Missile Weapon Rules

Missile Weapon Rules

Missile weapons include both bows and crossbows. Modern archery equipment is not allowed though there are some exceptions for fletching and nocks. Arrows and bolts must always be fired, they can never be thrown. Bows can never be used to parry or block. If a bow is struck in melee combat it is considered destroyed until it is repaired with an effect like the mend armor spell. If attacking at a range of less than 10 feet archers are required to only half-draw their bows. Crossbows may only fire at targets under 10 feet away if their bow has been tested to have a draw of 15 pounds or less.

Missile weapon hits to a wounded limb affect the torso. If a missile weapon strikes a weapon it deals damage as if it had proceeded unimpeded. Players may never use a weapon to intentionally deflect a missile, the penalty for doing so is taking the attack to the torso ignoring any armor the player might have but not body. Shields may be used to block missiles.

Archers within reason can call hits on their targets. Abusing this can result in being barred from using archery.

The damage a character deals with missile weapons begins at one. This can be improved by skills and sometimes magic items or other effects. A character using a bow may voluntarily inflict half the damage they are capable of (rounded down) to add the "pierce" call to an attack.

If a crossbow has a stirrup, goatsfoot lever, or other comparable device it calls for "pierce" damage.

In order to use a missile weapon a character must have the missile training skill.

Missile weapons have a cap of 4 damage.

Spells which enhance a weapon such as enchant weapon or silvershine are cast on the missile weapon itself not on the ammunition. Each attack made from such an improved missile weapon gains the effect of the respective spell.

Spells with a range of tag bag can be delivered by missile weapons. Bows and crossbows may be fired instead of throwing a tag bag, replacing the normal weapon call with the call for the spell. When this happens the projectile fired follows all the rules for a tag bag making the same call.

Related Rules

Pierce Calls

Damage with the "Pierce" call ignores any physical armor, magical armor, or natural armor the target might have. This means that damage not prevented by an immunity or a prevention effect is applied to the targets body first and as a limb or torso wound if they run out of body.

Stealing Thrown Weapons and Ammunition

If a player throws a thrown weapon or fires a missile weapon at you and you have the appropriate skill to use the weapon/ ammunition you are allowed to return fire with it. However it is very important that you know that you cannot carry that weapon/ ammunition off with you elsewhere for any reason.

Legal Missile Weapon Hits

Ranged weapons hits should be taken regardless of how hard they hit.

Missile weapon hits only count if you are hit by the head of the missile. For this one rule javelins and great javelins count as missile weapons. Missile weapons may not be deflected by weapons however, doing so will cause you to take the hit in the arm of the hand holding the weapon.

Related Prop Guidelines

Mundane Missile Weapons

Props for weapons have certain requirements to be used in play. If a weapon is rejected for not being safe but is found still being used it may be summarily destroyed to ensure an unsafe weapon is not brought onto the field.

No weapons may have visible duct tape on them. Cloth covered weapons, a standard in some other larps is also not permitted.

Bows must have a draw weight of 35 pounds or less at 28 inches draw.

Crossbow draw weight should comply with this table.

Compound bows, PVC bows, takedown bows, brightly colored fiberglass bows, modern crossbows, or any other obviously modern archery equipment (including but not limited to peep sights, weights, camouflage or brightly colored shafting) are prohibited.

Brightly colored and/ or rubber fletching is allowed. Brightly colored plastic nocks will not disqualify arrows.

Each bow entering play must have at least 3 legal, arrows accompanying it.

A draw stop must be present on all arrows to ensure they are not drawn past 28 inches.

Arrow shafts may not be made of wood. The head of an arrow must be at least 2 inches in every dimension and must be a uniform, round shape. The head of an arrow or bolt must not be wobbly or move from side to side.

All arrows must contain a coin or similar small rigid disk perpendicular to the end of the shaft to prevent shaft punch-through. Commercially made rubber bird blunts also fulfill this requirement. Golf tube arrows are not permitted.

All arrows and bolts must have at least two full fletchings and a nock.

Categories: Weapon Rules | Item Rules | Pierce Calls | Combat Rules | Terminology