Ballista

A ballista (, plural ballistae) was a large ranged weapon typically used to lay siege to a fortified structure, but it was also used to defend such redoubts. They were also mounted on ships for naval combat as well as on spelljammers for battles in space.

Description
Ballistae were essentially large, heavy crossbows that were mounted on something sturdy that could withstand the force needed to load and fire the weapon. They could be mounted on heavy carts or wagons, sturdy walls, buildings, or on the decks of ships, for example. Ballistae fired heavy bolts similar to a crossbow but on a large scale.

The rate of fire of a ballista was relatively slow because it took considerable effort to load and aim the weapon. People of medium and smaller stature were at a particular disadvantage. Large creatures could usually operate a ballista more proficiently. It took a crew of four to man the largest ballistae.

Variants
For the outfitting of spelljamming ships, light, medium and heavy ballistae were available. They were successively bigger and did greater harm, but also slower and lesser in range.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Swords of the Iron Legion • ''Halls of the High King
 * Novels
 * Into the Void • Sword Play • Dangerous Games
 * Video Games
 * Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace • Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance • Neverwinter Nights: Tyrants of the Moonsea