Are there any bowcaster stats in any of the sourcebooks in either of the three games? I can't seem to find stats anywhere, and if there isn't an official stat block can someone direct me to a homebrew set?

Thanks everyone

Edge has the Bowcaster

not fully sure about AOR or F&D

Only the Edge core, along with two (or is it just one...?) attachments specifically for them.

Wow I can't believe I missed that I feel ashamed haha.

Thanks

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

It has Knockdown. There's nothing substandard about Knockdown.

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

I'm not sure I understand why you bothered to post this.

It has Knockdown. There's nothing substandard about Knockdown.

I've never seen anybody get truly excited about Knockdown, and if I'm reading that emoticon right, I still haven't.

It has Knockdown. There's nothing substandard about Knockdown.

I've never seen anybody get truly excited about Knockdown, and if I'm reading that emoticon right, I still haven't.

Ok, then... It has knockdown!

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

I'm not sure I understand why you bothered to post this.

That was my feeling about the bowcaster. As it stands, it's not really a mechanically attractive option for arming anyone, even a Wookiee.

"Mechanically attractive" only applies to muscle cars and motorcycles.

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

I'm not sure I understand why you bothered to post this.

That was my feeling about the bowcaster. As it stands, it's not really a mechanically attractive option for arming anyone, even a Wookiee.

Any mechanical shortcomings it might have (arguable) is countered by the fact you're packing an explosive railgun.

A Bowcaster is mechanically unique and therefore even without the fluff it has a place in the armoury. It's like a heavy blaster rifle but with less encumbrance, cheaper and added knockdown. Cons are a shorter range, no auto and fewer HP. It's a solid choice if you're a big strong character not particularly focused on shooting (doesn't want he increased difficulty of auto-fire) and who wants to engage with the enemy but may as well do some shooting along the way, with the bonus of potentially knocking down your enemies before you charge into them. Maybe, say, a Wookie...?

But frankly if you're not interested in playing for the story and the setting and only care about mechanical rules this probably isn't the game to be playing anyway.

Personally I just had my Wookie player find one last session and he was delighted.

Given the background fluff of each bowcaster being hand-crafted for a specific user, I can see a lot of story potential in a Wookiee PC either making their own or having a master weaponsmith craft one for them.

In a long-defunct EotE campaign I was in, we had a Wookiee Outlaw Tech that was very much angling for building his own bowcaster, installing and modifying the heck out of both of the bowcaster-specific attachments. It would have taken some time to accomplish all that, but the end result would have been a pretty freaking powerful weapon, one that probably doesn't raise quite as much of an alarm as a heavy blaster rifle, especially given the Empire's rampant speciesism(?); after all, it's a "primitive" weapon compared to a modern blaster rifle, and the Empire's populace all "know" that Wookiees are just large ignorant brutes.and no real threat to the Imperial armed forces.

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

I just read the bowcaster's two attachments, and frankly I think that thing is nuts with those upgrades.

I also find it kind of odd how the description goes on about the quarrels being explosive, but they didn't give it blast...

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

Without modifications, IMO it is nothing to write home about. Compared to a Heavy Blaster Rifle, it has a worse crit rating, higher rarity and price, and fewer available hard points, although it does also have one less point of encumbrance.

My Wookiee preferred to use blasters instead.

However, with the bowcaster-specific enhancements, it becomes a pretty decent weapon. IMO, not as good as an equally modified HBR, LRB, Sidewinder, HRB, or HOB, but still decent enough.

But frankly if you're not interested in playing for the story and the setting and only care about mechanical rules this probably isn't the game to be playing anyway.

Why the ad hominem ? I can certainly play to the story and setting, but that doesn't mean I have to like the stats for the bowcaster, and not liking those stats certainly doesn't mean I'm playing the wrong game. OTOH, passive-aggressive statements like the one I quoted above do suggest that one of us might be posting on the wrong boards.

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

Without modifications, IMO it is nothing to write home about. Compared to a Heavy Blaster Rifle, it has a worse crit rating, higher rarity and price, and fewer available hard points, although it does also have one less point of encumbrance.

My Wookiee preferred to use blasters instead.

However, with the bowcaster-specific enhancements, it becomes a pretty decent weapon. IMO, not as good as an equally modified HBR, LRB, Sidewinder, HRB, or HOB, but still decent enough.

That's my real issue with the bowcaster. I really wish it had more to recommend it an make it really stand out. as a desirable weapon, but instead it tends to be something that my players are all to happy to say, "Bowcaster? Uh, no thanks, that's for Wookiees...oh yeah, I'm playing a Wookiee this time...um, still no."

That was my feeling about the bowcaster. As it stands, it's not really a mechanically attractive option for arming anyone, even a Wookiee.

