Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - A case for crossbows for the Urban Fantasy Vigilante

khorboth · 01-10-2019, 01:24 PM

I imagine that, in the US, the amount of hassle one would get from the police would be highly variable.

I expect most officers would know laws about guns, knives, swords, and probably brass knuckles, slingshots, and nun-chucks off the top of their heads. But bows and crossbows? I expect a non-trivial portion would have to call in to find out. Though, if there is a rash of unsolved crossbow-related crime, they will get up to speed quickly.

Regardless, individual officers would have some latitude. If the PC can come off as reasonable and have a decent cover story, they may well get off with a warning repeatedly. Each cop may think they have reminded an otherwise reasonable person that they can't walk around with a crossbow. It may be quite some time before they even compare notes enough to realize this person has had several run-ins.

A lot of this will depend upon attitude and situation. Is the cop bigoted? What time of day is it? Has a crime happened nearby? Is the force on edge for some reason? etc.

01-10-2019, 01:24 PM	#16
khorboth Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Denver, CO	Re: A case for crossbows for the Urban Fantasy Vigilante I imagine that, in the US, the amount of hassle one would get from the police would be highly variable. I expect most officers would know laws about guns, knives, swords, and probably brass knuckles, slingshots, and nun-chucks off the top of their heads. But bows and crossbows? I expect a non-trivial portion would have to call in to find out. Though, if there is a rash of unsolved crossbow-related crime, they will get up to speed quickly. Regardless, individual officers would have some latitude. If the PC can come off as reasonable and have a decent cover story, they may well get off with a warning repeatedly. Each cop may think they have reminded an otherwise reasonable person that they can't walk around with a crossbow. It may be quite some time before they even compare notes enough to realize this person has had several run-ins. A lot of this will depend upon attitude and situation. Is the cop bigoted? What time of day is it? Has a crime happened nearby? Is the force on edge for some reason? etc.