Loading my bow

[The Total Package]

In terms of loading my gauntlet bow, can I load it before battle? Or do I have to spend an action in combat to load it?

[Tridus]

It's a ranged weapon, and nothing I've ever seen in the rules prevents you from loading a ranged weapon outside of encounter mode. So yes, you should be able to.

[Finoan]

Tridus wrote:

So yes, you should be able to.

Agreed.

Reload 0 weapons often aren't kept loaded because the action cost to load them is part of the action to Strike with them.

For anything with Reload greater than 0 I don't see any reason that you can't keep them loaded indefinitely. Load it during your daily preparations and it will be loaded and ready during your first round of your first combat.

[WatersLethe]

I will absolutely allow players to start with reload weapons loaded, lord knows they need it, but it does not make sense to keep things loaded all the time in-world. Dangerous, bad for the weapon, unrealistic. So my assumption for a stowed crossbow you didn't plan on using? Not pre-loaded. A go-to part of your combat kit? 100% pre-loaded.

[NorrKnekten]

Ofcourse you can load it outside of combat, its pretty much the default way to handle things if the party is currently moving, So yeah its a fair assumption that wielded weapons are reloaded at the end of combat.

[Claxon]

WatersLethe wrote:

I will absolutely allow players to start with reload weapons loaded, lord knows they need it, but it does not make sense to keep things loaded all the time in-world. Dangerous, bad for the weapon, unrealistic. So my assumption for a stowed crossbow you didn't plan on using? Not pre-loaded. A go-to part of your combat kit? 100% pre-loaded.

I agree with you that in reality no one should store their crossbow loaded. But in a game where weapon maintenance is basically non-existent and there's magic and s+%*, I'd say it's not a problem to let players say they're always loaded, even when it doesn't make sense.

[Bluemagetim]

I would allow a crossbow like weapon user to just load the thing as part of drawing it the first time. If they are walking around with the weapon already drawn I would assume its loaded too.

[Ravingdork]

Asleep at the inn or walking down the city street in broad daylight buying groceries? Not loaded.

Venturing into a dungeon found in the Swamp of Lost Souls? Loaded.

It's not a hard ruling.

[Claxon]

Only a fool doesn't keep a loaded crossbow under their pillow while they're asleep.