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I was reading this, and it references Sami using skis to move around incredibly fast, wielding bows that well out powered Viking bows and firing them while moving at top speed. I couldn't find much about this online, but I was able to find statements that ski troops generally can match light cavalry in speed given favorable terrain. Having read this, I now think I should totally roll up a Ranger who can rain down shafts while flying across the snow so fast nobody can catch her. Are there any special rules governing archery while on skies, like there are with mounted combat (I would love if they were similar. Then I could get some mounted combat feats and switch to a horse in terrain that doesn't favor skis.)? All I could find was rules about how fast skis are and the fact that they give penalties to some checks.
.....I....I don't even....
*clap* ....*clap*....*clap*....
Anyway, onto more serious discussion.
Here is Ultimate Equipment on the issue of skis. Long story short? Sorry, but they just allow you to move more easily on icy terrain. You are just as stuck as if you were walking normally (although....*note to self:skis on horses. That is all*)
I know you might be disappointed...but realistically, how well can you expect this to work in an actual campaign? Assuming that you could even get favorable conditions, they would be extremely circumstantial for an adventurer. Sami could pull this off because they are skiing on a mountain they have lived on all their lives, and they were up against people riding large plains animals not built for heavily snowed in mountains. An adventurer would have trouble because it is a wanderer's lifestyle, and most campaigns require you to move from place to place. So you would be unable to lure opponents into favorable terrain on a regular basis.
To my knowledge, no rules regarding this. At best I would treat it like mounted combat rules. Though, I would say if you did anything other than go in a straight line it would require you to use a move action to control your movement, otherwise you're in an uncontrolled slide down a hill. And probably speeding up every round.
For balance purposes I would say...yeah you have to spend a move action or just travel in a straight line uncontrollable with your speed increases by 10 ft each round unless you take a move action to maintain it or change your course (which can include controlling your speed). For balance you can't make it so easy to move super fast and get a full attack.
Sounds like a James Bond movie moment if you ask me.
I was reading this, and it references Sami using skis to move around incredibly fast, wielding bows that well out powered Viking bows and firing them while moving at top speed. I couldn't find much about this online, but I was able to find statements that ski troops generally can match light cavalry in speed given favorable terrain. Having read this, I now think I should totally roll up a Ranger who can rain down shafts while flying across the snow so fast nobody can catch her. Are there any special rules governing archery while on skies, like there are with mounted combat (I would love if they were similar. Then I could get some mounted combat feats and switch to a horse in terrain that doesn't favor skis.)? All I could find was rules about how fast skis are and the fact that they give penalties to some checks.
Very nice idea. Look at old Norse pictures of Skade and Ull.
yup skis are very fast downhill...coming back up the hill is another matter.
Cross country requires poles to be used, and reduces fatigue in deep snow and can maintain a decent overland movement rate, but you will not be able to shoot a bow while using skis in overland mode. (unless you stop, and get out the bow..shoot, replace the bow on back etc, and then pick up poles.)
So yes downhill for a turn or too..then you will have to teleport back to the top of the hill to do it again. :)
I know you might be disappointed...but realistically, how well can you expect this to work in an actual campaign? Assuming that you could even get favorable conditions, they would be extremely circumstantial for an adventurer. Sami could pull this off because they are skiing on a mountain they have lived on all their lives, and they were up against people riding large plains animals not built for heavily snowed in mountains. An adventurer would have trouble because it is a wanderer's lifestyle, and most campaigns require you to move from place to place. So you would be unable to lure opponents into favorable terrain on a regular basis.
True, but this is a task that seemingly requires either no feat investment or investment in mounted combat feats. That being the case, my skis could spend most of their time hanging from my saddle in their case, and only come out in those few occasions where I can use them. The rest of the time I could be a horse archer, so I wouldn't really be throwing any resources into skiing other than a negligible sum of money for the skis. I may not get to do it often, but that would make doing it all the sweeter.
My understanding is that the speed comparison was of ski troops in their most favorable terrain and light cavalry in theirs, not of ski troops and cavalry in the same terrain.
Sounds like a James Bond movie moment if you ask me.
Which is exactly how mid to high level martial characters should feel.
(unless you stop, and get out the bow..shoot, replace the bow on back etc, and then pick up poles.)
Isn't there an olympic sport for that, but with rifles instead of bows ?
Ski a bit, shoot a bit, ski a bit more, shoot some more ?
Invented by the Finns during the Winter War of 1939 ?
(unless you stop, and get out the bow..shoot, replace the bow on back etc, and then pick up poles.)Isn't there an olympic sport for that, but with rifles instead of bows ?
Ski a bit, shoot a bit, ski a bit more, shoot some more ?
Invented by the Finns during the Winter War of 1939 ?
Yeah, but that still sounds like multiple turns to me. It is still a far cry from shooting from horseback in terms of efficiency. But I never watch the Winter Olympics, so I am not an expert on that.