[gurps] Question about crossbows & longbows
Volker Bach
bachv at paganet.de
Wed Nov 26 14:07:10 CST 2003
On Tue, 25 Nov 2003 16:05:54 -0500, "Michael Layne" <theherald at hotmail.com>
wrote :
>
>
>
> >From: "Volker Bach" <bachv at paganet.de>
> >Reply-To: bachv at paganet.de, The GURPSnet mailing list
> ><gurpsnet-l at sjgames.com>
> >To: The GURPSnet mailing list <gurpsnet-l at sjgames.com>
> >Subject: RE: [gurps] Question about crossbows & longbows
> >Date: 23 Nov 2003 22:46:42 -0000
> >
> >
> >On Sun, 23 Nov 2003 20:49:49 -0000, "n.mccartyeigenmann"
> ><n.mccartyeigenmann at ntlworld.com> wrote :
> >
> >
> > >
> > > the Estimable Volker Bach's article: the Compleat Crossbow may
possibly
> > > be found, if he is listening.:) it addresses the issue compleat-ely.
> >
> >That's still available on request.
>
> I'd be interested in that one, myself! !
Here it is:
THE COMPLETE CROSSBOWMAN
(c) Volker Bach, 2000
Initially it is perhaps best to say that the title embodies an intent more
than an achievement - aside, of course, from a grateful nod in the
direction of Thomas Barnes on whose 'Complete Archer' large portions of
this article are based and without which it would never have come to be. As
yet, I am afraid, this collection of GURPS rules for crossbows is far from
complete, but I hope that one day it will be. Any and all help,
corrections, information and experience are much appreciated. Contact me at
bachv at paganet.de
THE CROSSBOW
A crossbow, at the simplest level, consists of a bow mounted transversely
on a stock fitted with a trigger mechanism to hold back and release the
bowstring. These elements form the 'cross' (more commonly a T-shape) that
gives it its English name. Many crossbows are equipped with grooves to
guide
their arrows or bolts, nocks or spring mechanisms to hold them in place and
various mechanical devices to draw back the bowstring. Some have sights or,
in
the case of very modern weapons, scopes mounted on them.
Calling a crossbow a crossbow is perfectly adequate, but it was not the
only
name this useful item had - in fact, etymologically it is an uncommon one.
Most European languages take their word for it from the Latin word
/arcubalista/, the root of the old English term arblast or arbalest, the
old
French /arbaleste/ and the Italian /arbalesta/. In German, a folk etymology
made the odd /armbrust/ (literally arm-chest) out of this which, in turn,
was
adopted into several Slavic languages.
HISTORY
Simple crossbows are easy to make even with the most primitive means.
Tribesmen in sub-Saharan Africa and Indochina traditionally used crossbows
constructed with TL0 materials and tools, and there is no reason why a
neolithic civilisation should not be able to produce these. Historically,
however, the earliest evidence for crossbows is younger, dating from 7th
century BCE China. We know very little of these weapons since, being
made of organic materials, they do not physically survive. The earliest
archeological evidence for crossbows comes in the form of bronze trigger
mechanisms dating to the fifth century BCE whose very sophistication
bespeaks a long tradition.
In the West, the first known crossbow is a complicated mechanical device
known as the /gastraphetes/ ("belly-bow") in 4th century BCE Greece. This
powerful weapon was cocked by bracing it between the ground and the
shooter's body and repeatedy pushing down. Its construction was closer to a
contemporary siege catapult, with a moveable bolt slide and ratchet
mechanism, and there is little evidence for its use. Crossbows of a type
more familiar to moderns (with an arrow groove and trigger mechanism
holding the string) were known to the Romans at least from the 3rd century
CE onwards, but while the Chinese type was a common military weapon the
Roman /manuballista/ probably never was used for anything but hunting. It
was certainly not common, going by our sparse evidence, and attempts to
identify crossbowmen in Late Roman armies are dubious at best.
In the West, the heyday of the crossbow as a military weapon came in the
high Middle Ages. It is likely that versions of the /manuballista/ survived
Late Antiquity and the so-called Dark Ages, but we have only sketchy
evidence
for such weapons until the 10th century CE, when the 'typical' medieval
crossbow turns up in manuscript illuminations. From then until the
sixteenth
century CE increasingly sophisticated and powerful crossbow designs were
ubiquitous in European warfare.
Between 1000 and 1500 CE crossbows were known and used throughout the old
world. In most of Central Asia and Africa they never saw much use in
warfare,
but hunters regularly carried them and their sight was familiar. The
Americas
only learned of the crossbow when the Spanish conquerors brought the weapon
from Europe, and Australia and Oceania equally never developed native
versions.
>From about 1500 onwards the crossbow fell out of favor as a military weapon
in
Europe, though it remained in service in China until the 19th century CE.
It
continued to be used as a hunting and sporting weapon in the Europe and the
orient until modern days. Ironically the European crossbow saw its greatest
technological development at this time, just having lost its military
usefulness. The finest crossbows in the world were not made by ancient
craftmasters in medieval Italy or Han China - they are produced today by
sporting goods manufacturers in Europe and North America.
SKILLS
Crossbow P/E
defaults to DX-4 or Guns (rifle)-4 (for shooting only)
This is the ability to use the many forms of crossbow developed through the
ages. A character with this skill will know of all crossbow types prevalent
in
his culture and gets an IQ roll to figure out those not known (thus, a Hoa
Hao
hunter will know the simple crossbow of his people and, on a successful IQ
roll, will also understand the handling of a medieval Italian crossbow /a
crocco/).
At character creation the player must determine which kind or kinds of
crossbow and cocking mechanism he uses (how many are allowed is up to the
GM's
generosity, but it is not unreasonable for a character to be familiar with
two
or three - that much was expected of an Italian /balestiere/ in the Middle
Ages). Other types of crossbow and cocking mechanism will be at a -2
Familiarity Penalty that the character may negate by practising with the
unfamiliar equipment for 8 hours.
The Crossbow Skill is rolled against to hit something with a crossbow. All
regular Accuracy and Aiming bonuses and Snap Shot, Speed, Range and Size
Penalties apply. A success hits the target, a failure misses. It is also
rolled against when cocking a crossbow in a hurry, such as in battle. Here,
a
success accomplishes the task in the minimum time given for each cocking
mechanism. A failure represents some kind of hangup resulting in an up to
100%
increase of the required cocking time. A critical failure represents an
equipment foulup (e.g. a torn beltbuckle, jammed tackle, bent lever,
tangled
windlass, stuck ratchet, frayed string or cracked nut) that needs repairing
and may endanger or injure the character. Taking an extra 3-5 seconds to do
the cocking carefully and thoroughly obviates the need for a Skill Roll
except
for characters unfamiliar with the mechanism.
Characters with the Crossbow Skill are assumed to be familiar with whatever
mechanisms their culture uses to string powerful crossbows. They are also
familiar enough with their crossbow to 'field-strip' it and exchange
damaged
parts, though crafting these is beyond them. This is rolled against at
Skill-
2. A failure indicates a mistake that requires a repeat of the procedure. A
critical failure ruins another part of the weapon (most expensively, the
bow).
Armoury (Crossbow) M/A
Defaults to IQ-5, Armoury (Bowyer)-2,
Woodworking-4,
Engineer (simple machines)-5, other Armoury-
5
This is the Skill to service, repair and build crossbows. In most crossbow-
using cultures it is a highly respected and lucrative trade, but unlike
that
of the bowyer it has few magical connotations. A thoroughly trained
crossbowmaker can craft all types of crossbow known to his culture, given
proper materials.
Unlike a bow, improvising a crossbow is not usually taught in survival
courses
and is part of the outdoor skills of only a very few peoples. Crossbows
were
usually produced by professional craftsmen, and often in large numbers,
with
much division of labor. A small workshop could easily turn out 100 or more
crossbows per year (significantly less if they are steelbow crossbows).
Fine
craftsmanship was more time-consuming, of course; a German master
crossbowmaker of the 15th century is recorded as having produced only four
pieces in the space of one year, but these were beautifully crafted, richly
decorated hunting weapons fit for royalty.
The hard part about making a crossbow is crafting the bow. Any woodcarver
can
make the stock and a simple notch trigger mechanism. Nut or claw triggers
are
made of horn or bone and metal, repectively, but again they are not hard to
make with basic craft skills in the material. The bow, however, needs to be
carefully prepared to give an even cast and withstand the stresses placed
on
it. This is a little easier than for a handbow because the draw length of
the
crossbow, and thus the length required for the bow, is shorter. Even the
most
powerful wooden crossbow bows rarely exceed 48", and the more common
composite
or metal bows are usually about half as long. A short, stiff bow requires
less
careful tillering and is somewhat less demanding of its materials. This is
more than made up for by the care the bowmaker must take to ensure the
finished product will reliably and durably withstand the stresses placed on
it. Unlike handbows, which are limited by the main strength of the user,
crossbow bows often pull well in excess of 300 lbs!
Fast Draw (Bolt) P/E
This is the Skill of quickly readying a crossbow bolt for shooting. Unlike
with the bow, where the preparing and nocking of the arrow takes up a
significant part of the time between shots at full rate of fire, the Fast
Draw
Skill with the crossbow is more of a showoff ability. A successful Fast
Draw
(Bolt) roll will ready the bolt in effectively no time, allowing it to be
drawn and nocked in one second, but this time saving is of little more than
token significance, given how long it takes to cock most crossbows.
WEAPON TYPES
Crossbows come in a bewildering array of shapes and sizes, each with its
own
particular strengths and weaknesses. The four main distinguishing factors
are
the type of ammunition it uses, the type and strength of its bow, the kind
of
trigger mechanism, and the kind of cocking mechanism. The length and shape
of
its stock and the type of sights (if any) ot other additions also affect
the
weapon's performance and game stats.
Ammunition
Crossbows can be used to shoot bolts, arrows or pellets. Their ammunition
is
not interchangeable, except for arrow-shooting crossbows which may also be
used to shoot bolts. Arrows were probably shot by the earliest crossbows,
and
they remained in use until the 20th century with African and Asian
tribesmen.
