Auto-Loading Hand X-Bow [Archive] - Wizards Community

Auto-Loading Hand X-Bow [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
oddman
06-25-07, 05:50 PM I could swear that I've seen a magic hand crossbow that loads itself every round, but for the life of me I can't remember where I saw it. Do any of you know where such an item is to be found?

Alternatively, could you suggest the cost of a magically self-loading hand crossbow?
Cypher_of_the_Eye
06-25-07, 05:54 PM All i can think of is Ebberons Arm Bow for warforged.

It's in the ECS.

i think the price is around 4K-ish
Kouk
06-25-07, 06:15 PM Quick Loading is a weapon enchantment that basically grants Rapid Reload. It is in the Magic Item Compendium as a +1 equivalent enchantment.

You may still need a hand free though.
sleepydeath
06-26-07, 02:47 AM miniatures handbook have the self reloading enchantment I think.
LordBritish2
06-26-07, 10:37 AM Self-loading has also been seen in different books, both Heroes of Battle and Forged of War, I believe.
Fallenangel359
06-26-07, 04:30 PM There is a self reloading light crossbow in minitures handbook

If you reverse engineer the item, it comes out to cost 4000gp.

If you apply that modifier to a handcross bow instead, should cost simular. 2 hand crossbows with the quickloading modifier can go 200 shots before reloading, which is great for ye spellstoring bolt types :P Especially considering you can pick which one comes up
RikuKupo
06-27-07, 04:44 PM All the previous answers sound much more official, but my DM let my buddy cast a permanent animate objects spell on his quick loading hand crossbows so it would pull its own string back. More homebrew, but it worked
oddman
06-27-07, 04:57 PM Thanks for the info, it must have been in forged of war that I saw it.
Gadren
08-03-07, 01:35 PM Quick Loading is a weapon enchantment that basically grants Rapid Reload. It is in the Magic Item Compendium as a +1 equivalent enchantment.

You may still need a hand free though.

No you don't need a free hand. That enchant also stores up to 100 bolts in an extradimensional space.
tarkin
08-03-07, 02:04 PM Gadren, you are outright wong.

The fact that it stores bolts does NOT mean you can do it with one hand..

It still has a bolt (connected to the string) that MUST be slid back.

This takes one hand to do, in addition to the hand holding the crossbow itself.

To use any bow (cross, short, or long) you need:

1. To put ammo in it.
2. To power the bow by pulling back the string.

Storing the bolts in a space takes care of putting the ammo in. It does NOT pull back the string for you.

Quickloading speeds up the process, but it does not do it for you.
penchant
08-03-07, 07:50 PM Since the good answers are taken I will offer a useless anecdote. In 2nd ed, the crossbow of speed enchantment increased its attacks because it pulled its own draw. My character engineered a clip that was activated by the action of the bow and dopped a fresh bolt in place. Later adapting holding devices I got a 500 bolt capacity for both hand crossbows. The DM capped me at 10 attacks per round. :D
RollaD20
08-03-07, 09:00 PM so you effectively made yourself a human (or watevr race you are) old world machine gun? wats the base price of it i might show it to our ranged weapon lover;)
penchant
08-04-07, 10:11 AM If you are playing second edition then its the cost of two hand crossbows of speed plus two bags of holding and the manufacturing cost of converting the components. That we pegged to 1000gp for parts and labor.

3rd ed does not have those conventions however. The extra dimensional holding space is done with the Quick loading feature which is a +1 bonus. There is nothing official about a self cocking feature but the aforementioned "animate object" spell made permanent is commonly used, however you can't get more attacks per round than your BAB allows you (aside from the speed special ability). Personally, I would allow these two to function together so you don't physically have to pull the draw or reload the bolts so you can wield two hand crossbows sideby side, John Woo style. The cost of that is high, though. Animate objects is 3000xp for permaneny at 14th Caster level minimum. This allows you to animate 14 small to tiny objects which multiplied times 50 (the cost per xp) and divided by 14 (per each item) leaves a cost of 10000gp per crossbow.

