All autobows can be fired manually by engaging the safety on the Eleth canister to prevent Eleth entering the force injector, and using either an integral cranequin or attaching an external tool to the top of the slider. When used in this way, an autobow acts exactly as a crossbow of similar draw weight, requiring a manual draw depending on the tool used. Autobows will not fire if drawn back without a bolt in the chamber for safety reasons, as dry firing an autobow can lead to malfunctioning actions and catastrophic disassembly, and most have a manual trigger block safety that stop the trigger from being pulled back. Additionally, if an autobow has an integral cranequin, it can also be used to decock the crossbow once it is drawn back, though manual removal of the bolt is typically suggested beforehand for safety reasons.
Crossbow (Autobows) (DX-4)
Notes
[1] Autobows use a canister of Eleth to power their automatic capabilities. Every 20 x Shots times the autobow is fired, the canister must be replaced, which takes three seconds. The ammunition cost listed is the cost of the canister; the bolts are bought normally. Canisters are standardized in 2.5lb, 3.5lb, and 6lb variants which cannot be interchanged.
[2] Contains an integral cranequin.
| TL | Weapon | Damage | Acc | Range | Weight | RoF | Shots | ST | Bulk | Rcl | Cost | LC | Notes |
|---|
| 5 | Hunting Autobow (Fowling) | 1d6+2 pi | 3 | 175/210 | 9.3/2.5 | 1 | 5 (3i) | 8† | -6 | 2 | $1,900/$200 | 4 | [1], [2] |
| 5 | Hunting Autobow (Medium Game) | 2d6 imp | 4 | 250/300 | 12.3/3.5 | 1 | 4 (3i) | 10† | -7 | 3 | $1,950/$300 | 4 | [1], [2] |
| 5 | Hunting Autobow (Big Game) | 4d6 imp | 4 | 450/540 | 17/6 | 2 | 2 (3i) | 12† | -8 | 3 | $2,600/$600 | 4 | [1] |
| 5 | Military Autobow | 3d6 imp | 3 | 275/330 | 17.5/6 | 1 | 5 (3i) | 10† | -7 | 3 | $4,950/$600 | 3 | [1], [2] |
| 5 | Military Repeating Autobow, Gen. 1 | 2d+2 pi | 3 | 300/380 | 16.5/6 | 2 | 6 (3) | 11† | -7 | 3 | $7,650/$600 | 3 | [1] |
| 5 | Military Repeating Autobow, Gen. 2 | 2d+1 pi | 3 | 290/360 | 14.8/6 | 3 | 15 (3) | 11† | -7 | 2 | $9,150/$600 | 3 | [1] |
| 5 | Military Repeating Autobow, Gen. 3 | 2d+2 pi | 3 | 315/385 | 13.2/6 | 3 | 12 (3) | 11† | -7 | 3 | $8,550/$600 | 3 | [1], [2] |
Autopistols
Automatic pistol crossbows, commonly called autopistols or pistol autobows, are designed similarly to full-sized autobows, but with a few key differences due to their size. Unlike autobows, autopistols are typically built with four limbs, though six-limbed variants exist, due to the significantly shorter draw distance requiring far stronger limbs. It is fairly typical for the entire construction to be made of metal, and for the crossbow to double as a improvised club once the last bolt has been shot. Some higher quality variants can have collapsible limbs, but this is rare due to the precise construction required to ensure the limbs can lock properly.
While autobows typically use a closed chamber with a bolt that is directly struck by the string, autopistols usually use an indirect system where the string pulls a metal plate forward, which impacts the bolt and carries it forward. The bolt is still loaded into a closed chamber, but all autopistols will automatically chamber a new bolt after being fired.
The most common loading system is an integral magazine set above the chamber that drops a new bolt into the chamber using gravity, but this mechanism requires thin, uniform bolts, severely affecting the accuracy and range of the autopistol, and is prone to malfunctioning. These designs tend to have a small button or lever that is hit to force the bolt into the chamber if a malfunction occurs. When the magazine is emptied, the user can individually reload each bolt from the top of the autopistol.
