Bow reload/fire question

[Dr.Klahn]

I was wondering if reloading a bow was an action in combat and, if so, would shooting it suffer a -2 multi-action penalty?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

[Skellan]

You can fire a bow every round without penalty. Weapons that take time to reload have a note in their description saying how many rounds it takes to reload. E.g a crossbow is 1 round to reload and you could fire it every round at -2.

[Topdecker]

Welcome to one of Savage World's most uneven and often times flatly idiotic section of rules.

It takes the same amount of time to unsheath a dagger as it does a full long sword - which is why throwing daggers have a horrible rate of fire. You might as well have an armorer create throwing swords for you since the rate of fire is the same.

If you need your pistol, it takes as long to pull it from the bottom of your backpack and knock the dorito dust off it as it does to pull it from a well placed and otherwise handy holster. Easily the crappiest and poorest conceived section of rules in my opinion, with almost everything else being sane and well considered.

Top

[Doswelk]

Welcome to one of Savage World's most uneven and often times flatly idiotic section of rules.

It takes the same amount of time to unsheath a dagger as it does a full long sword...

If you need your pistol, it takes as long to pull it from the bottom of your backpack and knock the dorito dust off it as it does to pull it from a well placed and otherwise handy holster. Easily the crappiest and poorest conceived section of rules in my opinion, with almost everything else being sane and well considered.
I always considered it, that it is not so much that it takes time to draw the weapon, but that if ambushed the surprise slows you down, or if in mid-fight, you are trying to keep in cover or avoid the melee blows from the opponent, yes this is me rationalising the rules but it makes "sense" to me to describe it that way to my players.

[Ikael]

Deluxe book states following in page 66:

"Simpler actions such as readying an item, drawing a sword,... usually takesonw action. More complex actions, such as... digging through a backpack to find a small item, and so on, might require a random amount of time (such as 1d6 rounds). The Game Master has the final say. "

It is up to you to define how much time it takes to draw the pistol from backpack. I would say it takes single round only if the weapon is well placed.

[Hermundure]

I wondered about this some times also :-)
Page 66 of the deluxe book says:

► Readying Weapons: Drawing a weapon usually takes an entire round, but a character can do it faster if she wants. This is an action, however, and so in icts the standard multi-action penalty of –2 to the character’s attack roll.
Drawing two weapons at once, drawing a weapon from a di cult location (such as an ankle holster or inside a coat), or drawing a large or unwieldy weapon (a ri e, a shotgun, etc.), still in icts a single –2 penalty, but requires an Agility roll. If the roll is failed, the weapons are drawn but the character may not attack that round.

In conjunction with this I use the free pdf from Zadmar "Savage Armoury" which, for example, gives daggers a +2 to agility rolls, so drawing two at once will give you a nice bonus on your agility roll in comparison to drawing two swords.
Larger weapons are often "unwieldy" and cannot be sheathed at all.

Its pretty much a big toolbox where the gm and even the players can build there own weapons, which are still balanced.
If you figure the out the right cost in creation points you even might add a property which lets you draw something for free if its on your belt for example ( like a throwing dagger )

Personally I stick to the plenty properties which Zadmar came up with but it would be possible if it works for you.