Crossbow - Prone or Kneeling Fire

[RVA_Grandpa]

ITL page 116 says:

A crossbowman lying prone gets a +l DX adjustment. A standing/sitting/kneeling crossbowman with something to brace the weapon on gets +2.

Is a standing crossbowman leaning against a tree or a column considered braced?

How about kneeling over a barrel or large rock that is being used for cover?

[Skarg]

I tend to say no to vertical bracing like the side of a tree or column, but yes to horizontal bracing like a barrel, rock, or occasional very fortuitously-located horizontal tree branch.

i.e. I don't think you can brace a crossbow sideways. I think it means like steadying a camera - if it's resting on something solid, then it's not your hands resisting gravity, so it tends to be much more stable.

[FireHorse]

You couldn't brace the crossbow itself against a vertical tree trunk, but you could brace yourself a bit by leaning against it — and also gain a bit of cover.

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by FireHorse

You couldn't brace the crossbow itself against a vertical tree trunk, but you could brace yourself a bit by leaning against it — and also gain a bit of cover.

You need to brace the weapon, not yourself; that's what the rule says. It's like a stand for a gun. The stand steadies the gun, not the shooter.

[JLV]

I'm with Skarg on this one, I think. Though, I suppose, if one of my players could argue it logically, I might give them a +1 for vertical bracing, just like if they were prone. Still, I think the +2 should be reserved for when you have the weapon braced, not the person.

[larsdangly]

I've never fired an authentic replica heavy crossbow, but it doesn't look to me like something that would benefit from a vertical brace. It is just a big, awkwardly shaped machine that would probably have to rest on something to be truly braced.

On a related point, I didn't notice what the new edition says about under strengthed people using crossbows. If I have ST 10 and use a heavy crossbow on a fully braced support, can I shoot without a penalty? Or is it at -5?

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

On a related point, I didn't notice what the new edition says about under strengthed people using crossbows. If I have ST 10 and use a heavy crossbow on a fully braced support, can I shoot without a penalty? Or is it at -5?

See my house rules https://www.hcobb.com/tft/house_rules.html#crossbow for brace to strength to make cranequin actually useful. As written you shouldn't bother ever buying one.

[warhorse11h]

Originally Posted by RVA_Grandpa

ITL page 116 says:


Is a standing crossbowman leaning against a tree or a column considered braced?

How about kneeling over a barrel or large rock that is being used for cover?

As far as leaning against the tree is concerned, I would grant the DX advantage for bracing. Done correctly, your legs and the tree form a stable tripod. We were taught to do this for weapons qualification for short and long guns in law enforcement. I think it would work the same for a crossbow.

Over the barrel or rock, I would want to know if you are resting the crossbow on it. If so, yes, its braced.

Just my two cents.

[FireHorse]

Originally Posted by JLV

… I think the +2 should be reserved for when you have the weapon braced, not the person.

That's fair enough.

Originally Posted by warhorse11h

As far as leaning against the tree is concerned, I would grant the DX advantage for bracing. Done correctly, your legs and the tree form a stable tripod. We were taught to do this for weapons qualification for short and long guns in law enforcement. I think it would work the same for a crossbow. …

That's why I think so, too. While I have never shot a medieval style heavy crossbow, I have shot a modern one, and plenty of guns. And even without the Law Enforcement training, I know that the more you're touching solid anything around you, the more stable your aim.

[JohnPaulB]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

You need to brace the weapon, not yourself; that's what the rule says. It's like a stand for a gun. The stand steadies the gun, not the shooter.

So you could be in a house and use the windowsill as a brace.

You could also have this: "Corporal Maynar, kneel and lower your head. Jonesy over here is going to use your back as a brace."