Archery

Key facts

Stat

REF

Category

ranged

Overview

Archery covers bows and crossbows, which sounds like an odd fit for a city full of smartguns until you remember what a weapon scanner is looking for. A crossbow has no muzzle flash, no report, no metal signature that a corporate lobby scanner cares about, and no ballistics to match to a database afterwards. At the table Archery is an infiltration skill dressed up as a combat skill. It is the answer to a guard who must go down without alerting the next room, to a checkpoint that will find a pistol, and to a Badlands hunt where a gunshot travels for miles. The tradeoff is real: reloading is slow, the crew will out-damage you in an open fight, and you get roughly one quiet shot before the situation stops being quiet.

How it works

Linked Stat: REF Category: Ranged Resolution: 1d10 plus REF plus skill level against a DV set by the weapon's range band, exactly as firearms are resolved. Rolling a natural 10 lets you roll again and add; a natural 1 subtracts a second roll. Why people take it: Bows and crossbows fire silently and pass through standard weapon detection, and bolts can carry specialized payloads such as poisons or tracers. Against that, reload times are far slower than a firearm and sustained fire is not an option.

Tips and playstyle

Best for: Infiltrators, and any crew whose jobs start with getting past a scanner rather than through a door. Character concepts: A rooftop assassin who leaves no shell casings, a Badlands hunter, a Nomad tracker, a Tech who builds custom bolts. Synergies: Stealth is the reason to bring a bow at all, Perception picks the shot, and Conceal/Reveal Object gets the weapon into position. Keep Handgun as a backup for the moment silence stops mattering.

Frequently asked questions