Three minor curiousities!

[Sheakhan]

I had some questions that I really couldn't determine on my own and would like input on, mostly out of wild curiousity:

1. If a bow is measured along the curve(s), could a bow be made significantly more compact by incorporating several curves to artificially increase the length?

2. If the ARB allows for extinct animals as wylderkin, would playing a Neanderthalkin be technically allowable?

3. Following the same logic as #2, could a Sarr play a Sabertooth?

 

[KyleSchmelz]

1. Follow the spirit of the rules - as long as it still looks like a bow you're fine. A min-length longbow isn't particularly cumbersome anyway, and making it into a recurve bow would definitely cut down on the size if that's what you're going for.
2. Follow the spirit of the rules - I could see an argument for something like a dinosaur but it should be fairly obvious that other hominids are no more allowed than a Humankin would be. The rulebook uses "animal" in the colloquial sense, not the textbook definition.
3. I wouldn't necessarily see that as a problem, but I also wouldn't be surprised if some campaigns had NPC-only Sabertooth Sarr prides or something like that, so I'd check with your local plot team before making a Sabertooth Sarr.

 

[Sheakhan]

Veeeeery interesting. So to follow up on #2, could you play a Neanderthal as a human/barbarian if you were so inclined?

 

[KyleSchmelz]

You can play a Human or you can play a Barbarian. Humans and Barbarians are distinct races within the Alliance rules system/setting. Given that wearing fur and having a slightly different outlook on life is enough to make them a distinct race, I would think the numerous physiological differences between humans and neanderthals would be more than enough to qualify neanderthals as a separate race and thus not the same as either Human or Barbarian.

This is yet another question where the correct answer is "ask your local plot team" with the possible addendum of "be prepared for them to say no".

 

[MaxIrons]

Please see my discussion of unusual concepts in the race and traveling thread.

You may recurve a bow, but remember the more compact, the more difficult it is to block with it. It must pass all other safety requirements, and if I can't tell it's a bow, there's a problem.

 

[OrcFighterFTW]

1. I'd rule this similar to shields, following only the main outer curve from tip to tip. A long bow is meant to be bigger to give you that +1 damage in exchange. That trade off is the spirit of the rule.
2. I'd say no, that's a Barbarian. Odd speech, furs/bones/animal parts, and otherwise human looking = Barbarian in Alliance.
3. (Edit) I'd call that a Sarr, as it based on an extinct big cat. The extinction is irrelevant as there is not yet a ruling/ban on extinct animals for Wylderkin, so it's still a big cat.

 

[fyrechild]

There has in fact been a plotline in New Jersey involving NPC Sabertooth Sarr, FYI

Edit: Aw nuts I forgot this was Marshal Questions. Sorry, I Am Not A Marshal. Just wanted to let folks know that Sabers have appeared in game.

 

[SorinKatt]

I won't speak on 2 and 3 since I am only a weapon marshal in Denver, but my biggest concern with drastically re-curving a bow to make it smaller would be hooking projections when blocking IMHO. Assuming you could over come that and it was properly padded I would agree that it more breaks the spirit of the rules than the actual rules seeing as long bows are supposed to be bigger. I would definitely qualify it as gaming the system.

 

[Draven]

I disagree that it would be gaming the system unless taken to such an extreme that it's no longer recognizable as a bow.

If shields can have such versatility, I see no reason why a bow can't have the same, as long as it's reasonable.

 

[SorinKatt]

I disagree that it would be gaming the system unless taken to such an extreme that it's no longer recognizable as a bow.

If shields can have such versatility, I see no reason why a bow can't have the same, as long as it's reasonable.

Draven, my argument would be that the rules do not make a distinction between large shield and small shield, but bows do. If you have a 'long bow' that's shorter than a 'short bow' because of curves than it is gaming the system, but not illegal by the rules per say.

 

[jpariury]

1. If a bow is measured along the curve(s), could a bow be made significantly more compact by incorporating several curves to artificially increase the length?

In general, it needs to look like a bow. You should not be carrying a looping series of tubes that take up as much space as a bowl of day-old pudding and throwing packets for long bow damage.

2. If the ARB allows for extinct animals as wylderkin, would playing a Neanderthalkin be technically allowable?

The intent of wylderkin is to be a different animal. While a Neanderthal is definitely not a homo-sapien, I'd suggest it's close enough to count as "not-an-animal" (while a gorilla is not).

3. Following the same logic as #2, could a Sarr play a Sabertooth?

Independent of the answer to #2, you could play a sarr with big teeth.