Slings: What you know you want

[JTG]

Yes slings. Those nice momentum based lethal projectiles used in most of history.

You could use 3 kinds of stone for ammo.

Rocks: well no shit
Iron ore: Why not?
Slag: Finally a use for slag.

Discuss.

[sami1337]

What would make it different than archery?

[JTG]

I don't know, maybe more damage and different skills.

[Jfloyd]

I support the use of iron ore, somewhat. Maybe cast them down into 5 pellets.
When I was a kid, I used to walk the railroad tracks and pick up the little iron balls that were
dropped and use them with a sling-shot. I think they should be lesser damage than
a bow ofcourse, since it's just a stone/pellet, but also it'd give new players
a way to kill things like foxes without being too brutaly raped.

[sami1337]

faster but weaker and different skills?

[Potjeh]

And they don't show up in your hands when you're not using them, so you appear unarmed. It could be useful.

[theTrav]

And they don't show up in your hands when you're not using them, so you appear unarmed. It could be useful.

I'm pretty sure real slings (the type used to kill, not the Y shape ones) would show up if equipped... They're pretty long.

Would slag be suitable for sling bullets? I've never actually seen/touched any so I have no idea of the properties of that sort of stone, but I'd imagine it being fairly brittle/chalky

[Vattic]

Slings are an interesting and in my opinion appropriate idea. I'd like to see them rapid fire a handful of shots and then have a long reload time. The ammo could be made from a number of things; stone, baked clay and metal come to mind. It is commonly excepted that slings have a range advantage over bows but currently you can fire bows as far as you can see so without lowering their range this cant be simulated. Strength would be important and so would perception. Currently bows can shoot through obstacles but if this is changed slings could be allowed to fire over things as they should do more damage than bows if used to drop the projectile onto someone. On the topic of making them weaker I don't know if I agree, they are pretty devastating weapons in real life but then if its the only way to balance them.

[theTrav]

It is commonly excepted that slings have a range advantage over bows

o_O
For serious?

On the topic of making them weaker I don't know if I agree, they are pretty devastating weapons in real life but then if its the only way to balance them.

I don't know crap about weaponry, but DnD slings do 1d4 wheras bows start at 1d6 and go up do 1d12 (great bow) and have larger range increments.

Are you challenging the accuracy of a game system that has mind flayers and land sharks?

Edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sling_(weapon)#Combat
It is clear that many ancient peoples used the sling in combat and that organised armies included specialist slingers as well as equipping regular soldiers with slings as a back up weapon. As a weapon, the sling had several clear advantages. In general, a sling bullet lobbed in a high trajectory can achieve ranges approaching 600m[11] — significantly farther than what could be achieved by bows in any period, including the famed longbow. Arrows were typically loosed along relatively flat trajectories that seldom managed to send them beyond 250 meters.


Well how about that!

[Vattic]

[I don't know crap about weaponry, but DnD slings do 1d4 wheras bows start at 1d6 and go up do 1d12 (great bow) and have larger range increments.

I have seen people cause melons to explode using slings and the Spanish conquistadors described the damage like that of a bullet wound.

edit: I just looked for a source on that last bit but I'm unsure if it was the conquistadors who said that but they did go up against foes with slings.