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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Xeviat" data-source="post: 9487393" data-attributes="member: 57494">Hi everybody!Playing BG3 again has reminded me of a little frustration I've had with 5E. Until you get extra attack, Light Crossbow is better than Shortbow and heavy Crossbow is better than Longbow. They're supposed to be the same profiency, so that's annoying.Maybe this is intended. It means crossbows are good for anyone starting out, but a dedicated warrior will want to switch once they improve their skills. Okay... but that sounds like simple vs martial.I don't like the idea of it being optimal for a ranger to switch from heavy Crossbow to Longbow at 5th level. That's unusual.So, I came up with this.Light Crossbow: 2d8 Piercing; Ammunition (Range 60/240*; Bolt), Loading**, Strength Rating, Two-Handed; Mastery: SlowHeavy Crossbow: 2d10 Piercing; Ammunition (Range 80/320*; Bolt), Loading*, Two-Handed, Heavy**; Mastery: Push*Ranges have been reduced***Heavy requires 13 Strength, regardless if the weapon is melee or ranged.**Loading: A Loading weapon needs to be loaded before you can make an attack with it. Loading a Loading weapon normally takes a Utilize Action, but see Loading Rating below. A Loading weapon can be kept loaded for up to 8 hours without issue.Strength Rating: A Loading weapon's Strength Rating shows how much power can be stored within the bow. For every point of Strength Rating, increase the weapon's Short Range by 10 ft and it's Long Range by 40 ft. You also add the weapon's loading rating to the weapon's damage. If your Strength is at least equal to the weapon's Loading Rating, you can load it in place of an Attack when you take the Attack Action, rather than as a full Utilize Action.Thus, if your Strength and Dexterity modifiers are equal, Crossbows now deal double damage, but they cost an action or an attack to reload. If you are a dedicated crossbow user, this will even out when combat is an even number of rounds, and you'll be ahead when combat is an odd number of rounds. The option to keep a loaded crossbow for a 1st attack and then not reloading it till after is still there, but I'm not sure if it should be rebalanced around the 1/2 vs 2/3 split (which would be about 175% damage instead of 200%); if I did, 1d10 to 2d8 (heavy crossbows were 1d8 in 3E), is +164%, and 1d8 to 2d6 is +156%.I think this could give crossbows their own niche. In fortification defense, two people could work together each round, one firing a crossbow and the other loading (since your Str doesn't matter if you're loading with a full action, as you're using a winch or a foot brace and using your leg power). Characters who aren't focusing on Str or Dexterity could find crossbows to be a nice side-arm, loaded and ready at the hip for when needed (maybe certain things could set it off, causing a loud misfire). Dedicated Crossbow users can still fine tune and find a place, doing double damage but half as many attacks as a bow user.This would also provide a structure to introduce Composite bows (attack with strength, but only up to the bow's Strength rating), and for guns (having longer load times and strength requirements for the recoil).What do you think?</blockquote>

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