Animate Objects spell on Ranged Weapons

[jabberwoky]

Assume for the moment that a party is in an armory with a rack of crossbows. Assume that the crossbows are loaded, or that there is enough time to load each of the crossbows.

When the spell "Animate Objects" is cast on the crossbows, each crossbow becomes an animated object with a slam attack. However, since the weapons are loaded, can they fire their bolts as an attack?

[boring7]

Probably not.

RAW says that if you burn the CPs on giving it a ranged attack, an animated object can make a ranged attacks with a range increment of 20 feet. No more, no less. Also it can only attack your enemies, no complicated actions or commands beyond "attack that thing."

Sadly, this even extends to iconic designs like the self-propelled and firing catapult.

Now if you GM chooses to rule otherwise, I recommend the ruling that such a crossbow doesn't have proficiency in itself (-4) and will still need something else to reload it. As tiny critters with okay dexterity they'd be rolling something like -3 to hit, but a lot of shots would still give an enemy pause.

Personally I just roll the the *slightly* stretched definition that a crossbow or siege weapon can drive and (with appropriate parts) load itself, but it still requires a crew to properly aim and fire it.

[zza ni]

use unseen servents to reload them crossbows