The Bowyer/Fletcher

Bows and arrows represent one of mankind's earliest inventions. Archery artifacts date back as far as 60,000 years, and 10,000 years ago, were hunting and waging war with bows in every corner of the world. Despite developments such as the recurve bow, adapted for horseback warfare, and composite bow construction, which increased arrow speed and cast (the distance a bow can shoot an arrow), the bow's basic design remained nothing more complicated than a stick and string.

The Bowyer/Fletcher is a specialty craftsman who builds, and repairs bows and arrows. Like the Blacksmith, S/he is a treasured member of the community because S/he provides it with a major source of firepower. In most places, Fletchers are the friends of hunters and a potential source for any archers when in need during times of war. Most Fletchers are themselves a good shot with a short bow or crossbow, and though they lack the specialty moves of a Long Bowman, they still can develop a good rate of fire with any bow weapon. Fletchers are also handy with making minor repairs and woodworking.

Fletchers, like Blacksmiths, sometimes like to test their productions in live combat, and, as such, will sometimes seek out groups of adventurers or the militia to tag along with. The Fletcher will usually hang around just long enough to give their new bow (or arrow design) a workout before returning home. Fletching is such a lucrative business, most never leave it, but there are always a few who do, lured away from a life of steady work and comfort for the uncertainty of the adventuring life.

Note: Fletchers benefit from the ability to make arrows from scratch even in the wilderness, which means they rarely have an empty quiver and are good to have along (can make four good arrows an hour). Ordinary folk with the whitling skill can attempt to make an arrow, but their ugly and awkward creation will be -6 to strike (arrows made by Artisans will only be -2 to strike but take twice as long to make; about two arrows an hour.) Most archers can NOT make arrows, Long Bowmen included, and must wait until they can get back to a shop to buy more.

The Bowyer's stock and trade

Arrows

An arrow used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (–4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (critical multiplier ×2). Arrows come in a leather quiver that holds 20 arrows. An arrow that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost.

Types

• Lanceolate Arrowheads: The lanceolate arrowheads include:
• Auriculate: An auriculate arrowhead is a fish-shaped arrowhead that includes auricles or ears which point downward at an angle.
• Lanceolate: With a straight or concave base, a lanceolate arrowhead has a blade that expands out from the tip, narrowing back in near the base.
• Leaf: The leaf arrowhead is also called an egg-shaped or ovate arrowhead, and it has a point that expands out from the tip and then narrows back in at the base. It also has a round, not straight, base.
• Triangle: In a triangle arrowhead, the blade extends out from the base to the tip.
• Notched: Notched arrowheads include the following:
  • Basal Notched: Because these arrowheads have notches that enter the body from the base of the point, they tend to have very long barbs.
  • Corner Notched: Usually resulting in the creation of a barb, these arrowheads have notches that enter the body of the point from the corner. They can also enter where the blade and the base meet.
  • Side Notched: In these arrowheads, parallel notches are created because the notches enter from the blade to the body of the point.
  • Stemmed Arrowheads: Here is a list of the most common types of stemmed arrowheads:
    • Contracting Stem: This type of stemmed arrowhead tapers from the shoulders to the base, and the tapers can be slight ones or ones that are very sharp.
    • Expanding Stem: The expanding stem arrowhead has a stem that actually expands instead of tapering from the shoulders to the base. It is different from a side notch in a stylistic way, so if you cannot find your point, check for side-notched points.
    • Stemmed: On the stemmed arrowheads, the stem itself is relatively straight from the shoulders to the base.
  • Miscellaneous: Miscellaneous arrowheads include:
    • Bifurcated: These arrowheads have points with a deep center notch located in the base. Its overall shape can range from notched to stemmed points. All points are known as bifurcated points
    • Mechanical (Expanded) Blade Broadheads: With mechanical blade broadhead arrowheads, the blades are retracted just before the shot close to the ferrule, and, upon impact, they expand to expose the cutting edges. If you use bows rated 50 pounds or more, these types of arrowheads are not recommended, mainly because most of them require additional energy to open properly upon penetration.
    • Other Shaped Lithics: There are numerous other tools that are not necessarily pointed like arrowheads are, but which are made of the same materials and therefore sometimes included in this category. This includes scrappers, fleshers, drills, and knives, among others.