24" to 36" in length, relatively thin and much alike those shot from
handbows
they are not the best ammunition for crossbows by a long shot. Lateral
stability is the main problem - arrows tend to bend and twist when
accelerated
from behind, and while an archer can work around and indeed with this
tendency
to get satisfying accuracy a crossbowman, wedded to his mechanical
contraption, can not. Since the greater power of the crossbow exacerbates
this
problem, accuracy suffers. Also, an arrow has considerable drag and
eccentric
aerodynamic properties. It works best when shot at a high trajectory,
flying
in an arc. Along its flight path it will quickly lose much of the extra
power
imparted by the crossbow to aerodynamic drag. Add to this that a crossbow
is
not well suited to aiming at a high trajectory and the deficiencies of the
arrow become glaringly obvious. They were used nonetheless because they
were
known and understood, usually available, and because the draw length of
selfbow-powered crossbows made them the only viable choice in many cases. A
crossbow shooting arrows is at -2 to Acc and -2 to damage beyond pointblank
range.
Bolts are shorter, thicker relatives of arrows, about 10" to 14" in length
and
often fletched with two flights instead of the arrow's three. With their
much
greater lateral stability and less drag they were developed for shooting
them
from crossbows, possibly as early as the 4th century CE. Bolts do not lose
their power as quickly as arrows, behaving more like bullets on a flat
trajectory. Ideally, the bolt of a war crossbow would drop less than 8" on
the
first 50 yards of its flight! In the Middle Ages they replaced arrows as
crossbow ammunition throughout Europe and the Middle East. The period
crossbows with their short draw lengths and high draw weights were
perfectly
suited to shooting bolts. Some archers even tried to adapt them to their
bows
by means of an 'arrow-guide'. This contraption, while ingenious, never
found
too much favor with archers and does not seem to be too useful, though it
still has its adherents.
Pellets are small stone, clay or metal balls shot from specially
constructed
crossbows. They are shot from a pouch fitted to the center of a double
string.
Crossbows for shooting pellets are often referred to as prodds. They were
developed in the middle ages and became popular in Europe and the Orient
for
hunting birds and small game. Pellets are not as accurate as bolts (-2 Acc)
and do less damage (crushing instead of impaling). Very high-powered pellet
crossbows could be viable as war weapons, but the mechanism is generally
too
finicky and delicate. Most such weapons are small, short-range affairs
suitable for knocking out squirrels and taking down partriges.
Bow Types
All crossbow bows are stronger, by comparison, than those of handbows used
for
similar purposes. This is partly because, pound for pound, a crossbow is
less
effective than a handbow. To get the same range and punch a crossbow needs
to
have at least twice the draw weight of a handbow. Also, a crossbow need not
be
held at full draw for any length of time and thus can use a higher draw
weight
than a handbow, and it would be foolish not to take that punch when you can
get it.
Selfbows: The first crossbow bows must have been made of wood, like those
of
tribesmen in Indochina and Africa were well into the 20th century. The wood
for these bows had to meet the same requirements as that used for handbows
-
toughness, high tensile strength and the ability to withstand stress.
Therefore the same kinds of wood were used for crossbow bows as for
handbows.
Yew, ash and more flexible kinds of oak were preferred in Europe. Crossbow
selfbows need to be carefully selected, cured and tillered. They are
usually
fairly long, with a correspondingly great draw length, making the crossbow
unwieldy and requiring it to use less accurate long arrows rather than the
short bolts preferred by later crossbowmen. There are also limits to the
draw
weight of a selfbow that can be practically fitted on a stock. Selfbow
crossbows are relatively simple to make and require no different Skills
from
those of a bowyer. They are perfectly adequate for hunting, but in warfare
they were eclipsed by other types once the bolt replaced the arrow in
Europe.
Selfbows are practical up to ST 14, but due to their greater draw length
they
can only be used to shoot arrows if their ST is greater than 10. A selfbow
crossbow will do thr+4 base damage for its ST. «1/2Dam Range for selfbow
crossbows is STx20, Max Range STx25.
Composite Bows: Composite bows are made of a combination of materials,
usually
in three layers. A core, holding the whole together, is joined with a
'belly'
layer (facing the user) made of material that compresses well, such as horn
or
bone, and one layer of backing (facing away from the user) made of material
with a high tensile strength, such as sinew. The whole is usually covered
in a
protective layer of parchment or laquer to prevent damage to the bow. When
this technology was first applied to crossbows is unknown, but it may have
been at a very early point. Roman /manuballistae/ are thought to have used
composite bows. Historical sources from Europe suggest that composite
crossbow
bows were used as early as the 12th century, and it seems likely that they
were known in the Islamic world even earlier.
Composite crossbow bows can be made much stronger than selfbows without
increasing in length. Bows as short as 30" with a draw length between 8"
and
12" could have draw weights in the hundreds of pounds. To achieve this the
bows had to be made in a style different from composite handbows, with a
thicker, stress-bearing wooden core, more sinew, and thicker pieces of horn
placed crosswise rather than lengthwise. Some European bowmakers also used
whalebone to stiffen their constructions. Some Asian crossbows used
traditional bowmaking techniques to produce what was basically a composite
handbow fitted to a stock, but the short-draw model proved more successful.
It
was easier to cock, less unwieldy, and shot with greater accuracy.
Composite
bows are practical up to ST 18 for bolt-shooting crossbows, though much
stronger versions can be produced if you don't mind the weight and draw
length. Composite crossbows do thr+5 base damage for their ST. «1/2Dam
range for
composite crossbows is STx25, Max Range is STx30.
Laminate Bows: Typical of Chinese crossbows, laminate crossbow bows are
made
of several elastic strips of wood or bamboo glued to each other. This
method
is particularly practical where suitable bow wood is hard to come by.
Laminate
bows perform somewhat better than selfbows, but not as good as composite
bows,
and while they could be waterproofed in the same manner as selfbows they
rarely were. Laminate crossbow bows are practical up to ST 18, but, like
selfbows, they can only be used for arrow-shooting crossbows past ST 10.
Like
composite bows and steelbows, laminate bows do thr+5 base damage for their
ST.
«1/2Dam Range for laminate crossbows is STx20, Max Range STx25.
Steel Bows: Our first certain evidence for the use of steel to make
crossbow
bows comes from the early 14th century, though it is possible that steel
bows
were made as early as the 11th century in Islamic Spain, or indeed in the
Roman Empire. In theory it must have seemed the ideal material - tough,
with
a high tensile strength and no problems with the required length or
thickness
within the envelope dictated for crossbow bows by the limits of human
strength. A 30" steel bow could pull 1,000 lbs and more with a draw length
of
less than 12". However, steel of this quality was very difficult to produce
reliably with the technology at hand. Prices for steel bows were high, and
while our sources are silent on the subject the results of flawed bows
snapping at full draw must have been quite spectacular. These metal flaws
could not usually be detected with the naked eye and GMs are justified in
secretly assigning a Malf number to any steel bow produced at TL3. The
ability
of European weaponsmiths to make steel bows improved through the 14th and
15th
century, by which time they had become commonplace. At TL4 and higher steel
bows can be produced without risk of failure. At TL6 they are the cheapest
type as steels of a given tensile strength and torque can be purchased off
the
shelf. Steel bows are practical up to any ST. They do thr+5 base damage for
their ST. «1/2Dam Range for steelbow crossbows is STx25, Max Range STx30.
Bow Weights and Prices
The weight of a crossbow bow is calculated by this formula
(ST/2 -2) x M
where
ST is the bow's ST
M is the bow's material, 1.1 for composite bows, 1 for steel bows, 0.8 for
wood bows, 0.75 for laminate bows.
Round to the nearest 1/2 lb.
(note that this is a very rough approximation of what, from what little
figures I have, looks like a shallow curve. The actual function is likely
to
be quadratic, and different for each bow type, and this formula should not
be
used outside the ST range of 8-24 if you are looking for approximately
right
results. Also, there is a margin for error of around 25% in either
direction,
so feel free to customise)
Sample Bows
Bow ST Wood Laminate Composite Steel
ST 5 1 lb 1 lb 1 lb 1 lb
ST 6 1 lb 1 lb 1 lb 1 lb
ST 7 1 « lbs 1 « lbs 2 lbs 1 « lbs
ST 8 1 « lbs 1 « lbs 2 lbs 2 lbs
ST 9 2 lbs 2 lbs 3 lbs 2 « lbs
ST 10 2 « lbs 2 lbs 3 « lbs 3 lbs
ST 11 3 lbs 2 « lbs 4 lbs 3 « lbs
ST 12 3 lbs 3 lbs 4 « lbs 4 lbs
ST 13 3 « lbs 3 « lbs 5 lbs 4 « lbs
ST 14 4 lbs 4 lbs 5 « lbs 5 lbs
ST 15 n/a 4 lbs 6 lbs 5 « lbs
ST 16 n/a 4 « lbs 6 « lbs 6 lbs
ST 17 n/a 5 lbs 7 lbs 6 « lbs
ST 18 n/a 5 « lbs 7 « lbs 7 lbs
ST 19 n/a n/a n/a 7 « lbs
ST 20 n/a n/a n/a 8 lbs
ST 21 n/a n/a n/a 8 « lbs
ST 22 n/a n/a n/a 9 lbs
ST 23 n/a n/a n/a 9 « lbs
ST 24 n/a n/a n/a 10 lbs
Prices are easier, thanks to the wide margins for error built into the
GURPS
pricing system. Assume that
Crossbow selfbows cost $5 per point of ST
Crossbow laminate bows cost $15 per point of ST
Crossbow composite bows cost $25 per point of ST
Crossbow steelbows cost $40 per point of ST
These prices reflect the 'fantasy' reality of GURPS. They do not translate
into campaigns set at other TLs and neither, unfortunately, into a Far
Eastern
background. In general, what prices a GM charges for crossbow bows depends
more on the economics of the background than any mathematical formula.
Assume
that a selfbow costs about the same as a simple handbow, a laminate or
composite construction between 3 and 5 times that (if made by hand -
industrially produced laminate and compositre bows at TL7+ break the
pattern)
and a steelbow about as much as a good quality broadsword or greatsword.
Shortened Bows
Composite bows, laminate bows and steelbows are available in shorter,
lighter
versions for use with small, easily concealable crossbows. These do thr+2
base
damage for their ST. «1/2Dam Range is STx15, Max Range STx20. Their weight
is
reduced by 25%. Composite and laminate bows also reduce their price by 25%.
