40d:Crossbow

Crossbows are the only ranged weapon that dwarves can carry. This article also covers marksdwarves, bolts, quivers, bows, and arrows for completeness' sake.

A bolt does a fine job at piercing the internal organs of a creature while also doing some damage to outside parts. This is of limited use against creatures without organs, such as magma men. Occasionally a bolt will get stuck in a target; the only known use for this is that a wrestling dwarf may grab the bolt and twist it in the wound.

Crossbow usage

Once you tell a dwarf to use a crossbow he will pick it up if he has either the hunting skill enabled or if he is in the military. He will then pick up a quiver and bolts, preferring metal bolts if available. A dwarf can carry one stack of bolts in his hands, and one in his quiver.

When in range dwarves use crossbows to fire bolts. If they are engaged in melee they will use the crossbow as a club, using their hammerdwarf skill.

Marksdwarf

The skill related with crossbows is Marksdwarf. Increasing it requires a successful hit upon a target, with "live targets" granting more experience than an archery target^[Verify]. Higher skill grants better accuracy and higher rate of fire. An archery range is only used by military dwarves that are off duty, and they will only use wood or bone bolts during practice.

Note:

• A hunter armed with a crossbow will increase both his marksdwarf and ambusher skills.
• Immigrating trappers that arrive often will have a novice marksdwarf skill.
• Immigrating marksdwarves bring their own crossbows and a limited supply of bolts.

V · T · E Skills
Miner	Miner
Woodworker	Bowyer · Carpenter · Wood cutter
Stoneworker	Engraver · Mason
Ranger	Ambusher · Animal caretaker · Animal dissector · Animal trainer · Trapper
Farmer	Brewer · Butcher · Cheese maker · Cook · Dyer · Grower · Herbalist · Lye maker · Milker · Miller · Potash maker · Soaper · Tanner · Thresher · Wood burner
Fishery worker	Fish cleaner · Fish dissector · Fisherdwarf
Metalsmith	Armorsmith · Furnace operator · Metal crafter · Blacksmith · Weaponsmith
Jeweler	Gem cutter · Gem setter
Craftsdwarf	Bone carver · Clothier · Glassmaker · Leatherworker · Stone crafter · Strand extractor · Weaver · Wood crafter
Engineer	Mechanic · Pump operator · Siege engineer · Siege operator
Administrator	Appraiser · Building designer · Organizer · Record keeper
Military	General Armor user · Shield user · Wrestler Dwarven Axeman · Crossbowman · Hammerman · Maceman · Spearman · Swordsman Other Blowgunner · Bowman · Knife user · Lasher · Pikeman
Social	Broker Comedian · Conversationalist · Flatterer · Intimidator · Judge of intent · Liar · Negotiator · Persuader Other Consoler · Pacifier
Other/Peasant	Swimmer · Thrower
Unused	Alchemist · Druid · Tracker

Construction and quality

Crossbows can be constructed from wood, bone or metal. Wooden and bone crossbows are created at a bowyer's workshop; metal ones at a metalsmith's forge using the crossbow-making or weaponsmithing skills, respectively.

The quality of a crossbow is added to the marksdwarf/ambusher and hammerdwarf skills. The material used in construction of a crossbow does not affect the damage done when firing, but does affect the damage done when it is used as a melee weapon.

Related information

Bolts

Bolts are used by crossbows and crossbow traps. Making bolts from wood or metal gives a stack of 25 whilst making them from bone gives a stack of 5*number of bones.

Metal bolts are created at the metalsmith's forge and require weaponsmith skill. Wood and bone bolts are created at the craftsdwarf's workshop and require woodcrafting and bone carving skills, respectively. The material and quality^[Verify] of the bolts affects the amount of damage done.

If you decorate a stack of bolts, the same decoration will be applied to every bolt in the stack simultaneously. In other words, decorating a stack of 10 bolts will produce 10 times as much wealth as decorating a single sword, even though it takes the same amount of material. This can be considered as an exploit because doing so increases the value of a fortress by a ridiculous amount.

In adventure mode, bolts can also be thrown for about the same results as firing them, except that it uses the thrower skill.

Quiver

A Quiver is an item used to store bolts or arrows. It is worn on the body, like a backpack.

Quivers are made of leather at a leatherworks. Dwarves equipped with a crossbow will automatically wear quivers if they are available, and carry a stack of bolts in it. This allows a dwarf to carry one extra stack of bolts, typically bone or wood training bolts in the hand, and metal ones in the quiver.

Invaders, merchants, and migrants often have silk and cloth quivers, even though you can't make them yourself.

In adventure mode, a quiver can hold any number of arrows and bolts.

Bow

A bow works the same way as a crossbow, except that is uses arrows instead of bolts. Dwarves cannot equip bows (stubby fingers), and the interface is such that they still cannot be wielded in Fortress Mode at all, even with modding. They can still be used in weapon traps, although you can't make arrows and so will be dependent on merchants and spoils of war to supply reloads.

When firing arrows it uses the bowman skill. When attacking with melee, it uses the swordsman skill, although it's a bludgeoning attack.

Arrows

An arrow is just like a bolt but for bows. Dwarves can't handle bows, so they don't need arrows. But in adventure mode, humans and elves can use bows, so they will need arrows if they choose to use one.

Arrows can also be thrown in adventure mode for about the same results, except that it uses the thrower skill.

See also

• Ambusher
• Archery target
• Bowyer
• Crossbow-making