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Does anyone use Stinging Arrows for Throwing Spears? I remember seeing some house rules on the forum about it. Do you think it would unbalance anything?

What I do is to allow elves to choose as the starting spell Stinging Arrows or Elf-lights. This way spearmen don't feel they're wasting a Virtue or time until the next Fellowship phase.

Other than that, beware that a Spear can be used from Forward stance and, thus, have a higher rate of hitting than arrows. Therefore, it's easier to get a Piercing blow almost whenever you want, while missile weapons need more skill or luck to hit.

But also you just carry one throwing spear so I think it should balance it out?

farinal wrote:But also you just carry one throwing spear so I think it should balance it out?

Oh, you're saying to only allow it with throwing spears? I understood that it could be used with every king of attack using a spear, even melee ones.

In that case, it should work ok, as both weapons have the same Injury rating.

farinal wrote:But also you just carry one throwing spear so I think it should balance it out?

Why assume just one? Someone who routinely hunts with the javelin is likely to carry several in a quiver-like rig, so why not the same with throwing spears? This is especially true if the spears are intended for warfare and/or the character is mounted.

Otaku-sempai wrote:

farinal wrote:But also you just carry one throwing spear so I think it should balance it out?

Why assume just one? Someone who routinely hunts with the javelin is likely to carry several in a quiver-like rig, so why not the same with throwing spears? This is especially true if the spears are intended for warfare and/or the character is mounted.

Even if more than one is carried, the balance of the game remains the same if only thrown spears are allowed to be used with Stinging Arrow:
They aren't more powerful than a Bow in their Injury rating and can't hit more often than a bow when thrown (i.e. the TN to hit is the same).
Besides, carrying more than one assumes a higher Encumbrance for the character than if simply carrying a Bow, so that a bowman will benefit more than a spearman from the Virtue overall.

Falenthal wrote:Even if more than one is carried, the balance of the game remains the same if only thrown spears are allowed to be used with Stinging Arrow...

Oh, I completely agree. This should not apply to spears used in hand-to-hand combat.

Falenthal wrote: Besides, carrying more than one assumes a higher Encumbrance for the character than if simply carrying a Bow, so that a bowman will benefit more than a spearman from the Virtue overall.

This.

Also, the visual for "a quiver of spears" just doesn't go with the aesthetic that I associate with Middle-earth.

I've allowed Stinging Arrow to work with a thrown spear. There were no problems with doing so, and in fact the Elf ended up trading in the extra spear for a bow anyway, due to encumbrance, and the extra volley.

The player knows it will cost more XP to keep up, but it is still a solid trade.

Otaku-sempai wrote:

Falenthal wrote:Even if more than one is carried, the balance of the game remains the same if only thrown spears are allowed to be used with Stinging Arrow...

Oh, I completely agree.

This.

Yes, I agree that this should work nicely and also fits the Norse and Germanic use of spears.