Arrows used as melee weapons.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Saabre

Seems to me that a 1/2 pound+ arrow wouldn't fly as well as a normal .1 pound arrow.

Depends on the draw strength of the bow. War arrows fired from period bows of 150 lbs. draw were not uncommonly 0.2 lbs (1400 grains). You need an arrow that heavy/stiff to make it paradox around the bow properly.

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

On a related note, what if the arrows were made of something stronger? A player of mine is using a bow with metal arrows (flexible metal, similar to tubular bows). Would they be significantly stronger?

I'd probably allow for a little more damage (cap it one higher, say), and reduce the breakage chances to 2 in 6. That's pretty generous given most arrows are still not made for being stabbed into someone, but gives a nod to stronger arrows being, well, stronger.

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

This is actually addressed in Low Tech, on the Improvised Weapons table (pg 63). An arrow or bolt can be used to stab as a dagger, capped at 1d-4 imp damage, and has a 50% chance to break on a successful strike or parry.

Why on earth would it be capped? Once it's poked in it'll do the same harm as any other sharp object.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

Why on earth would it be capped? Once it's poked in it'll do the same harm as any other sharp object.

I assume it's because the arrow lacks a proper grip for stabbing with, so it's hard for the wielder to transfer much force into it.

[Dammann]

There is a resolution issue, here. Of course, if someone jabs someone else with a sharp thing like an arrow, it will hurt and cause an injury. But releasing an arrow from a bow into someone is going to penetrate deeper, and cause a worse injury.

1d-4 could well result in an injury of 0HP. But lots of trivial injuries result in 0HP injuries; cutting yourself with a kitchen knife is probably a 1d-5 sort of injury, where you might do significant damage that requires skilled medical attention, but will usually just be a messy inconvenience. Small injuries like pencils jabbed into the thigh, accidents in the kitchen, and paper cuts elicit a pain response, and often a bit of blood, but seldom cause a full HP of damage. Little injuries are problematic without increasing GURPS's resolution, which will most often be more nuisance than it is worth.

I propose that if one wishes to track these little boo-boo type wounds, one could note deci-HP. We have similar deca-scale damage for spaceships. For my own part, I think I like just treating small wounds that amount to less than a HP as a cosmetic issue. My players seem to be ok with it, though the halfling's player doesn't like his unarmed chances against some opponents.

Edit: brb, penning a proposal for Pyramid's next Alternate GURPS issue, tentatively titled "Death by a Thousand Cuts"

[simply Nathan]

Already, no matter how low you roll with a non-Crushing attack it does 1 HP of damage before DR. So even if you roll a 1 on 1d-4, you cause 1 imp which is 2 damage.

This is why you would go for knives over brass knuckles this system, despite Brawling/Karate giving such nice damage bonuses.

[Dammann]

Ah, true. I suppose that First Aid is always a good idea, even for small wounds.

Do paper cuts do cutting damage? Maybe they should have a (.1) armor divisor? I realize that office hi jinks & household hazards are probably not what Steve Jackson had in mind when Man-to-Man became GURPS.

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

Originally Posted by Dammann

. . I realize that office hi jinks & household hazards are probably not what Steve Jackson had in mind when Man-to-Man became GURPS.

GURPS Papers and Paychecks supplement, release date TBA.

[For those of a literal mind-set, this was intended as humor, not a real product announcement.]