Bow (AEG)

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==Bow==
In one form or another, bows have been used since the early days of man. They represented a great step in man's ability to cause damage, since the attacker was at a considerable range from the target, not within reach of the enemy's claws or melee weapons. The first bows were long, slender rods (also called staves) with a string of animal tendon or plant fiber.
==Short Bow==
Short bows were the first to be developed, although they were not called such. This is more of a default term that refers to anything which is not a long bow. Short bow staves are about 5 1/2 feet long on the average. As the years passed, attempts were made to increase bow ranges. Bows were either given longer staves or flexibility was increased with no change to the length. The former resulted in what is now called the long bow.
Bows fell into decline with the spread of handguns. It was reasoned that while a wounded or weakened soldier might lack the strength to pull a bow, he could still pull a trigger. In fantasy settings, there is no danger of the bow being replaced so quickly.
Short bows can fire only short bow arrows (identical to flight arrows for game terms).
==Long Bow==
The long bow is similar to the short bow, except that the staff is about as high as the archer, usually 6 to 6 1/2 feet. It has better range than the short bow, and can fire both flight and sheaf arrows.
==Composite Bows==
Composite bows are long bows or short bows whose staves are made from more than one type of material. This gives greater flexibility, and thus better range. These were developed after the normal long bow.
The second material that makes up a long bow may be anything from another type of wood to bone, sinew, or metal. The different materials are usually glued together.
An adventurer who wishes to gain a damage bonus from high Strength when wielding a bow must purchase specially crafted bows. Such a bow costs the normal price for a bow plus the normal price again for every bonus point desired. Thus, a warrior with 17 Strength who wants a long bow (base cost 75 gp) that gives him his +1 bonus to damage rolls would have to pay a total of 150 gp. The same fighter with 18/00 Strength (+6 bonus to damage) would pay 525 gp. These bows can be strung and drawn only by characters of that Strength or higher. Others attempting this must make a successful bend bars/lift gates roll.
Most archers protect their wrists from the snap of the bowstring by fastening a piece of horn, bone, or leather to them. Such an item is known as a bracer.
: "In our times, bows still are preferable to the primitive firearms or even the crossbows offered. A high rate of fire, low noise, and good range make the bow a better choice than the other missile weapons.
: "Centaurs favor bows, usually composite bows adapted to enable them to take advantage of their Strength. Elves in particular are adept at making and using bows, of both the long and short varieties. Exactly how the elves happen to be so good at archery is up for debate. Some say elves are trained to shoot beginning in childhood. Others say that their skills are no different than those of humans, but the uncanny, keen elven senses enable the fair folk to anticipate the target's location at the time of the arrow's impact. "Whatever the reason, no one argues that the elves exhibit clear evidence of the superiority of the bow as the best missile weapon available to the aspiring adventurer. "Bows are not without their faults. Bowstrings must be kept dry, the staff must not be allowed to crack, and a certain amount of strength is required to string and pull a bow.
: Still, even a short bow is a good thing to have when a warrior wants to inflict damage on someone from a long distance!
: "A short bow can fire only flight arrows, while the long bow can fire any type of arrows. However, the short bow is easier to carry and is good for the fighter who relies primarily on a melee weapon but wishes to have a respectable missile weapon."
:: — Lady Adriennedar Ironedge, Ranger of Hawkhaven
Bows were used extensively for war by the Egyptians, Babylonians, Jews, and other peoples of the eastern Mediterranean world. In ancient Greece and Rome, bows were used mainly for hunting.
The Huns were the deadliest archers of all the invading barbarian peoples who attacked Rome. Charlemagne made the bow a mandatory weapon for the "civilized" armies.
At the Battle of Hastings in 1066, many historians claim that the Normans, led by William the Conqueror, beat the enemy by unleashing a rain of arrows on them. Some speculate that Harold died from an arrow through his eye. The bow used was only five feet long.
The English, learning from the lessons of Hastings, continued to refine and adapt their bows, making the staff longer and longer, copying the Welsh long bow. This became known as the English long bow within England.
The long bow proved very effective, especially in the British victories at Crecy and Agincourt. In the former, British archers outshot their Genoese counterparts who were using crossbows. Just as the Italians and French gained reputations as excellent crossbowmen, the English gained a reputation for archery. In the time of Henry VIII, English law required all males to learn the use of a long bow by the time they reached their teens.
European bows were most often made of ash and yew wood. Short bows were called Continental bows, while long bows were sometimes called Welsh bows.
An example of the potency of the long bow can be found in a particular historical incident. An arrow fired by a Welsh bowman is reported to have pierced a knight's leg armor, his leg, the armor on the other side of the leg, the knight's saddle, and to have finally lodged in the horse, pinning the knight to his mount.
Medieval archers did not always use quivers, but rather kept their arrows tied in bunches and secured to their belts by loops. Mounted archers used quivers that were attached to the saddle.
Bows were used as late as 1807, when Russian irregulars harassed Napoleon's armies, and in World War II, when detachments of American archers were used in special actions in Asia.
Even today, certain African pygmy tribes and indigenous folk of the Amazon use bows.
==Arrows==
In general, arrows range in length from 20 to 40 inches. The feathers, or fletching, of the arrow consist of two or more feathers set coaxially to the shaft. This gives the arrow its aerodynamic lift. If the feathers are instead set diagonally, the arrows rotates in flight. Goose feathers and parrot feathers are used most often in fletching, though pressed paper and leather are sometimes used.
==Flight Arrow==
The flight arrow, as its name implies, is built for distance. These are lightweight arrows and are often used for hunting. Most of these arrows are made of ash or birch and are 30 to 40 inches long.
==Incendiary Arrow==
An incendiary arrow is any arrow type (except bone or stone) with a wad of hemp soaked in a bituminous substance (such as tar) placed just beneath the head. The hemp is lit before the arrow is fired.
In addition to its normal damage, the arrow causes one additional hit point of fire damage on the round of impact unless the target makes a saving throw vs. death magic. At the DM's option, flaming arrows may ignite combustible materials contacting it.
==Sheaf Arrow==
Sheaf arrows, also known as war arrows, are heavier arrows with less range than flight arrows, but cause more damage. The arrowheads are steel and quite sharp. Sheaf arrows are used in warfare and can be fired only by long bows. These arrows range in length from 20 to 27 inches.
==Stone Arrow==
Stone arrows are considered flight arrows for game purposes, except that the stone arrowheads cause less damage and have a tendency to shatter if they impact armor or similarly hard surfaces. If a stone arrow hits any object made of metal, stone, or a harder substance, it has a 20% chance of surviving the hit without damage to the arrow. If a die roll does not indicate success, the arrow is still allowed a saving throw vs. crushing blow with a +4 bonus using the figures for Rock Crystal. Failure indicates that the arrow shatters.
Stone arrowheads are almond shaped or rhomboid and are usually made from stone splinters of flint or obsidian.