Sci-Fi Channel's "Grendel": Quadruple Crossbow???

[Sejs]

Nevermind the fact that the guy was supposed to be a Paladin and, as such, shouldn't be using ranged weapons anyway.

Wait, what?

 

[painandgreed]

Even in WoW, The Paladin Class can use a ranged weapon. It just happens to be a unique item only obtainable by completing the "It's a secret to everyone" quests...

Really! I need to level some more perhaps and look for quests.

 

[Tuzenbach]

Now anywho, regarding functionality:

Yes, they existed, and yes, they worked. And Yes, they were highly impractical. History (and museums) are full of oddball relics from the medieval era. Most of them were created by artisans who wanted to make demonstrations of the quality and creativity of their work... few oddball devices were ever actually intended for combat! But still, somewhere, some noble (or otherwise) person with sufficient cash saw the display model and decided "I could use that!"

Most of the time, the oddball equipment spent a lot of time in some family attic, before being given to the museum...

Hey, props to you! You're the only one who actually answered my question!




As for the rest of you.....



Do you mean to say you have your Paladins who go around with ranged weapons?! I've got news for you.....your powers are GONE!

 

[Sejs]

Do you mean to say you have your Paladins who go around with ranged weapons?! I've got news for you.....your powers are GONE!

You mean that's why I lost my paladin status?

Damn, and to think I could've cashed it in for something good, like burning down an orphanage or getting some succubus nookie!

 

[Xyanthon]

Well, as to the Grendel TV show, I must say that I was sorely disappointed. I only watched up until he got that crossbow in question and had to turn it off. I was hoping for omething a little more historically accurate. Why, oh why is it so hard for people making movies to stick within some sort of historical framework? I mean, Herrot Hall was portrayed as a Romaneque villa! I'm all for creative interpretation, but really, they might as well have called it Spiderman vs. Green Goblin for all the resembleance that it had to the Beowulf epic.

Sorry, I just had to vent a bit, heh.

 

[Tuzenbach]

Well, as to the Grendel TV show, I must say that I was sorely disappointed. I only watched up until he got that crossbow in question and had to turn it off. I was hoping for omething a little more historically accurate. Why, oh why is it so hard for people making movies to stick within some sort of historical framework? I mean, Herrot Hall was portrayed as a Romaneque villa! I'm all for creative interpretation, but really, they might as well have called it Spiderman vs. Green Goblin for all the resembleance that it had to the Beowulf epic.

Sorry, I just had to vent a bit, heh.

Yeah, I pretty much thought the same thing. But hey, at least it was better than "Raptor Island!"

 

[Tuzenbach]

You mean that's why I lost my paladin status?

Damn, and to think I could've cashed it in for something good, like burning down an orphanage or getting some succubus nookie!

That's priceless!

But seriously, I believe a Paladin should ONLY employ a ranged weapon in extreme emergencies. Such as, there's a flying creature that CANNOT be engaged in hand to hand combat, but the Paladin has no choice because he has to defend the populace, that sort of thing.

But if the option for melee combat exists, the Paladin, by default, MUST choose that course.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Well, as to the Grendel TV show, I must say that I was sorely disappointed. I only watched up until he got that crossbow in question and had to turn it off. I was hoping for omething a little more historically accurate. Why, oh why is it so hard for people making movies to stick within some sort of historical framework? I mean, Herrot Hall was portrayed as a Romaneque villa! I'm all for creative interpretation, but really, they might as well have called it Spiderman vs. Green Goblin for all the resembleance that it had to the Beowulf epic.

Sorry, I just had to vent a bit, heh.

Yeah, they should have read the entire story instead of giving up after the first paper because of the difficult language. Beowulf didn't need a bloody uber-crossbow, Grendel escaped back to his lair after having his arm ripped off, Grendel's mother was a hag not a bloody gargoyle ...

As far as crossbows ... Ladyhawke had a double. But if you want a super crossbow, it's hard to beat the D&D repeating crossbow, except perhaps with a Wookie bowcaster.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Do you mean to say you have your Paladins who go around with ranged weapons?! I've got news for you.....your powers are GONE!

No, you are not DM in my campaign, and I prefer to defer from 'Gygaxian' choices when in doubt. Aside from which - Paladins could use ranged weapons in first edition too, and of the 12 'original' (i.e. Frankish) paladins at least one used a bow.

Your concern is noted. Next!

The Auld Grump
*EDIT* Whoops, came out as 'conceit' rather than 'concern'. Not intended to be quite that snarky.

 

[Tuzenbach]

Again with the Ladyhawke reference. Looks like there's a movie I'll have to watch. When was this, '85?


Have double or more crossbows ever been given stats in D&D?

Thanks again!