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Im playing an Fighter/Archer and was wondering if could use my bow as a melee weapon?Ive seen bows with blades added on the shaft in fanticy art for years and if something like that is usable in Pathfinders?Even if its not usable as a melee weapon could the bow be used as a trip attack?With maybe a brake roll aginst matterial toughness.I know I could add this to a Home Brew but can it be used PFS games?
Im playing an Fighter/Archer and was wondering if could use my bow as a melee weapon?
It would likely be an Improvised Weapon, although I'd want to see others weigh in on this.
I know for a fact you can use an arrow as an improvised weapon.
Even if its not usable as a melee weapon could the bow be used as a trip attack?
No. A bow is not a Trip weapon. Without a Trip weapon, you make Trip attempts without a weapon.
Agree with Stynkk. A bow would be an Improvised Weapon. This would go for any weapon used in such as way that it wasn't intended like a sword as a thrown weapon.
And agree with Stynkk on the second point about using it for a trip. Unless the weapon has the trip qualifier it cannot be used to trip. A weapon with trip qualifier would allow you to trip and if you fail drop the weapon instead of being tripped yourself.
I don't do PFS games, so can't answer that. From a normal campaign GM perspective I'd probably allow you to use such a weapon, but it would have several disadvantages.
First, I wouldn't allow it to be as good as the best bow or best bladed weapon in their class. For it to be usable as both, it would have to give up some balance, some strength, some usability that a purely melee or purely ranged weapon would not give up.
I would rule it was an exotic weapon and that you had to invest a feat in proficiency for it. Maybe even two feats, one to be proficient with the melee use, one to be proficient with the ranged use. I'd have to think about that, but I might rule two feats.
Finally, a non-magical weapon of this sort would be exposed to breakage of the bowstring, which could make it unusable as a ranged weapon until you get out of combat and can restring it.
I like the concept, but I would have to think hard about keeping this balanced.
This is why I am hesitant to attach blades to bows...
Bayonet
Bayonets are close combat weapons designed to fit into the grooves or muzzles of crossbows and firearms.Benefit: Bayonets allow you to make melee attacks with these weapons but render them temporarily useless as ranged weapons.
Attach/Remove: Attaching or removing a bayonet is a move action.
There is no current provision of how to attach such an item to a normal bow. But, I'm ok with using it as an improvised weapon.
I've never held a bow heavy enough to make an effective bludgeon, and I would assume that modifying it to mount a blade would make it ineffective as a bow.
There was a magic item called a swordbow in the Magic Item Compendium (3.5). Wouldn't be legal for play in PFS, but you might get a DM to approve it.
EDIT: There's also the elvencraft bow from Races of the Wild. Heavier than an ordinary bow, you could use a shortbow as a club in melee and a longbow as a quarterstaff. It only cost 300 gp more than an ordinary bow, but again it's 3.5 and not Pathfinder.
I think you could draw an arrow as a Free Action (since it is ammunition) and use it as an improvised weapon to stab people.
I'm not seeing why you can't use a bow as an improvised weapon to stab someone in the eye with the pointy end.
I think you could draw an arrow as a Free Action (since it is ammunition) and use it as an improvised weapon to stab people.
I'm not seeing why you can't use a bow as an improvised weapon to stab someone in the eye with the pointy end.
This has been discussed exhaustively on another thread and there is significant disagreement on the assertion that you can draw an arrow and use it as a weapon itself as a "free action." The only part of the rules that mentions drawing an arrow as a "free action" mentions it as part of using a bow, not as part of an improvised weapon action. As a GM I may or may not allow this, but am leaning towards not.
I thought the OP was asking about bows which had been modified to include melee capability such as adding a blade. I think the answer I gave above is a pretty good guide for a GM to follow if a player wants to introduce such a weapon.
Using a bow as an improvised melee weapon would simply follow the improvised melee weapon rules.
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Joana pointed out what I was going to mention. 3.x had several special-crafted bows that included blades or were reinforced to be usable as melee weapons. Elvencraft Bows functioned as bludgeoning, the Swordbows were transforming Magic Items, and I want to say I saw a Blade Bow at one point that functioned as both simultaneously. Can't find it, though.
If I were ruling on using an existing bow as a melee weapon, I'd probably say it would be an Improvised Quarterstaff (if longbow) or Club (if shortbow), dealing damage as if one size smaller. There would also be a risk of string-breakage. If it's PFS legal, it's probably that way.
This has been discussed exhaustively on another thread and there is significant disagreement on the assertion that you can draw an arrow and use it as a weapon itself as a "free action." The only part of the rules that mentions drawing an arrow as a "free action" mentions it as part of using a bow, not as part of an improvised weapon action. As a GM I may or may not allow this, but am leaning towards not.
Do you have any justification for this view? Because if you can draw an arrow as a free action to fire it from a bow, I'm hard pressed to think of a single good reason why you can't draw an arrow as a free action and stab someone with it.
This has been discussed exhaustively on another thread and there is significant disagreement on the assertion that you can draw an arrow and use it as a weapon itself as a "free action." The only part of the rules that mentions drawing an arrow as a "free action" mentions it as part of using a bow, not as part of an improvised weapon action. As a GM I may or may not allow this, but am leaning towards not.Do you have any justification for this view? Because if you can draw an arrow as a free action to fire it from a bow, I'm hard pressed to think of a single good reason why you can't draw an arrow as a free action and stab someone with it.
Perhaps because it's an improvised weapon, not one intended to be used that way. You may have practiced notching the arrow, drawing the bow and releasing it thousands of times, but I doubt you've been playing "stab happy" with the arrows too much. Practice may or may not make things perfect, but it does make them quicker...
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There is also the difference in how you would hold the arrow you are drawing to fire (2-3 three fingertips on the end of the nock is usually the only grip an archer has on an arrow in use) or to use as a stabbity weapon (need to actually hold it in your hand, not just with the ends of your fingers).
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There is an elf only feat in the APG that allows you to poke someone with an arrow in melee forcing them away from you.
Take the Improved Trip Feat and you can trip to your hearts content while wielding a bow.
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Thanks for all the input.Has given me alot to think about and talk to GM with.I guess ill mainly leave the stabby stabby stuff to the melee people and I'll just stand back and make them look bad.Was mostly thinking about using a bow as other then a arrow flinger just because of the nature of PFS games.There isnt always a meat shield at the games and may have to get close to the battle once and a while.Thanks agine.
IMO you should just take your full round attack and draw an extra arrow as a free action (or with quick draw if you want to get nitpicky). This way you can threaten.
Or... just use a spiked gauntlet on your drawing arm. Armor spikes are pretty good too.