Steelbows get no price reduction. Shortened bows may use balestrino or
pistol
stocks. A crossbow with a shortened bow get +2 to Holdout and -1 to SS.
Maximum practical ST for shortened composite and laminate bows is 10, for
steel bows it is 13.
ON CROSSBOW STs
The relationship between a crossbow's damage potential and draw weight in
reality is closer to a quadratic function than the linear ST progression
GURPS
allows for. In short, every increase in damage potential requires a
progressively greater increase in draw weight. Thus, by canonical rules the
relationship between crossbow ST, character ST and damage will break at
some
point. A canonical ST 22 character should not be able to cock an ST 22
siege
crossbow with his bare hands - that kind of wounding potential would,
translated into real life figures, require a draw weight over 1,000 lbs
which,
incidentally, is what siege crossbows had.
The optional QuadST rule that fixes this disparity with respect to lifting
capacity versus punching damage is admirably suited to crossbows, though.
Indeed, when it is applied the two-handed lift maximum of a character of a
given ST corresponds, however roughly, to the draw weight of a crossbow of
equal ST. Thus, to figure out how much a crossbow of a given ST pulls, apply
(BowST2 / 10) x 25lbs
or consult the table below
ST Draw Weight Base Damage Uses
(wood/steel)
4 40lbs 1d-2/1d-1 toy
5 60 lbs 1d-1/1d toy
6 90 lbs 1d/1d+1 toy/gamebird shooting
7 120 lbs 1d+1/1d+2 gamebird shooting
8 160 lbs 1d+1/1d+2 small game hunt
9 200 lbs 1d+2/1d+3 small game hunt
10 250 lbs 1d+2/1d+3 small game hunt/target
shooting
11 300 lbs 1d+3/1d+4 hunting/target shooting
12 360 lbs 1d+3/1d+4 hunting/horse crossbow
13 420 lbs 1d+4/1d+5 hunting/war crossbow
14 490 lbs 1d+4/1d+5 hunting/war crossbow
15 560 lbs 1d+5/1d+6 war crossbow
16 640 lbs 1d+5/1d+6 war crossbow
17 720 lbs 1d+6/1d+7 heavy war crossbow
18 810 lbs 1d+6/1d+7 heavy war crossbow
19 900 lbs 2d+3/2d+4 heavy war/siege crossbow
20 1,000 lbs 2d+3/2d+4 siege crossbow
21 1,100 lbs 2d+4/2d+5 siege crossbow
22 1,210 lbs 2d+4/2d+5 siege crossbow
23 1,320 lbs 2d+5/2d+6 wall crossbow
24 1,440 lbs 2d+5/2d+6 wall crossbow
Any crossbow larger than this is considered artillery.
Obviously if you're not using the QuadST rule to determine lifting strength
you will have to make arrangements to prevent ST18 characters getting away
with cocking those heavy war crossbows by hand. Not even an olympic
weightlifter could hope to do that.
Trigger Mechanisms
The simplest trigger mechanism for a crossbow is the notch trigger. A
crosswise notch in the stock holds back the string, and the trigger
mechanism
pushes it upward out of it. In the very first crossbows this may have been
done by hand, but all known types use some kind of lever mechanism. Most
commonly a hole is drilled through the stock from the notch and a pin
inserted
from underneath. To shoot the bow this is pushed up, forcing the string out
of
the notch. Notch triggers are still used with many cheap crossbows because
of
their simplicity. They are fairly foolproof and easy to repair, but prone
to
several problems. First, unless very carefully crafted they tend to have an
uneven release, holding the string longer on one side than the other and
thus
reducing accuracy. This is especially true with models whose pin is
inserted
off center. A notch trigger mechanism suffers -1 to Accuracy. Secondly,
pushing the string 'over the hump' at every release causes friction,
subjecting both the string and the notch to wear. This is not dangerous,
but
it will result in strings being 'used up' at a higher rate and trigger
quality
deteriorating. Thirdly, to push up the string with a notch trigger takes
some
strength. Using one on a crossbow whose ST is equal or greater than that of
the user will give a Skill penalty of -1 for purposes of aiming, with a
further -1 for every two points of bow ST above user ST. Notch triggers are
not practical for crossbows whose ST exceeds the user's ST by more than 6.
A
notch trigger costs $10.
Nut triggers use a revolving nut, usually made of bone or antler,
occasionally
of bronze, placed in the stock at the end of the arrow groove to release
the
string. A notch in the nut holds the string while the trigger locks it in
the
upward position. When it is released it rotates forward, smoothly releasing
the string. Nut triggers are first found in Roman times and became common
in
medieval Europe and the Middle East. They have the advantage of a smooth
release and require much less strength to pull the trigger, but are more
complicated and expensive than notch triggers. Dirt or sand in the action
can
block up a nut trigger, and while this will not prevent the release of the
string (the bow is much too strong for that) it may ruin the nut. Cleaning
the
action requires 'field-stripping' the crossbow, taking at least several
minutes. Nut triggers may be used on crossbows of any ST without adverse
effects. A nut trigger mechanism costs $50
Claw triggers use metal claws or hooks to hold back and release the string.
The earliest type was developed in China, probably as early as the fifth
century BCE. In Europe a different type of claw release came into use in
the
fifteenth century, though it was long second in importance to the nut
trigger.
Most modern target crossbows use a variety of claw trigger mechanism. The
advantages of claw triggers are a smooth release and resistance to wear.
The
metal mechanism can be equipped with an internal safety, much like a gun
(though this was only used on modern crossbows) and requires next to no
strength for a release. Target crossbows of this kind are often fitted with
a
'hairtrigger' (+1 Acc). On the downside, claw trigger mechanisms are often
complex and expensive. Even the relatively straightforward Chinese system
had
to be made by skilled bronzesmiths to minute tolerances, and the complex
trigger mechanisms of Europe's TL4 were often one-of-a-kind efforts by
gunsmiths. Such a release requires regular oiling and cleaning, and once it
breaks, repair or replacement of parts can take hours. Claw trigger
mechanisms
can be used on crossbows of any ST. A claw trigger mechanism costs $80 and
up.
Cocking Mechanisms
Most crossbows are too strong to draw back and cock by main strength alone
like handbows. Therefore a number of cocking methods have been devised,
some
relying on tools or even complex mechanical gadgets. These methods are
rated
by the maximum ST of the crossbow, relative to the shooter's ST, that can
be
cocked with them. The more powerful the crossbow the more likely it is to
require complicated equipment and the longer cocking is likely to take. The
simpler and faster the cocking, and thus the higher the rate of fire, the
less
punch the crossbow will have. This is the balance that crossbowmen have to
strike, with hand-cocked weapons for the small-game hunt on the one extreme
and massive, windlass-operated siege-crossbows taking a minute to reload on
the other.
By Hand (unbraced) ST-4
Only the very lightest crossbows can be cocked easily by hand, without the
benefits of some tool. To do this the shooter grasps the stock in one hand
and
the string with another and pulls it back to the release mechanism. Doing
this
takes at least one second. Normal humans will not be able to cock more than
toy crossbows this way, or those suited for hunting small game, but in a
fantasy setting giants, ogres, trolls or golems may be able to cock war
crossbows in this fashion.
By Hand (braced) ST
Even without mechanical aids a shooter can cock somewhat stronger crossbows
by
bracing them. The usual method is to place the end of the stock against the
shooter's thigh or torso and pulling the string back with both hands.
Sionce
this can result in painful bruises to those locations in the long run some
shooters prefer to do the same by bracing the stock against a firm surface
(the ground, usually) and pushing the string back with both hands. Either
approach can be accomplished in two seconds. The shooter must be standing
or
crouching. Giants and other super-strong creatures of fantasy could use
this
method with war crossbows, though for most people it will not work with
anything stronger than a small-game hunting weapon.
One-Foot Stirrup ST+2
This method requires a metal stirrup to be fitted to the front of the
crossbow
stock. The shooter places his lead (normally right) foot in the stirrup on
the
ground, then grasps the string with both hands and pulls it up to cock the
weapon. This can be done in four seconds. The shooter must be standing. The
one-foot stirrup is recorded from the 11th century onwards.
Fitting a crossbow with a one-foot stirrup costs $30 and adds 1 lb to the
weapon's weight.
Two-Foot Stirrup ST+4
As with the one-foot stirrup, the crossbow is fitted with a metal stirrup,
but
one large enough to accomodate both feet. To cock the crossbow the shooter
places both feet in the stirrup on the ground, grasps the string in both
hands
and draws it back. This can be done in six seconds. The shooter must be
standing. Obviously, this method requires firm footing and a modicum of
balance - trying it on a swaying deck or loose gravel can result in very
embarrassing falls. Some selfbow crossbows are designed for the shooter to
place his feet directly on the bow, to both sides of the stock, instead of
in
a stirrup. They function similarly, but trying this with a bow not designed
for it is likely to permanently damage the weapon.
Fitting a crossbow with a two-footed stirrup costs $40 and adds 1« lbs to
the
weapon's weight.
Belt-and-Claw ST+4
This is a development of the one-foot stirrup technique. The shooter wears
a
broad hip belt with a metal claw to draw the string. He hooks the string
into
the beltclaw, places his foot in the crossbow's stirrup and pushes down,
stabilising the stock with both hands. This takes at least 6 seconds. The
shooter must be standing. Cocking the crossbow this way requires firm
footing.
The belt-and-claw method is known from the 12th century on.
A claw-belt costs $40 and weighs 2 lbs.
Claw Baldric ST+1
This method was favored by crossbowmen on horseback. It requires the
crossbow
to be equipped with a one-foot stirrup. The shooter wears a shoulder
baldric
with a metal claw similar to that worn by the infantry crossbowman on a hip
belt. To cock the crossbow he fits the claw over the string, places his
foot
in the stirrup and pushes down. This can be done in six seconds. The
shooter
should take care that his horse is used to this maneuver, as unaccustomed
mounts sometimes misinterpret the sudden shift in weight and the rider's
seat
is precarious while cocking his weapon. A claw baldric is designed for use
on
horseback, but can also be used like a belt-and-claw on foot. It is known
from
the 13th century onwards.
