An interesting link about slings.
Apparently, they hit harder than many arrows, but don't penetrate armor as well. Sling bullets (round lumps of lead) are considerably more accurate and probably more deadly as well. Stones are generally hurled with a single motion; spinning it is just for getting the feel for the stone. But it takes a lot of skill to use effectively.
In HM terms, I'd probably make slings do greater damage than bows, but be -2 to hit. Crossbows are +1 to hit, but require a full round to reload, sometimes more.
Slings were cheap, easily carried and less vulnerable to bad weather (particularly wind and rain) than bows. Furthermore, there's even a technique for loading on with one hand that lets you leave your other hand free to use a shield.
So...
Bow: 1d6 damage
Crossbow: 1d6+1 damage, +1 to hit, requires 2 actions to reload
Sling Bullet: 1d6+1 damage, one handed, -1 to hit (with regular rocks, 1d6 & -2)
Heavy Crossbow: 1d8+1 damage, +1 to hit, requires 4 actions to reload with a crank (attack basically once per 2.5 full turns)
Bows and Crossbows can brace and aim. Slings can just aim and can't be fired effectively while kneeling or prone (I mean, you could, but take a -5 to hit).
Posted by Kiz at July 26, 2005 02:18 PMCommentsPost a comment