Turning Arrows

[Jeminai]

Bcause my PCs playing Heroic Archers want to know; How does one model this in GURPS?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc_z4a00cCQ

[Anthony]

Archery art skill?

[Jeminai]

I guess what I am looking for is rules (including the types of penalties) to hit target around corners or on the other side of an ally.

Because, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the heroic archer is going to want to plant an arrow in the face of an orc on the other side of his buddy, just to steal the kill.

[mlangsdorf]

Arching or banking shot Imbuement is my preferred solution. Imbue 2 (two skills only -60%) is only 8 points, plus a pair of DX/VH skills.

[Anaraxes]

Imbuements for shooting around corners. That's pure magic; no amount of heroic skill will get an arrow to turn 90 degrees in flight after you let go.

If you don't want to deal with Imbuements, then maybe you can talk yourself into a weird bit of mix-and-match, and allow the player to buy the Overhead Enhancement for his Heroic Archer Advantage. Normally that's not a fit -- it's for Innate Attacks, not just any old ability -- but taking the mechanics fairly literally would let the arrows avoid cover (like corners or walls), which in theory should also let them avoid pesky PCs in the way as well -- though that's not explicitly listed as a benefit for the Enhancement.

For shooting someone on the other side of a foe, all you really need is enough skill to soak the -4 penalty for someone being in the way. A Heroic Archer planting arrows in enemies' eyeslits can probably do this without any special effort. Just another way to look cool by making a difficult shot look routine. The player or GM can narrate it to make it sound more suspenseful and dramatic, if you need more punch.

[mlangsdorf]

The overhead enhancement lets your attack ignore cover between you and your target that is not overhead. People between you and your target are cover and can be ignored by attacks with the overhead enhancement. That's how the Arching shot Imbuement, for instance, works. But that's just a specific case of the overhead enhancement.

You can't apply overhead to your Heroic Archer ability, but you can add it to the virtual impaling Innate Attack that is your bow attack. Power-ups: Enhancements has the rules for doing that and it's usually fairly cheap.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Archery art skill?

It's worse than that...

Lars is using a 20-30 pound pull bow, so like ST 6ish (this is so the arrow moves slower, so it has time to curve in the air), and the arrows barely penetrate the foam targets. The shot is probably at -10.

These shots work on the same principle as the Archer's Paradox.

If a PC wanted to do this sort of trick shot at full ST and damage I'd allow it at -10 for Heroic Archers, -20 for anyone else. The first time they pull this in combat it would count as a 'Dirty Trick' and deny the target their defense, thereafter it wouldn't.

[seycyrus]

Originally Posted by Jeminai

Bcause my PCs playing Heroic Archers want to know; How does one model this in GURPS?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qc_z4a00cCQ

Performance and acting with a heavy dose of charlatanry.

[RyanW]

Perk: Trick shots with no combat benefit
One of:

Delusion: These techniques were actually used in combat.
Odious Personal Habit: Internet Troll.

This guy shows up from time to time claiming to have unique knowledge of how ancient archery works, and demonstrates it in ways that anyone who knows what he is talking about can tell would not work with any bow with a militarily useful draw weight.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by seycyrus

Performance and acting with a heavy dose of charlatanry.

And I thought I was being harsh on Lars... :P