Repeating Crossbow

[thorimar]

I am currently running a campaign with all dwarven PC's. For flavor, more than function, I have eliminated shortbows and longbows from their weapon choices, so they are reduced to crossbows, thrown weapons, and blackpowder weapons (houserule system). I had a player ask about the repeating crossbow and if we could make it a marshall weapon instead of an exotic to eliminate the need for the exotic weapon prof. I said yes and am now on the fence. The player who asked was a bard, who will have poor iterative attacks and not a very high Dex. Then one of my fighters, a meatwagon, chimed in that he wants one. Have I made a bad rules decision? Am I not factoring in some aspect of the repeating crossbow that makes it overpowered? Or is this no big deal as it will not break the game, just the occassional combat scene? Any and all opinions are appreciated.

Thorimar

 

[Dross]

A bard doesn't use martial weapons, they have a weapon list. Since they have lost shortbows from that list with your houserule did you replace it with anything?

The only way I can see to make it useable for the bard and not the fighter is to place the repeating Crossbow on the bard's weapon proficiency list. To me that is a bit out of concept with what a bard is but YMMV (i'd be giving them light xbow). But then, maybe not for a DWARVEN Bard.

If a martial weapon the RXbow will be used by everyone that can afford it.

A repeating xbow is almost a version of a bow. Only if I wanted a bow equivelent in the game would I make it a martial weapon.

My guess based on what you have said is that other than a combat that can only be conductted at range, the meatwagon will be wanting to get into mellee to do more damage.

Also, depending on how your group does things, the bard is likely to get the "better" RXbow because it'll likely be his primary weapon and not the meatwagon's.

 

[MarkB]

If you do leave it as exotic, make sure the bard realises he can get better functionality by taking Rapid Reload instead of the Exotic Weapon Proficiency, and sticking with a normal light crossbow.

 

[InVinoVeritas]

Not necessarily. The light repeating crossbow is not very good. The heavy repeating crossbow, on the other hand, is quite excellent. It costs and weighs more, but the reloading time that makes the heavy regular crossbow unpopular goes away completely.

 

[Sidekick]

I think its fine to have them as martial weapons.

I've done that for my face to face Eberron Campaign.

i've even introduced the Cannith Energybow, that has a 6-bolt mag and uses an small line/arc of energy in place of a string.

I got the idea from the 'underwater crossbows' in Grasp of the Emerald Claw.

 

[TheEvil]

As a possible middle ground in case there the party racial composition later changes, you may want to may add RXBow to Dwarven Racial Weapon rather then changing the catagory completely.

Overall though, I see no real balance problems. Those who would specialize in archery will usually choose bows due to the strength issue, and those who don't really won't make that much of a difference in terms of accuracy and damage. Also, after five shots you still have to reload. To be honest, I see it as more of a flavor thing.

 

[moritheil]

I have a homebrew race IMC that gets repeating crossbow as a racial weapon proficiency. I have yet to see any brokenness from that.