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Old 11-27-2008, 02:54 PM   #14
Icelander
 
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Re: Bulk and ST for missile weapons

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gudiomen
Well, looking over the crossbows, bows and firearms it's safe to say the maximum Bulk penalty should be around -6/-7. Nothing I see has a bigger bulk number (except longbows), and a crossbow shouldn't be harder to fire while moving or to hide than a huge bow (which is -6/-7), it definately shouldn't be as much as -8, since any 2-handed crossbow, no matter how massive, if usable will be easier to fire on the run than a longbow, IMHO.
I don't agree.

I don't think any crossbow intended to be used as a battlefield weapon will go over this, but many crossbows were intended for sieges only.

And since a regular crossbow with a selfbow prod and weighting only 6 lbs. is Bulk -6, I'd think that siege crossbows of more than three times the weight would be much more.

Let's also keep in mind that a crossbow has much of its weight concentrated in the front. It's nowhere near as handy as a rifle of equal weight and length. This causes no problems when fired from a rest or even a stand on a castle wall, but it's hard to run and shoot with a monster like that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gudiomen
Since a regular crossbow is -6, let's assume the largest beast of it's kind will be -7, making it's larger dimensions comparable to an actual bow (regular or composite).
I don't think it's fair to assume that a small crossbow designed for battlefield use and a huge one designed for be fired only from a mount on a castle wall would differ only by -1 in Bulk.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gudiomen
Weight is trickier, but using Bruno's suggestion, lets take a SM approach. Direct proportion is out, since we don't scale up the entire crossbow, only the relevant bits. Let's assume half, it's as good a guess as any unless somebody can figure out just what bits need to get bigger and how much they weigh. If a regular crossbow weighs 6 lbs for ST7, then ST14 will weigh 9lbs, and ST21 will weigh 12lbs. Damn heavy, but not impossible to use, probably the biggest crossbow a human can use effectively (using a Goat's Foot and a perk for +2 ST with Crossbows you only need ST15 to do it).

I'll say this though: from what Basic seems to hint, or maybe that's just my understanding, high ST bows and crossbows are not meant to be either heavier or more expensive. That's not realistic of course, but maybe the mechanic I suggested might be too harsh. You be the judge.

Edit... so a 18lb crossbow would require ST28 and theoretically a bulk rating of -7, although something this heavy probably doesn't qualify for regular 2-handed use anymore (even with the perk and a Goat's Foot, you'd need ST22 to cock it), at this point -8 for bulk might be believable.
We know the range and penetrating damage of a 18 lbs. siege crossbow. We can also look up the range and damage of several other weights.

I don't have any difference finding weights. I need to know what ST a given weight requires in order to use the weapon.

And I'm not speaking of the ST to cock the weapon or the ST of the attack it delivers. I'm speaking of the MinST stat that ranged weapons have.
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