|
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
The Deflect Arrows feat specifically prohibits deflecting large missiles such as boulders or ballista bolts. We (GM and I) wondered where the boundary lies. Clearly, a medium heavy crossbow bolt (1d10 damage) can be deflected, while a ballista bolt (damage 3d8 for a dragon ballista) cannot be deflected. The question arose when a cyclops was shooting a large heavy crossbow (damage 2d8), somewhere between. We decided that it would be DC 11, with WIS modifier to deflect the bolt. As it happened, the cyclops kept missing, (poor depth perception?) so the point was moot.
Has anyone else had anything like this come up?
If the shot weighs more then your character (or your average medium sized character) you probably cant deflect it. I'd say a large crossbow bolt is fair game.
That's an interesting conundrum.
Can you deflect arrows fired by a large creature? How about a huge creature? A colossal creature? Where is the line drawn?
|
I'm sure I've seen a ballista described as a "huge crossbow" or even a "Huge crossbow" in at least one edition of the rules. Taking that as a precedent, I suggest a Huge or larger ranged weapon, or more generally, a ranged weapon two sizes larger than the character counts as a siege engine and can't be deflected.
I dont have a RAW for this but we use the following:
You can not deflect it if you can not shot/throw it.
I'm sure I've seen a ballista described as a "huge crossbow" or even a "Huge crossbow" in at least one edition of the rules. Taking that as a precedent, I suggest a Huge or larger ranged weapon, or more generally, a ranged weapon two sizes larger than the character counts as a siege engine and can't be deflected.
I like this. It has good symmetry.
I'm sure I've seen a ballista described as a "huge crossbow" or even a "Huge crossbow" in at least one edition of the rules. Taking that as a precedent, I suggest a Huge or larger ranged weapon, or more generally, a ranged weapon two sizes larger than the character counts as a siege engine and can't be deflected.I like this. It has good symmetry.
+1
Perhaps you can just go by weight?
For example you can deflect an arrow as long it weights less than 1/10 of your light load?
Cause it would make sense that stronger PCs could deflect bigger projectiles.
+1I'm sure I've seen a ballista described as a "huge crossbow" or even a "Huge crossbow" in at least one edition of the rules. Taking that as a precedent, I suggest a Huge or larger ranged weapon, or more generally, a ranged weapon two sizes larger than the character counts as a siege engine and can't be deflected.I like this. It has good symmetry.
+2.
This would also mean that it would work against a ranger of your size using the gravity bow spell. This is an instance of a situational feat giving you some situational goodness.
|
|
Double-checking the equipment descriptions, I find that 10 crossbow bolts (Medium) and the quiver weigh 1 pound. If the quiver weight is negligible, 1 bolt weighs 0.1 lb. Since Large weapons weigh twice as much as Medium weapons, and Huge weapons weigh twice that, a Huge crossbow bolt would weigh 0.4 pounds. Reading about ballistae, I find that they were used to shoot small boulders or solid metal projectiles (which look as though they might weigh 30 lb or so). So this puts me no closer to a definitive answer than I was before. I think our on-the-fly solution works for our little group.
I like the "you cannot deflect it if you cannot shoot it" rule.