[Fwd: (TFT) Seige Weapons]

[stan rydzewski <srydzews@ix.netcom.com>]

> As part of my attempt to create the ultimate TFT weapon list I 
> thought I'd ask if anyone has found or created statistics for the 
> following weapons:

Well, these sorts of things are perhaps a bit beyond the scope 
of "normal" TFT, meaning they require some special rules.  And 
of course they're really for seige warfare; you may just want 
to refer to AD&D or C&S for rules on how long it takes to batter
down walls.  But anyway here's some suggestions:
 
BALLISTA
Damage: 4d6+2
Weight and cost: $250 /25kg for the mechanism.  Timbers weighing 75kg 
                must also be provided; these are usually felled and 
                shaped at the site where the device will be emplaced.

A ballista requires an engineer or mechanician to set it up, a process 
which requires ten minutes and two unskilled assistants. When set up it
has a 60 degree arc of fire; to change the arc by 60 degrees requires
an action.  One person can fire it (-4 DX if not an engineer or 
mechanician), but it requires two people to reload it, a process which 
takes five rounds.  The ammunition weighs and costs the same as a spear 
(although it's fletched and the shaft is much shorter and thicker than 
a spear).
 
BATTERING RAM
  A battering ram is a device enabling multiple people to concentrate their ST. 
The damage inflicted is 1.5 times the total number of 
crewmen. If the ram is equipped with a metal head or the average 
crewman's damage from ST is greater than 1d the damage is increased
by 25%.  If both these conditions are true the damage is increased
by 50%.
  The maximum total crew is 20 (it's too hard to co-ordinate a larger 
group). If the crew is composed of really dumb creatures, like ogres 
or "typical" giants, the maximum crew is ten.
  The ram's weight is (crew)^2, in kg (2 crew = 4 kg, 20 crew = 400 kg) 
for human-sized crew.  Rams for larger creatures are scaled accordingly. 
The cost is nominal for a wooden ram (find a tree trunk).  A metal 
facing costs $10 per crewman.
  For extended operation against a single point a ram is usually 
suspended from a gallery by ropes.  An engineer is required to 
construct such a gallery.  If used without a gallery, a ram costs
1 fatigue per swing to use. 

CATAPULT
Damage: 8d6, 2d6 to everyone within 2 hexes of the impact point.
Weight and cost: $400 /50kg for the mechanism.  Timbers weighing 
                200kg must also be provided; these are usually 
                felled and shaped at the site where the device 
                will be emplaced.

 It requires a crew of six people to set up a catapult, at least one
 of whom must be an engineer or mechanician. The set-up takes one hour.
 When set up the device has a one-hex wide arc of fire; to change the 
 arc requires a minute and the entire crew.  Loading requires five 
 minutes.  When the final minute of loading commences, a target hex 
 along the lane of fire is designated.  Anyone can "pull the trigger", 
 but the to-hit roll is always against the DX of the crew chief (at -4 
 if that person is not an engineer or mechanician).  The ammunition is 
 10 kg rocks shaped into rough form by a stonemason.

However there's reason to doubt that catapults would even exist.  When
you consider that a single POINT of lightning damage shatters a one 
meter square of rock to a depth of 5 cm, only groups with no access
to wizards would probably bother.
=====
Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com.
Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body
"unsubscribe tft"