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Old 12-21-2010, 06:53 AM   #1
Qcumber
 
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Default Draw weight (poundage) of bows and GURPS ST

Does anyone have any idea how the draw-weight of a bow (poundage) is related to GURPS ST?

I was thinking that "medium encumbrance" might be about right. For example, a ST 11 rated longbow would have a draw weight of 72lb. War-bows were reputed to be in the 120-150lb range which would make them equivalent to about ST 15-16. Is this enough to reflect the devastating damage and armour penetration of a longbow arrow loosed by a professional archer (only 1d+3 at ST15/16)? How strong would a medieval professional archer have been; one that had trained from a very young age to draw a heavy bow?
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Old 12-21-2010, 06:58 AM   #2
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Draw weight (poundage) of bows and GURPS ST

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Originally Posted by Qcumber View Post
Does anyone have any idea how the draw-weight of a bow (poundage) is related to GURPS ST?

I was thinking that "medium encumbrance" might be about right.
Thinking of it as Bl + BL might be clearer. BL is the strength of one arm and you're using each arm for a different task. One to hold the bow in place and the other to pull the string away from it.

Also note that Martial Arts alows up to 3 pts of Arm ST for Archers who buy the correxct Perk. Skeletal remaisn of English longbowmenn support this to some extent..
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Old 12-21-2010, 07:10 AM   #3
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Default Re: Draw weight (poundage) of bows and GURPS ST

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Does anyone have any idea how the draw-weight of a bow (poundage) is related to GURPS ST?
Here is a 5-year-old discussion of that very thing. The discussion was pre-Martial Arts, so a little of it has been superseded by the rules for Archers therein. A decent starting point, though.
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Old 12-21-2010, 07:22 AM   #4
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Default Re: Draw weight (poundage) of bows and GURPS ST

By GURPS rules, draw weight probably ought to be BLx2.

However, actual skill with a bow appears to give an advantage in drawing bows. For example, an average person can learn how to use a 50-lb bow without too much trouble. This does not imply that an average person has ST 11+.

Long story short, using BLx2.5 for the draw weight of bows yields pretty accurate results.

That makes a 130-lb warbow around ST 16, which feels plenty realistic. A realistic dedicated archer probably has ST 11-12, Arm ST +3 and the Strongbow Perk from MA. That allows him to use bows of a draw weight from 128-145 lbs. To use a 150-160-lb bow, you need effective ST 18, or ST 13+Arm ST 3+Strongbow.

Finally, a 200-lb bow would be ST 20. In the real world, at least two men can draw a bow about that weight.
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Old 12-21-2010, 08:31 AM   #5
DouglasCole
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Default Re: Draw weight (poundage) of bows and GURPS ST

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Originally Posted by Icelander View Post
By GURPS rules, draw weight probably ought to be BLx2.

However, actual skill with a bow appears to give an advantage in drawing bows. For example, an average person can learn how to use a 50-lb bow without too much trouble. This does not imply that an average person has ST 11+.

Long story short, using BLx2.5 for the draw weight of bows yields pretty accurate results.

That makes a 130-lb warbow around ST 16, which feels plenty realistic. A realistic dedicated archer probably has ST 11-12, Arm ST +3 and the Strongbow Perk from MA. That allows him to use bows of a draw weight from 128-145 lbs. To use a 150-160-lb bow, you need effective ST 18, or ST 13+Arm ST 3+Strongbow.

Finally, a 200-lb bow would be ST 20. In the real world, at least two men can draw a bow about that weight.
What Icelander said. I have had really good results with BLx2.5
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Old 12-21-2010, 10:27 AM   #6
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Default Re: Draw weight (poundage) of bows and GURPS ST

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What Icelander said. I have had really good results with BLx2.5
Yes. This sounds about right. Thanks.
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