A claw-baldric costs $40 weighs 2 lbs.
Belt-and-Pulley ST+5
To use a belt pulley the crossbow has to be fitted with a one- or two-
footed
stirrup and a peg near the upper end of the stock. The shooter uses a short
pulley attached to a hip belt similar to the one used for the belt-and-claw
system. To cock the crossbow he bends down, places his foot in the stirrup,
hooks the pulley to the string and secures the loose end to the peg at the
end
of the stock. By straightening up he then tightens the pulley, drawing the
string back. This can be accomplished in ten seconds, nine if the shooter
does
not bother to secure the pulley to his belt again. He has to be standing.
The
arrangement is finicky, though. The pulley is liable to snarl up or slip,
and
unless properly secured it can tangle up the shooter's feet. All rolls to
cock
the crossbow quickly are at -1 with a belt-and-pulley arrangement, and all
failures result in a tangle that takes an extra 1d seconds to clear. The
belt-
and-pulley method is known from the 14th century, but it never found much
favor outside Italy. It can only be used to cock crossbows with a short
(less
than 16") draw length.
A belt-and-pulley setup costs $60 and weighs 2 lbs. Fitting the crossbow
with
the required peg costs $20
"Wippe" ST+2
"Wippe" is the German name for a simple wooden lever that can be used to
cock
crossbows. The crossbow needs to be fitted with a firm fulcrum at the
business
end of the stock (a stirrup, if already fitted, can double for this). The
Wippe is fixed there, a shorter second arm hooked onto the string, and the
shooter cocks the weapon by pushing down the long arm toward the stock. The
crossbow has to be braced against a firm surface to get the full effect. If
it
is braced against the bare ground the shooter risks getting dirt into the
action. Using a "wippe" unbraced allows cocking crossbows only up to the
user's ST-1. Either can be done in eight seconds (six if the shooter does
not
have to ready and secure the "wippe" himself), and the shooter may be
standing, kneeling, crouching or prone. If he has to kneel or crouch down
to
brace the weapon against the ground, add 2 seconds to the time. The "wippe"
is
known from the 13th century onwards.
A "wippe" costs $20 and weighs 2 lbs. Equipping a crossbow with a forward
fulcrum costs $20.
"Goat's Foot" Lever ST+4
The "goat's foot" is a more sophisticated lever mechanism made of metal. It
latches onto lugs or pegs fitted to the crossbow stock slightly behind the
trigger. As with the "wippe" a shorter arm of the "goat's foot" is fitted
to
the string, though in this case it pulls it back. The shooter then cocks
the
weapon by pulling the long arm back towards the end of the stock. The
crossbow
has to be braced against a firm surface to get the full effect. If it is
braced against the bare ground the shooter risks getting dirt into the
action.
Using a "goat's foot" unbraced allows cocking crossbows only up to the
user's
ST-1. Either can be done in eight seconds (six if the shooter does not have
to
ready and secure the "goat's foot" himself), and the shooter may be
standing,
kneeling, crouching or prone. If he has to kneel or crouch down to brace
the
weapon against the ground, add 2 seconds to the time. The goat's foot is
known
from the 13th century onwards.
A "goat's foot" costs $80 and weighs 3 lbs. Fitting a crossbow with side
lugs
costs $20.
Italian Gaffle ST+4
The Italian gaffle is a special form of the goat's foot. It weighs the same
and functions in much the same way, but can be used without bracing the
crossbow against any firm surface. Instead, the lever is braced against the
shooter's thigh and the crossbow pushed down against the body with both
hands.
This is fairly fatiguing in the long run (and that thigh had better be
armored), but it can be accomplished in eight seconds (six if the shooter
does
not have to bother readying and securing the gaffle). The shooter has to be
standing, though the gaffle can be used like a regular goat's foot at -1 to
Skill. The gaffle is known from the early 14th century onwards.
A gaffle costs $100 and weighs 3 lbs. Fitting a crossbow with side lugs
costs
$20.
Screw-and-Handle ST+4
The screw-and-handle arrangement is a TL4 oddity. The entire trigger
mechanism
is fitted to a screw bolt integrated into the stock. At the end of the
stock
lies the nut that moves it back and forth. Given the difficulty in cutting
satisfactory threads and the copious use of high-grade metals for this
finicky
mechanism it never caught on much, though it was popular for a while with
Venetian balestrinos (pistol crossbows). To cock the weapon the shooter
first
had to crank the nut all the way forward, hook it into the string, and then
crank it back to full draw again. With a short balestrino this would take
about 20 seconds. With a full-size crossbow (draw length around 12") it
takes
at least a minute. The shooter may be in any position at the time, though
he
should take good care not to let dirt get inside the action. The screw-and-
handle mechanism is known from the 15th century onwards.
Fitting a crossbow with a screw-and-handle adds 1 lb to the weapon's weight
and costs $60 per point of bow ST (minimum $600).
Cranequin ST+10
The cranequin, also known as the rack or cric, is an ingenious metal
cogwheel
mechanism used to cock powerful crossbows. A strong loop on the
transmission
box (containing the cogwheels, protected from the elements) is secured to
the
end of the stock (or a peg placed there for that purpose). An extendible
claw
is then fitted over the string. This is winched back slowly by a crank
fitted
to the cranequin action. Contemporaries distinguished between 'German'
crics
with the crank in line with the bow, and 'Spanish' ones fitted higher up
the
stock, with the crank perpendicular to it. Either type was finicky and
expensive. Richly decorated cranequins were popular with the nobility to
use
with their hunting crossbows, and more utilitarian versions were used in
war.
Cocking a crossbow with a cranequin takes (bow ST x 2)+8 seconds. The
shooter
may be standing, crouching, kneeling, seated, prone or on horseback.
Cranequins are known from the 14th century onwards.
A cranequin costs $20 per point of bow ST (minimum $200) and weighs between
4
and 6 lbs.
Windlass Unlimited
To cock the strongest crossbows windlass mechanisms with complex pulleys
were
used. While there were limits to the size and complexity of windlasses,
they
did not become a factor with crossbows - a crossbow so strong a windlass
could
not pull it would have been so heavy it would have to be fitted on a gun
carriage anyway. The windlass was fitted over the end of the stock and the
pulley hooked to the string. The shooter then began turning the cranks,
slowly
winching the string towards the nut. Cocking a crossbow with a windlass
takes
(bow ST x 2)+12 seconds. The shooter has to be standing or crouching. The
windlass has to be carefully wound up and secured after use to prevent it
from
tangling up. Windlasses are known from the 14th century onwards.
A windlass costs $10 per point of bow ST (minimum $100) and weighs between
5
and 10 lbs.
Using any crossbow cocking mechanism at maximum speed for a longer period
of
time if very fatiguing. After HT/2 uses (round down) the shooter rolls vs.
HT
every subsequent time. On a failure he loses 1 Fatigue. Shooting at a
leisurely pace is not as fatiguing and requires no HT rolls. Some methods
of
cocking will put undue strain on parts of the shooter's body (cocking by
hand
is hard on the palms and fingers, and the Italian gaffle leaves painful
bruises on the unprotected thigh). This is not actual damage, but GMs can
use
it to remind players to conserve their energies by levying DX or Move
penalties for several minutes afterwards. Using thigh and torso armor or
leather gloves is enough to avoid these problems.
Characters using the one-foot stirrup, two-foot stirrup or belt-and-claw
methods may take Extra Effort to cock crossbows whose ST is one higher than
their rated maximum bow ST for that method. They need to roll vs. ST-2 to
accomplish it, taking 1 Fatigue on every failure. To keep this up,
additional
HT rolls are required on every second shot to avoid further Fatigue loss.
Stocks
A basic crossbow stock needs to be no more than a grooved length of wood
exceeding the bow's draw length by a few inches. Most are longer and more
complex than this, though. Typically, any but a Cheap quality crossbow will
have a horn or bone groove to guide the bolt and a shaped grip. Crossbow
stocks normally weigh 0.75 times the weight of their bow.
European and Oriental crossbows typically had long stocks, normally no more
than slightly tapering lengths of wood ending in knobs or flat surfaces.
These
are the standard crossbows of GURPS, with SS 12 and Acc 4. Long stocks
without
the bow, trigger or other fixtures use regular weight and cost $40.
Roman and Chinese crossbows typically had short stocks, Chinese ones with a
vertical, pistol-like grip, Roman ones with a horizontal one sticking out
at
the end. This makes them lighter and easier to handle, but hinders aiming.
Short-stocked crossbows get -2 to SS and weigh 25 % less than long-stocked
ones, but they are at -2 to Acc. They cost $40
With a little ergonomic shaping crossbow stocks can give +1 or +2 to Acc.
These types are similar in shape to rifle butts and are used on most modern
crossbows. They add 25% to the overall weight if made of wood. The
techniques
involved were not known in Europe until the 17th century, but in a fantasy
setting a nation that relies heavily on crossbows may well develop them at
an
earlier TL as nothing but experience is required. Stocks of this type would
require a knob to fit a cranequin or windlass on them. No modifications
need
to be made for other methods of cocking.
With steel bows it is possible to build a very short (16"-20") pistol
crossbow
with enough power to kill a man. These weapons, known as balestrinos, were
popular with assassins and bravoes in Renaissance Italy. No pistol grips
were
used at the time, putting the weapon at -3 to Acc. Proper pistol grips
would
put it at a mere -2 to Acc, and again it is quite conceivable for a fantasy
culture to invent them. The SS number is improved by 3. A very short
balestrino-type stock weighs 50% less than a standard one, a pistol-grip
stock
25 % less. Balestrino stocks cost $30.
GADGETS
Sights
Crossbows are normally aimed without the benefits of sights or other
mechanisms. Shooters of long-stock crossbows often place the thumb of their
trigger hand on top of the stock to use as a point of orientation. A good
shooter knows exactly how high to arc his thumb to get a level aim over the
digit and the bolt tip at a given distance. Some crossbows have thumb
grooves
of varying depth cut into the top of the stock to ease aiming at different
ranges. These are a useful gimmick for novice shooters, but have no
appreciable effect on Accuracy. Fitting a crossbow with them afterwards
costs
$10.
