Is Quick Release useless?

Conan: Adventures In an Age Undreamed Of
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I’m new to Conan and decided to make an archer, which meant I was selecting a number of talents without really knowing what they did. I picked a bunch of things that seemed relevant for someone specializing in ranged weapons, specifically bows. One of the talents I selected is Quick Release, but now that I’ve been playing for a while, as far as I can tell, it is either utterly useless or worse, actively a detriment. Please tell me what I’m missing!

Rules Excerpt 1: Resources (p119)

“Ranged weapons can often spend Reloads. Each Reload spent adds a d20 to the skill test and a +1[CD] to the damage of the attack that follows it.”

So while not definitive, since it uses the word “often,” this text suggests that multiple Reloads can be spent, and each Reload adds +1d20 and +1[CD] to a ranged attack.

Rules Excerpt 2: Volley (p154)

“A Load of ammunition can be spent to perform a Volley, adding a bonus d20 to Ranged Weapons tests to attack, and a +1[CD] to the weapon’s damage if the attack hits.”

Yes, they did in fact change the terminology. So a Load and a Reload are the same thing. Great editing. Now Volley is a Weapon Quality and it says that if you have a weapon with the Volley Quality, you can spend a Load for the same bonus as above. Note that nowhere has it stated what sort of an action this takes, and since other Weapon Qualities just happen (“some [Qualities] provide passive or ongoing benefits, while others inflict alternative Harms” p151), I would assume that when I’m attacking, I just get to say I’m spending a Load and getting this bonus. It’s part of the attack action.

Rules Excerpt 3: Quick Release (p78)

“When using a ranged weapon with the Volley Quality, you may spend a Minor Action to increase your rate of attack, allowing you to spend two Loads, gaining a bonus d20 and +1[CD] for each Load spent.”

So as far as I can tell, this lets me spend a Minor Action to get… exactly the same bonus that I would have gotten normally if I spent two Loads? And I can’t do it if I have, say, 1 Load? And if I have 3 Loads, I can only spend 2 of them?

So I can think of three possible interpretations to this situation:

  1. It normally costs more than a Minor Action to spend Loads, and this Talent reduces the action? If so, nowhere is it listed what it normally costs to spend a Load.
  2. Normally you can only spend 1 Load per attack, and this Talent lets you spend 2? If so, the text in the first two excerpts is misleading since they specify a bonus per Load spent.
  3. (The good option) The key is in the word “bonus” as in gaining a bonus d20, meaning you get two extra d20s instead of one? This interpretation is kinda similar to Deft Blade, the Melee talent, but the wording there specifies “bonus d20s… adds two dice instead of one.” So if that’s the case, the wording for Quick Release is real bad.

It’s a prerequisite for other stuff in the tree, so I take it anyways, but man, archery is not a good character build!

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It doesn’t say a thing about what causes you to be able to fire a second load or reload, only that it is possible to fire multiple loads.

Fortunately your two examples provide a time, when combined that this is possible.

If this stated “Ranged weapons can only fire one reload, and it adds a d20 to the skill test and +1cd” we would have people asking if quick released allows 2, cause the line on page X specifically says we can only ever fire 1.

SO.

With a ranged weapon with volley you can expend a load and gain a d20 and +1cd as per your regular attack.
With a ranged weapon with quick release you can spend a minor action, and fire two loads, gaining a total of +2d20 and +2cd.

And yes, a load and a reload are the same thing. One is active and one is a replacement for the active. ie My gun is loaded with bullets but I am carrying bullets to reload my gun in my bandolier.

Anyhow. I hope this helps. I think you are reading and implying things that aren’t there and that is confusing you down the line.

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Yeah, the ranged combat rules are kind of a mess and all over the place. And it does not help that they use Load and Reload interchangeably. But I agree with @ogedei, this seems the most reasonable explanation.

  • Weapons with Volley can spend a Load (and only one) for +1d20 and +1[CD]
  • With Quick Release, you can spend two Loads as a Minor Action for +2d20 and +2[CD]
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