'BOW' 'BOWS' Weapon Type: Segment Attribute: Dexterity Primary Defense: Low Special: requires arrows as ammo to attack. Special: arrows cannot be dodged conventionally. Special: arrows cannot be parried by one-handed weapons or bows. Special: arrows have increased chance of being parried and shield blocked. Special: arrows can be parried without weapon proficiency penalties. Special: cannot parry while wielding bow. Special: especially effective against dual wielding opponents. Bows are a unique weapon class that use arrows as ammunition for their attacks. Although in large-scale warfare it is possible for archers to strike completely at a distance, during the chaos of close-range small-scale combat engaged by Serin adventurers it is highly probable that enemies will be able to close within melee range, allowing them retaliate against an archer. Thus, the ranged nature of bows generally will not protect an archer from melee retaliation. Arrows fired from bows are unique in that they move far too quickly to be dodged by most adventurers,as well as carrying too much momentum for anyone to parry the arrow in-flight with a single-handed weapon. Two-handed non-bow weapons and shields, however, can be used to deflect or completely block arrows in the hands of skilled users. Bows require both hands to wield, regardless of race. Proficiency in the bow skill increases the damage of arrows and reduces the chances of an opponent parrying or blocking an arrow. Unlike other weapons, however, proficiency in the bow skill is irrelevant to successfully parrying or blocking an arrow from a defensive perspective. An archer can only fire arrows stored his quiver, and not directly from his inventory. If there are no more arrows left in the quiver, the archer will charge into the fray swinging the body of his bow as a blungeoning weapon. Since many archers cannot use bows to parry attacks against themselves, however, they are at a decided disadvantage when it comes to tanking their enemies during melee combat. Spellcasters can deflect a significant portion of incoming arrows using the protective shield spell, and rogues can move quickly enough to attempt to dodge arrows using the counterbalance skill. Defensively empowered monks can also attempt to dodge arrows outright, while raging berserkers can ignore much of the pain caused by arrow wounds. See also: HELP QUIVER, HELP POINT BLANK
11.5.3.8. SUMMARY > COMBAT > WEAPONS > WEAPON TYPES > BOW BOWS