Repeating autopistols and high quality autopistols use a different system that loads a magazine or stripper clip at the front of the action, and uses the bottom of the strike plate to drag a bolt into the chamber. These designs typically use a sliding mechanism that extrudes from the front of the autopistol when fired to provide enough space for the bolt to be retrieved and chambered. However, this requires precise machining, and can catastrophically malfunction if the slide catches the bolt.
While most autobows have a manual cocking system, due to the high draw weight, short draw distance, and weight considerations, autopistols typically require an external cocking mechanism to prime the first round. This makes expeditious reloading of an autopistol in the field difficult if the Eleth canister is fully exhausted. Experienced users will typically count their shots, and it is common for custom-made variants to not allow firing if the Eleth canister has been exhausted.
Crossbow (Autopistols) (DX-4)
Notes
[1] Autopistols use a canister of Eleth to power their automatic capabilities. Every 20 x Shots times the autopistol is fired, the canister must be replaced, which takes three seconds. The ammunition cost listed is the cost of the canister; the bolts are bought normally. Canisters are standardized in 1lb and 1.5lb variants that cannot be interchanged.
[2] Contains a safety that prevents firing if Eleth canister is empty. A familiar user can override the safety as a Ready Maneuver.
| TL | Weapon | Damage | Acc | Range | Weight | RoF | Shots | ST | Bulk | Rcl | Cost | LC | Notes |
|---|
| 5 | Autopistol (Civilian) | 1d6 imp | 1 | 100/120 | 3.8/1 | 1 | 5 (3i) | 8 | -2 | 3 | $2,000/$100 | 4 | [1] |
| 5 | Repeating Autopistol (Police) | 1d6 pi | 1 | 125/150 | 4.2/1 | 3 | 4 (3i) | 9 | -3 | 2 | $2,850/$100 | 3 | [1] |
| 5 | Repeating Autopistol (Military) | 1d6+2 pi | 1 | 150/180 | 4.5/1.5 | 2 | 6 (3) | 9 | -3 | 2 | $4,950/$150 | 3 | [1], [2] |
Ammunition
Autobows and autopistols use smaller, specialized bolts compared to a standard crossbow, due to their higher velocity and requirement to fit into a magazine. Furthermore, specialized armor-piercing and expanding projectiles can be used, alongside more esoteric warhead bolts. Wooden bolts are the standard bolts assumed for any non-repeating autobow as listed in Basic Set; each bolt costs $2, weights 0.1lbs, and deals impaling damage. The action of repeating crossbows require the ruggedness of metal bolts, typically constructed as a singular piece of molded steel; each bolt costs $5, weights 0.1lbs, and deals pi damage. All the bolts listed below use metal bolts as their base; specialty wooden bolts are typically not used.
Crossbow Bolts
Non-repeating wooden crossbow bolts cost 2$; repeating, metal crossbow bolts cost 5$.
| Bolts | Description | Effects | LC | CPS |
|---|
| Armor-Piercing | Higher velocity bolts with hardened steel tips, optimized for piercing steel plate | Add an armor divisor of (2). Change damage type to pi-. | 2 | x4 |
| Cutting | Expanding broadheads designed to shred through tissue | Change damage type to cutting. Multiply damage by 0.8. | 4 | x2 |
| Flight | Lightened bolts with hollow cores to extend flight time | Double both range multipliers. Multiply damage 0.5. | 4 | x2 |
| Shrapnel | Bolts meant to disintegrate into short-ranged fragmentation effective against crowds | Add x5 to RoF. Add an armor divisor of (0.5). Multiply range and damage by 0.5. Change damage type to cr. | 2 | x4 |
| Splitting | Sheared bolts that fragment after impact, effective against unarmored targets. | Change damage type to pi+. Add an armor divisor of (0.5). Bolts cannot be recovered after impact. | 2 | x4 |
