Wippit Guud
First Post
If you were a DM, would you let a small character use a hand crossbow in two hands as a light crossbow, without requiring the exotic proficiency?
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Hand Crossbow
- Thread starter Wippit Guud
- Start date
Rashak Mani
First Post
You would have to allow Medium size character too use them with two hands as well without exotic wpn proficiency...
Its not that its a hard weapon to master maybe... they require the feat because its a rare weapon and not normally available for training except rogues... so rogues have them in their allowed weapons.
Its not that its a hard weapon to master maybe... they require the feat because its a rare weapon and not normally available for training except rogues... so rogues have them in their allowed weapons.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Why would he need to? A Small character can use a Light crossbow anyway...?
-Hyp.
-Hyp.
Wippit Guud
First Post
Hypersmurf said:
Well, it's lighter, for one, the character only has a 10 strength.
And as I'm stuck in a dwarven war zone, it would be convenient to use the hand crossbow a victim just dropped, as I have no missile weapons.
Hypersmurf
Moderatarrrrh...
Quick, take a level in Rogue!
I'd run it by the book, though - it's an Exotic, you need the proficiency.
Otherwise you start getting questions like "I'm small and I have all Martial weapons - can I treat a Kukri as a Tiny Scimitar?"
Exotics are exotic
-Hyp.
I'd run it by the book, though - it's an Exotic, you need the proficiency.
Otherwise you start getting questions like "I'm small and I have all Martial weapons - can I treat a Kukri as a Tiny Scimitar?"
Exotics are exotic
-Hyp.
What is a hand crossbow? It's just a small version of a simple weapon, the light crossbow. IMHO, it's just plain goofy to say that a hand crossbow is an exotic weapon requiring a feat to use, regardless of it's rarity.
There is a reason that crossbows are simple weapons, rather than martial ones. They are pathetically simple to use. I own a hand crossbow and it requires virtually no skill or practice to hit something with it. Granted I can't put 10 bolts through the same hole on the piece of paper with it at 20 feet, but shooting it is even easier than the larger crossbows I've shot. Granted though, that was mainly because the range of my little hand crossbow is shorter so I didn't have as much error on guessing how high to aim.
I would venture to say that any illiterate peasant that isn't physically or mentally handicapped could learn to shoot it well in 5 minutes or less. If you want to keep it an exotic weapon for game balance, fine, just please don't claim it's because it's "hard to master" and/or "rare". I just find that incredibly hard to believe.
There is a reason that crossbows are simple weapons, rather than martial ones. They are pathetically simple to use. I own a hand crossbow and it requires virtually no skill or practice to hit something with it. Granted I can't put 10 bolts through the same hole on the piece of paper with it at 20 feet, but shooting it is even easier than the larger crossbows I've shot. Granted though, that was mainly because the range of my little hand crossbow is shorter so I didn't have as much error on guessing how high to aim.
I would venture to say that any illiterate peasant that isn't physically or mentally handicapped could learn to shoot it well in 5 minutes or less. If you want to keep it an exotic weapon for game balance, fine, just please don't claim it's because it's "hard to master" and/or "rare". I just find that incredibly hard to believe.
Wippit Guud
First Post
I always figured it was exotic because you don't normally fire a corssbow one-handed.
Number47
First Post
I would say the main difference (for D&D) is that you can brace a light/heavy crossbow. A hand crossbow is fired like a pistol, arm extended. This might seem natural for those of us growing up in the modern age, but NOTHING fires like that in a D&D setting. So it is unique and harder to use. But, dude, just pick it up and use it! Using it at -4 to hit is better than not having a missile weapon at all! Just don't tell the bad guys that you have no idea what you're doing.
Wippit Guud
First Post
-4 to hit on a level 4 mage... what's the point?
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