Rocmistro wrote:This is how it works.
At low levels (ie, Great Bow skill 2). He fires when opportunities present them self:
1. if his shot misses and produced no edge, tengwars, or cannot drop a foe with said shot, he does not spend any hope. (pretty much the same as EVERY OTHER ARCHER in the game with a ranged skill of 2.)
2. if his shot misses with edge, or he gets sufficient tengwars (his judgment), then he adds a point of hope to make it hit (ie, pretty much the same as EVERY OTHER ARCHER in the game with a ranged skill of 2.*)
3. if he has to absolutely make a critical shot, because the dramatic climax of the combat encounter demands it, and his shot misses and produces no edge, then he adds 2 points of hope to hit with a piercing blow.* (ie, a privilege he enjoys, unlike ANY OTHER archer in the game.)
* The Deadly Archery virtue gives him the extra marginal bonus to hit in scenarios 2 and 3 that he otherwise might not have...in effect it "extends" his failure to success conversion range. It provides opportunity benefit in scenario 2 and certainty benefit in scenario 3, and as his Great Bow skill matures, it broadens the circumstances under which he gets to deploy his piercing blows.
At no point have I ever suggested or reasoned as a strength of the build that the character is missing shots every round, and thus spending double hope points, every round, in order to succeed on dramatically insignificant shots.
Oh but wait, you're cheating here! Because to get this, you
had to spend at least 16 Experience points between Wisdom and Great Bow! Meanwhile, EVERY OTHER ARCHER won't stay at Bow 2! In fact, they'll use those 16 Experience points to get
Bow 4. And THEIR options are:
1.
if his shot misses and produced no edge, tengwars, or cannot drop a foe with said shot, they won't spend Hope. BUT this will happen WAY LESS TIMES than in your build, and you know why? Because they roll 4 dices, while your roll 2.
2.
if his shot misses with edge, or he gets sufficient tengwars (his judgment), then he adds a point of hope to make it hit. But similarly to 1., this will happen A LOT MORE than in your build, and you know why? Because they roll 4 dices, while you roll 2. And invoking Favoured Body means +9, which is also better than in your build.
3.
if he has to absolutely make a critical shot, because the dramatic climax of the combat encounter demands it, HE WILL ATTEMPT A CALLED SHOT. If his shot misses, THEN IT'S ONLY HERE THAT "EVERY OTHER ARCHER" HAS LESS OPTIONS THAN YOU.
But at what price? The price that, if you're not spending Hope, YOU'RE MISSING MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN EVERY OTHER ARCHER.
Rocmistro wrote:Let's break it down:
You guys: Envoy of King 6(9)/2/6 (is this essentially what you are suggesting?)
Endurance: 24
Hope: 10
Bow: 4 (10 XP), I'll assume you put the 6 starting experience to get Bow to 3 at character creation. or we can do it the other way if you want, which gives a more robust assortment of Common skills.
Damage: 5/11/17 edge: 10, injury: 16
Valor: 2 Keen +2 (or did you want something else?)
Wisdom: 2 (4xp) Stinging Arrow.
Me: Noble Blood 4(5)/4/6
Endurance: 26
Hope: 12
Great Bow: 3 (6 XP). and I'm putting the same 6 starting experience to get Great Bow 2 at character creation.
Damage: 7/11/15 edge: 10, injury: 18
Valor: 2 Keen
Wisdom: 3 (10 XP) Deadly Archery, Stinging Arrow
So what are the practical differences here Mich/Glor? My guy has:
-more endurance
-more hope
-a better chance of converting piercing blow to kills
-higher resistance to corruption
-better melee combat skills
-longer range of weapon delivery (not huge, but neither is it insignificant)
Your guy has:
-a better base chance to hit (4 dice vs. 3)
-better extraordinary success damage
-greater likelihood to produce great and extraordinary successes
-a slightly better chance of converting a failure to hit (+9 vs. +8)
So with comparing these 2 builds, are you really going to tell me that Deadly Archery sucks (or rather, that it needs to be buffed, which is what the OP suggested. Your build does what it does better (endurance damage delivery), and mine does what it does better (converts piercing blows to kills). I get some marginal other befits with mine, and you get none with yours.
It really doesn't make sense to take into account thousands of other variables!
I tell you what: let's consider THE SAME BACKGROUNDS, the only thing that changes is how the Experience is spent and Favoured Body. And you know what? Let's also use the background more favourable to your build!
So, you:
Noble Blood 4(5)/4/6
Great Bow: 3 (6 XP).
Damage: 7/11/15 edge: 10, injury: 18
Valor: 2 Keen
Wisdom: 3 (10 XP) Deadly Archery, Stinging Arrow
When invoking Body: +8
Me:
Noble Blood 4(7)/4/6
Bow: 4 (10 XP)
Damage: 5/9/13 edge: 10, injury 16
Valor: 2 Keen
Wisdom: 2 (4 XP) Stinging Arrow
2 XP left
When invoking Body: +7
You have:
+2 Damage, +2 Injury
I have:
-2 Encumbrance
+1 Dice in Bow, meaning also more Damage (more chances to roll a Tengwar), and +3 to hit (average result with 1 more dice), which becomes a net +2 when spending Hope since you add 1 point more when invoking Body (see above)
2 XP left (to max Elf Magic, for example)
AND THIS IS THE MOST FAVOURABLE CASE FOR YOU.
So I'm telling you yes, Deadly Archery kinda sucks.
