Not quite getting the arquebus

larsdangly · 11-24-2020, 02:30 PM

My extensive set of house-ruled equipment (available through a google docs link somewhere on this site) includes a bunch more black powder guns, including some musket-like guns that can be fired without propping on a stick. The trade off is damage: 3d+3 really is a remarkable amount of damage, particularly for something that can deliver a high-probability hit at long range (or even a good aimed shot at longish range, if you use the optional rules for aimed shots). The highest damage any of my fast-readying long-guns do is 3d. I also add a small portable canon (the 'hand gunne') doing 5d with a 6 turn prep requiring 2 people or a ST of 14. That sandwiches the arquebus between the better designed, more manageable but lighter personal weapons and the larger battlefield guns that really aren't suitable for skirmish fighting.

I hate to do things that needlessly mess with RAW, but the more I think about it the more I like the notion that the original edition version was preferable, i.e., trading the tight constraints on movement when you keep the arquebus readied on its prop for a DX bonus on the attack roll. Perhaps a nice compromise would be to give the propped arquebus the +2 DX bonus for a braced weapon (Legacy Edition ITL page 116) and let you shoulder fire it without that bonus if you want to walk around.

11-24-2020, 02:30 PM	#15
larsdangly Join Date: Dec 2017	Re: Not quite getting the arquebus My extensive set of house-ruled equipment (available through a google docs link somewhere on this site) includes a bunch more black powder guns, including some musket-like guns that can be fired without propping on a stick. The trade off is damage: 3d+3 really is a remarkable amount of damage, particularly for something that can deliver a high-probability hit at long range (or even a good aimed shot at longish range, if you use the optional rules for aimed shots). The highest damage any of my fast-readying long-guns do is 3d. I also add a small portable canon (the 'hand gunne') doing 5d with a 6 turn prep requiring 2 people or a ST of 14. That sandwiches the arquebus between the better designed, more manageable but lighter personal weapons and the larger battlefield guns that really aren't suitable for skirmish fighting. I hate to do things that needlessly mess with RAW, but the more I think about it the more I like the notion that the original edition version was preferable, i.e., trading the tight constraints on movement when you keep the arquebus readied on its prop for a DX bonus on the attack roll. Perhaps a nice compromise would be to give the propped arquebus the +2 DX bonus for a braced weapon (Legacy Edition ITL page 116) and let you shoulder fire it without that bonus if you want to walk around.