About the crossbow, a recap

[Hrafnagudh]

So, I had a little time learning how crossbows works.
I understand that the crossbow strenght determines:
1) the easyness of use: operator strenght > crossbow strenght= cock in 2 secs and then load bolt; otherwise you have to use many turns, if possible at all (talking of hand drawing, no mechanical aid);
2) the damage, simple as that from damage table.
I read on a Kromm post somewhere that numbers there are the "minimum" strenght for a specific kind of crossbow, the maximum being the triple amount (eg. Crossbow strenght 7 to 21). This means I can have a 14 crossbow (low tech, the first crossbow in the table). Low Tech states that damage and range are calculated onto the weapon strenght (range being usually a multiple of the strenght).

If all of the above are correct, my doubts therefore are:
1) the military crossbow (from low tech), have shots 1(32). That 32 is the reload time in case of not having enough strenght? A big guy can still cock it in 2 sec?
2) How do I actually calculate range? Take that 14 strenght normal crossbow, I gave it for now a 25/30 arbitrary range, but there is a specific formula somewhere?


Also, I made this character: a short grumpy man with an eagle eye, that goes around with a big friend as dumb as a brick (Ally advantage), that being strong cocks the 14 st crossbow rapidly for him. They have 2 of them to cycle so the shooter manages to use it more often. Great in siege defending (or that is the idea). Makes sense?

[Balor Patch]

1) No. A crossbow needs 2 seconds cocking and 2 seconds to ready the bolt, hence the 1(4) reload time on the table. A military crossbow needs 30 seconds of cranking and 2 seconds of readying a bolt to reload.

2) A ST 14 crossbow with x25/x30 range will be able to reach 350 yards for full damage and 420 yards for 1/2D.

The ordinary crossbow, being a legacy from 1st edition, really is generally better then the more realistic ones added in LT and probably shouldn't exist in the same campaign.

[Hrafnagudh]

1) even if the operator is stronger than it?
2) aaaaah it was truly easy. I am an idiot xD

[The Colonel]

I think there's some non-canon stuff out there with tables of bow-strength versus operator strength versus cocking device - may be called "The Deadly Spring"...

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Hrafnagudh

1) even if the operator is stronger than it?

It has an entirely different mechanism, so it uses different rules. Just because it has the same word in the name doesn't mean it has the same reloading rules, any more than a muzzleloading rifle uses the same reloading rules as a recoiless rifle.

Logically on the basis of energy content you could reasonably argue that 30 seconds cranking time really ought to be multiplied by (bow ST/(user ST x crank multiplier))^2, but the crank power ratios aren't explicitly stated, just implied in the Steel Crossbow definition above the table, a factor of 15 reduction might not even be mechanically possible for the crank, and all of the bow and crossbow rules ignore all kinds of effects of differences in ST in the interest of keeping the rules relatively simple.

In principle you should be able to ignore the crank and cock the the thing by hand for the usual 4 second reload time if you were stronger than it's rated ST (ST 30 for the military crossbow), though in some cases it might require modifying the bow to move part of the mechanism out of the way.

[Aldric]

The Military crossbow is just a Steel Crossbow, along the Fowling, Hunting and Siege one (LT p. 74).
According to point [6] from the table, steel crossbows are normally loaded with a cranequin (LT p 76-78) x3 one and the rated ST of the military crossbow is normally ST 30.
Seems to me that a cranequin with a x3 multiplier would take 72 seconds (twice as long as a windlass) at least if I'm reading p. 79 right.
It also takes 5 seconds to attach initially.

Finally, any steel crossbow uses half it's rated ST to determine range and damage, which for a military crossbow would be 375/450.

Now, not really sure where the military crossbow got it's 1(32) reload time, should be a lot higher if I read everything correctly.

And finally, and this is what really matters to the OP, if you don't use a cranequin and have ST30+ you should be able to load the crossbow in the usual 4 seconds.
You could even get away with less ST if you were willing to load it with one or both feet, which only adds one or two seconds and might still work for the OP.

[Hrafnagudh]

Ok thank you! So the ST written in Low Tech for the military crossbow (14) is already the halved one, for damage and range purposes?

[Aldric]

Originally Posted by Hrafnagudh

Ok thank you! So the ST written in Low Tech for the military crossbow (14) is already the halved one, for damage and range purposes?

No, that (according to p. 75) is the ST to wield that weapon correctly, any point below that gives you a -1 to skill. It's also the minimum rated ST of the weapon. A normal military crossbow, as I quoted before, would have a rated ST of 30, and use half of that for range and damage (375/450 and 1d+6 imp)

[Hrafnagudh]

Originally Posted by Aldric

No, that (according to p. 75) is the ST to wield that weapon correctly, any point below that gives you a -1 to skill. It's also the minimum rated ST of the weapon. A normal military crossbow, as I quoted before, would have a rated ST of 30, and use half of that for range and damage (375/450 and 1d+6 imp)

Ooh ok ok now I got it. So crossbow ST is NOT the Rated Strenght, but the Rated Strenght has to be AT LEAST the ST signed, up to three times it. Am I right?

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Hrafnagudh

Ok thank you! So the ST written in Low Tech for the military crossbow (14) is already the halved one, for damage and range purposes?

No, that ST is just to hold and fire the crossbow which someone else may have cocked.

Also, the Military Crossbow requires a ST of 12 to handle its' 15lb weight. The 14M is for the 18lb Siege Crossbow but you normally ignore this as the "M" means its mounted rather than hand-held.

<sigh> Steel crossbows are something else Gurps includes for realism and historical detail but which would be nearly useless to most adventurers.