It is possible to fit iron sights on a crossbow. From TL4 onwards it is not
even unusual, though medieval or earlier crossbows rarely had them. A
simple
iron sight would be mounted on the back of the stock, with a graduated
scale
for increasing range. The shooter aims over this and the tip of the bolt.
Simple iron sights give +1 to Acc, but interfere with many cocking
mechanisms.
A crossbow fitted with them can not be cocked using a "wippe", "goat's
foot",
gaffle, cranequin or windlass. Folding sights that avoid this problem
become
available at early TL4. Top-mounted sights can also be made removable. This
will significantly raise their cost and add to the prepareation time.
Removing
sights carefully and securing them takes 2 seconds (4 if they are screwed
into
a socket), fitting and aligning them takes 8 (6 if they are screwed into a
socket). Fitting sights requires a Skill roll vs. Crossbow. Only on a
success
do they give their benefit to Acc. A critical failure results in a
misaligned
sight that the shooter does not notice; -1 to Acc. Adding fixed iron sights
cost $40, removeable or folding ones $60, screw-fitted ones $80.
A development of the 15th century were side-mounted two-part iron sights.
They
consisted of two elements, one peep sight fitted to the back of the stock
and
a forward-mounted curved metal plate with marks over which to aim at
different
ranges. These sights give +2 to Acc when properly aligned and do not
interfere
with the use of a cranequin or any kind of cocking lever. They are very
vulnerable to mishandling, though, and their actual usefulness for anything
other than target shooting may be doubted. Side-mounted iron sights cost
$60.
A crossbow can be equipped with specially designed scopes. These work
exactly
as they do with guns, giving Acc benefits according to their magnification
(see CII p. 32). Scopes were fitted to crossbows from TL5 onwards and are
common on modern target and hunting crossbows.
Bolt Holders
One of the more annoying things about crossbows is that the arrow or bolt
tends to fall out of the groove if the weapon is moved about suddenly or
turned (pellet-shooting crossbows do not suffer this problem). Every time a
character holding a cocked and loaded crossbow moves at more than half his
move, holds the weapon in any position other than horizontally, groove up,
or
makes any sudden move (such as Dodging, Parrying, quickly changing stance
or
starting from violent surprise) roll vs. DX or Crossbow-2 (whichever is
higher) to avoid dropping the bolt. This is not too much of a problem for a
military crossbowman shooting from a static infantry formation, but hunters
(or adventurers) will come to find it a nuisance, or worse.
There are ways of alleviating the problem. Most crossbows are fitted with a
notch that holds the rear end of the bolt firmly in the groove. These
notches
are a regular feature of revolving nut or claw triggers. A notch trigger
crossbow needs to be specially equipped with one at a cost of $10. Fitting
the
notch can only be done while crafting the stock, not afterwards. This adds
no
noticeable weight to the weapon. A crossbow with a nock notch will hold the
bolt better than one without. It can be turned on its side or held vertical
without risk, and a character holding it needs to roll to avoid losing the
bolt only when running at full Move, climbing, or making sudden moves. The
roll is vs. DX+2 or Crossbow (roll at -1 with an arrow-shooting crossbow),
whichever is higher.
A bolt clip can be fitted to any bolt-shooting crossbow. This is a flexible
horn, bone or metal strip anchored on the stock behind the trigger
mechanism
and holding down the bolt in the groove. It costs $20 and adds no
noticeable
weight to the weapon. The bolt clip holds the bolt securely at almost any
time. A character holding a cocked and loaded crossbow fitted with a bolt
clip
rolls 3d every time he runs at full Move, jumps or uses an Active Defense,
or
the crossbow is otherwise moved about violently. On a 17 or 18 the bolt
will
fall out of the groove. Some shooters have problems adapting to a bolt
clip,
though. Sitting on top of the crossbow it interferes with their aim (-2
Familiarity penalty) and unfamiliar shooters fast-cocking with a belt-and-
claw, claw baldric, or "wippe" run the risk of breaking it (any regular
failure will do that).
Safeties
Crossbow triggers are not terribly safe. Many are simply levers fitted to
the
underside of the stock, and even the better protected ones can easily be
set
off accidentally when the crossbow is hit, dropped or otherwise mishandled.
Engineering a safety is fairly simple. A little folding bar fitted to the
underside of the stock can keep the lever safely away. Flicking it away can
be
done on the same turn as pulling the trigger, taking effectively no time.
This
device is easy to make and easy to improvise, and the mere fact that we
have
no historical evidence of its existence should stop nobody.
Nut and claw trigger mechanisms can be given internal safeties that look
and
work much like safety catches on modern guns. These only came into use with
sporting weapons in late TL5. Nut triggers can also be secured by inserting
a
metal pin into the action sideways. Inserting and removing the pin takes
one
second. We have no evidence of this method being used, but it is so self-
evident that anyone could come up with it.
BOLTS AND ARROWS
Crossbow arrows are similar to handbow arrows, but not interchangeable.
Though
of similar length, weight and thickness they lack a nock, ending in a blunt
square. Some Chinese crossbows shot unfletched arrows similar to those used
with some modern compound bows. The net effect on Accuracy is 0 since the
loss
of stabilisation is offset by the gain in speed. Good fletchers will make
them
stiffer than handbow arrows, but they will never be stiff enough. Other
than
this, all the wide variety of arrow sizes and types is also known for the
crossbow. Consult The Complete Archer for further detail.
Crossbow pellets are made much like sling bullets. The most common are cast
from lead, doing rated damage and giving rated Acc bonuses. It is possible
to
use clay pellets (-2 to base damage), stone mables (-1 to damage) or glass
marbles (-1 to damage) with pellet-shooting crossbows, making ammunition
supply a good deal more flexible than with arrows or bolts. A desperate
shooter can even simply help himself to pebbles by the wayside (-1 to
damage,
-20% range, -2 to Skill for purposes of hitting the target).
Crossbow bolts (or quarrels) are the unique ammunition developed for the
crossbow, the signature of the weapon as it were. They are shorter than
arrows
(10"-15" with most, though some balestrino bolts are as short as 2"),
thicker
(up to 1", 2" with especially massive ones) and heavier (2 oz. for the
lightest, up to 4 oz. for very heavy bolts used in siege crossbows), and
often
fletched in a different style. Many bolts have just two flights rather than
three, and even those with three are likely to have them mounted at right
angles to each other with none at the bottom (where the bolt has to fit the
groove of the crossbow). Some bolts have flights that will impart a spin,
but
others are fletched straight. Bolt flights are also much coarser and more
robust than arrow flights, often made of leather or wood rather than
feathers.
These appearances deceive, though - bolts are crafted as carefully as
arrows
to ensure accuracy. The crossbow is a brute-force weapon, but it's not a
crude
one.
Bolts come in various forms, suited to various tasks. This selection,
borrowing heavily from The Complete Asrcher, is far from exhaustive, but
should do for most gaming needs.
Broadhead
This is the regular bolt used for hunting and adventuring. Broadhead bolts
have leaf-shaped metal points and are fletched to have a spin in flight.
They
do impaling damage as listed for the crossbow shooting them. Range and
Accuracy are unchanged. Broadhead bolts are available for crossbows of any
ST.
Broadhead bolts cost $2
Barbed
These bolts have broad metal points with wicked barbs that anchor in the
flesh
of the target. They are mostly used for hunting big game. Damage for a
barbed
bolt is cutting rather than impaling, and if it does more than two points
(after armor) the barbs lodge in the flesh. Withdrawing the bolt will cause
1d-3 points of further damage (minimum 1 point), unless it is done by a
skilled surgeon with the proper tools (every low-tech physician knows how).
Having a barbed bolt lodged in the body is painful and can immobilise a
target
(characters roll vs. Will every time they move the stricken limb, or every
time they move about at all for a torso hit (at +2 for those with High Pain
Threshold, -4 with Low Pain Threshold). On a failure they are paralysed
with
intense pain and lose 1 Fatigue, and the intended action fails. Even a
relatively large animal can be brought down that way. When shooting barbed
bolts Skill for purposes of hitting the target is at -1, Range is
unaffected.
Barbed bolts are normally available for crossbows up to ST 14.
Barbed bolts cost $2
Crown Head
Crown-headed bolts have a sharp metal point with blades flaring outwards in
a
serrated crown shape. This kind of bolt was used for hunting. It creates a
large, circular wound cavity with maximum blood loss. Double all HT
penalties
for Bleeding rolls if that rule is used. Crown-head bolts do impaling
damage.
Range and Skill remain unaffected. They do not fare well against armor,
though. An armor divisor of (0.5) is applied to all armors except cloth and
light leather, and a crown-headed bolt that hits metal armor will need
repair,
whether it punches through or not. Crown-headed bolts are normally
available
for crossbows up to ST 16.
Crown-headed bolts cost $4
Blunt
These bolts end in clublike, blunt wooden knobs. They are mostly used for
hunting small game for fur, where the aim is to keep the skin intact. Blunt
bolts are longer than regular ones (the bulbous head protrudes forward
beyond
the groove) and their fletchings usually do not generate spin. They do
crushing rather than impaling damage. They are somewhat unbalanced and lose
speed quickly (-1 to Skill for purposes of hitting the target, reduce 1/2
Dam
and Max ranges by 25%). Rigid metal armor of DR2 or better will deflect
them
harmlessly, and their damage potential is limited since they are normally
used
with low-powered crossbows. In a heroic fantasy setting they are a good
choice
against skeletons. Blunt bolts are normally available for crossbows up to
ST
12.
Blunt bolts cost $1
Bodkin
Bodkin-headed bolts are designed to pierce plate armor. Their metal heads
are
long, pointed and narrow and their fletchings impart a rapid spin. Bodkin
bolts receive an armor divisor of (1.5). They do impaling damage. Range and
Skill are unaffected. Bodkin pointed bolts are available for crossbows from
ST
12 up to any ST.
Bodkin-headed bolts cost $4
Dondaine
This very heavy kind of bolt has a barrelled, very thick shaft and a metal
point with a square cross-section. The fletchings are designed to impart a
rapid spin. These fearsome bolts were designed to punch through plate
armor.
Wonder stories about the dondaine were told by medieval crossbowmen. It has
an
armor divisor of (2) but damage after armor is not doubled for impaling.
