Sling vs. Hand Crossbow?

[Magus Coeruleus]

Other than the hand xbow being heavier and more expensive than the sling, I see no mechanical difference per 4e RAW. Error or is there some explanation?

 

[baberg]

Other than the hand xbow being heavier and more expensive than the sling, I see no mechanical difference per 4e RAW. Error or is there some explanation?

Sling ammunition is heavier - 20 bullets for 5lb against 20 bolts for 2lb. So I can take a Hand Crossbow and 80 bolts for the same weight as 40 sling bullets.

EDIT: The only references to encumbrance I can find are the ones that say "Don't worry about encumbrance". "Normal Load" is now defined at 10xSTR pounds, "Heavy Load" is 20xSTR (and you're slowed), "Drag Weight" is 50xSTR.

 

[ForbidenMaster]

Slings can be enchanted to become Resounding slings, crossbows cant.

 

[Obryn]

Other than the hand xbow being heavier and more expensive than the sling, I see no mechanical difference per 4e RAW. Error or is there some explanation?

Um, there wasn't in 3e, either.

Except the hand crossbow required a feat.

-O

 

[Fallen Seraph]

There is also feats for each weapon, and also Weapon Focus. So with Crossbow Focus, that is all Crossbows including Hand Crossbow, with Sling it is simply the Sling.

 

[Irda Ranger]

The Steady Shooter feat grants a +3 damage with crossbows if you don't Move during the round. There is no equivalent for Slings.

 

[Mort_Q]

Slings can sling things other than standard ammunition?

 

[frankthedm]

Slings are nasty weapons in their own right. D&D has always treated them as third class weapons. The handcrossbow is mostly for precision accuracy [sneak attack]. Also, I'd bet a few DM's out there will raise eyebrows over the notion of a poison coated sling stone.

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Slings are nasty weapons in their own right. D&D has always treated them as third class weapons. The handcrossbow is mostly for precision accuracy [sneak attack]. Also, I'd bet a few DM's out there will raise eyebrows over the notion of a poison coated sling stone.

And yet slings can be used for sneak attack as well. Other than if you want to carry lots of ammo so that the stones outweigh the hand xbow, or specifically get that Steady Shoot feat it just seems odd to me that you'd shell out 25 gp for the xbow instead of 1 gp for the sling, which is just as effective and incidentally can be easily stowed/hidden. I just thought I might be missing something obvious.

 

[Aloïsius]

And yet slings can be used for sneak attack as well. Other than if you want to carry lots of ammo so that the stones outweigh the hand xbow, or specifically get that Steady Shoot feat it just seems odd to me that you'd shell out 25 gp for the xbow instead of 1 gp for the sling, which is just as effective and incidentally can be easily stowed/hidden. I just thought I might be missing something obvious.

Sometimes, the 4e team forget to forget realism. Slings are probably as lethal as hand crossbow, and are cheaper for obvious reason.

However, slings should be harder to use than crossbow...