Let’s say that you have rolled a 17 and an 8. away from you, then you will have a disadvantage on your attack roll. Since its distance does not go further than the longbow’s normal range (150 ft.), then you make an attack roll normally. So, if you prefer to fight using ranged attacks, it is best to steer clear from foes getting near to you, or else your attacks would have a disadvantage.Īs an example for normal ranges, your target is 80 ft. The chosen die would then be the attack roll, plus your Strength modifier and proficiency bonus (if you are proficient with the weapon).Īnother way to have a disadvantage when doing a ranged attack would be if a hostile creature who is not incapacitated and can see you is within 5 ft. What this means is that you need to roll 2d20 instead of a 1d20, and you choose the lower number between the two dice. However, you will have a disadvantage on your attack roll. You can still attack a creature farther than 150 ft. Considering that each square tile in battle maps is usually measured as 5 ft., this means that you can attack anyone normally within 30 squares from you. The normal range means that you can attack any creature within 150 ft. The first number within the parenthesis is the longbow’s normal range (150 ft.) while the second number is the longbow’s long-range (600 ft.). 5e Longbow PropertiesĪs you can see, there are two numbers when talking about the range of a longbow. Their attack roll would then be 16, since 12 (1d20) + 2 (Strength modifier) + 2 (proficiency bonus). Thus, the player rolls a 1d20 for their attack roll and gets a 12. Fighters are proficient in martial weapons, so they are proficient with the longbow since the longbow is a martial ranged weapon.īy level one, their proficiency bonus would be a +2. Although it may seem not much at the first level since the proficiency bonus is merely a +2, it would matter a lot on higher levels as the proficiency bonus increases.įor example, a level one fighter with a Strength modifier of +2 wants to attack a creature with an Armor Class (or AC) of 15 using the longbow. If you attack with the longbow but you do not have proficiency in using it, you would not add your proficiency bonus in the attack roll. When using the longbow, the attack roll would be a 1d20 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus (if you are proficient with the longbow). Next, the DM would determine the necessary modifiers to apply to your attacks, such as whether or not you have an advantage or a disadvantage. First, you determine your target within the longbow’s range. When you attack using the longbow, you do the same procedure as attacking with a melee weapon. Thus, only a select few can handle the weapon effectively. It is a martial weapon because only those with experience in combat such as soldiers, skilled fighters, and the like are well-versed with its usage. Since it is a ranged weapon, you can attack anyone within the weapon’s given range (which will be discussed later on in the “Range” section). The arrows are usually adorned with natural feathers while its tip is made of brass or iron. The longbow as well as its arrows are typically made from wood. It is only slightly curved and its limbs are narrow. in height allowing the user to draw its arrow fairly long. The longbow is a martial-ranged weapon that deals 1d8 piercing damage, costs 50 gp, and weighs about 2 lbs. So, if you are having doubts about picking this up and leaving a space for it in your inventory, keep on reading our Longbow 5e Guide to conclude whether or not you should use it.
It is important to know its properties such as its damage. There are certain requirements that you should know if you want to use this weapon.
If you are looking for a weapon to use if you want to stay away from being hit by your enemies, consider the Longbow. You would need to be proficient in handling the longbow to use it effectively, but it can deal with big numbers of piercing damage. It is an amazing weapon when it comes to doing ranged combat. To do this, you need to use a ranged weapon.Įnter, the longbow. Sometimes, the best course of action on the battlefield is to keep your distance and keep the pressure on your opponents by dealing damage at a range. After all, you need to be creative and witty while at the same time cautious when it comes to attacking. However, combat is not all about melee attacks. Most of the time, when you ask someone to imagine what the words “combat” and “battle” are, they would describe it as two people fighting each other with blades on their hands.
If your DM knows how to flavor their descriptions, exchanging heavy blows against your enemies is satisfying to imagine. Clashing swords against swords is a part of the thrill of the fight.