Still getting the hang of the rules for mounted combat. Can my ranger on his horse (combat trained) use a composite longbow without penalties?
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Surprisingly, yes:
Longbow: At almost 5 feet in height, a longbow is made up of one solid piece of carefully curved wood. You need two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. A longbow is too unwieldy to use while you are mounted. (...)
Longbow, Composite: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a composite longbow while mounted. (...)
I never really noticed before that the composite longbow does allow it.
I feel like an idiot lol. I read this god knows how many times. But i just read this again and there it is...clear as day. Idk im sorry for wasting your time lol
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don't disrespect the d4. It is singularly responsible for introducing me to D&D *cough* years ago.
Surprisingly, yes:
I never really noticed before that the composite longbow does allow it.Longbow: At almost 5 feet in height, a longbow is made up of one solid piece of carefully curved wood. You need two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. A longbow is too unwieldy to use while you are mounted. (...)
Longbow, Composite: You need at least two hands to use a bow, regardless of its size. You can use a composite longbow while mounted. (...)
That is really weird. I had always assumed that you could only use a shortbow when mounted -- at least, that is what I remember from 1st Edition AD&D.
I wonder if allowing the use of composite longbows (but not regular longbows) when mounted is an editing mistake that got into the Core Rulebook and never got Errata'd?
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At least the d4 isn't used for hit points anymore.
Sure can be used for caltrops, though . . . .
Composite is a real misnomer here. What they mean is Recurve.
A Recurve Bow takes what is normally a large frame (say, 6.5-7ft. tall unstrung), and shortens it significantly (about 4.5-5.5ft. tall when strung)
Katniss from Hunger Games uses a very, very weak Recurve bow (it looks like it's about 20-30lb draw, while a strong Recurve should be closer to 60lb draw)
A "Composite Shortbow" is really the Mongol Bow - a Composite Recurve Bow that stands about 3.5 feet tall unstrung, but only about 2 feet tall unstrung. The small frame allows it to be used on horseback extremely effectively.
A "Composite Longbow" is the Japanese Yumi, also known as a Daikyu - an Assymetrical Composite Recurve Bow, which is around 6 ft tall unstrung and 5ft tall strung. A Daikyu and its smaller cousin, the Hankyu, have a very long arm above the grip and a very short arm below the grip. This shape allows the bow to be used while on horseback without problem, and in fact Samurai were exceptional mounted archers.
While it's very unlikely that a true western Recurve Bow can actually be used while on horseback effectively, for game purposes, it's fine to imagine that a Recurve Bow can be used that way, due to their smaller frame than a normal non-recurve bow.
That is really weird. I had always assumed that you could only use a shortbow when mounted -- at least, that is what I remember from 1st Edition AD&D.
I wonder if allowing the use of composite longbows (but not regular longbows) when mounted is an editing mistake that got into the Core Rulebook and never got Errata'd?
Like I said, the Daikyu can be used while mounted.
More than likely, WOTC, when writing 3.0 and 3.5, decided to not make the Daikyu an Exotic Weapon (which, honestly, it really should be, as Yumi bows are shot in a vastly different manner than every other bow in the world), and instead left it out, allowing ALL Composite (read: recurve) bows to be used while Mounted.
After all, taking Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Daikyu) JUST so you could use a Longbow while Mounted seems like a really terrible idea.
^That makes sense. Maybe make the Daikyu (and related Yumi) be exotic weapons, but also offer an alternative racial/regional trait that gives access to them as martial weapons for characters who hail from the appropriate region.
I wonder if allowing the use of composite longbows (but not regular longbows) when mounted is an editing mistake that got into the Core Rulebook and never got Errata'd?
Not too likely, it's in the 3.5 PHB as well.
I never noticed this either.
Most composite bows are recurve, but that is not the most important part.
The different mechanical properties of the separate materials allowed for more flexibility (bending) in some parts of the bow to be coupled with more rigidness (more power) in other parts of the bow. This also allowed the bow to be shorter.
Wikipedia - as we all know, the only truth on the internet.