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View Full Version : Pathfinder Why the Stonebow?


TheYell
2019-06-22, 04:07 PM
It has a shorter range than a light crossbow, it has less damage, its ammunition weighs 5x as much, what's the point? What am I missing?
Kris Moonhand
2019-06-22, 04:13 PM
It has a shorter range than a light crossbow, it has less damage, its ammunition weighs 5x as much, what's the point? What am I missing?

It's hard to find crossbow bolts just laying around on the ground.
MaxiDuRaritry
2019-06-22, 04:13 PM
It has a shorter range than a light crossbow, it has less damage, its ammunition weighs 5x as much, what's the point? What am I missing?"Duuuuuuude."

Oh, wait. That's the stonerbow.

Geez; now I'm hungry.
TheYell
2019-06-22, 04:44 PM
It's hard to find crossbow bolts just laying around on the ground.

hmmm had not thought of that
Telok
2019-06-22, 06:03 PM
They did historically exist, primarialy for small game hunting I think. They were also generally somewhat safer for the user since, if I recall correctly, they had less tension in the bow.
Jay R
2019-06-23, 10:49 AM
They are included because they existed. But wikipedia agrees with you (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet-shooting_crossbow) about their value in a fight.


Many intended to use the bullet-shooting crossbow as a weapon, but it had its limitations. While the bow worked well on small animals like squirrels and birds, it was not powerful enough to be a reliable weapon in war. The velocity was just too low for the bullets or stone to pierce skin, and therefore it didn’t cause much damage to humans. The bullet-shooting crossbow had the potential to fracture skulls, but as this was the only effective way to take down the enemy, the bullet-shooting crossbow didn't match up with the standard crossbow in wartime.

In addition to the low-velocity shots of the bullet-shooting crossbow, the projectiles were not as effective as the bolt on the standard crossbow. The sharp bolts of the crossbow did more damage than the slow-moving, blunt bullets of the bullet-shooting crossbow. Because the standard bolt does more damage, the bullet-shooting crossbow was reserved for hunting smaller animals. There was no reason to use a bolt-shooting crossbow to hunt squirrels when a smaller, less-powerful weapon could get the job done just as effectively.

Also, it does bludgeoning damage, so in D&D, it would be better against skeletons.