Article 1194 of rec.games.frp.

dnd:
Path: nntp-server.caltech.edu!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!
anchor.as.utexas.edu!heath
From: heath@anchor.as.utexas.edu (James Heath)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Missile weapon damage/Weather Generation
Message-ID: <74955@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 30 Jun 92 16:31:07 GMT
Sender: root@ut-emx.uucp
Distribution: na
Organization: McDonald Observatory, University of Texas @ Austin
Lines: 95
Originator: heath@anchor.as.utexas.edu

Here's how we do bow damage in the two AD&D campaigns we are running.
"Matt's system" operates on the principle that bows (and especially x-bows)
should do a buttload of damage. It includes the mini-ballista, the Mauler
Crossbow:

Matt's System:

Type Weight Size SF FR DMG

S-M L
Mauler Crossbow 20 5' 15 1/3 4d6 4d6
Heavy Crossbow 14 4' 10 1/2 3d6 3d6
Light Crossbow 7 3' 5 1/1 2d6 2d6
Hand Crossbow 3 1' 3 1/1 1d6+1 1d6

Comp. Longbow 4 4' 3 2/1 FA 2d4 2d4

SA 2d6 2d6
Longbow 3 6' 4 2/1 FA 1d6+1 1d6+1
SA 1d8+1 1d8+1
Comp. Shortbow 3 3' 2 2/1 1d6+1 1d6+1
Shortbow 2 2' 3 2/1 1d6 1d6

With everything else as listed in the PH2.

My system works on the principle that the best reason to use a crossbow
is that any 0-level moron can use it. I reflect this in a bonus "to hit" with
the weapons. I also have them do a bit more damage.

Jim's System

Type To Hit Bonus Damage SF FR Range

1st 2nd S M L
Mauler Crossbow +3 3d4+3 2 1/3 10 25 40
Heavy Crossbow +3 2d4+2 2 1/2 8 20 32
Light Crossbow +3 1d4+1 2 1/1 6 15 24
Hand Crossbow +3 1d4 2 8 2/1* 2 5
8

Comp. Longbow +2 FA 1d6+2 2 4 2/1 9 18

27
SA 1d8+2 7 14 21
Longbow +1 FA 1d6 2 5 2/1 8 16 24
SA 1d8 6 12 18
Comp. Shortbow +2 1d6+1 2 3 2/1 6 12 20
Shortbow 1d6 2 4 2/1 5 10 15

* DEX check to make second shot

Short Range -- No penalty to hit or damage

Medium Range -- penalties -2 to hit, -1 damage (min of 1)
Long Range -- penalties -5 to hit, -3 damage (min of 1)

And, as a laughing happy bonus, here is my weather generation table!

 JIM'S WEATHER GENERATOR
-----------------------

Start with whatever precipitation and wind conditions you wish,

then roll d% at the start of each day for the change in weather
conditions:

01-03 5 steps better Precip. Wind

04-07 4 steps better
08-15 3 steps better Clear Calm
16-24 2 steps better Ptly Cloudy Breeze
25-39 1 step better Mostly Cloudy Lt. Wind
40-60 same Cloudy Windy
61-75 1 step worse Misty/Drizzle (*) Heavy Wind (***)
76-85 2 steps worse Rain/Sleet (**) Gale (+)
86-93 3 steps worse Thunderstorm/Snow (***) Cyclone/Tornado
94-97 4 steps worse Deluge/Blizzard (+) (+++)
98-00 5 steps worse Hurricane/Monsoon (++)

* Maximum Duration 14 days

** Maximum Duration 10 days
*** Maximum Duration 6 days
+ Maximum Duration 3 days
++ Maximum Duration 1 day
+++ Maximum Duration 6 hours; also fast-moving phenomena

Obviously contradictory results (Clear + Tornado, Misty + Gale) are always

decided in favor of precipitation. That is, the wind conditions
are re-rolled or a suitable wind selected

If a change would place a condition off the scale (say, 3 places better than
Partly Cloudy) the change is re-rolled. If the re-roll is still
impossible, treat as "same".

Severe weather conditions can only persist for their maximum duration. At the
expiration of that duration, the weather immediately improves one place.
For the next three days, subtract 20% from all change rolls.