I don't disagree with your mechanical assessment; I was more pointing to the fact that the question was about finding a stat block for the bowcaster, not whether it is the best choice for a PC. Now, I previously played in a game as a Wookie with a bowcaster while another PC had a HBR. I was a little behind in raw damage output, but the major drawback is the Medium range limitation.

I just read the bowcaster's two attachments, and frankly I think that thing is nuts with those upgrades.

I also find it kind of odd how the description goes on about the quarrels being explosive, but they didn't give it blast...

My thought about that description was that FFG was setting up to have quarrel options, but they got cut or maybe pushed to a splatbook. Switching up ammo types to add different effects would give the bowcaster a really unique flavor and it would make that range and damage trade off a bit more favorable.

The bowcaster is a species-specific attempt to make a substandard heavy blaster rifle.

I just read the bowcaster's two attachments, and frankly I think that thing is nuts with those upgrades.

I also find it kind of odd how the description goes on about the quarrels being explosive, but they didn't give it blast...

Just because something is "explosive" doesn't mean it should have Blast attached. That could be part of the base damage and a near miss won't set it off. It has to strike something to make that small pop. Blast is useful for things like grenades where you just need to get them near your intended target. Explosive arrowheads are more for helping to take out the actual target you are firing at by giving it more oomph to get through armor or tough hide. Kind of like the probe at the head of an APDS (Armor Piercing Depleted Sabot) shot that helps to weaken the armor in front of the rest of the warhead, helping it get through.

I like bowcasters. I think they're a pretty solid choice with that autofire mod and then slap a laser on them or a foregrip. The range is no big deal, move to medium range or get a spec with Sniper Shot.

To be honest, I've not seen a lot of combat encounters where not being able to shoot past medium range is a concern. If anything, a lot of the combats I've been as a player have capped out at medium range.

About the only time that not being able to shoot past medium range would be a recurring issue is that if you're playing a sniper-type of character. And let's face it, most snipers aren't going to give the bowcaster a look in the first place, since it's more of a hunting weapon than anything. Heavy blaster rifle would probably get overlooked by most snipers as well since autofire's not that much of a boon when you're shooting from long or extreme range. If anything, for an out-of-the box starting character, they'd probably go a blaster rifle with the barrel attachment to extend the range one category, the weapon sling to deal with the Cumbersome and a future modification to add Quick Draw to the character's repertoire.

Heavy blaster rifle would probably get overlooked by most snipers as well since autofire's not that much of a boon when you're shooting from long or extreme range.

On the contrary, the Heavy Blaster Rifle is an excellent sniper weapon. If you can hit with Autofire at Medium range, then you can hit with Autofire at Long range with a telescopic optical sight on your HBR, since that shot has the same Difficulty of 3. The description of the HBR even mentions that it is excellent for sniping.

Heavy blaster rifle would probably get overlooked by most snipers as well since autofire's not that much of a boon when you're shooting from long or extreme range.

On the contrary, the Heavy Blaster Rifle is an excellent sniper weapon. If you can hit with Autofire at Medium range, then you can hit with Autofire at Long range with a telescopic optical sight on your HBR, since that shot has the same Difficulty of 3. The description of the HBR even mentions that it is excellent for sniping.

Like many things, such as your disdain for bowcasters, it's a matter of opinion.

That extra purple from using Autofire when shooting at Long Range means you're looking at 4 purple for the difficulty, to say nothing of the potential of difficulty upgrades from the really important targets having Adversary. Which if the sniper declares they are using Autofire, whichever bad guys have the most ranks in Adversary sets the difficulty for the shot. Plus you're hoping for enough Advantage to have made the extra purple die worth it. Granted I've not seen that many uber-twinked Ranged (Heavy) characters who are rolling large numbers of proficiency dice, but even 4 yellows vs. 4 purples means you've got better odds of succeeding with threat than succeeding with enough advantage to trigger Autofire; add in challenge and setback dice and the odds are less in your favor.

Meanwhile, the blaster rifle might only be shooting one target, but an actual sniper is going to be focused on one target anyway. Add in the Marksman Barrel and your blaster rifle now shoots to Extreme Range, can be modded for Accurate 2 and Sniper Shot, making it an even better sniper rifle as the Accurate will provide Advantage for triggering a critical hit, so that even if your shot doesn't take the target out completely, they're likely to have been crippled in some way. Had an HK-series assassin droid (BH/Assassin) in a Knight-level one-shot that used this combo to great effect along with Lethal Blows and Quick Strike to put a serious hurt on one encounter's major adversary before the fight even officially started; it's pretty amazing what a PC can spot with built-in electrobinoculars and a good Perception check.

Plus, since the PCs in most EotE games aren't part of the established military, then toting around a blaster rifle with an extended barrel is going to draw less attention than toting around a blatantly military weapon like a heavy blaster rifle. And it's an AoR group, then they certainly would prefer to draw less attention to themselves to avoid Imperial reprisal for being Rebels.