Lunar's Bow-Bending Method

[Sherwood]

On page 160 of the Lunars book is the archery charm Bow-Bending Method.  It allows the Exalt to reinforce a bow to increase the strength without harming the weapon.  "When firing, the Lunar's player must state the Strength the Lunar is using and can as much as double a bow's maximum Strength without harming the weapon.  The player may increse the maximum Str beyond oduble, but  doing so requires him to make a reflexive Dex + Archery roll."


The charm cost is listed as 3 motes, not as 3 motes per point of Str purchased.  It implies to me that the cost is the base 3 motes no matter how many points of Str is used.  Is that right?


How would this work with a Powerbow that has no maximum Str?  If you use this charm, how much Str can you add to the shot?  I have this picture in my mind of a Lunar in his DBT form with a 8 Str and a powerbow using this charm to double his Str to an effective 16 to add to the bow damage and the kind of arrow.  Lets say you max out your skill and dex and get just a single success to hit.  That still puts you into the mid-20 die range on your damage, and if you use a target arrow it cuts the soak of your opponents armor in half.  Or a frog crotch arrow to do extra damage vs unarmored opponents.  Ouch.


Any ideas on how to call this?

 

[Obsidian Soul]

You are increasing the Str of the bow, not your character's strength, so it is limited to your character's strength.  It allows your Str 8 DBT form to use a Str 4 Compound Bow as if it were up to a Strength 8 Compound Bow.  As Powerbows can already be used at full effectiveness, they would be unmodified by this Charm.  It is useful, but it is not as frightening as you think.  The wording is a bit vague, so it is an understandable mistake, but it does specifically says that you are strengthening the maximum pull of the bow, not the Strength of the archerer.

 

[Sherwood]

So the charm has no effect on the powerbows?  Somehow that just doesn't seem quite right.  But I suppose it makes sense, since the charm costs only 3 motes.  Thanks for the input.

 

[Solfi]

... seems perfectly alright to me. The Charm's intention is to relieve a weakness (a very relevant one when you are playing a character whose schtick involves boosting Attributes) in mundane bows, to allow Lunars to use their full Strength with them.


As powerbows has no such limitations, the Charm does not apply. That's one of the advantages of the powerbow. You don't need this Charm. But it's useful if you want to make sure that your potential is not limited when using an ordinary bow.