Auto loading crossbow via RPM

[starslayer]

Wondering if anyone had an idea for an RPM spell that would automatically load a bolt into a crossbow and cock it.

Nearest I can figure it would just be 'grants ability: innate attack' with the innate attack value being appropirate for the crossbow. If someone can come up with something more elegant, please post it.

[PK]

I'd call that two Lesser Control Matter effects, myself -- one for the cocking, one for the loading -- if the bolts were held above the crossbow in some sort of hopper. If you want the spell to pull the bolt out of a quiver and levitate it over to the crossbow, I'd say one Lesser and one Greater.

No need for spell effects beyond Duration and Subject Weight.

[Kalzazz]

Would you need something to handle the ST of the crossbow?

[starslayer]

Originally Posted by PK

I'd call that two Lesser Control Matter effects, myself -- one for the cocking, one for the loading -- if the bolts were held above the crossbow in some sort of hopper. If you want the spell to pull the bolt out of a quiver and levitate it over to the crossbow, I'd say one Lesser and one Greater.

No need for spell effects beyond Duration and Subject Weight.

Thank you very much- that is far less complicated then what I had come up with

[PK]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Would you need something to handle the ST of the crossbow?

The Golden Rule of RPM suggests that effective ST = the spell's effective Path skill level (so in this case, your Path of Matter), so I'd stick with that here. If you need more ST, then you'll need to throw a narrow Bestows a Bonus on there.

[starslayer]

Sorry for some thread resurrection, but some additional questions have come up:

So what would the ultimate RoF be for having the weapon operate in the manner of:
-a magazine that holds multiple bolts and using the two lesser control matter effects.

My thought is that this would give it the same RoF as a repeating crossbow, but maintain the damage of whatever crossbow it is being used on. (assuming that no effective ST increasing technologies like a windlass have been used)

What if the caster wanted to increase the effective RoF?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by starslayer

Sorry for some thread resurrection, but some additional questions have come up:

So what would the ultimate RoF be for having the weapon operate in the manner of:
-a magazine that holds multiple bolts and using the two lesser control matter effects.

My thought is that this would give it the same RoF as a repeating crossbow, but maintain the damage of whatever crossbow it is being used on. (assuming that no effective ST increasing technologies like a windlass have been used)

What if the caster wanted to increase the effective RoF?

Yeah, that's what I'd do. Add Bestows a Bonus for increased RoF, I think.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by starslayer

My thought is that this would give it the same RoF as a repeating crossbow, but maintain the damage of whatever crossbow it is being used on. (assuming that no effective ST increasing technologies like a windlass have been used)

That sounds about right. Realistically, a repeating crossbow should probably either have lower ST than the user or require two seconds to draw, but a single second to draw at full ST is hardly game-breaking. For a crossbow equipped with an ST-enhancing device, said device would work in half its normal time, round up (so a x2 ST windlass requires 8 seconds to draw with this spell).
EDIT: A closer look reveals the repeating crossbow from LT is effectively at a lower ST - it does a lot less damage and has much shorter range than another crossbow of the same ST. It's up to you what default speed you want to go with, but if the device retains its power and range - as well it should - it should probably have the same draw time requirement as before. In that case, an ST-enhancing device works in it's normal time - that x2 ST windlass still requires the normal 16 seconds to draw.

Originally Posted by starslayer

What if the caster wanted to increase the effective RoF?

Use a crossbow with a lower ST (or keep it the same but use Bestows a Bonus to boost the spell's ST). Effective RoF is 0.5*(ST of spell)^2/(ST of crossbow)^2. So, with an ST 16 crossbow and Path of Matter 16, effective RoF is 0.5 - 1 second to Ready, 1 second to shoot. Using that same crossbow with Path of Matter 18 and Bestows a Bonus (Narrow, ST to draw this crossbow) +5, effective RoF is 0.5*529/256=1.03, or 1 - the character can fire a bolt every round.
EDIT: If changing RoF to match with my suggestions above, change the multiplier from 0.5 to 1/3 - an ST 16 crossbow with Path of Matter 16 would have effective RoF of 1/3, for 2 seconds to Ready and 1 to shoot.