fatal

Chapter 9: Equipment
Siege
Siege
Equipment
Equipment
Cost
IP: H/P/ B
1 . Ballista
10,000
s.p.
30/40/30
2 . Battering Ram 5,000
s.p.
20,000/20,000/5,000
3 . Belfry
30,000
s.p.
400/400/400
4 . Catapult 20,000
s.p.
200/200/200
5 . Cheiroballista 10,000
s.p.
20/30/20
6.
Counter-Castle varies
varies
7 . Lithobolus 15,000
s.p.
150/150/150
8 . Mantlet
100
s.p.
20/30/20
9 . Manuballista 7,500
s.p.
20/30/20
10.
Onager 22,500
s.p.
250/250/250
11.
Trebuchet 50,000
s.p.
250/250/250
Ballista: Often mounted on seagoing vessels
or castle walls or towers, a ballista is essentially a
large crossbow that projects a spear called a bolt,
which weighs around a hundred pounds and has a
metal head over a foot in length. A ballista launches
it between 300-400 yards, though unfortunately never
with great accuracy. The bolt has almost no effect
on stone walls, though it may impale several characters
before it stops. Overall, the projectile is 5 feet
in length. This weapon inflicts 4d20 IP or LP. BCT
is 1 month for an engineer and carpenter.
Battering Ram: A battering ram is the trunk
of a tree suspended by large ropes or chains from a
wooden box-like structure. The mobile, supporting
structure is called a cat. The cat is usually covered
with wet hides. The cat protects a siege engineer
as he fills a moat, so that it may be crossed.
Once at the wall of the enemy, the siege engineer
may use a pointed iron pole, instead of a ram, to
chip away at the joints between stone blocks in the
wall. However, battering rams are most commonly
placed before the closed doors of an enemy and
the trunk is rocked back and forth, and pounded
against the doors to break them. Most rams have
an iron head. The largest ram is 100 feet in length,
4 1/2 tons in weight, and needs over 200 men to
effectively swing it. The largest ram inflicts 5d100
IP. Defenders use 2 techniques against rams. Defenders
may lower an apron, a large pad, to lessen
the blows of the ram. Otherwise, defenders may
lower a hook to catch the ram, lift it, and overturn it
or delay the ramming. BCT is 1 month for an engineer
and carpenter.
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