Flaming Arrows

[BRC]

How would you treat the use of a flaming arrow
No, not the magic kind, the mundane type, you know, a rag soaked in lamp oil that is wrapped around the arrow and then lit on fire before being fired from the bow.

[Theli]

Hmm, -4 attack penalty (similar to torch), +1 point of fire damage (similar to torch), becomes +1d3 fire damage against swarms (similar to torch), capable of setting things aflame. (similar to torch).

:p

[BRC]

The reason I'm asking is because my next character has an army, and I was considering equipping my crossbowmen with rags and lamp oil so they could do this, it's cheap (Rags are like what, 1cp) and its a good way to light things(like enemy camps) on fire at a distance without wasting spells

[Theli]

*nods*

Also highly dependent on whether and the like. I think if you just treat it as a torch that you shoot from a bow, it's probably as accurate as it's going to be. (Though you might want to add maybe a 20% chance that it douses before it hits its target...to start with. Then there are weather rules you could apply to increase this chance. Or hell, just apply the wind rules from the beginning... as its sorta creating its own wind.)

[BRC]

Whats more likely, is that when my crossbowmen (I think I have 100) unleash a volley of flaming bolts, my DM will just say "Abunch of stuff gets lit on fire" and leave it at that

[Theli]

Then why'd you ask? :D

Still, you can use the wind rules to determine what percentage of the arrows might be doused before they hit anything. After that, maybe split the number in half, and that many squares are hit by arrows, distributed randomly. From that, maybe 50% chance of flammable items are lit up in those areas. (In case you really did want some crunch for that.)

Btw...crossbowmen? How viable are mundane flaming crossbow bolts? I'm not sure how much sense that makes.

[Icewalker]

-4 to hit seems pretty extreme. I'd go with -2, they aren't that messed up by a flaming oily rag. Probably 1 point of fire damage, yeah. I'd add in a chance to be lit on fire, but I'm a stickler for realism.

I can't believe I just used the word 'stickler.' Ah, well, it applies.

[Theli]

You get a -4 for using any improvised weapon. Besides, if the goal is to light stuff on fire (which it oughta be since the +1 fire damage is kinda pitiful) then you really don't need that much attack bonus.

And I'd argue that they wouldn't be heavily affected by the rag. That affects the entire weight distribution of the arrow. There's no way you're hitting targets accurately with that on the end...

[Tengu]

Flaming arrows were rarely, if ever, used for fighting enemy troops in real life - they were used to put constructions and war machines to fire. I don't think if any special rules for using them against creatures are needed.

[Kristoss]

Why not just give a couple of 8th level adepts scrolls of Flame Arrow?

[Ascension]

One of the things I don't like about D&D is the "magic is the answer to everything" reaction. By just lighting an oily rag on fire you can give large numbers of troops cheap anti-siege engine, anti-materiel weapons. If you have casters capable of achieving a similar effect, fine, let them fight alongside the bowmen. Don't simply count on casters to replace your other troops.

[kamikasei]

Why not just give a couple of 8th level adepts scrolls of Flame Arrow?

Maybe you don't have any of either, and that's prohibitively expensive? Maybe you have tons of first- or second-level Warriors, all with bows, and a decent supply of rags and oil?

[de-trick]

also if it was one caster shooting fire at the enemy their archers would fire at the caster. But if 100 warriors shot at them with bolts then they have to take on 100 warriors, to stop the risk of getting there siege machines on fire.

[BRC]

Maybe you don't have any of either, and that's prohibitively expensive? Maybe you have tons of first- or second-level Warriors, all with bows, and a decent supply of rags and oil?

I don't, I only have 1 8th level character and he's my commander (8th level expert with lots of useful knowledge skills)
Using scrolls would be a much more expensive way to acheive the same effect, in this case having my crossbowmen be alble to destroy enemy structures and siege weapons from a range.

[Dark Tira]

There's a type of arrow in Races of the Wild called Dragonbreath arrows and for all intents and purposes they are mundane flaming arrows.

[Enguhl]

There's a type of arrow in Races of the Wild called Dragonbreath arrows and for all intents and purposes they are mundane flaming arrows.

But also much more expensive than a flaming arrow.

Also, flaming arrows would be all but worthless against normal troops. The fire would stop on their armor (I'm assuming they are wearing armor) if they hit. They are more for structures and siege equipment, and not aimed at something as small as a person, just a volley in the general direction.