Some Additional Ranged/Bow-fire Rules

Some simple and easy rules additions for evening-out the ranged "problems" that have been brought up before. While many of these were addressed previously (and silently), they're hereby official.

• All crossbows are granted +5% 'to-hit,' and furthermore, ignore a point of armor (exception: Pistol Crossbows).
• All simple-machine ballistic weapons will add 1 to the ES score at short range, and a further 1 at point-blank, e.g. a bow will have an ES of 4 at short range, and ES of 5 at point-blank range.
• Any non-sustained pull ballistic weapon, such as a crossbow or pistol will be granted an additional +5% 'to-hit' for "resting" the weapon on something.
• Aiming will grant +10% 'to-hit' for the first round of sustained aiming, and an additional +5% if carried into a second round, but only if the target is stationary or semi-stationary.  Bonus is conferrable for a maximum of +20% (3 rounds spent aiming).

Three New Skills:

Accurate Fire: Characters with this skill who hit a target may modify the

location number by 10%. This can be plus or minus - allowing the character

to go for specific areas in preference to others. Thus, a location number of

82 (right leg) could be modified to 72 (body) or 92 (left leg). Additionally, it allows the player to increase the critical hit roll that is rolled by 10 (or reduce it by as much, too).

Rapid Fire: Characters with this skill can shoot twice in a combat round (or

once per round for crossbows, etc.). The first shot is fired at normal I, and a

penalty of -10 to BS. The second shot is fired at half the normal I and with a

-20 penalty to BS. The character must fire at the same target, or suffers a

further -10 penalty to BS on both shots for changing target. This skill is

learned separately for each group of weapons. Artillery, Firearms, Long

Bows and Repeater Crossbows cannot be rapidly fired. A character may not

rapidly fire at targets at extreme range nor use the skills Accurate Fire or

Markmanship with this skill.

Fletching: Fletching is the skill of crafting bows, bowstrings and arrows. It

requires a Construction test and the level of success determines the quality of

the weapon. If the test fails the weapon is of poor quality and has a chance of breaking equal to the number by which the test was failed each time it is fired.

The above skills should be added to the following careers:

Basic Careers     Accurate Fire   Rapid Fire    Fletching

BountyHunter      20%               10%                No

Entertainer           75%               25%                No

Gamekeeper         50%               25%               50%

Herdsman             25%               No                  No

Hunter                  50%               25%              50%

Roadwarden         20%               No                  No

Trapper                25%               No                 50%

Advanced Careers        Accurate Fire        Rapid Fire        Fletching

Assassin                             Yes                     No                   No

Duellist                              Yes                     No                   No

Outlaw Chief                     Yes                    Yes                   Yes

Targeteer                           Yes                    Yes                   Yes

WitchHunter                      Yes                    No                    No

Futhermore:

Unskilled Combatant

A character trying to use a specialist weapon without knowing the

appropriate skill suffers a -30 penalty to BS (or WS in the case of melee

weapons) for that weapon, with a minimum skill of 10.

Accurate Aiming

Each additional round a character spends aiming and concentrating she

receives a +5 bonus to BS when firing. The archer may aim for no more than

one round if the target is running, two rounds if the target is moving but not

running, and three rounds if the target is stationary.

Snap Shooting

A character who wishes to fire a hail of missiles at a target may do so by not

taking the time to properly aim at the target. The archer may then fire twice

as fast as normal with half the normal chance to hit. Snap shooting may be

combined with the Rapid Fire skill (allowing the archer four shots per round

with a bow), but the chance to hit will be greatly reduced: Halve the

bowman's BS before applying the Rapid Fire modifiers (minimum chance to

hit is 1%).

"The bow is the weapon of equality. It is the only way a hundred peasants

can stand against a hundred knights. They might not win, but at three

hundred yards they can at least fire a few times before they break."

Baron Albeheim von Durst, of Hergst

A New Class:

ARCHER

Archers are the bow-men and crossbow-men of the battle field.Whereas

the infantry plunge themselves into enemy ranks, killing by the sword,

the archers fire deadly hails of missiles at the enemy from great distances.

Archers are employed to weaken enemy regiments and take out war

machines. Archers may be mercenaries or national or provincial soldiers

fighting for a country or lord, and just like their infantry counterparts

the archer's life is often short and brutal. Many turn to adventuring in

hope of starting a better and more profitable life.

Skills

Accurate Fire

Secret Language - Battle Tongue

50% chance of Fletching

50% chance of Marksmanship

20%chance of Excellent Vision

10% chance of Rapid Fire - Bow or Crossbow

Trappings

Bow or crossbow and ammunition

Mail shirt

Shield

Entry from (or, chosen instead of)

Marine

Mercenary

Militiaman

Soldier

Career Exits

Gunner

Mercenary

Mercenary Sergeant

Outlaw

Targeteer