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Message no. 1
From: Nexx <nexx@********.NET>
Subject: Crossbows and Strength
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 16:54:20 -0500
I'm going to make this really quick because my computer is acting weird
again, but...

Ok, according to my BABY (Thanks, Bull!), Light Crossbows may be cocked by
hand, while the other two require something more (presumably a goat's foot
for the medium and a crank for the heavy), and I have no problem with
that, as far as normal humans are concerned.

Enter the non-normal humans. What strength would you say would be
necessary to cock a medium or heavy crossbow by hand? Off the top of my
head, I would say a 3 would be required for a light, a 7 for a medium, and
an 11 for a heavy. Any comments by someone who can actually use the damn
things?

***************
Rev. Mark Hall, Bard to the Lady Mari
aka Pope Nexx Many-Scars
"The Kelti said of themselves that they did not lie, but they sometimes
took a very long way around in getting to the truth, with frequent stops
at interesting spots along the way."
-Morgan Llywelyn "The Horse Goddess"
Message no. 2
From: Jett <zmjett@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Crossbows and Strength
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 20:46:48 -0400
Nexx wrote:
>
> I'm going to make this really quick because my computer is acting weird
> again, but...
>
> Ok, according to my BABY (Thanks, Bull!), Light Crossbows may be cocked by
> hand, while the other two require something more (presumably a goat's foot
> for the medium and a crank for the heavy), and I have no problem with
> that, as far as normal humans are concerned.
>
> Enter the non-normal humans. What strength would you say would be
> necessary to cock a medium or heavy crossbow by hand? Off the top of my
> head, I would say a 3 would be required for a light, a 7 for a medium, and
> an 11 for a heavy. Any comments by someone who can actually use the damn
> things?

Depends on pounds of pull required for the bow. I would guess probably
50 pounds for a light crossbow (probably could be counted as a
pistol-grip crossbow), then the larger medium and heavy crossbows the
rifle-stock type, with the medium being maybe 100, 125 pounds of pull
and the heavy 150+. I'll have to check my catalog on those numbers, of
course. Jett can pull her heavy bow by hand, no problem, but she's got a
strength of 12.

Another question on the subject: the range states, same as bow,
(strength to pull * distance) as range. Is it variable, the way a
standard bow is? I mean, could you get a custom crossbow with say, a
strength-to-pull of 7 or 8 and increase the range? I've checked in a
couple places, but it seems contradictory. On the weapons range table,
it's listed as strength*5 (iirc) in range. If it wasn't variable,
wouldn't the numbers just be flat, like gun ranges?

--Jett

<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>


"I'll make this clear, that I'm just here for backup. And to offer the
occasional advice or insult."
--Jett, on being an NPC

Behold the mighty sonic scream of the Jett!

http://www.scifi-fantasy.com/~zmjett/shadow.htm
Message no. 3
From: David Foster <fixer@*******.TLH.FL.US>
Subject: Re: Crossbows and Strength
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 08:18:53 -0400
On Thu, 27 Aug 1998, Nexx wrote:

->Ok, according to my BABY (Thanks, Bull!), Light Crossbows may be cocked by
->hand, while the other two require something more (presumably a goat's foot
->for the medium and a crank for the heavy), and I have no problem with
->that, as far as normal humans are concerned.
->
->Enter the non-normal humans. What strength would you say would be
->necessary to cock a medium or heavy crossbow by hand? Off the top of my
->head, I would say a 3 would be required for a light, a 7 for a medium, and
->an 11 for a heavy. Any comments by someone who can actually use the damn
->things?

I don't have the book, but if they have to make it by hand, why
not make it an unresisted Strength test? Target number= dunno, power of
the weapon?

Fixer --------------} The easy I do before breakfast,
the difficult I do all day long,
the impossible only during the week,
and miracles performed on an as-needed basis....

Now tell me, what was your problem?
Message no. 4
From: David Buehrer <dbuehrer@******.CARL.ORG>
Subject: Re: Crossbows and Strength
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 07:08:49 -0600
Nexx wrote:
/
/ I'm going to make this really quick because my computer is acting weird
/ again, but...
/
/ Ok, according to my BABY (Thanks, Bull!), Light Crossbows may be cocked by
/ hand, while the other two require something more (presumably a goat's foot
/ for the medium and a crank for the heavy), and I have no problem with
/ that, as far as normal humans are concerned.
/
/ Enter the non-normal humans. What strength would you say would be
/ necessary to cock a medium or heavy crossbow by hand? Off the top of my
/ head, I would say a 3 would be required for a light, a 7 for a medium, and
/ an 11 for a heavy. Any comments by someone who can actually use the damn
/ things?

Well, a 6M bow requires a strength of 4. So I'd say a medium crossbow
would also require a strength of 4 to cock it by hand. The light
crossbow is 6L, so that would require a strength of 2 IMHO. The heavy
crossbow does 8S, which would require a strength of 8, again IMHO.

It all depends on how much weight you give to the damage level of the
bow. IMHO a difference of one damage level (Medium to Light or Medium
to Serious) equals 2 points of strength.

-David
--
"Earn what you have been given."
--
email: dbuehrer@******.carl.org
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/1068/homepage.htm

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