1 arrow per round: is there nonetheless a penalty?

[Just Jeff]

If the archer is shooting four arrows a round for two rounds, does the penalty cycle start over at the beginning of the second round, or is she pegged at -8 until she takes a breather?

[mbeacom]

If the archer is shooting four arrows a round for two rounds, does the penalty cycle start over at the beginning of the second round, or is she pegged at -8 until she takes a breather?

Awesome question. I would say this is totally a personal call for the CK/table to decide. I would probably peg it at -8 until the player returned to a single shot round and then start it over assuming he could get into position again with his arrows all lined up on a surface in front of him (no small task in the middle of combat!). I have to think his position would be compromised by that point though, except perhaps against the dumbest of monsters. Realistically, this is the kind of thing you could try to set up for the first round of an ambush and little else.

[alcyone]

So basically, there is no reason not to ever take 4 shots (or more if the CKG allows it).

Well, they aren't free; you do have to buy arrows, normally. And 1 quiver of 20 is already rather a lot to carry, so that's 5 rounds of shots and you are done, and worse, if your CK doesn't let you recover them, you are sort of throwing them away with those terrible penalties.

EDIT: And I re-read what you said and mbeacom's response. I don't think I understood you were thinking of it as a general-purpose always-available thing. And indeed, if you are doing it at all, you'll probably spend all 4 arrows.

[Lord Dynel]

Good points, all around!

I admit, I was looking at this maneuver more as a general option rather than something the PC has to plan out ahead of time. I guess the metathinker in me (or, truthfully, the anti-metathinker:)) was more concerned with this being an option all the time (despite having read the paragraph that precedes the table in the CKG). I was looking at a way to "balance" it as a general purpose utility rather than one that involved planning. But I think about how this will affect combat on a regular basis...meaning, "how will my players try to use this on a regular basis?" Of course, I have the power to prevent that, but I can see them looking for a way to "set up" before every fight. I'm not sure I agree with that.

[mbeacom]

Good points, all around!

I admit, I was looking at this maneuver more as a general option rather than something the PC has to plan out ahead of time. I guess the metathinker in me (or, truthfully, the anti-metathinker:)) was more concerned with this being an option all the time (despite having read the paragraph that precedes the table in the CKG). I was looking at a way to "balance" it as a general purpose utility rather than one that involved planning. But I think about how this will affect combat on a regular basis...meaning, "how will my players try to use this on a regular basis?" Of course, I have the power to prevent that, but I can see them looking for a way to "set up" before every fight. I'm not sure I agree with that.

You're absolutely right in your assessment of this being a bit wonky viewed as an always available option. It wouldn't make sense to be able to do this by choice on a turn during normal combat. Not at all. But, it's not such an option and I honestly can't think of how it could be turned into one as written, even by meta-players. It sounds like your brain is in a mode of always defending against abusive (of the rules) players. Thankfully, I'm not in such a mode since my players are not that way. I do understand some are, and with the best of intentions in doing so (help the group, etc). Anyway, I don't see how this would come up much, certainly almost never in routine dungeon exploration. You'd pretty much have to locate enemies and then draw them into a trap. Many ability checks and good planning would be absolutely required to ever set up an event like this in my games. And if you did, well it would be an awesome reward for doing so.

[Omote]

Goog points. The way I run this multiple rate of fire option is that if the archer does this, they get to move NO distance in the same round. My justification for doing so lies in that paragraph where the author speaks of having the arrows prepared and in front of him.

~O

[zombiehands]

When I read that in C&C a character can fire up to 4 arrows in a round I thought it unrealistic but I did a little web search and found that it is probably not at all.

http://www.youtube.com/user/larsandersen23

Still it is probably not a good idea, after all a skilled swordsman or boxer could land many blows in 10 seconds.

In my next game I think am going to make critical hits give an additional attack and a called shot (-8) an automatic critical. That way you can chain as many attacks as you want together.

A critical fumble (1) will give your foe a free attack at you (in melee) and hit the wrong target with ranged attacks.

[Willy Rat]

Just to throw a grenade into this barrel of wet oatmeal: What about having the archer make a SIEGE check versus his/her dexterity to take successive shots up to a maximum? I know it means another set of die rolls, but that's what they're there for. Right?

[Arakor]

Just off the top of my head, how about:

Make a DEX Seige check against the enemy AC; you fire one arrow plus one for every 4 you pass the check by.
Maximum number of arrows is 1 plus your DEX modifier.

Example: you have a Dex of 16 (+2) so you can potentially shoot 3 arrows.
Against a goblin with AC 14, you get the following values: 14-17 = 1 arrow; 18-21 = 2 arrows; 22 or higher = 3 arrows.

[mbeacom]

Just off the top of my head, how about:

Make a DEX Seige check against the enemy AC; you fire one arrow plus one for every 4 you pass the check by.
Maximum number of arrows is 1 plus your DEX modifier.

Example: you have a Dex of 16 (+2) so you can potentially shoot 3 arrows.
Against a goblin with AC 14, you get the following values: 14-17 = 1 arrow; 18-21 = 2 arrows; 22 or higher = 3 arrows.

Love it! I'd swap out the AC=CC for a standard siege check CC though (CB+CL=CC). Then it's perfect!

[redwullf]

Meh. I just use the RoF table from AD&D PHB and simply allow the listed multiple attacks if no other movement is made. A move limits the attack to 1/round. I haven't understood why the CKG didn't keep multiple missile attacks this simple.