Bregbor:
Can a character prepare a bow - move and then fire or is it prepare - move - prepare again - fire?
My understanding is that only the CROSSBOW can be pre-loaded. It takes 2 rounds (20 seconds) to load, but you can load it and walk around with a loaded crossbow ready to shoot. The other bows all take a round to load, or you can "reload" and fire in the same round with a penalty to OB.
Composite Bow 1-4 Puncture 75* Load(1), or Reload(0) at -25 to OB.
Crossbow 1-5 Puncture 90 Load(2), + 20 OB at up to 50'.
Long Bow 1-5 Puncture 100* Load(1), or Reload(0) at -35 to OB.
Short Bow 1-4 Puncture 60* Load(1), or Reload(0) at -10 to OB.
Sling 1-6 Crush(D) 50* Load(1), can use with a shield.
* A character may not move with these weapons loaded and ready to fire. They may be carried in hand and fired as if reloading (penalty applies).
All of the bows and the sling require loading and reloading. The number of rounds required for loading each weapon (and reloading without penalty) is given on the Weapon Statistics Table CST- 1. Some of the weapons can be reloaded in fewer rounds (even 0 rounds), resulting in a modification (given in the table) to the next missile attack roll made by that weapon. Unless the load/reload time is 0, loading or reloading counts as the action for a round, but the character may still move up to 10'.
E.g. A composite bow normally takes 1 round to load or reload without penalty, and thus could be fired once every other round without penalty. However it may be reloaded in 0 rounds ("reload(O) at -25 to OB") and fired the round immediately following a round in which it was fired, if the OBfor that round is reduced by 25. Thus firing every round results in a -25 penalty to the firer's OB.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:13, Wed 20 Sept 2023.
