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I was brainstorming uses for a monkey familiar the other day when I came up with the idea of using it to reload my crossbow for me. Now I'm trying to figure out the exact mechanics of it.
It's a free action to drop something, a move action to put it away, and a move action to reload a light crossbow. I'm trying to finagle it such that I can alternate between shooting one round and casting the next, with my monkey reloading the crossbow, handing it to me, and taking it from me.
Since it's a free action to drop and a move action to put away, maybe I could argue that it's a swift action to hand a crossbow to (or take it from) my monkey. Alternately, maybe I could just shoot and drop it, and my monkey could spend one move action picking it up and another to reload; then, on the next round, I could cast, and afterwards the monkey could spend his action handing to back to me.
What do you rules lawyers think?
PS: Do I have to have both hands free to cast a spell?
PPS: Think I could have my monkey hand me a particular scroll from my bag as a swift action for me/standard action for it? That is, I could move, have my monkey hand me a scroll, and cast that scroll in the same turn?
you only need one hand free to cast a spell. check with your dm if a monkey can reload a weapon two sizes too large for it.
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At first, I was reading the title as a crossbow that fires monkeys. Now I'm disappointed. :(
A medium crossbow is to large for the tiny monkey and allready a two handed weapon. He will never ever use or reload it.
Following the rules for "Inappropriately Sized Weapons" a tiny monkey at its best can use/reload a small hand crossbow (one handed weapon, two handed for the monkey). Then it would work.
1. Round
Monkey climbs on your left arm/shoulder
You fire the hand crossbow with your right.
2. Round
Switch the weapon to the left hand (free)
Cast a spell (Standart or full)
Meanwhile the monkey (who has some bolts in a monkey backpack) loads the crossbow (move action)
3. Round
Switch back the CB und fire it
Monkey sits on your left arm/shoulder
Remember that the monkey gets an AoO for reloading.
Mmmm, cheese.
A weapon that's larger than you is not automatically turned into a siege weapon.
Yeah, I'd say it can act as a free hand for reloading, but cannot perform the action completely on its own.
Well, a monkey certainly couldn't fire a crossbow. But humans can load cannons without needing to hold them in two hands, right?
Can a (medium) human load a giant/gargantuan cannon? Maybe with a ladder and a crane .. but the giant/gargantuan creature will do it much faster.
Dont compare apples and pears.
Cannons are the wrong comparison. They're powered by chemistry, not muscle. A heavy crosbow is powered by a hard to pull heavy winch , and the winch is set to be pulled by a human with a reasonable amount of strength while being braced with your feet. Its just not built for a monkey to be able to use it.
What's with all the monkey cheese?
How can anyone not read a topic called "Monkeys and Crossbows"?
Just have it wear pants, and then argue that all of your opponents have a -2 monkey pants distraction penalty to their concentration.
Or have it throw poo. Monkeys love throwing poo, and I bet that would really be a hindrance to anyone opposing you.
Couldn't you do the same thing, more effectively, with an Unseen Servant?
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Well, a monkey has a strength of 3, which means that it's max carrying capacity is 30 lbs. I imagine that using his whole body (as if he were loading a heavy crossbow) and applying 30 lbs of pressure, he would be able to reload a light crossbow. It also has a dex of 15 and a prehensile tail to help with the logistics of placing the bolt.
Any consensus on handing me scrolls?
Also: Do you think I could argue for some kind of bonus in delivering touch attacks if I had my familiar blend in with a swarm of monkeys from the spell Mad Monkeys? (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/mad-monkeys)
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Ahh, the old monkey trick. That brings back memories...
Yeah, you *can* use a monkey to reload a light crossbow for you, but don't make a build around that. One trap or fireball, and you've got a dead monkey.
Plus, some dm's will just rule that reloading is a free action only for your own weapons, and not allow the monkey to work at all. Check with your dm.
Finally, monkey in a monkey swarm wouldn't get a bonus to hit but might get a defense bonus of some kind.
Touch my monkey.
Well, a monkey has a strength of 3, which means that it's max carrying capacity is 30 lbs. I imagine that using his whole body (as if he were loading a heavy crossbow) and applying 30 lbs of pressure, he would be able to reload a light crossbow. It also has a dex of 15 and a prehensile tail to help with the logistics of placing the bolt.
Any consensus on handing me scrolls?
Also: Do you think I could argue for some kind of bonus in delivering touch attacks if I had my familiar blend in with a swarm of monkeys from the spell Mad Monkeys? (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/mad-monkeys)
30 pounds of pressure Might be enough to reload one of those drow hand held crossbows, but not a regular one. You really need to crank on those suckers.
I don't think its an issue of game mechanics. I think its an issue of common sense. I just don't see how a tiny monkey could possibly load any kind of crossbow other than a hand crossbow. Not enough mass and strength.
Chimps are apes; not monkeys. Apes tend to be of fair size and incredible upper body strength.
The largest monkeys I'm aware of are baboons and mandrills.
The rest - rhesus, colobus, tamarins, howlers, capuchins, squirrel, marmosets (and pygmy marmosets), etc., are pretty small.
Real world this is true. Pathfinder world monkeys are midgets.
At first, I was reading the title as a crossbow that fires monkeys. Now I'm disappointed. :(
You could use a Launching Crossbow (you know, the kind used for splash weapons) to launch the monkey. Somebody needs to min/max the crap out of this build.
I like it, for small-arms fire, but I was thinking of going the complete opposite direction, and building celestial dire ape-launching trebuchets.
Move over, 'Punkin-Chunkin,' meet 'Munkey-Chunkey.'