makeing your own arrows/bow

[kaneman19]

Not much is needed to make a bow and a few arrows and i was wondering would that go under the carpentry section. I know this sounds dumb.

[Ravenwing]

Actually its under the very generic Art skill.

Personally I make people take the specific Craft skill, IE Fletcher to make arrows and bows. Knapping to make stone arrowheads. etc.

[azazel1024]

I'd say yes to carpentry skill. If you want to make high quality bows and arrows, that would take an actual bowyer and/or fletcher skill to do, but basic, I'd say carpentry would cover it.

That doesn't mean anyone with carpentry skills could do it, but crap, you could say the same about just about any specific skill under carpentry. It doesn't take much to grab a 4x4 piece of pressure treated wood, carve it down in to a long bow, string it and make a basic manual powered wood lathe and carve some arrows, strap on some DIY fletching, either fashion some kind of arrow head or even simply leave a sharpened wooden point or make a glass arrow head and call it a day. Not everyone could do that, but I'd expect anyone with actual carpentry skills and a little imagination could handle it no problem.

Nothing compared to a professionally made yew bow and well made, fletched arrows with real arrow heads and/or compound, recurve or composite bows...but it'll get the job done for a basic bow and arrow that you could likely hit accuractely enough a zed or deer, etc at 40 or 50 yards and maybe even take it down.

[Tearstone]

I'd say yes to carpentry skill. If you want to make high quality bows and arrows, that would take an actual bowyer and/or fletcher skill to do, but basic, I'd say carpentry would cover it.

That doesn't mean anyone with carpentry skills could do it, but crap, you could say the same about just about any specific skill under carpentry. It doesn't take much to grab a 4x4 piece of pressure treated wood, carve it down in to a long bow, string it and make a basic manual powered wood lathe and carve some arrows, strap on some DIY fletching, either fashion some kind of arrow head or even simply leave a sharpened wooden point or make a glass arrow head and call it a day. Not everyone could do that, but I'd expect anyone with actual carpentry skills and a little imagination could handle it no problem.

Nothing compared to a professionally made yew bow and well made, fletched arrows with real arrow heads and/or compound, recurve or composite bows...but it'll get the job done for a basic bow and arrow that you could likely hit accurately enough a zed or deer, etc at 40 or 50 yards and maybe even take it down.

Actually you can make a decent bow for about $10 at your local hardware store with some PVC, a fiber glass rod, some spray paint or duct tape, and either a self made, or bought bowstring. Easy to get a 60 lb draw weight, no problem, which is way more than enough to bring down a deer, or person. Would do a zombie good too. Requires no carpentry skill.
http://youtu.be/3zyV8tZGJtE

Arrows could be made from dowels, and its easy enough to put a fild point on one of them, and you can make the fletchings easily out of duct tape. Nothing fancy.

Again, neither art nor carpentry needed. Whittling & Sculpting maybe. If you are looking at making a basic survival or bush bow, I would actually make the skill fall under Wilderness Survival, as making bows, especially quick and dirty bush bows in the field seems to be a staple skill for survivalists and outdoorsmen. You can find the info for all different types of survival bows. Also you can even make a slingbow out of a slingshot and a whisker biscuit and a couple zip-ties for $20. Will do ya lots of good, and is just as effective as a regular bow or compound bow.

For the slingbow, as well as duct tape fletchings, and general outdoor archery skills I would recommend Dave Canterbury's youtube page as well as his website, if nothing else as a source of information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6LxKfpAPYA

Skills useful for bow making include: Jury-rigging, General Repair & Maintenance, Carpentry, Whittling & Sculpting.
Skills useful for arrow making include: See above
W.P. Archery & Targeting should also let a player understand bow mechanics, as well as how to do repairs, and keep their weapon in tip top shape, as well as improvise solutions or replacements in the field. Including making new bow staves and strings, and arrows.
Suggested skills: Wilderness Survival, Art - for making good looking as well as functional items.

I would really suggest creating a Bowyering & Fletchering skill, especially for PF Longbowmen, as well as the Ancient Weapon Master using ranged weapons.