Considering the extremely limited value of doing this, I would simply houserule an Self-Cocking Quick Reloading Enhancement as a +2 bonus. Making the already free action of reloading not require (manipulation) as its activation. This is simple and fair.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
oddman 06-25-07, 05:50 PM	I could swear that I've seen a magic hand crossbow that loads itself every round, but for the life of me I can't remember where I saw it. Do any of you know where such an item is to be found? Alternatively, could you suggest the cost of a magically self-loading hand crossbow?
Cypher_of_the_Eye 06-25-07, 05:54 PM	All i can think of is Ebberons Arm Bow for warforged. It's in the ECS. i think the price is around 4K-ish
Kouk 06-25-07, 06:15 PM	Quick Loading is a weapon enchantment that basically grants Rapid Reload. It is in the Magic Item Compendium as a +1 equivalent enchantment. You may still need a hand free though.
sleepydeath 06-26-07, 02:47 AM	miniatures handbook have the self reloading enchantment I think.
LordBritish2 06-26-07, 10:37 AM	Self-loading has also been seen in different books, both Heroes of Battle and Forged of War, I believe.
Fallenangel359 06-26-07, 04:30 PM	There is a self reloading light crossbow in minitures handbook If you reverse engineer the item, it comes out to cost 4000gp. If you apply that modifier to a handcross bow instead, should cost simular. 2 hand crossbows with the quickloading modifier can go 200 shots before reloading, which is great for ye spellstoring bolt types :P Especially considering you can pick which one comes up
RikuKupo 06-27-07, 04:44 PM	All the previous answers sound much more official, but my DM let my buddy cast a permanent animate objects spell on his quick loading hand crossbows so it would pull its own string back. More homebrew, but it worked
oddman 06-27-07, 04:57 PM	Thanks for the info, it must have been in forged of war that I saw it.
Gadren 08-03-07, 01:35 PM	Quick Loading is a weapon enchantment that basically grants Rapid Reload. It is in the Magic Item Compendium as a +1 equivalent enchantment. You may still need a hand free though. No you don't need a free hand. That enchant also stores up to 100 bolts in an extradimensional space.
tarkin 08-03-07, 02:04 PM	Gadren, you are outright wong. The fact that it stores bolts does NOT mean you can do it with one hand.. It still has a bolt (connected to the string) that MUST be slid back. This takes one hand to do, in addition to the hand holding the crossbow itself. To use any bow (cross, short, or long) you need: 1. To put ammo in it. 2. To power the bow by pulling back the string. Storing the bolts in a space takes care of putting the ammo in. It does NOT pull back the string for you. Quickloading speeds up the process, but it does not do it for you.
penchant 08-03-07, 07:50 PM	Since the good answers are taken I will offer a useless anecdote. In 2nd ed, the crossbow of speed enchantment increased its attacks because it pulled its own draw. My character engineered a clip that was activated by the action of the bow and dopped a fresh bolt in place. Later adapting holding devices I got a 500 bolt capacity for both hand crossbows. The DM capped me at 10 attacks per round. :D
RollaD20 08-03-07, 09:00 PM	so you effectively made yourself a human (or watevr race you are) old world machine gun? wats the base price of it i might show it to our ranged weapon lover;)
penchant 08-04-07, 10:11 AM	If you are playing second edition then its the cost of two hand crossbows of speed plus two bags of holding and the manufacturing cost of converting the components. That we pegged to 1000gp for parts and labor. 3rd ed does not have those conventions however. The extra dimensional holding space is done with the Quick loading feature which is a +1 bonus. There is nothing official about a self cocking feature but the aforementioned "animate object" spell made permanent is commonly used, however you can't get more attacks per round than your BAB allows you (aside from the speed special ability). Personally, I would allow these two to function together so you don't physically have to pull the draw or reload the bolts so you can wield two hand crossbows sideby side, John Woo style. The cost of that is high, though. Animate objects is 3000xp for permaneny at 14th Caster level minimum. This allows you to animate 14 small to tiny objects which multiplied times 50 (the cost per xp) and divided by 14 (per each item) leaves a cost of 10000gp per crossbow. Considering the extremely limited value of doing this, I would simply houserule an Self-Cocking Quick Reloading Enhancement as a +2 bonus. Making the already free action of reloading not require (manipulation) as its activation. This is simple and fair.