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Old 10-16-2021, 11:42 PM   #41
warellis
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Default Re: About the crossbow, a recap

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Dwarven Compound Steel Footbow: The soldiers of mad King Sterick the Red died before the footbow archers of Balish Axemaster without a single sword being swung. Masters of metalwork, they mount the finest dwarvish steel (TL5, x4 to limb cost) limbs, mounted with pulley and cam systems never sold to humans. It is of fine (accurate) quality, with 75% of the bow working. The riser is of ironwood, 1.4” wide, 2.19” deep, and 0.07% deflection. The compound setup is conventional, with three loops. It fires fine (accurate) ironwood arrows 31” long and 0.53” in diameter, with heavy barbed armor-piercing points to a maximum range of 527 yards; the heavy arrows retain full damage potential their entire flight. Realistic damage is 2d+2(2) imp.
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Horn Reflex Footbow: The extreme flexibility of natural horn (straight bow, round shape, n = 1) makes for a powerful footbow. This is a 200-lb. bow, only 57” long with a 42” draw (60% of the height of 70” tall man). The entire bow is “working,” and the thickness was chosen as 1.15” The arrow is cedar, 45” long and 0.66” in diameter, with a light, armor-piercing arrowhead. Realistic damage is 1d+1(2) imp.
Looking at this pair of footbows, fantasy and historical, would it be possible to make a footbow using modern TL8 tech and materials that surpasses both in damage?

What were footbows mostly used for historically compared to normal bows?

Last edited by warellis; 10-17-2021 at 12:44 AM.
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Old 10-17-2021, 09:32 AM   #42
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: About the crossbow, a recap

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Originally Posted by warellis View Post
L

What were footbows mostly used for historically compared to normal bows?
That I lnow of actual use they were used for setting records and other competitions and exhibitions (and may not be all that old). Their theoretical use was in long distance indirect bombardment. I've never heard any detailed and credible account of that use. <shrug> They're might be one out there.

Yes, they are more powerful than any other sort of direct pull bow. That doesn't mean they are particularly useful. The user can't even really look at hs target. Between that and the super-long indirect trajectory entire formations of footbowmen might miss entire formations of their targets.
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Old 10-18-2021, 04:38 PM   #43
Pursuivant
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Default Re: About the crossbow, a recap

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Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
From my research Gurps generally overestimates the power and utility of wooden crossbows. Self bows of the size to fit crossbows are comparatively weak.
This overlooks the fact that the limbs of a wooden crossbow can be much thicker and/or made from stacked and bound pieces of wood (like a leaf spring, but not necessarily laminated together) since the travel distance from the flexed to unflexed position is much shorter.

The same degree of flexion applied to limbs of equivalent thickness on a self bow would either snap the limbs due to overextension or require a bow with limbs too long to be practical for a human-sized user.

That said, most wooden self-bow crossbows were intended as hunting weapons for small or medium-sized game. They didn't have be any more powerful than an equivalent hunting bow with about 50-80 lbs. draw weight. Raw range and stopping power weren't as important as factors such as weight, speed of use, and user convenience. Then as now, hunting depended on stalking or luring the target to well within 1/2D range, aiming at a relatively still & unsuspecting target, and getting a solid hit to the brain or vitals.
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Old 10-18-2021, 05:26 PM   #44
Anthony
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
Default Re: About the crossbow, a recap

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Originally Posted by Pursuivant View Post
This overlooks the fact that the limbs of a wooden crossbow can be much thicker and/or made from stacked and bound pieces of wood (like a leaf spring, but not necessarily laminated together) since the travel distance from the flexed to unflexed position is much shorter.
There's no reason you can't do that for a self bow either; the main reason for longbows being particularly long is availability of appropriate wood.
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Old 10-18-2021, 05:28 PM   #45
Pursuivant
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Default Re: About the crossbow, a recap

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Originally Posted by Hrafnagudh View Post
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?
Yes, if he's sufficiently strong.

He'd still need to take additional Ready actions or Fast-Draw skill rolls to load the bolt & ready it for shooting.

Remember that low tech weapons weren't standardized. Any GURPS weapons statistics are necessary simplifications for ease of play.

The 1/32 reload time for a military crossbow assumes that you're using a Cranequin and that you've got the rated ST required to use the weapon.

The GM should compare user's ST to the time required to draw a crossbow of a given ST when determining actual reload time for a super-strong character. In some cases, you need to do a bit of math to determine the actual ST needed to draw the weapon by hand.

Aldric's post is correct for the Military Crossbow in LT, meaning that a character with ST 30 can cock it by hand as you described.

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Originally Posted by Hrafnagudh View Post
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?
Yes.

The Ally acts as a "gun bearer" for the PC. Best to give him 2+ crossbows, so that he can cock one while the PC readies the other crossbow.

Give the Ally levels of Lifting ST, Fast-Draw (Crossbow) & the crossbow version of the Strongbow Perk to optimize his crossbow cocking abilities. Possibly give him Fast-Draw (Arrow) if he's in charge of reloading as well.

Give him decent Perception, Observation skill, and levels of Acute Vision to allow him to act as a spotter.

Maybe give him Shield & Spear skill to protect the shooter on the battlefield.

Give him decent armor since he's going to attract attention. He might carry a Pavis that he and the shooter can hide behind while reloading.

Give the PC the Crossbow version of Gunslinger/Heroic Archer & high levels of Fast-Draw (Arrow) & Fast-Draw (Crossbow).

Give them both a variation of the Teamwork perk optimized for crossbows.

In combat they work as a team to alternately load crossbows (loader loads on turns while shooter is Aiming) and to instantly exchange crossbows as necessary.

On turns 1-2 of melee the shooter can fire 2 powerful, long-ranged unaimed shots, or 1 Aimed shot. Thereafter, the shooter can shoot every 4-5 turns.
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