New Weapon: Double Crossbow

[MerakSpielman]

No, not the one from Ladyhawke.

Double Crossbow
Type: Exotic Weapon
Description: This light crossbow is fitted with one string that but is capable of firing two bolts simultaniously. Both bolts must target the same creature, but they use a single attack roll. When firing two bolts, a -2 circumstance penalty is applied to the attack roll due to the inherrrent difficulty of trying to aim so that both can hit. Reloading two bolts into the Double Crossbow is a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity.
Alternately, the double crossbow can be loaded with a single bolt as a move action and operated as a normal light crossbow with no penalties.
When used to fire a single bolt, the double crossbow can be used without penalty by somebody proficient with a normal light crossbow.
Damage: 2d8 when double-fired, 1d8 when single fired
Range Inc: 40' when double fired, 80' when single fired
Price: 120gp


I considered a damage penalty to the double-fire mode (due to the loss of force as the same amount of energy is applied to two projectiles instead of one), but the character is burning an exotic weapon feat to use the weapon so I didn't want to make the double-fire mode too unattractive, so I settled for reducing the range increment instead.

 

[Shieldhaven]

I'd tell you to go with the design of double crossbow that is much, much easier to use - the over-under double crossbow. (One of these is used in Gladiator, in the fight with all the chariots.) It's essentially the limbs of two crossbows mounted on the same stock, with two separate trigger mechanisms. I'm not exactly sure how the bolt on the bottom stays loaded, but it does. I've seen these in real life, and they are very, very cool.

I let a tinkerer PC in a campaign I ran a few years ago build and use a double crossbow as a simple weapon. It did not prove to be unbalancing (he could only get precision-based damage with one side at a time, though he could fire both in a single action at the same target if he wished), though I certainly could have justified charging him a feat for it.

Haven