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Old 03-13-2018, 02:08 PM   #1
Illusion158
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Default Arrow and Bolt making rules

Hi all! My group is going to be doing a low fantasy campaign with a grittier feel than normal soon and one of the players is a hunter who wants to be able to make her own arrows and bows. I know the relevant skills for it and the tools needed, but what I can't find is how long it takes to make an arrow from prepared materials (or how long it takes to make said materials) or any penalties for making it armor piercing, basket, ect. (I assume balanced and fine use the rules under making weapons in LTC 3)

While on that subject, my personal character is a smith and I can't seem to find time to make a sword, armor, ect. either. Nor penalties for falchion or armor piercing. Its possible there is no penalty for falchion, but I assume AP would at least have one.

As always it is possible that I have merely overlooked something in the myriad of books out there of course.
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Old 03-13-2018, 02:15 PM   #2
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Default Re: Arrow and Bolt making rules

The time calculation is given in LTC 3 p 23 "Labor costs". There is an example of making a ladder. Making other things is evaluated in the same way.

Edit to clarify: You take the base cost of the item and add cost factors(except item quality) to get the price to use for time calculations.

Edit 2 for forgetting the modifiers: There are no special modifiers for making the special options, but a GM may assign a familiarity penalty as normal until they are familiar with the process. Some may also be deemed to be trade secrets and require a craft secret perk.
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Last edited by weby; 03-13-2018 at 02:23 PM.
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Old 03-13-2018, 02:30 PM   #3
Illusion158
 
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Default Re: Arrow and Bolt making rules

Thanks for the reply! Must have missed it when I skimmed through labor costs earlier today. I'll go take a look and let the other player know.
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Old 03-13-2018, 05:44 PM   #4
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Default Re: Arrow and Bolt making rules

Quote:
Originally Posted by Illusion158 View Post
...what I can't find is how long it takes to make an arrow from prepared materials...
Realistically speaking (having done this) you can bang out an arrow a minute if you've got all the materials at ready.

This does not account for time to let the glue cure. That can add hours up to an entire day depending on the glue you're using.

Quote:
(or how long it takes to make said materials)
This one is where all your time really comes in, from finding the materials to preparing them. It can take time to properly straighten the shafts, fire and knap the flint (or smelt and forge heads), prepare feathers for fletching, cure the ligament for tying, gather pine pitch or resin or render hooves/horns for glue, etc.

If you're starting with prepared materials, I'd strongly argue for 1 minute/arrow (and then 24 hours to properly cure the glue). Otherwise go with the book formula. If you also have to find/scrounge up the raw materials (unfired flint, unrendered glue, etc) double or triple the time.
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Old 03-13-2018, 07:46 PM   #5
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Arrow and Bolt making rules

Having all materials handy is like asking how long it takes to make furniture when you have all the pieces pre-made.
Speedy Ikea vs. actually turning a log into a bookcase requires quite different assumptions.

(Just remember that an "arrow straightener" does not actually straighten arrows. It's more like a level to determine if an arrow shaft is straight.)
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Old 03-14-2018, 08:37 AM   #6
Culture20
 
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Default Re: Arrow and Bolt making rules

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Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
Having all materials handy is like asking how long it takes to make furniture when you have all the pieces pre-made.
It’s not unusual though; seperation of work did happen in TL0-3. You could easy buy or trade for arrowheads from the town smith or flint knapper, shafts from a carpenter, and feathers from farmers or the hunters you sell the arrows to (this character being said hunter can get her own feathers from game birds).
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Old 03-14-2018, 09:18 AM   #7
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Default Re: Arrow and Bolt making rules

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." -Carl Sagan
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Old 03-15-2018, 05:00 AM   #8
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Default Re: Arrow and Bolt making rules

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Originally Posted by Culture20 View Post
It’s not unusual though; seperation of work did happen in TL0-3. You could easy buy or trade for arrowheads from the town smith or flint knapper, shafts from a carpenter, and feathers from farmers or the hunters you sell the arrows to (this character being said hunter can get her own feathers from game birds).
Even when you have all of the materials you still need to prepare them. The shafts need to be cut, shaved, and straightened. The feathers need to be trimmed. The nock needs to be carved. The glue needs to be dissolved in hot water before it can be used.
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Last edited by DanHoward; 03-15-2018 at 05:06 AM.
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