Question about skill rules

#1

Is a character allowed to practice, outside of combat, using weapons for which he does not have the skill?
i.e. If an archer offered to let me shoot his bow at a target, would my character be able to accept?

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#2

#notaref but training weapons definitely exist in the Empire and can be used by unskilled individuals, there’s a load of them in the academy.

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#3

The Academy, sometimes, is using the Apprentice ability…

But I suspect the answer is yes. As long as you aren’t doing anything too mechanically effective (ie, causing damage), I can’t see anything wrong with some practice, especially if the person teaching you DOES have the calls.

Outside of combat, you’re basically roleplaying the learning of the skill :slight_smile:

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#4

I was talking to a veteran player and they told me that they have used a bow in the past for a bit of fun but didn’t actually have the skill for it. If you do well then you may just have to go ‘beginners luck’ and then make sure people don’t think you can actually do it otherwise you may have a situation where someone wants you to use a weapon you can’t, this player told me of such as situation.

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#5

I have an archery instructors qualification in Real life, and am happy to teach basic archery, usually aiming at a propped up shield or the back of a tent wall. My character doesn’t go to battle, and doesn’t have the marksman skill, but I maintain I teach kids at my chapter house in my backstory.
Can do it IC if there is time, otherwise Friday morning is a good slot, before time in. I’m in Highguard.

Once you have had a go at a weapon set, then taking that weapon set monstering is a good way to get a feel for how it goes during actual battle, which is quite a bit different to static practice, or one on one sparring.
NB archers will lose arrows despite everyone taking care so do be aware of expenses beforehand.

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#6

Yeah, I got a lot of archery and 1-handed spear practice in when I used to monster.

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#7

I can imagine many people are good at shooting a bow at static targets, but might not have the skill to track a moving target or could even be unable to shoot at anything human shaped with a lethal weapon.

Even in the real world, friends with military experience have said that there is a massive difference between shooting a gun at targets and shooting at a human being.

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#8

Combat vet, can attest.

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#9

Yeah., I’m teaching technique so that the kids have the basics down before they go for military service (common in Highguard), works the same way for general people/characters too, learn how to do it, what not to do, and how to be safe. You can practice to be accurate and fast yourself!

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#10

I was watching a lindybeige video on youtube recently where he said that most people in an actual combat situation will shoot to miss because they don’t really want to kill anyone, but they have to do something so they just shoot near the enemy.

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#11

Is this why in Star Wars the rebels are capable of hitting the dehumanised figures of the stormtroopers, it is commented the stormtroopers are incredibly precise (against vehicles), and yet stormtroopers cannot hit the rebels in their open-faced helmets?

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#12

It is the perfect ad hoc answer to that question :smiley:

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#13

No matter how much training they have, until they’ve experienced combat, most service members miss because they haven’t adjusted to the adrenaline rush from being targeted by that kind of violence. Tunnel vision, shaky hands, doubt, all those things are what training tries to prepare them for…and usually is only a marginal success.

As for game, after a couple battles, most players calm down and find their groove with leading targets and timing their shots. LARP archery distances are typically so short that a little bit of jitters isn’t going to throw your shots off much.

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#14

In short, yes. The Marksman skill allows you to use a bow in combat. If you are roleplaying some archery training with a friend, this is entirely acceptable, and indeed encouraged if you were to pick up the Marksman skill in game.

If you were to accidentally hit someone instead of the target, you can claim you’re using “training arrows” that have, say, soft padded ends so you don’t do any damage. :wink:

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#15

Exactly. Because kids are all little monsters, If ever they hit you it’s always a Wooden Training Weapon. You are then free to tell everyone that you did not get beaten by a child, it was training. Honestly Guv, there were like 9 of them. Of course I can beat them I just choose not to.

Side, unrelated note - The academy combat faculty trains them really well.

Edit:
Did I say 9? I mean to say 12. and 4 of them were mages.

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#16

Yeah, watch out for the Academy. They are the most ruthless, drilled, tricksy and efficient small-group (very small group) combat team on the field. And have a tendancy to leave monsters bleeding on the floor (OOC) while they stand there looking innocent saying “oops…”

Okay, not that bad :slight_smile:

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