Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bewildered DM 03-03-05, 05:02 PM	I know that a Move Action must be taken to reload a crossbow, effectively limiting a player (generally speaking) to reloading and firing, or reloading and moving... Does this apply to a bow? What about a sling? Must an action be taken to reload these weapons? I know crossbows are specifically singled out for the reload action; just curious on your opinions. Thanks!
rayan4d2 03-03-05, 05:08 PM	Its not an opinion, bows reload with a free action.
Titan W 03-03-05, 05:16 PM	there is an enchantment in the Arms&Equipment guide that allows you to hold 100 bolts in an extraplanar compartment, then it gets a benefit when reloading... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ((Pointles Rant)) unfortuantely my DM ruled that a repeating crossbow could fire its whole clip as one attack action at -1 penalty per 2 shots fired... now we have a guy unloading a gatling gun every round... (He has a +8 to hit, that's about 20 shots a round at 1D10 damage per shot, and a good probablility of a critical that's at level 5... ((Rant Over))
SD 03-03-05, 06:21 PM	The sling also take a move action to reload, and my opinion is that a player should be able to take Rapid Reload for slings as well. I haven't had a DM yet who's disagreed, but I have to go on the assumption that the only one who disagrees will run the campaign where I play my halfling slinggod.
Bewildered DM 03-03-05, 06:41 PM	The sling also take a move action to reload, and my opinion is that a player should be able to take Rapid Reload for slings as well. I haven't had a DM yet who's disagreed, but I have to go on the assumption that the only one who disagrees will run the campaign where I play my halfling slinggod. I should have looked at the weapons descriptions before I posted. Under Crossbow, Light and Sling, it explains that the reloading is a Move Action. Also, under Crossbow, Repeating, it says that reloading the new case is a Full Round Action. At the risk of drawing the ire from fans of bows, I think that being able to Reload (Free Action), Fire (Standard Action) and then take a Move Action is pushing it for a 6 second window of time (round), especially if the archer moves, say, 30 feet. I think it can be done, but there is no room for error. And none of this, "My Uncle Jed can fire 5 arrows in 3 seconds chasing wild 'coons over hilly terrain!" You know what I mean: moving 30 feet with a bow during combat, notching an arrow, aiming, firing...
Geometric 03-03-05, 07:19 PM	Well look at it this way, while the archer is running what are his/her hands doing? One can only assume that the archer using them to reload. An archer's BAB can be said as showing the archer's ability to just reload faster and less aim if one wants. The less time a person spends reloading, the more time is spent aiming at a target and killing it. However, this is wrong since more than anything high BAB for an archer is aim, but quicker reloading is definitely part of it. Yes it is pushing the six-second limit, but it is feasible and can be done. Around half-a-second to a second of reloading and about two seconds of aiming can do wonders if you’re skilled. Now for in between your shots at high BAB, the archer has the perfected the ability to nock, draws, aim, and fire the arrow in a split second. Look at the first five levels, the archer is inexperienced; they have only just picked up a bow and becoming even more proficient with the weapon. In my personal opinion there should be a separate BAB for whatever weapons you use, forcing players to specialize, but that's a whole other issue. Do I personally know anyone who can do anything close to this with a bow? No, no I don't. I have a hard enough time getting with in 3 inches of the edges of the bull’s-eye, more often than not even further, with twelve or more seconds of aiming.
Fenris Frost 03-03-05, 07:20 PM	You'd be surprised. It isn't all that complicated, and you can do several things at once. Pulling out an arrow takes all of a half second, you can do that while walking or running, and aiming you can do as well and would only take perhaps three seconds unless you want to go completely sniper. However, all you're doing is trying to hit, and it isn't that hard just to hit something the size of a human even from 90 feet away. {Edt} Ack, Geometic beat me.
Titan W 03-03-05, 07:55 PM	About the Repeating Crossbow, the problem is that once you enchant the case with this +1 enchantemnt, (2000 gp) it allows for 100 bolts per case, which means that he can let loose a series of bolts from the clip w/o reloading, yes reloading takes a while, but it's rare he ever has to... in combat anyway... on another note, it is true that aiming a bow doesn't take all that long unless you're going for the perfect shot, and it's relatively easy to hit a target the size of a 6 foot tall husky fighter, however that's with a bit of training, and lots of practice, which is waht having the class level(s) indicate so... it's quite possibble (I do realise this has been said).
reginrok 03-03-05, 09:13 PM	Well everyone seems to be in a huffy over being able to move, draw, knock, aim, and fire a bow in 6 seconds(one round,) but no one has gone back to the fact that it takes a simple move action to reload a light crossbow. You really someone can sit still, reload, and fire a crossbow over someone moving and able to use his hands the whole time? It takes a longer time to reload a crossbow than to fire an arrow while moving like such so if anyone had any problems with the arrow being able to perform like this in 6 seconds, then they should increase the time it takes to ****, load, and fire a crossbow.
Bewildered DM 03-03-05, 09:18 PM	Well everyone seems to be in a huffy over being able to move, draw, knock, aim, and fire a bow in 6 seconds(one round,) but no one has gone back to the fact that it takes a simple move action to reload a light crossbow. You really someone can sit still, reload, and fire a crossbow over someone moving and able to use his hands the whole time? It takes a longer time to reload a crossbow than to fire an arrow while moving like such so if anyone had any problems with the arrow being able to perform like this in 6 seconds, then they should increase the time it takes to ****, load, and fire a crossbow. Agreed.