Re: (TFT) Crossbows Are Too Powerful ?

["Ty Beard" <tbeard@tyler.net>]

Did it say anything about longbow arrows?

--Ty

----- Original Message -----
From: "rsmith" <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>
To: <tft@brainiac.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 8:19 PM
Subject: RE: (TFT) Crossbows Are Too Powerful ?


> Hi Ty,
> The book says that a typical crossbow
> bolt is 30 cm long, 2 cm in diameter and
> massed 70 grams.
>
> Rick
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tft-owner@brainiac.com [mailto:tft-owner@brainiac.com]On Behalf Of
> Ty Beard
> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 4:18 PM
> To: tft@brainiac.com
> Subject: Re: (TFT) Crossbows Are Too Powerful ?
>
>
> Rick --
>
> I have long lost my copy of The Palladium Book of Weapons & Castles. Does
it
> give the mass of crossbow bolts and longbow arrows? I can find numerous
> sources on the velocity (typically given as 130-150 fps), but sources on
> bolt weight are scarce. The source I used is a website and I can't find it
> now.
>
> --Ty
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "rsmith" <rsmith@lightspeed.ca>
> To: <tft@brainiac.com>
> Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 6:15 PM
> Subject: RE: (TFT) Crossbows Are Too Powerful ?
>
>
> > Hi Everyone,
> > I seemed to have missed the post that
> > started this thread but here are my thoughts.
> >
> > The jump from a 1 die horse bow to a
> > 1d+2 longbow for a only one point increase in
> > minimum ST bothered me to the point where I
> > increased the minimum ST of long bows to 12.
> > (I added a 1d+1 hunting bow at ST 11.)
> >
> > Part of the reason for this change was
> > you had to be STRONG to use a long bow
> > effectively.  Almost no one had the upper body
> > ST to use it, and it had to be developed with
> > years of practice.
> >
> > I added composite bows, (see my new
> > weapon list on Ty's site) which did more damage
> > for a given strength of draw.  However, as per
> > Steve Jackson's thoughts on rapiers verses
> > broadswords, I ignored reality and made them
> > require significantly more ST to use.
> >
> > After I finish up Undead, I was thinking
> > of writing rules for sieges in TFT.  I picked
> > up "The Palladium Book of Weapons & Castles"
> > by Matthew Balent.
> >
> > In this book, he suggests that the heaviest
> > crossbows (using steel instead of wood) did 2.5
> > times more damage than a long bow.  The wood,
> > composite and backed crossbows did damage near
> > what a long bow did.
> >
> > I agree, the ST needed to use a crossbow
> > quickly in TFT require the user to cock the bow
> > with brute force, thus prompting the high ST.
> > Much weaker people can use crossbows using goat
> > foots and cranequins (see Advance Melee).  The
> > cost is that they may only be fired once per
> > minute or so.
> >
> > (TFT is very generous about the firing
> > times for ranged weapons.  Longbows realistically
> > should be fired once every 2 or 3 rounds, & using
> > a cranequin should take a minute but TFT allows
> > it to be done in 30 seconds.  It is easier to
> > strike twice with a sword or another balanced
> > weapon in a 5 second period than get off a couple
> > of shots with a heavy bow, but bows are the only
> > weapon that get to fire twice per turn.)
> >
> >
> > The thing is, any combat rules for a fantasy
> > game are unrealistic.  What we should strive for
> > (not necessarily in this order) are:
> >
> > -  Fast
> > -  Playable
> > -  Tactically interesting
> >
> >
> > Got to run, I may post more later.
> >
> > Rick
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: tft-owner@brainiac.com [mailto:tft-owner@brainiac.com]On Behalf Of
> > Ty Beard
> > Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 12:26 PM
> > To: tft@brainiac.com
> > Subject: (TFT) Crossbows Are Too Powerful in TFT or Longbows are Not
> > Powerful Enough
> >
> >
> > It's apparently so.
> >
> > Longbows and heavy crossbows fire a projectile of similar mass, diameter
> and
> > velocity. The mass of a bolt or arrow is around .35g and the velocity is
> > about 40mps for he longbow and 42 mps for the heavy crossbow bolt. The
> > crossbow bolt has a higher ballistic coefficient, which gives it better
> > hitting power (and probably better accuracy) at a given range. But the
> > bottom line is that the kinetic energy of both weapons is about the
> same --
> > 280-309 joules.
> >
> > Also, the required ST for crossbows is way too high compared with
> longbows.
> >
> > Of course, raising the damage of a longbow to 3 dice will make them
*very*
> > popular. So I suggest a the following additional rules and changes for
> bows
> > and crossbows in TFT.
> >
> > -Longbows require a ST of 13 and do 2+1 damage.
> > -Heavy Crossbows require a ST of 12 and do 2+1 damage.
> > -Light crossbows require a ST of 10 and do 1+1 damage.
> >
> > These weapons ignore all armor and shields.
> >
> > --Ty Beard
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