  Types of Points

  • Bullet Point: These arrowheads have a steel point and are made for hunting small game and for target shooting.
  • Blunt Point: Blunt point arrowheads are not pointed and can be made of materials that include hard rubber, steel, or even plastic. They are used to hunt small games and for some types of target shooting.
  • Bodkin Point: These points are short and rigid, and they consist of a small cross-section. At one time, they were made of unhardened iron and may have been made to get a longer or better flight, or because it was an inexpensive way to make an arrowhead.
  • Broadhead Point: A broadhead point arrowhead is used mostly for hunting big games. It contains steel blades in various amounts, and it is built solidly. Also razor-sharp, the broadhead point arrowhead is, in fact, the only arrowhead that is allowed to be used for big game hunting.
  • Elf Arrows: Elf arrows are also called pixie arrows, and they are made of flint. Used for both war and hunting, elf arrows can be found among some native peoples in the world, although in most places they are non-existent. These arrowheads can also be used as amulets and set in silver, which are believed to ward off witchcraft.
  • Field Point: These steel-pointed arrowheads are used for both small game hunting and target shooting. They look similar to target points but have very distinct shoulders. For this reason, any outdoor shots that are missed won’t become stuck in tree stumps or other obstacles. Hunters use them for shooting practice because they have weights and characteristics that are similar to broadheads and because they do not get lodged in target materials or cause extensive damage when you remove them.
  • Fish Point: Fish point arrowheads can spear the fish and also secure them until an attached line lands on them. The arrowheads are either spring-loaded or barbed and are quite long in length.
  • Spring Point: The spring point arrowhead is designed with spring arms that are attached to the arrowhead. Their main purpose is to prevent arrow loss, catch in leaves and grass, and both to hunt small game and shoot “stump.”
  • Safety Arrows: Safety arrows are made mostly for various types of reenactment combat, and, when shot at people, there is a lower risk of harm. Safety arrows have heads that are padded or very wide, and, if they are used with bows that have restricted draw length and draw weight, they can reduce the risks involved with shooting arrows at people, as long as they are suitably armored. The parameters vary depending on the level of acceptable risk felt by the participants and the specific rules being used. These rules can vary from country to country.
  • Target Point: Target point arrowheads have sharp points and are bullet-shaped. They are created to penetrate target butts easily while causing as little damage as possible.

  Types of Blade Shapes

  • Excurvated: An excurvated arrowhead starts out wide at the base and comes to a point at the tip. It is not a narrow arrowhead, but it does taper to a point at the tip.
  • Incurvate: An incurvate arrowhead starts out wide at the base and narrows to a point at the tip, just like an excurvated arrowhead. However, an incurvate arrowhead has sides that curve inward slightly and, therefore, is a little more narrow in size and shape. I
  • nward Recurvate: These arrowheads also start out wide at the base and narrow to a point at the tip, but the shape is a little more pronounced, and it is wider towards the base than other types of arrowheads.
  • Outward Recurvate: The outward recurvate arrowheads have wide bases and points at the tip, but they are virtually the same width from the base to the tip. They have a more “even” look than other types of arrowheads.
  • Serrated: Serrated arrowheads have serrated edges along the sides, making for a more pronounced look.
  • Straight These arrowheads have wide bases and narrow at the tip, but their sides are very straight instead of rounded or curvy.

  Materials

  • Bone:

    There are numerous websites that can teach you how to create your own arrowheads with bones, and they recommend bones that are extra-strong, such as the femur or leg bone of an animal. As long as the bone is a very strong type, the arrowhead will perform as you expect it to.

  • Chert: Chert is a type of sedimentary rock that is hard and fine-grained. It is composed of quartz crystals very small in size. Usually, chert is made of the petrified remains of siliceous ooze, which is the biogenic sediment covering a large portion of the deep ocean floor. Depending on where it comes from, chert can contain small macrofossils or microfossils, or both. It can vary greatly in color, although most chert rocks are greyish-brown, brown, grey, light green, or even rusty red. The color is based on how many trace elements are found in the rock, and both green and red are usually related to traces of iron.
  • Flint:

    Flint is a hard type of quartz that is typically categorized as a type of chert. It is found mainly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, including limestones and chalks. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark-grey, black, green, brown, or white, and it sometimes has a waxy or glassy look. The thin layer on the outside of the nodules is often a different color, usually white, and it has a rough texture. The term “flint” often refers to a form of chert that is either limestone or chalk.

