or so to survive reloading with one foot out of the saddle) or you'd have to push against your stomach, and while it's doable, after a while that HURTS, even with reinforced leather for a brace.

The recurve, not surprisingly, was a bit easier than the longbow. The actual arc of the string wasn't as important as you'd think, because the biggest problem was keeping the bottom point of the longbow from getting tangled up in your foot, or the horse. The main thing it showed was the horse archers of the Mongolian hordes had it right - short, smaller horses, with short, powerful bows equals a deadly army.

And I've always thought the smaller bow equals less damage rule is stupid. I have a "smaller" bow - it's a recurve, it's 40 pounds, but in gaming terms it would be considered lighter than a fiberglass "longbow" which is only 25 pounds.

Whichever way you want to run the house rule, make sure if your longbow really is almost the height of the person (traditional size) that the arc you can shoot off of the horse is smaller than if it's a shorter bow. Aside from that - the rules are simplified versions of reality. If you want your bow to be d10, make it d10 :) Just make sure it's more difficult to shoot from horseback, because it really is.