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The Bowcaster... underpowered? My take on it.
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Naaman
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:14 pm    Post subject: The Bowcaster... underpowered? My take on it. Reply with quote

Considering that a bowcaster is to wookiees what a lightsaber is to Jedi, I always thought that it should be a more worthwhile weapon, especially since receiving one is a right of passage for a wookiee. Also, if it takes a certain amount of strength to use and has a really low fire rate, each shot should really count.

Here's my spin on it:

Model: Wookiee bowcaster
Type: Energy/projectile hybrid
Scale: Character
Skill: Bowcaster
Ammo: 6 quarrels; a power pack can make 24 shots before needing to be replaced.
Cost: Not sold to non-Wookies
Availability: 3, R
Fire Rate: 1
Range: 3-10/30/60
Damage: 5D+2
Game Notes: A character who wants to make more than one shot in a round must make an easy strength check to hold the weapon steady. Reloading a new set of quarrels requires a moderate strength check. A character with 5D or more in strength does not need to make these checks.
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schnarre
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

...I gave the weapon Speeder-scale damage. Worked fine (despite the limited ammo for it, & the high strength to use it).
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Raven Redstar
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Speeder scale damage makes for a fair adjustment to me.

4D standard damage becomes 6D against character scale targets. Makes it a natural choice for a 5D strength character like a wookiee.
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Naaman
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good idea, shifting scales, but do you allow the dodge bonus for a character scale target? Or is the damage just scaled?
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Fallon Kell
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

schnarre wrote:
...I gave the weapon Speeder-scale damage. Worked fine (despite the limited ammo for it, & the high strength to use it).
Raven Redstar wrote:
Speeder scale damage makes for a fair adjustment to me.

4D standard damage becomes 6D against character scale targets. Makes it a natural choice for a 5D strength character like a wookiee.

You guys are geniuses!
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Naaman wrote:
Good idea, shifting scales, but do you allow the dodge bonus for a character scale target? Or is the damage just scaled?


That's a good point. If you up its scale, then characters get 2d more to dodge.
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MA-3PO
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't recall who but someone on Rancor Pit had the fine idea of making ammo with different effects. The 4D is your standard quarrel but you could use a 6D explosive quarrel instead. I thought one that is basically a less powerful grenade launcher would be neat.
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Naaman
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like that idea, too. Although, I do feel that the "base" damage should be higher than 4D... A wookiee can punch harder than that.
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Raven Redstar
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:

That's a good point. If you up its scale, then characters get 2d more to dodge.


The dodge bonus balances it out a little. Speeder scale weapon is harder to hit with, but hurts more.
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Matthias777
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 8:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Raven Redstar wrote:
garhkal wrote:

That's a good point. If you up its scale, then characters get 2d more to dodge.


The dodge bonus balances it out a little. Speeder scale weapon is harder to hit with, but hurts more.

But is that Dodge bonus warranted? I know of nothing that would make a bowcaster more difficult to aim than any other crossbow. The damage definitely needs a boost; 4D+2 at minimum, maybe as high as 5D+2. Has anyone ever considered some sort of different effect based on the unique type ammunition used (energized quarrels)?
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Esoomian
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 9:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well speeder scale weapons give +2D to damage against character scale targets but character scale targets get +2D to dodge but if it is a speeder scale weapon being aimed and fired by a character scale uhhh character is that dodge bonus still applicable?
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Hellcat
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This isn't the first time this has been brought up. You might be interested in previous threads on the subject and what was said there.

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Wookiee Bowcasters

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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 12:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The thing I like the most about the bowcaster is that it is a combination of solid and energy effects, in that it allows a solid shot to take advantage of the greater effectiveness of energy vs. armor (i.e. ST Armor is +2D vs. physical attacks and +1D vs. energy, so because the bowcaster fires a solid shot in an energy cocoon, ST armor only adds +1D to resist the damage).

I particularly like the idea of multiple ammo types. Just think of the options: high explosive, armor piercing, chemical dart, homing tags, etc.

One quibble I have with the WEG stat is the Fire Rate of 1. The one scene where we get to see a bowcaster in action (Chewbacca taking out the biker scout in ROTJ), he definitely seems to be firing much faster than one might expect from a pump action weapon, almost at a semi-auto fire rate. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to allow multiple shots per round, just at an increased MAP.
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 8:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do remember someone (iirc over on the holonet) discussing that the bowcaster should actually do 2 lots of damage. 4d physical, then 4d energy.
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ZzaphodD
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I cant really see why the weapon needs a boost to begin with...

Sure its not a Wookie repeating blaster, but why should it be?

Do wookies need heavier firepower? Please read the threads about bulletproof wookies. Do we need to add more firepower to that? Their only drawback is that they have to get up and close as it is.
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