  • Obsidian: A type of volcanic glass that occurs naturally, obsidian is formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is created when felsic lava extrudes from a volcano and then cools rapidly with very little crystal growth. Often found within the margins of obsidian flows, rhyolitic lava flows, obsidian rock has a high silica content and induces a degree of lava with high polymerization and high viscosity.
  • Wood: Arrowheads made of wood are made of very strong woods, and some of the strongest woods include oak, balsa, and bamboo, although, if you research various types of wood, you can easily come up with other options.
  • Metal: Arrowheads made of Metal are generally of Iron or Steel but can also be made of Silver Mithral or Adamantite

  Groups of Arrowheads

  • Broadheads Of all the arrowheads you could use, the broadheads are the most dangerous. The tips of these arrowheads are made with at least three blades that are razor-sharp and cut deep wounds into both big and small games. They penetrate very easily, cause more bleeding than target arrowheads, and are usually barbed to make the arrow get stuck in the animal. They do not fall out easily, and, in fact, you are more likely to have an arrow break than to have it fall out of your prey. If you are not going hunting, there is no reason for you to purchase or use a broadhead arrowhead because these arrowheads will rip apart your targets, not make you a better archer.
  • Blunt Arrowheads: Blunt arrowheads come in numerous sizes and shapes; however, they do not penetrate their target. Instead, blunt arrowheads cause blunt trauma that kills or paralyzes small game. A spring point arrowhead is a type of blunt arrowhead, and this type of arrowhead is gaining in popularity. It has metal springs that keep you from losing the arrow under leaves or in the grass since they always stop the arrow from burrowing itself too deeply. Blunt arrowheads are used for practice or to hunt small games, but they are not harmless and should never be given to children for their practice sessions. At high speeds, blunt arrowheads can cause a lot of damage. There are safety arrowheads that are made of soft materials that keep the danger to a minimum, and, even though they are of limited use to target archers, these may be acceptable for beginners or even children, rather than using blunt arrowheads.
  • Target Arrowheads: Target arrowheads are what you will likely use when you first start shooting. They have no barbs, and, therefore, they do not get stuck in the target. They are also made to easily penetrate archery targets, and it is very simple to pull them out of the target again. Target arrowheads should be handled with care because they can penetrate the animal or human skin easily. They can kill or injure whatever they hit.
  • War Arrows: War arrows support heavier shafts designed to carry heavier heads. These heads have different utility, but all war arrows reduce range on normal and maximum range by 50%, except for Bodkin.
  • Bodkin: Bodkin arrows were designed for longer flight ranges. Bodkin arrows increase normal and maximum ranges by 50%. These arrows are 2sp each and weigh 10 arrows to the pound.
  • Hammer: These arrows have a heavier, blunted head with three or four sides that end in shallow points, enabling it to deal only Bludgeoning damage instead of the usual Piercing. These arrows cost 5sp each and weigh 5 arrows to the pound.
  • Ripper: These arrows were considered so vicious that leaders of gentler gods sought to ban them from war. These arrows have a specially designed barbed underside to the arrows to make them difficult to remove. An enemy hit by one is considered impaled by the arrow and gains a Disadvantage to all Dex related skill checks until it is removed. Removing the arrow requires a Medicine check DC 12. On failure, the target takes an additional die of damage, based on the original damage type. These arrows cost 5sp a piece and weigh 5 arrows to a pound. These arrows may be banned for use and sale in some areas.
  • Phoenix Arrows: These arrows have a band of phosphor imbedded in the arrow that, when lit, heats the arrowhead up to hellish degrees, enabling the arrow to deal both piercing and fire damage simultaneously. (I.e. While a longbow only deals 1d8 damage, it's considered both fire and piercing damage, whichever is most favorable for the attacker.

Types of Bows

• Shortbow: Shortbows were the first type of bow to developed, although they were not referred to by that term until much later after the invention of the longbow. And as their name implied, they were smaller than longbows, with correspondingly less range and penetration. You can use a shortbow while mounted. If you have a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when you use a shortbow. If you have a bonus for high Strength, you can apply it to damage rolls when you use a composite shortbow but not a regular shortbow.
• Longbow: Over time longbows were developed as people gave bows longer staves in an effort to increase their range. Though others found ways of increasing the flexibility of bows without increasing the length of their staves. A longbow is too unwieldy to use while you are mounted. If you have a penalty for low Strength, apply it to damage rolls when you use a longbow. If you have a bonus for high Strength, you can apply it to damage rolls when you use a composite longbow but not a regular longbow.
• Composite Bow: The third classification of bow was the composite. This could be either a long or shortbow, with the distinction being that a composite had a stave made of more than one material. This gave the bow greater flexibility and consequently greater range. You can use a composite longbow while mounted. All composite bows are made with a particular strength rating (that is, each requires a minimum Strength modifier to use with proficiency). If your Strength bonus is less than the strength rating of the composite bow, you can't effectively use it, so you take a -2 penalty on attacks with it. The default composite longbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite longbow can be made with a high strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score; this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 100 gp to its cost. For purposes of weapon proficiency and, a composite longbow is treated as if it were a longbow. You can use a composite shortbow while mounted. All composite bows are made with a particular strength rating (that is, each requires a minimum Strength modifier to use with proficiency). If your Strength bonus is lower than the strength rating of the composite bow, you can't effectively use it, so you take a -2 penalty on attacks with it. The default composite shortbow requires a Strength modifier of +0 or higher to use with proficiency. A composite shortbow can be made with a high strength rating to take advantage of an above-average Strength score, this feature allows you to add your Strength bonus to damage, up to the maximum bonus indicated for the bow. Each point of Strength bonus granted by the bow adds 75 gp to its cost. For purposes of weapon proficiency and similar feats, a composite shortbow is treated as if it were a shortbow.
• Warbow: Any bow with the war bow property has a higher draw weight and is deisgned to fire war arrows. These bows require a minimum of 13 strength to draw and grants the bow the Finesse property. Warbows increase the cost of a bow by 50g.

