02-20-2018, 05:46 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
|
Firing a crossbow in one hand
The bow is singled out as requiring both hands to operate, but that's not an issue for a loaded crossbow.
Per RAW, one would need a ST of 11 to shoot a ST 7 crossbow with one hand (making it unready, but who cares?). As far as I can tell, raising the rated ST of the crossbow has no effect on Min ST to fire it -- else using a goat's foot would tank your accuracy. So, does ST 11 allow one-handed firing for a crossbow of any rated ST? (ST 12 for composite crossbows?).
__________________
Per-based Stealth isn’t remotely as awkward as DX-based Observation. |
02-20-2018, 07:48 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
Quote:
Realistically raising the ST of a crossbow has very little effect on the ST needed to use it (theoretically it adds some weight to the actual bow, to store more energy, but it's fairly marginal at reasonable human STs). But firing any full sized crossbow one handed is doubtful - the center of mass is so far forward of the trigger mechanism you probably can't hold it up and pull the trigger with the same hand. Certainly that's a fixable design flaw - you could add a counterweight, or a buttstock like a rifle you could clinch under your arm, or I suppose hold it in your one hand and pull the release with a string clinched in your teeth, but I doubt you could pick up an ordinary crossbow and use it one handed.
__________________
-- MA Lloyd |
|
02-20-2018, 08:17 AM | #3 |
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
Well, these rules are copied from the GURPS Basic Set almost verbatim. The dagger on ST means "the weapon requires two hands" but can be used in one if you're very strong . . . unless it "requires one hand to hold it and another to operate a moving part." This is followed by "like a bow," meaning a bow is one example, not the only example. A crossbow is normally held with one hand while another operates the trigger. I wouldn't allow one-handed use.
__________________
Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
02-20-2018, 09:09 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Seattle, Washington
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
Quote:
Even modern crossbows, most of which have stocks designed more like rifles (because they were invented after the rifle was invented, unlike early crossbows), can only be fired one-handed to the same extent that a rifle can. Which is to say, not really at all.
__________________
Natural Encyclopedia: 660 GURPS bestiary entries It Came from the Forums: A Community Bestiary with 160 entries (last updated 2009...someday I will revisit.) |
|
02-20-2018, 09:49 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Jan 2006
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
Typical crossbows no.
Seems like a very doable mod though, not even very tricky. +0.5 CF? |
02-20-2018, 10:52 AM | #6 |
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Seattle, Washington
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
It's definitely within the realm of dungeon fantasy - the idea of adding a perpendicular grip. Though historically that didn't occur to anyone (for any weapon) until well into the gunpowder era. Even the first firearms, all the way up to early muskets, were just tubes.
__________________
Natural Encyclopedia: 660 GURPS bestiary entries It Came from the Forums: A Community Bestiary with 160 entries (last updated 2009...someday I will revisit.) |
02-20-2018, 10:57 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
And probably drops Acc to 1, like a pistol crossbow.
|
02-20-2018, 11:12 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
Quote:
Does using the crossbow rest (DFA113) require two hands at any ST level as well?
__________________
Per-based Stealth isn’t remotely as awkward as DX-based Observation. |
|
02-21-2018, 03:54 AM | #9 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
|
Re: Firing a crossbow in one hand
Quote:
EDIT: I'd be comfortable saying it's that much harder with historical designs, with their straighter stocks. In a DF game that seems like "sure you can, -1 per point under STx1.5, and another -2 because it's really awkward". In a more realistic setting, they can have another -2 for being unfamiliar with the grip and stance required. So the average ST10 guy in a semi-realistic game takes a -5. In a DF game, only the wizard takes worse than a -2, but they can't aim, and they aren't reloading it until they use both hands.
__________________
Rupert Boleyn "A pessimist is an optimist with a sense of history." Last edited by Rupert; 02-21-2018 at 04:02 AM. |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|