Underwater Crossbow and Range Increments


Rules Questions


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An underwater crossbow, when fired underwater has a range increment of 20 feet.

Firing a "normal" ranged weapon underwater takes a -2 attack bonus penalty for ever 5 feet the projectile travels through. In reference to an underwater crossbow, is this supposed to mean A) -2 for each 5 feet over its underwater range increment, or does it mean B) -2 for each 20 feet over its underwater range increment?

If an underwater crossbow is fired at an enemy 60 feet away, is the penalty -16 or is it -4?


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

We don't know. Nothing in the underwater crossbow's rules says that it ignores the normal penalties for firing a ranged weapon underwater, which leads to the RAW conclusion that it is not an exception to that rule, so the penalty applies.

However, since that objectively makes the underwater crossbow a worse weapon than a "normal" crossbow when fired underwater, it is likely that the RAI is that it shouldn't suffer the firing underwater penalty, just the range increment penalty. Which would be my suggestion on how to resolve it.

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