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This class seems kinda neat but also pretty plain, as do crossbows in general. I was thinking - obviously it has quite a lot in the way of implicaitons, and some damage would need to be adjusted, but.. it'd be kinda cool to allow characters to use a shield with a crossbow! Rather than just having a different damage range/delay than bows, it'd make the two pretty separate and unique, while also making some amount of sense. Just an idea!
How would you shoot and load a crossbow with one hand?
Technically, not all shields require the use of your hand, some leave your hand very free to manipulate objects.
With dual wielding repeating crossbows like in D3 of course!!Quote:
Originally Posted by AmonGwareth
^^Quote:
Originally Posted by Sovereign
This.
Smaller shields could easily allow you to load a smaller crossbow while wearing it.
Yup! I imagine perhaps only allowing smaller shields, as a result? Bucklers and arm shields would easily leave a free hand for loading a bolt before ground-cocking your weapon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sovereign
This would facilitate the reloading of a simple crossbow-style weapon while still not really being appropriate for the various swings and parries of larger two-handed weapons.
Edit: Also I totally thought there were historical instances of this, but I may be thinking of the pavise. It's funny that all the video games nowadays make it hard to search for 'crossbow' and find something not about a d20, PC game, or similar!
Yeah, when looking for real information these days, you have to resort to actual books. Kind of odd how things changed again.
And d3's dual wielding crossbows is ridiculous. Fun, but ridiculous. I don't think this game should ever approach anything like that. I would like to see dual daggers though, but that's another thread entirely.
I would agree completely. I quoted the wrong personal initially. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Sovereign
Edit: Speaking of doubledaggers.. it'd sure be easy to add an off-hand item with dagger appearance which added a sinple %chance for extra damage to main hand, essentially your chance to activate it.. but as you said, that's another thread altogether!
The same way you have unlimited arrows, cast magical spells and can teleport... Magic! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by AmonGwareth
Hah... But not in this case. Would need other ways to spice up crossbowman. Which, btw, I am open to suggestions about. Just not ones where they can wear a shield or dual-wield crossbows. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mensar
I don't know what crossbowman abilities there are, but since they shoot bolts rather than arrows, perhaps have an ability to change damage types, as though a small alchemical vial were in the bolt? Acid damage or exploding, for example? Or even butterflies, to stun? ;-) Or a net, to immobilize?Quote:
Originally Posted by AmonGwareth
Quests to improve accuracy, speed, and damage of course would be helpful; something like Calamir's grip does for a longbow. Perhaps a special oil for smoother loading (reduced delay) or a tinkered mechanism for extra damage or range?
I believe that crossbows were known for getting through platemail better than normal bows; perhaps penetrating bolts, which overcome damage reduction?
Just some thoughts tossed out. I do not know what the class can do aside from fire crossbows so I do not know what other skills to suggest.
Thinking on this some more, it struck me that small radius aoe as a special ability for crossbowman might separate them from the other archer classes a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by awdz
The only problem with putting a DoT effect on anything that would shoot as fast as a crossbow is that the DoTs on weapons are currently broken apparently.
When you get a proc for DoT the damage won't show up until the first tick rather than upon impact. So the timer starts and let's say it's 6-seconds later the first damage shows up. If you get another proc during that time, the timer resets. If you're using a fast weapon (like a bow or crossbow) I'm assuming that can be a cumulative effect that could potentially render it useless depending on the length of the fight and how lucky (or unlucky really) you are.
Currently being discussed here:
http://community.istaria.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=26505
For crossbow man I'd love to see the ability to do a small AoE stun, that would be something different. Maybe not getting a damage/skill reduction from having enemies within 1-3 meters. In fact possibly a skill that increases damage to these foes by adding a butt-stroke skill that allows you to automatically hit them with the butt of your weapon while you're reloading.
Definitely would suggest a skill like reavers have where the arrows ignore armor for a certain period of time. That would get people playing crossbowman for sure.
And as far as a masterable skill. A buff to cast that increases all ranged damage that works with (doesn't cancel out) rapid fire, energize or flurry/rain of arrows but works with them.
What was posted as a DoT suggestion? And there does not seem to be a problem with envenomed arrows for archers, so why not have a similar one-shot ability for a crossbow?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mensar
I don't have crossbowman either all i know about crossbows are they the slowest fire speed, higher damage per hit but also short possibly shortest range of ranged weapons. As far as i know they gain a missile defend basically only works against ranged attacks vs the defend other which defends against anything directed at the target being defended.
Compared to the other available schools Scout, ranger and elemental archer, sadly all three of them are in my opinion better than crossbowman currently is as far as abilities and general effectiviness
You can stand the shield in front of you and rest the crossbow on it for aiming, back off a bit for reloading and repeat that. I am pretty sure that people did that in the time crossbows were used in combat.Quote:
Originally Posted by AmonGwareth
I only found some toy images, tough:
http://www.sierratoysoldier.com/ours..._V1%28L%29.jpg
http://www.sierratoysoldier.com/ours...3-1%28L%29.jpg
(This would go into the other direction and disallow small shields like bucklers, but only allows the biggest tower shields that are in game. Also it probably only is good for ranged combat)