[azazel1024]

Yes, however those aren't going to be exceedingly accurate and as for the PVC bow, it'll break in time.

I certainly wouldn't want to lean on the PVC bow if I didn't have to. If I had to in an emergency and had nothing else, sure.

[Tearstone]

True. Wouldn't take long to make another, or use it in the interim while you made a better bow in your free time.

[kaneman19]

these are all great ideas thanks very much

[Pepsi Jedi]

Thing is, these 'Home made" bows aren't going to help you in a Zombie game unless, at very most.. you're hunting squirrels or rats with them (( and not too much then))

There's alot that goes into making a good working bow. You really cannot just take a 4X4, carve it down and put a string on it. The first time you draw it it'll snap and the string will whip your face. That's if it survives being strung anyway.

Most homemade bows aren't going to give you __ANYTHING__ like the strength to punch into a human's skull. MAYBE... if you went through the eyesocket.. but then you're hobbled by those homemade bows being hampered by lack of accuracy and range. It'd be 10 times easier to just stab the arrow through the eye than to try and shoot into the head of a zombie with some jury rigged bow.

A squirrel? If you're lucky. Maybe a rat. Maybe even a sick and slow cat. Higher than that and you're just going to shoot the arrow at it, and either 1) It'll run off because you did about as much damage as throwing a rock, or 2) The zombie turns towards you and moans and comes to eat your face.

This isn't to say it's IMPOSSIBLE. Someone trained in making bows could pull it off. Or, you know Jamie Hieniman or Adam Savage. Heck I'll even say Grant, Kari and Tony, but the accountant across the street or the waitress from one block over or the guy who mops the floor at the porno house? No way.

It's likely be easier to acquire a real one. Walmart, Target, Shopko, Kmart, ect, will all have some. Arrows too. Failing that, many schools will have them. As well as summer camps for kids. Lots of garages can have them, ect.

With practice, and training (( or maybe a book on it)) and time, a layperson may be able to, but you're talking months and months of time if not years. Bow making is very much an 'art' and there's alot more to it than 'Grab that thar stick and lets tie some twine to tha ends then shoot this here sharpened stick, whoo!" Professional bow makers can break or ruin as many as they get right.

To answer the OP: if the character has archery, I'd let him try, with a -35 or 45% skill check.

[Ravenwing]

Seriously guys, it's covered under the Art skill.

As the skill description says.........

The Ability to Draw, paint and sculpt or do craft work.

since PB lacks actual Craft skills like in D20 games, you use Art as the base skill. As bowmaking is a craft. The same as

Blacksmithing
Coppersmithing
Silversmithing
Goldsmithing
Etc.

The only 'craft' skills that get singled out are

Leatherworking
Jewelry.
Carpentry.
Boat Building.

[glitterboy2098]

black smithing has it's own skill in PFRPG.

[Ravenwing]

black smithing has it's own skill in PFRPG.

Well in PBFG Fletching also gets it's own skill

But this is DR, and so it don't. no, I don't know why. PB seriously needs to do a universal Skills book with every skill, from every game in it's proper category. I got a netbook with them, but it's about ten years out of date.

[kaneman19]

that universal skill book would be realy cool and maybe they could add some more detail into the skills. thanks for all the post been a big help.

[Ravenwing]

A universal skill book makes things easier. I dug out the old netbook I have and plan to update it with the new skills that have appeared in the rifter and in game books over the last ten years or so.

But believe me, nothing makes life easier then just having to flip through one book to find all your skills, along with descriptions, synergy bonuses, and base percentile number. This is a book PB seriously needs to produce. I know I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

All they have to do is list every skill in it's proper category, you could cut and paste most of it. Even better, add a complete Secondary skills list that can be used for all game system by PB(Kinda like whats in DR/RT/RUE) add some art and tada!

also it be nice to see Physical skills updated so they didn't just give you a PS bonus, and a tiny bonus to PE or PP. Add the mental skills from the Rifter article that increased Mental stats, and that sounds like a book people will buy.