Both
1/2 Dam and Max Ranges are reduced by 30%. Dondaine bolts are available for
crossbows from ST 12 up to any ST.
Dondaines cost $5
Spread Point
The spread point, a metal head with a number of stublike projections
spreading
out forward, was designed to prevent the bolt from being deflected by plate
armor (apparently a common occurrence). A spread point bolt is slightly
unbalanced (-1 to Skill for purposes of hitting the target) and does
crushing
damage only, but it reduces the PD of the target's armor by 2 (this is
effective against natural and worn armor, but not against PD from shields).
Spread point bolts cost $4
Crescent
Some crossbowmen used these bolts to show off, cutting through ropes or
decapitating domestic fowl. They have crescent-shaped metal heads with the
concave edge, facing forward, sharpened. Crescent-headed bolts do cutting
damage. Impacting on rigid metal armor destroys the delicate blade,
converting
the damage to crushing. They are unbalanced, giving -1 to Skill for
purposes
of hitting a target, and reduce 1/2 Dam and Max Ranges by 30%. Against
unarmored targets they can have quite horrible effects, though. Crescent-
headed bolts were used with low-powered hunting crossbows. They are
available
for weapons up to ST 14.
Crescent-head bolts cost $3
Target
Target bolts have carefully balanced, aerodynamically shaped metal heads
with
a small point quickly flaring out to the full width of the shaft. They are
designed to give a level flight and prevent overpenetration. Target bolts
do
impaling damage. They take -1 to basic damage, but give +1 to Skill for
purposes of hitting the target. Range remains unaffected. Target bolts are
normally available for crossbows up to ST 14.
Target bolts cost $2. Fine (Accurate) ones (especially common with this
type)
cost $40.
Whistling
Whistling bolts are fitted with wood, horn or ceramic heads carved to give
a
humming or whistling sound when shot. They are somewhat longer than regular
bolts and rather unbalanced, but then they're not really meant for hitting
anything with. Skill is at -1 for aiming purposes and 1/2 Dam and Max
Ranges
are reduced by 30%. Damage is crushing, at -2, and the head will shatter on
impact. The point to whistling bolts is noisemakers. They were used for
signalling purposes while hunting and to lend color to festivities. There
is
no evidence they were used for signalling in war, like whistling arrows
were
in Asia, but there is no reason that they couldn't be.
Whistling bolts cost $4
Incendiary
Incendiary bolts for crossbows are a special type. They are longer than
regular bolts to prevent the incendiary material coming in contact with the
stock or bow and have very long, thin, barbed metal points designed to
stick
in the target. Incendiary bolts are light and fairly unbalanced, and the
wad
of oil-soaked rags doesn't help either. They are at -2 to Skill for
purposes
of hitting the target and at -2 to basic damage. 1/2 Dam and Max Ranges are
reduced by 50%. The head does impaling damage, but any rigid armor of DR 3
or
better will bend it out of alignment and defeat it completely. If it does
even
one point of damage it will stick and the incendiary material (maybe) set
fire
to the target. Incendiary bolts are available for crossbows from ST 12 up
to
any ST.
Incendiary bolts cost $3
Preparing an incendiary bolt on the spot takes 1 minute. A prepared one
still
has to be soaked in oil for ten seconds before it is loaded into the
crossbow.
Setting fire to it takes 1d6 seconds with a torch. The incendiary material
may
go out in flight (roll 1d6. On a 6 the bolt goes out).
Bolts and Crossbow ST
Bolts are always designed for use in crossbows of a given ST range. Using
them
in crossbows of a different ST will result in suboptimal performance,
though
any bolt can be shot from any crossbow. Bolts for weak crossbows are
lighter
and more fragile than those for stronger ones.
A bolt made for a crossbow of a given ST can be shot without loss of
performance from crossbows up to two points of ST higher or lower. If it is
shot from a crossbow weaker than this, reduce 1/2 Dam and Max range by 10%
for
every point of ST below and lower effective Skill by -1 for every two
points
of difference. The bow cannot shoot such a heavy bolt very far, or very
acurately. If a bolt is shot from a crossbow that is stronger than it was
designed for, reduce its base damage by 1 for every two points of ST the
bow
is above its optimum. The light bolt can not carry that much energy. Also,
reduce the chance of the bolt's survival after impacting on a target by 1
for
every two points of ST the bow is too strong. A bolt intended for rabbit-
shooting will not survive being shot into a target with a windlass siege
crossbow.
Bolts of all types can be made for crossbows of any ST, but some kinds will
not normally be available outside of the range they are normally used in. A
fletcher who is offered enough money could make, for example, blunt-headed
bolts for a siege crossbow, but such work will cost anything up to 20 times
regular price and replacements will be hard to come by.
Carrying Ammunition
Crossbow arrows can be carried in any way that handbow arrows can.
Historically, the belt quiver seems to have been favored by crossbowmen,
but
shoulder quivers are known. Bolts are carried almost exclusively in short,
box- or bag-shaped belt quivers. These can hold up to several dozen regular
bolts (as with archers, 24 seems to have been a favored number with
European
crossbowmen). A well-crafted belt quiver has a lid or flap that will keep
the
bolts dry and safe. Fast-drawing from a belt quiver can be done at no
penalty.
Hunters and target shooters, needing a smaller supply of bolts than
soldiers,
often made do with sticking a few under their belts.
Many crossbowmen took advantage of the handy size of bolts to keep them
almost
anywhere - stuck in their belts, in boots, garters and hatbands, through
caps
or in their braided hair and beards. This is more to do with showing off
than
preparing a strategic fast-draw, but it could make an interesting habit for
a
crossbowman character.
Recovering Bolts and Arrows
Spent arrows or bolts are difficult to recover unless shot within close
confines. If they miss the target out of doors, the shooter may go and look
for them. A Vision roll is required to spot the general area it landed in
(Vision-2 for bolts). To search, roll Vision-5 for arrows, Vision-7 for
bolts
once per minute. A success will find one or more spent bolts or arrows.
Arrows
or bolts painted in bright colors (popular with hunters) add +3 to this
roll.
A critical failure indicates the shooter stepped on his bolt or arrow -
crack.
Bolts that hit a soft target are normally unharmed. Extracting them
requires a
Skill roll vs. Crossbow, but only a critical failure will damage it. Arrows
are more vulnerable - roll 1d6. The arrow will be useable on a 1-4.
Extracting
it works the same way as for bolts. Hitting hard targets (such as stone
walls,
rocks, metal armor or metal or hardwood shields) is more problematic. Roll
1d6
for each recovered arrow or bolt. An arrow is undamaged on a 1-3, a bolt on
1-
4.
WEAPON QUALITY
Unlike bows, crossbows can not get extra effective ST or damage-dealing
capacity through better quality. They are too much brute-force weapons for
that. Quality workmanship can make a difference where precision shooting is
concerned, though. Weapon Quality for crossbows is best handled separate
for
the two main elements - the bow and the stock/trigger assembly. Crossbow
bows
come in Fine (Accurate) for 4 times cost and Very Fine (Accurate) for 20
times
cost, giving, respectively, +1 and +2 to Accuracy. This reflects a bow with
an
even cast, well-aligned nocks and straight, stable, evenly curved arms
without
a tendency to twist. Most sporting crossbow bows are Fine (Accurate), but
only
the best craftsmen can make Very Fine (Accurate) crossbow bows.
A stock and trigger can be Fine (Accurate) for 4 times cost, but not Very
Fine
(Accurate). A Fine (Acurate) stock and trigger mechanism will have a
straight,
level groove, a finely balanced bolt holding mechanism and a smooth and
even
release. It given +1 to Accuracy. Most target and high-quality hunting
crossbow stocks were Fine (Accurate). From TL6 onwards, all but the
cheapest
are at no extra cost.
Crossbows for the nobility are often Fine (Decorated) or Very Fine
(Decorated)
as well. A crossbow can be both decorated and accurate up to Very Fine. In
fact, a Fine or Very Fine (Accurate) crossbow is more likely than not to be
Fine (Decorated), too. The cost modifiers are cumulative.
Cheap Quality crossbow bows sell at around 60% of cost, if they are to be
had.
Most crossbowmakers take too much pride in their craft to make them, and
the
customer base tends to be too knowledgeable to buy them even where they are
available. A Cheap crossbow is at -1 Accuracy, and given the stresses
placed
on the bows of the stronger kinds using one can be quite risky. It
malfunctions on a ccritical failure, and a 17 or 18 when rolling for the
type
of malfunction means the bow snapped and the shooter takes thrust crushing
damage for its ST to whatever location the GM deems appropriate!
A Cheap crossbow stock/trigger will be available for 60% cost from an
honest
dealer, but will more likely be offered for full price by a dishonest one.
Such a stock will have an insufficiently smoothed or even misaligned groove
and a heavy, possibly uneven release. It is at -1 to Accuracy.
Since crossbow mechanisms are simple enough to be foolproof there is no
Fine
or Very Fine (Reliable) crossbow. Only Cheap crossbows have a Malf number
at
all, and that is for the bow.
It is possible to make Fine (Accurate) bolts. These are quite common with
target shooters. A Fine (Accurate) bolt is most likely a target shooting
bolt,
though various kinds of hunting bolts (broadhead, crown head and barbed)
are
available in Fine (Accurate) quality, too. They sell for 20 times the cost
of
a normal bolt. Shooting with a Fine (Accurate) bolt gives +1 to Accuracy,
but
only if it was loaded carefully. Positioning a bolt to take advantage of
its
exceptional quality takes about five seconds - no problem for a target
shooter
or sniper, but not something you want to lose time with in battle.
Fine (Accurate) bolts are delicate. If they hit a stone wall or similarly
hard
target (such as plate armor, dragonscale or the piece of sheet iron some
joker
hid in the straw target), roll 1d. On a 1-2 the bolt is unaffected, on a 3-
4
it is warped but can still be used as a regular bolt, and on a 5-6 it is
ruined. Most Fine (Accurate) bolts are intended to be shot from weak
crossbows
on targets no harder than straw dummies or softwood panels.
