Artillery

Artillery (weapon type) Martial Proficiency 400 hours each Sending quite large objects at someone is fun and profitable. You are knowledgeable in at how to aim, reload, maintain, and fire at least one type of siege weapon as part of its crew. At least one level of this skill by each crewmember is needed for proper operation of the weapon. Without a fully trained crew however, performance suffers, notably the rate of fire. Like the other weapon proficiency skills, these are actually several separate skills.

Artillery types include:
 * Ballista: resembles a giant crossbow that hurls javelin- or spear-size darts along a flat trajectory; examples include the arcuballista, gastraphetes, and scorpion
 * Battering ram: everything from the makeshift grabbing of a felled tree to the full covered sow with a locking swing mechanism and stylised iron head; only one person on a ram crew needs this skill for fully functioning forcing of fortification fracturing
 * Catapult—heavy: uses torsion-powered coiled rope and a solid arm to fire a heavy stone or other payload; examples include the mangonnel
 * Catapult—light: either uses a flexible (sometimes even green) log for the firing limb, or resembles a ballista using a torsion spring of tightly-wound rope; fires small stones along a flat trajectory
 * Catapult—slinging: the bastard stepchild of catapult and trebuchet; also called an onager; uses a light projectile but hurls it a great distance; powered by both torsion and counterweights
 * Spring engine: also called a springal; this fires the same ammunition as ballistae, but with an action closer to that of a catapult; an arm or plate slams into the back of the bolt to fire; many of these are designed to fire more than one bolt at a time
 * Stone screw: a cross between a ram and an impact hammer, stone screws spin and chip away at the mortar holding walls together; sometimes called a bore or mouse; includes stone picks and hammer-drills
 * Trebuchet: the largest, heaviest-shot firing, and greatest-range shooting of any siege weapon, but also quite immobile; limited arc of fire; usually built in place during a siege; high ballistic arcing shot using a counterweight