Draw Steel skill
Fletching
Fletching is a skill in Draw Steel: Crafting arrows, bolts, darts, and other projectiles, and judging their quality.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Characteristic
- Agility
Overview
Fletching covers cutting shafts, setting heads, binding feathers, and making sling stones, darts, and crossbow bolts. It is an Agility skill because balance and fine handwork decide whether a projectile flies true. Its job is keeping ranged fighters supplied: restocking in downtime, salvaging spent ammunition in the field, recognizing where a captured arrow was made, and producing specialty ammunition such as whistling or fire arrows when the Director allows.
How it works
Characteristic: Agility. Skill group: Agility skills. Test: 2d10 + Agility; 11 or lower is tier 1, 12 to 16 tier 2, 17 or higher tier 3. Training grants a benefit and unlocks attempts untrained heroes cannot make. How it is used: Tier 3 produces excellent ammunition or a full restock in the time available. Tier 2 yields a usable batch with some waste. Tier 1 means few usable pieces. Edges and banes: Proper tools and seasoned wood grant an edge (+2). Green wood, no workspace, or rushed work imposes a bane (-2).
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Archers and crossbow users who want independence from shops, and anyone playing a hunter. Character concepts: Wilderness culture hunter, Artisan career bowyer, mercenary quartermaster. Synergies: Craft for the bows themselves, Alchemy for treated arrowheads, Track and Nature for a hunter who makes their own kit.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to track ammunition in play?
That is the table's choice. Fletching matters most when the Director does track it or you want ammunition with a special property.
Can I make a bow with Fletching?
Fletching covers projectiles. Bows and crossbows fall under Craft, though the Director may allow overlap for a bowyer.