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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Machine Crossbow



KittenMagician
2018-08-14, 07:47 PM
I had this idea in my mind for a way to get more shots out of a crossbow without super tedious reload. it is essentially 4 heavy (or a variation of your choosing) crossbows combined. it uses gears and ratchet systems to make it so the assembly rotates and as it does it draws each crossbow partway. so the top crossbow is either ready to fire or just fired then it rotates and the string is drawn 25% of the way. after firing the next shot the original one will be in the 50% position etc etc. it is essentially a crossbow revolver. it allows for the user to have decreased reload speed so you could take multiple shots a turn (if you are a class that can do so. as it is heavier and bulkier than normal crossbows each variation would go up in weight. hand would lose the light property, light crossbows would become heavy and heavy crossbows would have a minimum strength score associated with it (DM's descretion but i was thinking 13 or 14). this was just a thought to maybe get more play out of crossbows by the players and not just npc's (thats where i mostly see them)

JNAProductions
2018-08-14, 08:05 PM
For what game is this for?

Greywander
2018-08-14, 08:08 PM
First, what system are you referring to? D&D 5e? 4e? 3.x? Pathfinder? GURPS? Shadowrun? Vampire: The Masquerade? Exalted? That would be a great help for figuring out how it should mechanically fit within the existing rules. I'm going to assume you're talking about D&D 5e.

I assume you're talking about something like this (https://i.pinimg.com/236x/c3/3d/2e/c33d2ebc1f4609bd6de21ea53b41b190--reality-check-banners.jpg)? Basically, four crossbows welded together, which can be loaded and shot individually. This would more or less allow you to get in multiple shots in one turn, basically removing the loading property. It seems like it would be tedious to reload, though. Considering you can already shoot a crossbow at ridiculous speeds (compared to real life) and the Crossbow Expert feat already removes the loading property, this doesn't seem like it adds much. It would need to specifically allow you to make four attacks with one attack action, regardless of whether you have the Extra Attack feature or not, and then it would need a sufficiently heavy drawback, like requiring an action to reload.

Or maybe you want something like a repeating crossbow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow)? Unless it's automatic, though, the only benefit seems to be removing the loading property. You could maybe allow an attack as a bonus action or something.

KittenMagician
2018-08-14, 08:23 PM
First, what system are you referring to? D&D 5e? 4e? 3.x? Pathfinder? GURPS? Shadowrun? Vampire: The Masquerade? Exalted? That would be a great help for figuring out how it should mechanically fit within the existing rules. I'm going to assume you're talking about D&D 5e.

I assume you're talking about something like this (https://i.pinimg.com/236x/c3/3d/2e/c33d2ebc1f4609bd6de21ea53b41b190--reality-check-banners.jpg)? Basically, four crossbows welded together, which can be loaded and shot individually. This would more or less allow you to get in multiple shots in one turn, basically removing the loading property. It seems like it would be tedious to reload, though. Considering you can already shoot a crossbow at ridiculous speeds (compared to real life) and the Crossbow Expert feat already removes the loading property, this doesn't seem like it adds much. It would need to specifically allow you to make four attacks with one attack action, regardless of whether you have the Extra Attack feature or not, and then it would need a sufficiently heavy drawback, like requiring an action to reload.

Or maybe you want something like a repeating crossbow (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repeating_crossbow)? Unless it's automatic, though, the only benefit seems to be removing the loading property. You could maybe allow an attack as a bonus action or something.

first off i forgot about the crossbow expert feat. but this would remove the reload ability without taking a feat for it. with a normal crossbow (real life) once the string is drawn, putting a bolt in is really easy. the most difficult part about crossbows is redrawing the string. there were actually several different methods invented to give crossbows a faster reload time from a crank box that would attach to draw and detach for firing to a stirrup to place your foot in at the front of the crossbow then you could use both hands to draw. the idea here was mostly to voice an idea i had and putting it in a fantasy setting/game kinda made sense to me. just trying to add some spice to life

Greywander
2018-08-14, 08:33 PM
You could get a shortbow and just call it a reloading crossbow. Lower damage to represent the fact that repeating crossbows are going to have less of a draw weight (otherwise the mechanism wouldn't be able to span it).

I did a reloading/automatic crossbow as part of an inventor class I was working on a while back. I went back to take a look at it, and I made it a lot more complicated than it needed to be. The way I'd probably do it now is this:

Reloading Crossbow - Removes the loading property and allows you to make an attack as a bonus action.

Automatic Crossbow - You can spray in a cone, enemies must make a DEX save or take damage (from one bolt). You can also focus fire one enemy, allowing them to make a DEX save for half damage (from all bolts loaded in the crossbow (5? 10?)). Using either of these options requires a bonus action to reload; otherwise it works like a reloading crossbow, allowing you to make normal attacks.