Crosbowman Cop

On the other hand, they are of low intelligence and culture; this brings some disadvantages (it's general opinion they patrol at couples because of one knows reading and the other one writing), but makes them immune to psionic attacks as well as to any spells affecting mind. Unfortunately yet this does not apply to commissioned officers, as these have an average intelligence.

Crossbowmen are trained fighting both on foot or mounted. Mounted troops use shield and longsword, and are equipped with a light crossbow as well. Foot troops use heavy crossbow and longsword.

A Crossbowman is always +1 to hit with crossbow. When deployed in a several-ranks foot unit, furthermore, his rate of fire appears doubled: under precise military orders all ranks kneel; then, with fast and devastating sequence, a rank raises, throws and then kneels again to reload, allowing the next rank doing the same -and so on.

The least Crossbowman Cop is a private 1st or 2nd level Fighter; non-commissioned officers can be 2nd up to 5th level. Commissioned officers range from 1st level (newly trained lieutenant) up to 7th level. If a Crossbowman oversteps one of these limits, then usually he is turned to a different and more important task (secret services, personality body guard, or the like).

Crossbowmen dress in black with a double red stripe on trousers, and have a white cavalry bandoleer wearing the bolt quiver. Their armor is a black banded suite with three-cornered shaped helm and blue and red plummet. On their shield is represented a silver flame bent by wind to the right side, born from a catapult's projectile; the same is golden for officers.

Taken from Italian military police Carabinieri (CC).

By Gregory Claude Alegi and Gianluca Meluzzi, 1983, 1987, 1999.

glmeluzzi@libero.it

For AD&D 1st Edition, TSR Games.