Crossbow
From BelegarthWiki
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Overview
Crossbows are a projectile weapon (class 4) similar to a Bow. Unlike a bow, the "bow" (prod) of a crossbow is mounted horizontally onto a stock and the string, when drawn, is locked in a trigger mechanism.
Due to the fact that they cannot be half drawn (since they have only one draw position), crossbows in Belegarth are held to a much lower maximum poundage, making them difficult to find and construct and of little utility compared to a bow. There are some people experimenting with alternative rules and designs for crossbows to make them a more playable weapon while still being safe, but for the moment they are very rarely seen on the field.
History
Construction
Crossbows in Belegarth
As explained above, crossbows are very rarely used in Belegarth due to the fact that they are limited to a 15# draw weight. It is difficult to find commercially produced crossbows of this weight, and when they are found the lower draw strength makes them generally inferior to regular bows. In particular, most crossbows have a much shorter drawlength than the 28" of most bows - since the overall strength of a bow is a product of the weight required to draw it and the length it is drawn, most crossbows have much less than half the power of a fully drawn bow.
Rules
1.4.8.1. No compound bows or compound-crossbows.
1.4.8.3. The maximum poundage allowed on a crossbow is 15 lbs at its loaded draw.
Additionally, all of the normal rules for arrows apply to crossbow bolts as well:
1.4.8.4. A draw stop is required to prevent an arrow from being drawn more than 28 inches.
1.4.8.5. Arrow striking surfaces may not easily pass more than 0.5 inches through a 2.5 inch diameter hole. No part of the arrow’s striking surface may be less than 2.5 inches in any direction.
1.4.8.6. All arrows must contain a perpendicular penny secured at the end of the shaft.
1.4.8.7. The arrow’s striking surface must be constructed of open-cell foam.
1.4.8.8. All arrows must have at least two full fletching.
1.4.8.9. The striking surface of an arrow must be tape free.
1.4.8.10. The arrowhead should not have excess axial or lateral movement.
