Composite Longbow

Health: 8

Hardness: 10

Craft DC: 35

A composite longbow is about five to six feet long. It is composed of several different layers of material which work together, usually wood, bone and sinew.

Each composite longbow has a strength rating, from 5 up to 12 (or rarely higher). If a character with a strength lower than the rating uses it, they take a -2 on attack. On the other hand, a character with equal or greater strength gets to add that much strength to damage.

The base strength for these bows is 5. For each additional point of increase the price goes up by 10 UV, so a bow with strength of 7 would cost 80 UV and a strength rating of 9 would cost 100 UV. Increasing it over 12 costs 50 more per point.

TABLE

---

When shooting at range with a composite longbow, for every range increment that the arrow must fly, the arrow deals one less die of damage. Once the damage is down to three dice it doesn't decrease any farther.

A composite longbow may fire arrows designed for a Shortbow, but it takes a -6 penalty to both attack and damage, and it uses the shortbow's range increment. It can share arrows with a Longbow, but not with a Great Composite Longbow.

Firing a longbow is a difficult and strenuous task, and thus takes 6 AP.

A composite longbow must be dried for three months before use - if it does not, it takes 1 point of damage every time it is fired, bypassing hardness. If a composite longbow is ever submerged in water, it takes 1d6 damage each round (bypassing hardness). Heavy rain deals 1d4 per round if it is out in the open. This is a result of the glue being dissolved. Naturally, it may be kept in an oilskin to prevent this.