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Old 04-22-2022, 10:53 PM   #11
Axly Suregrip
 
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

Not all siege weapons were sloppy artillery. Roman ballistas were very accurate. Sometimes used to pick off individuals.
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Old 04-23-2022, 06:38 AM   #12
hcobb
 
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

If your scorpion gunner is using her crossbow talent, does she get to apply her Missile Weapons talent also?
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Old 04-23-2022, 10:17 AM   #13
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
If your scorpion gunner is using her crossbow talent, does she get to apply her Missile Weapons talent also?
Why not? He should be able to use Missile Weapons talents when using a missile weapon.
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Old 04-23-2022, 11:24 AM   #14
Axly Suregrip
 
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

Hi Bill,
Also see ITL pg 115. Two paragraphs beginning with "Giant crossbows are sometimes used as siege weapons...."
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Old 04-23-2022, 12:34 PM   #15
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

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Originally Posted by Axly Suregrip View Post
Hi Bill,
Also see ITL pg 115. Two paragraphs beginning with "Giant crossbows are sometimes used as siege weapons...."
Thanks. I saw that too but was looking for more detailed info. I think that this is enough info to get an Arbalest into the game. However, there isn't much about other siege equipment such as catapults, trebuches, battering rams, siege towers, and mining/tunneling under walls.

It would seem to me that if you had a team manning an arbalest, they could be loaded faster than every 12 turns. 12 turns sounds about right for a one man operation.
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Old 04-26-2022, 09:16 AM   #16
Bill_in_IN
 
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

Quote:
Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
If your scorpion gunner is using her crossbow talent, does she get to apply her Missile Weapons talent also?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill_in_IN View Post
Why not? He should be able to use Missile Weapons talents when using a missile weapon.
In addition, a GM should consider the following talents when one takes control of the scorpion/arbalest/ballista. I'm also running with the assumption that this device is as described in Death Test 2. A separate discussion for different designs, sizes, and damage would be appropriate.

1. Engineer
2. Crossbow
3. Missile Weapons (1, 2, and 3)
4. Mechanician/Master Mechanician.
5. Number of Characters Operating the Ballista.

1. Engineer: per ITL, p. 39, he will naturally understand how to operate and use just about any device of this type. The assumption here is that there is no DX or reload cycle adj.

2. Crossbow: per ITL, p. 36, this talent applies to light and heavy crossbows. This leaves it up to the GM on how to apply this talent to one's ability to use the ballista. Is the ballista considered to be a heavy crossbow or a super-heavy crossbow. Where do you draw the line on the crossbow talent with respect to the ballista? I would say that one with crossbow talent could figure it out rather quickly based upon an IQ roll. An Engineer with this talent may be able to reload it at a faster rate than the base of 12 turns.

3. Missile Weapons: per ITL, p. 38, this talent applies to all missile weapons so, the operator of the ballista will receive the appropriate DX adj. If they start with negative DX adj due to lack of Engineer/Mechanician talents, this talent can counter those adjustments.

4. Mechanician/Master Mechanician: per ITL, pgs. 40 and 42. While the Mechanician talent applies more toward all kinds of gadgets with emphasis on traps, Master Mechanician calls out the ability to actually build such weapons. Therefore, one that possesses these talents could have a more natural ability to use the ballista without DX adl and perhaps other time reductions in its use as it pertains to the 12 turn base reloading cycle. Naturally, a Master Mechanician should be allowed a better reload cycle reduction than the Mechanician.

5. Number of Characters Operating the Ballista: This is a tough one. It would seem that a ballista's use would be affects by the number of operators. It would seem that if you added another person, it would greatly reduce the reload time. I guess that it depends upon the base number of personnel required to man such a device. So, if you have one guy cranking it back, a second guy loading the bolts, and a third guy aiming/firing, what kind of reduction from 12 turns could that yield? What narrow set of talents would be required for each of their roles?

To sum up these considerations, Missile Weapons talents are more likely to affect DX adj for the use of a ballista. The Engineer/Mechanician talents are more likely to affect the base ability to use the ballista and a potential reduction in the base reload cycle of 12 turns.

How reasonable does this sound to you all? This methodology could also be applied to the catapult, trebuchet, and other siege engines. However, the scorpion/arbalest/ballista has a more direct equivalent in hand carried crossbows. Therefore, I believe that such considerations should be taken into account with respect to their use. You will notice that I didn't get into the actual adjustment numbers. I believe that the concepts need to be vetted out first.

Last edited by Bill_in_IN; 04-26-2022 at 09:44 AM.
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Old 04-26-2022, 09:53 AM   #17
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

So we get Scorpion 5d6 damage, 12 turns to reload, 500 hexes effective range, 600 hexes maximum range.


This is mounted on a tower 30 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter which has "stone armor" that stops 4 to 6 hits (depending on which kind of stone) and has around 300 hit points. The battlements provide -6 cover to the operators as per ITL 122.
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Old 04-26-2022, 10:17 AM   #18
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

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Originally Posted by hcobb View Post
So we get Scorpion 5d6 damage, 12 turns to reload, 500 hexes effective range, 600 hexes maximum range.


This is mounted on a tower 30 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter which has "stone armor" that stops 4 to 6 hits (depending on which kind of stone) and has around 300 hit points. The battlements provide -6 cover to the operators as per ITL 122.
I get the mentioned adjustments. Where did you get the scorpion 5D6 damage info? ILT, p. 115 states a 12 turn reload cycle but no other specifics about how many personnel are manning it.
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Old 04-26-2022, 11:20 AM   #19
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

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I get the mentioned adjustments. Where did you get the scorpion 5D6 damage info? ILT, p. 115 states a 12 turn reload cycle but no other specifics about how many personnel are manning it.
ITL 115 "can throw a javelin sized bolt several hundred yards, doing four or five dice of damage"


We know the crew is two from the example in Adventures 2 (go me).
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Old 04-26-2022, 12:21 PM   #20
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Default Re: Siege engine and related equipment descriptions?

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ITL 115 "can throw a javelin sized bolt several hundred yards, doing four or five dice of damage"


We know the crew is two from the example in Adventures 2 (go me).
Thanks. I remember reading that now that you reminded.

I have no idea of the Adventures 2 reference but a two man crew makes sense.
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