A Strung Bow

[Water Bob]

Question, in d20 3.5 terms, what would happen to a bow that has been strung for too long?

Bows are usually kept unstrung, correct? If you go hunting, or you expect trouble, you get ready and string the thing. Maybe knock an arrow without making the pull yet. This is like pulling your steel from the sheath.

But, what would you do, as GM, if the bow were never unstrung?

And, how long is too long for a bow to be strung?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Would you expect magical bows to require unstringing? (It's not like we could test that.)

I don't think there's any official rules on this. If so (I could be wrong), then it's one of those "how much realism do you want in your game" issues. I don't think there's rules for weapons rusting or sticking in their sheaths if not cleaned of blood (or ichor, or whatever) either, although realistically that's the kind of thing that could get an adventurer killed.

If stringing and putting an arrow on a bow takes about as much time as drawing a sword, then I think that's very reasonable. But somehow I doubt it would be that quick in real life. (Bows were generally massed weapons. You knew when, in general, when the battle would take place, and you'd have more than enough warning to fire arrows at masses of charging knights or orcs.)

I think the easiest answer is a non-magic bow will eventually take penalties if unstrung, but you might be able to get away with carrying a few bowstaves and "rotating" them, or using special oils that don't exist in real life to alleviate the problem. Or eventually just get a magic bow.

Last minute: Just checked a few "advice" sites. They're basically wikis, so you're not necessarily getting the best info there. The suggestions were you shouldn't leave your bow strung for several days, and that unstringing or restringing a bow takes only three seconds. Seems you could just rotate, having one strung at all times. Of course, they might be talking about bows made with modern composite materials, and not a yew bow. Apparently it's not a good idea to leave a bow strung when the temperature is warm; again, it's not easy to keep track of what type of bows they're talking about.

 

[RangerWickett]

First, please don't have this be a situation where a player never says, "I unstring my bow," and the GM punishes him for the omission. Let us assume PCs know how to take care of their gear.

Second, maybe give a bow a 'fray' chance. If it has not been properly tended, or has been intentionally neglected, then if you roll a nat 1, the string breaks. For REALLY long neglect, increase that to a roll of 5 or less.

 

[Water Bob]

Would you expect magical bows to require unstringing? (It's not like we could test that.)

I forget that, when I ask questions like this, the majority of you are playing D&D. My game is the Conan RPG, so I don't usually think in terms of "magical weapons".

I'm not sure how I would play it in a game with magical weapons. But, my question focuses more on normal, non-magical weapons, but including composite bows with pull bonuses (STR bonuses).

I don't think there's any official rules on this.

Not that I've ever seen.

If so (I could be wrong), then it's one of those "how much realism do you want in your game" issues.

In my gritty Conan game? Lots.

If stringing and putting an arrow on a bow takes about as much time as drawing a sword, then I think that's very reasonable.

From what I understand, it is very quick. One end of the bow string is attached. The other end of the string is a loop. The archer must crimp the bow enough to slip the looped string into its knotch. Then, viola, the bow is ready for action.

I actually saw this in a movie recently, but I can't remember which one. It might have been the Russel Crowe Robin Hood movie where Marian shoots at the kids stealing from her farm. I'm not sure about that--I'd have to check. But, even on film (and I think it was an English longbow), it was quick, taking a d20 Move Action.

I think there are scenes in the LotR trilogy where bows are shown carried unstrung.

 

[Grogg of the North]

I think this falls under the "Things you can assume the player does" title. The player tends to their gear, cleans their weapons, unstrings their bow, goes to the bathroom, et cetera.

I wouldn't penalize the player by saying their under an Otto's Irresistible Dance because they're doing the potty dance (parents know what this is ) since they never role played using the bathroom and they can't get rid of it until they go.

 

[Water Bob]

I think this falls under the "Things you can assume the player does" title.

What if they're on a long journey, and the archer is carrying something else in his hands? The bow isn't strung then. I'd require a Move action to string it.

But, let's say the archer doesn't have anything in his hands and does carry the bow. How long until the bow, being strung, has ill effects on the bow?

 

[Obryn]

I'd make it part and parcel to readying a weapon. An assumed part of drawing it. I don't know what benefit there is in getting more detailed than that; a 6-second round is plenty of time to string and shoot.

 

[Empirate]

I usually expect my PCs to look after their gear like the professionals that trained warriors and experienced hunters are. They don't have to spell out every time they use a whetting stone, change their bowstring, or look after their arrows' fletching.

However, I do include strung and unstrung bow "conditions" in my game, and usually reserve the right to make a call whether an archer's bow would probably be one or the other at the time. There have been situations in which it was unclear (travelling overland for long stretches, but with lots of known wildlife hazards about, or sleeping in a cave where a certain likelihood of wandering monsters could not be denied), where I let the player make the call.

There are no rules for what happens if a bow is strung for too long in my game, so there's no rules-enforced "risk" involved in just leaving the bow strung. But my players will still comfortably tell how they unstring a bow after a combat encounter, or when going to rest, or when stowing the weapon. They expect me not to punish them for that particular bit of realistic description, and I won't, usually. In fact, if a combat happened right after, my group and me would probably just feel that's bad luck/a matter of unforeseen circumstance/the bad guys seeing an opportunity and taking it/etc., not as "punishment" or DM dickishness. That's basically how our RPG-pseudo-realism works most of the time: describe what makes sense, and live with the consequences as you would in the real world.


Now if one player would explicitly tell me "I want to leave my bow strung all the time, for the whole two-week trip, because I just fear ambushes that much, even though my bow won't like that", I'd probably make something up on the spot, tell the player the likely mechanical consequences (which he is clearly expecting, given the way he's describing his actions), and let him/her decide whether to do it that way or not. A seasoned archer can make an informed decision in these circumstances, and I wouldn't take that kind of choice from my players: run the risk of finding myself weaponless, or permanently damaging my equipment: which is worse?

 

[MarkB]

But, let's say the archer doesn't have anything in his hands and does carry the bow. How long until the bow, being strung, has ill effects on the bow?

Probably hours at least, and it's likely to be a gradual process. If the character has an occasional few minutes, while the party is taking a breather, to check the bow and either tighten or replace the cord, there's no reason to ever consider this a problem. It'd only be if the bow was stored strung, without attention or maintenance, that problems could start to arise.

 

[Grogg of the North]

I think one thing that hasn't been mentioned, but probably should, is that if you're going to bring up the un/strung condition of a bow it's something that you should mention at the get go of the game. So that you don't wind up in a situation like this:

Archer: I attack!
DM: But your bow isn't strung, you need to take a moment to do that.
Archer: Why isn't my bow strung?!
DM: You were sleeping.
Archer: All the more reason to expect an attack!

(Yes, I've been in a game where there was an argument like that.)