CARE AND HANDLING
Crossbows are generally robust, but there are some things they do not take
kindly to. Intentionally destroying them is easy, of course, but careless
shooters can make a good job of unintentionally doing so as well. This is
easiest by interfering with the cocked bow. Shooting it empty, cutting the
string or striking the arms of a bow at full draw all stand good chances of
ruining it, with some bad luck quite spectacularly. Using it in close
combat
is also a good way to bend the stock out of alignment and break or warp the
bow. After the second blow or parry a crossbow thus abused is likely to be
no
more than a Cheap quality club. General everyday mistreatment is less
likely
to be fatal, though. Dropping a crossbow, even down a hole, getting it
dirty,
falling down with it or leaving it outside overnight should not cause
problems.
Like all kinds of complex equipment a crossbow needs regular care and
attention. The action must be kept clean and moving metal parts (if any)
need
regular oiling (nonmetallic parts like the bone nuts of many medieval
crossbows do not require oil). The string and the bow (unless it's steel)
will
have to be waxed and if the crossbow's parts are held together by ropes
(most
pre-TL5 models were) these will need periodic tightening, much like the
screws
on modern machines. Some parts (the string, the bone discs the nut rotates
between, the thread that holds it in place and the wooden bits inserted
between stock, bow and stirrup) need to be replaced regularly. A string is
good for about 200 uses, a nut for several thousand. The image of an
adventurer sitting cross-legged on a blanket surrounded by the parts of his
dismantled crossbow is not too far off the mark.
Crossbows do not like water. This rather minor problem has been blown out
of
all proportion in some books, but it remains a troubling detail. They are
generally less sensitive than handbows, but that's not saying much. Selfbow
crossbows, if properly oiled, are relatively impervious to moisture, but
take
ill to arid conditions. Do not expect such a crossbow soaked in a pond for
a
few days to perform as usual, though. Composite crossbows are more
vulnerable
to humidity, especially those made in arid countries. European composite
crossbows were often waterproofed by gluing a layer of birchbark over the
bow
core. This is not perfect, but it renders them relatively impervious to the
effects of everyday rain and mist. Steel bows do not weaken in arid or
humid
conditions, but unless they are regularly scrubbed and oiled they tend to
rust
when wet.
Generally, if a selfbow or composite crossbow is exposed to hostile
conditions
(desert, downpours) the owner is assumed to make every effort to protect
it.
Roll vs. Crossbow every week (+2 against humidity for a properly oiled
selfbow, +3 for a composite bow waterproofed with birchbark). A failure
weakens the bow (lower ST by 1). If the owner chooses to neglect proper
precautions the weakening is automatic. A steelbow crossbow requires rolls
every months. After ten failures the bow rusts badly enough to become
dangerously brittle and has to be replaced.
Tensed crossbow strings, if properly made, are almost completely resistant
to
water. The shooter merely has to keep them properly waxed to ensure they
stay
that way (R. Payne-Gallwey literally soaked a steelbow crossbow in cold
water
for 24 hours and shot it without trouble afterwards). Spare strings, on the
other hand, when not under tension need to be kept scrupulously dry. A wet
one
will lower the crossbow's ST by 1 if placed on it before drying out
completely.
In wet weather crossbows were usually carried wrapped in oilcloth or
leather.
This arrangement makes for bad reaction times - they have to be unwrapped,
cocked and loaded before use - but it keeps them snug and dry. A crossbow
thus
treated rolls at +2 against deterioration. Pictures from medieval Germany
also
show a number of molded leather crossbow cases. These would be quicker to
unpack and easier to keep dry, but they were nonetheless rare, probably
because, unlike a good tarpaulin, they could be put to no other uses. A
crossbow in such a case rolls vs. deterioration at +3.
STRINGING CROSSBOWS
Unlike handbows, crossbows are under relatively little tension when strung
and
can be kept that way for days or even weeks on end. That is a good thing
since
stringing a crossbow, especially the very powerful kind, can require some
complex equipment.
The simplest way to string a crossbow is by using a 'bastard string'. This
method is practical with weapons of every ST, but it can be fairly
difficult
to implement properly. To string the bow the bastard string is looped
loosely
around the bow, higher up than the actual string goes, and then fastened.
By
1400, iron or steel screw clamps became available for that purpose. Before,
wooden wedges were required and the bastard string had to be tied and
untied
in complicated knots for every use. Once the bastard string is fitted, it
is
pushed back by whatever means the crossbow is usually cocked. The bow is
now
bent far enough for the regular string to be fitted by hand. The bastard
string is then carefully released and removed.
Using a bastard string requires a Skill Roll vs. Crossbow. This is at -2 if
no
metal clamps are available. A failure indicates that the beastard string
wasn't fitted properly and the bow is bent unevenly, or the knots slip. The
attempt must be repeated. Fine and Very Fine (Accurate) Bows are at -2 and -
4
respectively because they need to be balanced much more carefully. Missing
the
rolls by these margins will string the bow, but negate the Acc bonus. An ST
roll must be made by the person holding it back (except when a cranequin or
windlass are used). A failure means it was released too early and the
string
not yet fitted, a critical failure indicates a sudden 'empty' release that
will damage the bow (roll 1d6. On a 1-4 the bow loses 1 ST, on 5 and 6 it
breaks).
A light hunting or war crossbow can be strung and unstrung by two men with
the
aid of a pulley arrangement light enough that even a small party of
adventurers can carry it along. The simple 'cat's cradle' pulley
arrangement
allows a character to string a crossbow of up to his ST. This requires a
roll
vs. Crossbow. A success strings the bow, a failure means something slipped
and
the attempt has to be repeated. A critical failure may damage the bow (lose
1
ST on a 1-in-6 chance). Two men using such a device may add 4 to the
maximum
ST of the crossbow they could normally string with their combined ST. A
stringing pulley weighs 2 lbs and costs $40. It can string crossbows up to
ST
16.
The very powerful siege crossbows strung by means of mechanical
arrangements
that are normally stationary, or at least difficult to transport. A
stringing
frame can weigh several hundred lbs. (never less that 100) and costs from
$500
upwards. To use it, the crossbow is placed in it and the arms of the bow
pushed back by screw or pulley-and-lever arrangements until the string can
be
fitted to them. It takes three men to use a pulley-and-lever stringing
frame -
two to operate the mechanism and one to fit the string - but only one to
use a
screw mechanism frame. A roll vs. Crossbow is required to string the bow
evenly. A success means this succeeds. On a failure, the crossbow is strung
unevenly, resulting in -1 to Accuracy. An experienced shooter will see this
automatically. It can be corrected immediately by restringing the weapon. A
critical failure may damage the bow by overbending (2-in-6 chance).
Stringing any crossbow is no mean undertaking, and trying to do so in the
middle of nowhere may tax the inventiveness of adventuring PCs. Generally,
on
person can string a crossbow of up to half his ST unaided. Roll vs.
Crossbow;
a success strings the weapon, a failure means he had to let go or slipped
his
grip. It is possible to brace the bow against a firm surface to string the
weapon. This adds +2 to the maximum ST of the crossbow that can be strung,
but
it isn't good for the bow. A critical failure will ruin any bow, and a Fine
or
Very Fine (Accurate) one will go down by one level even on an ordinary
failure. Two men can string a crossbow of up to their combined ST divided
by
2.
USES OF THE CROSSBOW
The crossbow has had a bad press, particularly in the English-speaking
world.
Ever since Crecy it is tainted with the 'Loser' brush. As all fantasy
gamers
have read, ad nauseam, the longbow is better than the crossbow. It shoots
faster, farther, and more accurately, and there is no reason why a soldier
should be burdened with a cumbersome crossbow when he could get an elegant
length of good English yew. Some of this is true, some is chauvinism and
some
pro-Elven prejudice. The crossbow is slow, relatively speaking. A good
crossbowman with a reasonably powerful weapon can hope to loose three aimed
bolts per minute to a longbowman's six. When it comes to fast-shooting
without
aim or pause the disparity becomes even more glaring - at most six bolts
against easily twenty arrows!
The crossbow is also heavy, cumbersome and expensive. A longbow can be had
for
a few day's wages of a laborer. A crossbow, by comparison, is a major
investment. It outweighs the longbow easily, at twice or three times as
much,
and its mechanism needs more care, and has more ways of going wrong, than
an
archer's worst nightmares could conjure up. A losing proposition, then?
Not quite. The battle crossbow is heavier than the longbow for good reason
-
it packs more punch. One helluva punch, if you're prepared to put up with
the
load. A longbow arrow can stop an armored horseman by killing the horse, or
with luck go through the plate and wound the rider some - a siege crossbow
will send the bolt in through the breastplate and out at the back! Even the
bolt from a much lighter field crossbow is still dangerous to the best
armored. And since the crossbow holds this punch in mechanically, anyone
can
shoot it. An archer who wants to use a powerful bow needs to be
exceptionally
strong. A crossbowman looking to get the added punch merely needs to get
some
mechanical device for cocking. This may cut his rate of fire badly, but the
tradeoff can be worth it.
Another significant advantage is that the crossbow is easy to handle. An
archer adage has it that to train a longbowman takes two years, a
crossbowman
two hours. That's not quite true, but it comes close. To be an effective
battlefield archer a man needs to train for years, and an even slightly
clumsy
one will hardly ever make the grade. A crossbowman can be turned out in a
few
weeks, and diligent training can make almost anyone an able shooter. As the
Italian city-states discovered, this makes the crossbow an ideal militia
weapon. It has range and punch, is easy to handle, and useful even in the
hands of simple folk without martial aspirations. In fact it is so easy
that
almost anyone, with no training at all, can make a reasonably effective
crossbowman.
Another advantage of the crossbow is that the shooter doesn't have to be
exposed. The image of the longbowman, standing proudly erect, arm
outstretched
and head high to face his enemy across the field, makes a great national
symbol, but it also makes for a good target. The crossbowman doesn't have
to
stand up when shooting. If he uses the right kind of cocking mechanism he
doesn't even have to stand up to cock his weapon. Also, with a prepared
crossbow he doesn't have to move much to shoot. An archer has to draw his
weapon fully, then release the arrow, the crossbowman just pulls the
trigger.
Thus, he can stay under cover without giving his position away. Stealth and
Camouflage are Skills much more common with crossbow hunters than with
longbowmen - it was them that invented the stalking horse, the wood-green
coat
and the use of twigs stuck in the hatband. As the weapon of ambush and
sneak
attack, the crossbow is unparalleled. Unheroic, but hell, it works!