Elven Varieties

Elven bows come in the same types as other races bows but are thicker and heavier and almost always embued with some sort of Magic. They are made from rare woods and have intricate and beautiful design. The ingenuity of the elven bowyers that crafted them made it so they worked just as well as melee weapons. These bows can only be purchaced from Elven Bowyers or from an alchemist.

Oathbow:

Of elven make, this white +2 composite longbow (+2 strike) whispers "Swift defeat to my enemies" in Elven when nocked and pulled. Once per day, if the firer swears aloud to slay her target (a free action), the bow's whisper becomes the low shout "Swift death to those who have wronged me." Against such a sworn enemy, the bow has a +5 enhancement bonus, and arrows launched from it deal an additional 2d6 points of damage (and x4 on a critical hit instead of the normal x3). However, the bow is treated as only a masterwork weapon against all foes other than the sworn enemy, and the wielder takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls with any weapon other than the oathbow. These bonuses and penalties last for seven days or until the sworn enemy is slain or destroyed by the wielder of the oathbow, whichever comes first. The oathbow may only have one sworn enemy at a time. Once the wielder swears to slay a target, he cannot make a new oath until he has slain that target or seven days have passed. Even if the wielder slays the sworn enemy on the same day that he makes the oath, he cannot activate the oathbow's special power again until 24 hours have passed from the time he made the oath.

The Bowyer/Fletcher O.C.C.

Attribute Requirements: I.Q.: 8, P.P.: 10 or higher.
Alignment: Any
Gender: Male or Female
Race: Any
O.C.C. Skills:

• Language: Native longue at 98% plus one of choice (+ 10%).
• Horsemanship: General
• Basic Math (+ 10%)
• Carpentry (+10%)
• Sculpting and Whinling (+20010)
• Rope Works (+10%)
• General Repair (+5%)
• Basic: Metalworking (special): This is a very basic blacksmith ability, limited to the making of metal arrowheads only, which takes around one hour each to make. The Fletcher also knows how to use stone and bone to make arrowheads. Skill Ratio: 25% +5% per level of experience for Artisans and Blacksmiths +20% for Fletchers.
• Archery: Can use all bows with proficiency
• Hand to Hand: Basic. This can be changed to Hand to Hand:Expert for the cost of one "O.C.C. Related" skill

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select five other skills of choice at level one, plus 1 per level starting at level 2. All new skills start at Lvl. one proficiency.

• Communications: Any (+5% each)
• Domestic: Any
• Espionage: Sniper Only
• Horsemanship: General or Exotic Only.
• Labour: Any
• Medical: Brewing or First Aid only.
• Military: Heraldry, Recognize Weapon Quality(bows and crossbows) only.
• Naval Skills: Any
• Performing Arts: Any (+10%)
• Physical: Any, excluding gymnastics.
• Rogue: Palming and Card Shark only
• Science: Mathematics skills only.
• Scholar/Noble/Technical: Any (+10%)
• Weapon Proficiencies: Blunt, Knife, Sword, Staff, Shield, Spear & Throwing weapons oMy
• Wilderness: Land Navigalion, Wilderness Survival, Preserve Food, and Boat Building only

Secondary Skills: Choose 6 at level 1, plus 1 per level starting at level 2. All new skills start at Lvl. one proficiency. These are additional areas of knowledge that don't get the O.C.C. bonus.

Starting Equipment: One set of clothing, boots, gloves, a set of whittling knives (1D4 each), belt, bedroll, backpack, a large sack, a small sack, a water skin, and a tinder box

Armour: Studded Leather (A.R. 13, S.D.C. 38).

Weapons: Starts with a bow of choice and a crossbow, a quiver of 24 arrows, a quiver of 24 bolts, and one other weapon of choice. All are basic S.D.C. weapons of fair to good quality. Magic weapons and other equipment must be acquired later

Money: The character starts with 270 in gold, which can be used immediately to purchase more equipment or it can be saved for later. Additional money will come from payment for jobs and/or booty.