Another crossbow thread

[Ethica]

Just a quick idea. How about a retroactive system where the bolts you use are effectively paid for afterwards. So everytime you use the crossbow you immediately lose 5 gold. You run out of shots if you run out of gold. Does the crossbow really get used so many times that this system would be unrealistic?

[knightkrawler]

That is a great idea. Realistic and simple, I agree.
Maybe you could offer the Hero the option: minus 5 gold or rolling the battle die and hoping it's not a black shield.

[Blackthorn]

If you're going to track gold coins as you use the crossbow you might as well track bolts. I can't where one is any simpler than the other. I'd also like to avoid another die roll. I feel there are enough in the standard rules. I printed off ten Crossbow Bolt cards and I'm going to see how it works when we play this weekend. I'm also going to start counting weapon changes as an action.

[Zenithfleet]

Lots of good ideas in this thread (as always!)

I'm wary of tracking ammo for the crossbow, though. As others have said, I think it could quickly become a hassle (although discarding cards is a great idea.)

Here's a very basic crossbow solution I've been toying with for the EU game, to avoid book-keeping:

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As others have suggested, you must buy a quiver of crossbow bolts before each Quest. Not too expensive - maybe 25 or 50 gold coins.

The quiver is assumed to carry enough bolts to last the entire Quest. You don't need to keep track of individual bolts, or cross anything off your character sheet each time you fire.

However, after each Quest, you must buy a new quiver. Otherwise you can't use the crossbow in the next Quest. Even if you went through a whole Quest without using a single bolt, you must still buy a new quiver for the next one.
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This is a 'gamey' solution, so probably won't appeal to players who prefer more realistic detail in HeroQuest. On the other hand, it's simple and requires no book-keeping, as befits the spirit of the EU ruleset. It's just intended to make the player 'pay rent' on the crossbow every Quest, which should hopefully bring its overall power level down. (And provide yet another reason for the crossbow-armed player to obsessively seek out gold for their next crossbow fix...)

[Sjeng]

I simply use the base rule, so unlimited bolts, unlimited range. I even incorporated a rule stating that you may fire over low furniture, such as tables, tombs, benches, minus one combat die (2 instead of 3), because you can only target the upper body of a monster then, making it harder to hit.

[Blackthorn]

I printed up ten cards for the crossbow bolts and had the hero discard one each time they fired their crossbow. Everyone thought it was a good idea, but the the player with the crossbow never used up all of their ammunition. I guess it make sense that you can carry enough crossbow bolts to last a single quest, so we are going back to the original rules. Sometimes it doesnt pay to over-think these things.

[Goblin-King]

I simply use the base rule, so unlimited bolts, unlimited range. I even incorporated a rule stating that you may fire over low furniture, such as tables, tombs, benches, minus one combat die (2 instead of 3), because you can only target the upper body of a monster then, making it harder to hit.

That's actually a pretty cool and interesting rule

[knightkrawler]

i have that, too. Same modification of -1 for shots over monsters when you still can draw an imaginary line from eyes of the shooter to chest of the victim.
Say, Elf wants to fire at a chaos warrior over a goblin with his crossbow. No problem, but only 2 attack dice.
That also means the Dwarf has a wee widdle problem trying to shoot over things.
Each obstacle gives -1, so a goblin, an orc and a table between shooter and victim makes the shot impossible if there's no special rule or card or spell or whatever in play.

[Sjeng]

Oh I don't let them shoot across living things. no monsters or other heroes. Only low furniture.

[Lothgoradin]

Sjeng wrote:
I simply use the base rule, so unlimited bolts, unlimited range. I even incorporated a rule stating that you may fire over low furniture, such as tables, tombs, benches, minus one combat die (2 instead of 3), because you can only target the upper body of a monster then, making it harder to hit.

I would think the weapon isn't any weaker, the creature simply has better defense. +1 def, not att