In war, crossbows have various uses. In the field, the best were light
enough
to be cocked with levers or beltclaws, yet strong enough to deliver a
decisive
punch. They worked much like muskets, shot by infantry lines in level
volleys.
The bolts were horribly effective, but the crossbowmen needed protection
when
reloading and were vulnerable to enemy shots all the while. That is why
they
were usually lined up, two or three deep, behind pavisiers with large
shields
and long spears keeping enemy cavalry at bay and protecting them from the
bolts of opposing crossbows. Against handbows, this setup is less than
optimal
since arrows fall in from above where the shields do not protect.
Crossbowmen
could guard themselves by crouching down behind shields set at an angle,
but
that obliged them to use levers or cranequins and cut into the speed they
shot
with. Nonetheless, disciplined foot crossbowmen were formidable opposition.
The heaviest crossbows were used in siege operations. Protected behind
barricades, hurdles or walls the reloading time became less important than
precision, penetration and range, and these the siege crossbow could
deliver.
Crossbowmen would wait with their weapons cocked and levelled, on the
lookout
for unwary enemies to show their heads. The crossbow is perfect for this
kind
of opportunity fire - keeping it ready for hours on end takes no effort at
all, and a shot can be squeezed off in an instant. Some generals also used
crossbowmen like this on the battlefield to pick off enemy officers, like
modern armies use snipers. Medieval gentlemen tended to regard this as
unsporting, and often killed these men when they captured them, but the
benefits were obvious.
A tactic for small numbers of crossbowmen would be to move about the field
in
twos or threes, in the manner of Napoleonic riflemen. At least one member
of
this team would always have his crossbow cocked and ready, covering the
other
while he shot and reloaded. Certainly enemy troops would have little
trouble
rushing them as they could only shoot one or two and the others could get
to
them before they were ready again, but that's not how people think. A
single
crossbowman can hold many men at bay - who would want to be the dead hero?
Note that this tactic is not recorded in the sources. It should work,
though.
Mounted crossbowmen were mostly hunters. There are cases of mounted
crossbowmen used in war, especially in 14th and 15th century Europe, but
their
exact role is not understood. Possibly they worked in the same manner as
dragoons, shooting dismounted, but a roving unit of crossbowmen on
horseback
shooting from halted horses could make its presence felt in a most decisive
manner.
CROSSBOW SETS FOR SAMPLE WARRIORS
Chin-dynasty footsoldier (3rd century BCE)
The foot crossbowmen of the Chin dynasty used weapons of a fairly simple
and,
to Europeans, odd-looking design. They were short-stocked, with metal claw
trigger mechanisms and wide selfbows and shot slim, unfletched arrowswith
bronze or iron broadhead points. Chin-era crossbows were cocked by the two-
foot method without the benefit of a stirrup.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
14 imp 1d+2 10 1 280 350 $190 6 lbs
Gallo-Roman hunter (3rd century)
The Roman 'manuballista' is known only from a handful of written and
pictorial
sources, and no precise descriptions survive. It is generally assumed to
have
been a relatively powerful hunting weapon, short-stocked, with a composite
bow
and a nut trigger, that shot fletched arrows. They are believed to have
been
cocked by the two-foot method, but had no stirrups.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
13 imp 1d+2 10 0 325 390 $415 8 lbs
Pictish warrior (6th-8th century)
It may be surprising that of all the places in Europe, Scotland holds the
only
evidence for a Dark-Age survival of the crossbow, but the evidence is
irrefutable. The weapon most likely used a selfbow, though a composite
construction would be possible, and was short-stocked and fitted wioth a
nut
trigger. It shot arrows and was most likely cocked by the two-foot method.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
12 imp 1d+1 10 0 260 325 $150 4« lbs
Early 'balistarius' (10th century)
Throughout Europe evidence for crossbowmen begins cropping up in the 10th
century. Their weapons, as far as can be judged from manuscript
illuminations,
appear simple. They were long-stocked, with notch triggers and selfbows,
shooting arrows. These weapons probably originate from the Alpine region
where
they may have been in use much longer.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
14 imp 1d+2 12 1 280 350 $120 7 lbs
Norman serjeant (11th century)
The incredible conquests of the 11th century Normans were made possible not
only by their mail-clad, mounted 'milites' but also by their spear- bow-
and
crossbow-armed serjeants. They carried long-stocked, arrow-shooting selfbow
crossbows and belthooks to cock them. These men may have been present at
the
battle of Hastings.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
14 imp 1d+2 12 2 280 350 $190 8 lbs
Belthook 2 lbs, $40
Italian city militia 'balestiere' (12th-13th century)
The militia 'balestieri' of the Italian city communities were a formidable
infantry force and played a central role in the defeats of many German and
French knightly armies that crossed the Alps to contend with the free
cities
of Italy. They employed bolt-shooting, nut-triggered composite crossbows
from
early on and regularly used belthooks and belt pulleys to cock their
powerful,
bolt-shooting weapons.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
15 imp 1d+6 12 4 375 450 $495 11.5 lbs
Belthook 2 lbs, $40
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
17 imp 1d+7 12 4 425 510 $535 13 lbs
Belt-and-Pulley 2 lbs, $60
Genoese mercenary crossbowman (14th century)
The crossbowmen of Genoa were fearsome troops employed by monarchs
throughout
Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries. This example from the 14th century
uses
a bolt-shooting, nut-triggered composite crossbow cocked with a gaffle.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
14 imp 1d+5 12 4 350 420 $460 9« lbs
Gaffle 3 lbs, $100
Huntsman, western Europe (14th century)
Crossbows were favored as hunting weapons by Europe's aristocracy in the
high
and later middle ages. This 14th century example is a fine specimen of
composite, bolt-shooting hunting crossbow such as might be carried by a
courtier or chief verderer. It is fitted with a bolt clip and cocked by a
belthook.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
12 imp 1d+4 12 5 300 360 $560 9 lbs
Belthook 2 lbs, $40
Burgundian 'cranequinier' (15th century)
For the brief, glorious period when the dukes of Burgundy headed Europe's
finest princely court they surrounded themselves with a bodyguard of
mounted
crossbowmen armed with the latest modern technology could give them. These
'cranequiniers' were clad in plate armor and wielded nut-triggered, bolt-
shooting steelbow crossbows cocked with cranequins and fitted with bolt
clips.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
16 imp 1d+6 12 4 400 480 $750 10« lbs
Cranequin 5 lbs, $320
Siege crossbowman (15th century)
The most powerful crossbows were used by specialised sharpshooting
crossbowmen
during sieges. This example is a typical 15th century weapon, long-stocked,
very heavy and very inconvenient to carry over longer distances. It shoots
bolts, has a very powerful steelbow and nut trigger and is cocked by a
windlass.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
22 imp 2d+5 14 4 550 660 $970 16 lbs
Windlass 8 lbs, $220
Mamluk Egyptian hunter (15th century)
While crossbows never found favour in the orient as weapons of war, they
were
widely used for hunting small game. This short-stocked, nut-triggered
composite weapon shoots bolts and is designed to be cocked with a baldric
claw
on horseback.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
11 imp 1d+4 10 2 275 330 $395 7 lbs
Claw baldric 2 lbs, $40
Ming dynasty footsoldier (15th century)
Chinese crossbows did not change much over the centuries. Soldiers of the
15th
century still used short-stocked, arrow-shooting weapons with claw trigger
mechanisms, though laminate bows replaced selfbows.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
15 imp 1d+6 10 0 300 400 $360 7 lbs
Finn fur hunter (15th-18th century)
Finn hunters went after small game in Eurasia's polar regions with simple
homemade crossbows. These relatively weak, notch-triggered, self-bowed,
long-
stocked weapons shot club bolts, but could, in a pinch, be used with
broadheads in combat. They were cocked with a one-foot stirrup and had bolt
clips.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
10 imp 1d+2 12 3 200 250 $150 5« lbs
Belthook 2 lbs, $40
Flemish 'Company of St Sebastian' (16th century)
The 'Company of St Sebastian' and many similar bodies throughout
Continental
Europe grew out of crossbow-armed municipal militias into social clubs of
sporting target shooters. This sample equipment represents what a wealthy
hobby crossbowman at the end of the middle ages could be expected to bring
to
the butts: a Fine (Accurate) steel crossbow coupled with a Fine (Accurate)
nut-triggered long stock fitted with iron sights.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost
Weight
13 imp 1d+5 12 7 325 390 $2,320 8 lbs
Goat's Foot 3 lbs, $80
Nobleman gamebird hunter (16th century)
Gamebird shooting was a popular sport in Europe, and pellet crossbows were
found admirably suited to it. A nobleman going out for a day of shooting
could
be expected to bring something like this steel-bowed, claw-triggered, long-
stocked piece light and weak enough to be conveniently used even by women
and
youths without special training or equipment.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
10 cr 1d+3 12 2 250 300 $520 5 lbs
Goat's Foot 3 lbs, $80
Renaissance assassin (16th century)
Venetian bravoes were famed for their skill with the balestrino, short,
light
crossbows shooting miniature bolts. These weapons were neither very
accurate
nor did they pack much punch, but they could be concealed under cloaks and
coats and shot at close range, almost noiselessly. Claw-triggerred,
steelbow-
fitted and cocked by a screw-and-handle mechanism, a balestrino is likely
to
be illegal in almost any jurisdiction.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost
Weight
11 imp 1d+1 8 0 165 220 $1,180 5« lbs
Banklander Bargeman (Fantasy)
This is a weapon from a fantasy culture that has achieved a high degree of
technical mastery (early TL5) without gunpowder. It is designed as a
multipurpose weapon to be carried by river bargemen, caravan guards and
anxious travellers, light enough to be carried conveniently, but with
enough
oomph to make prospective assailants think twice. Steel-bowed, nut-
triggered,
rifle-stocked and fitted with a bolt clip and iron sights it is accurate,
effective and capable of a relatively high volume of fire. Given the highly
developed metalworking techniques of banklander culture the retail price
probably ought to be lower, too.
ST Type Dam SS Acc 1/2DamMax Cost Weight
13 imp 1d+5 12 6 325 390 $630 9 lbs
Goat's Foot 3 lbs, $80
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