ballista whats there states

[Isearchfortraps]

Hi i was jw if anyone know what the stats for a ballista are. one made for human size users and how much they would cost in pathfinder. relaod times itemes harness and ammo cost would also be very usefull.

[Jade Dragon]

I think they're in the environment section of the core rulebook.

[LOTRfan]

Do you have access to the 3.5 supplement Heroes of Battle?

[Isearchfortraps]

all i have in terms of pathfinder is the player handbook and advanced handbook but when i looked in weapons they didient seem to list them.

[Fax Celestis]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm

[Shadowknight12]

"Human size users"? Are you sure you're not talking about a crossbow?

EDIT: It appears you mean a crossbow. They're in the weapons section.

EDIT 2: Whoops, my mistake.

[Isearchfortraps]

no not crossbow thought they look similar a ballista would be mounted on a horse drawn bugy as they are massive.

[Isearchfortraps]

also i was woudering if you could apply range feats like vital shot and the like to attacks made with a bllista.

[Jade Dragon]

all i have in terms of pathfinder is the player handbook and advanced handbook but when i looked in weapons they didient seem to list them.

They're in the environment chapter of the core rulebook. Siege engine section.

[Isearchfortraps]

0 ok thank you very much didint really think to look there.

[Fax Celestis]

They're in the environment chapter of the core rulebook. Siege engine section.

The part I linked above.

[Isearchfortraps]

i read the part in the core rulebook but it dosent mention if you can use your feats with it? also would faster reloading feat reduce the reload time of a ballista? and there wasent a price for the ammunition.

[slaydemons]

i read the part in the core rulebook but it dosent mention if you can use your feats with it? also would faster reloading feat reduce the reload time of a ballista? and there wasent a price for the ammunition.

because they didn't mean for the ballista too be used as a weapon you see all the time I personally would use spears as the baseline price and I don't think any feat would allow you to reload a ballista faster as it is a multi-person weapon, as in you need three people to fire it

[Shadowknight12]

i read the part in the core rulebook but it dosent mention if you can use your feats with it? also would faster reloading feat reduce the reload time of a ballista? and there wasent a price for the ammunition.

They're not weapons, so RAW says no, you can't use weapon feats for them. You can appeal to your DM and get him to let you use them, however.

Ammunition is probably the least of your worries if you can afford a siege weapon.

[Isearchfortraps]

ok thanks for the info now i can make my dwarf ranger that runs around on a pony pulled balista.. lol

[Shadowknight12]

ok thanks for the info now i can make my dwarf ranger that runs around on a pony pulled balista.. lol

Oh dear.

Make sure your DM is sitting down when you pitch this concept to him. :smalltongue:

[Isearchfortraps]

it was eather that or a catapult to shoot myself out of... thought id need feather fall.

[KillianHawkeye]

ok thanks for the info now i can make my dwarf ranger that runs around on a pony pulled balista.. lol

If you're a dwarf, you need something more dwarfy... like a cannon... that shoots axes... ... like some kind of axe-cannon :smallbiggrin:

[slaydemons]

If you're a dwarf, you need something more dwarfy... like a cannon... that shoots axes... ... like some kind of axe-cannon :smallbiggrin:

why can't my axe shoot cannons? or beer cannon? or Irish people or more beer cannons that shoot out beer?

[Darrin]

They're not weapons, so RAW says no, you can't use weapon feats for them. You can appeal to your DM and get him to let you use them, however.


Oh, if only that were true...


A ballista is essentially a Huge heavy crossbow fixed in place. Its size makes it hard for most creatures to aim it. Thus, a Medium creature takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls when using a ballista, and a Small creature takes a -6 penalty.

(emphasis added)

There is a feat in Heroes of Battle called Ballista Proficiency, but the bolded text makes it completely useless for anyone who isn't a monk/druid (the only base classes not proficient with simple weapons). Actually, since the size penalties listed above have nothing to do with nonproficiency, the Ballista Proficiency does absolutely nothing to offset them.

[Zaranthan]

Oh, if only that were true...


(emphasis added)

There is a feat in Heroes of Battle called Ballista Proficiency, but the bolded text makes it completely useless for anyone who isn't a monk/druid (the only base classes not proficient with simple weapons). Actually, since the size penalties listed above have nothing to do with nonproficiency, the Ballista Proficiency does absolutely nothing to offset them.

Heroes of Battle also includes more detailed rules for operating siege weaponry, including a modification of the penalty to nonproficiency. The core rules are meant for a quick one-off "my players were supposed to blow up a ballista, but now they're trying to shoot it. How do I throw dice to let them use it?" Heroes of Battle is for when you're PLANNING on using siege weapons and other battlefield elements.

[Kaeso]

why can't my axe shoot cannons? or bear cannon?

corrected for awesome

[Occasional Sage]

Not that it's HUGELY relevant here, but I was reminded of siege engine geekiness (http://algobeautytreb.com/). I am particularly partial to the "onager physics" .pdf down at the bottom.

[Isearchfortraps]

just though of something if i were to connect a trap to the balista that auto reset and the trap aliment of it was just to reset and load the balista i could reload in a single turn by simply standing on the square coudent i?

[JaronK]

Here's a thought... couldn't you have an Aptitude Ballista (or better yet, Aptitude Trebuchet) and apply Hand Crossbow Focus (which lets you reload as a free action) allowing for rapid firing?

JaronK

[Isearchfortraps]

whats a Aptitude Ballista?

[JaronK]

A Ballista is a weapon, so you can put weapon enchantments on it. Put "Aptitude" on it. It's an enchantment that lets you apply any feat that applies to only one weapon to the enchanted weapon.

JaronK

[Deth Muncher]

A Ballista is a weapon, so you can put weapon enchantments on it. Put "Aptitude" on it. It's an enchantment that lets you apply any feat that applies to only one weapon to the enchanted weapon.

JaronK

Right, which is when enemies start using Sunder rules to smash your Aptitude Lolzorz.

[Divide by Zero]

Here's a thought... couldn't you have an Aptitude Ballista (or better yet, Aptitude Trebuchet) and apply Hand Crossbow Focus (which lets you reload as a free action) allowing for rapid firing?

JaronK

Automatic catapult?

I need to do this.