Harpoon Homebrew

[Khi'Khi]

Afternoon, playground

I'm currently working on a lizardfolk PC for an aquatic campaign. I wanted to base it off of the character Queequeg from Moby ****: a good-natured, canibalistic whaler who wields a net and harpoon.

Any advice on how to stat it out? I'm thinking following the spear: 1d6/d8 versatile, maybe 30 ft trailing rope, opposed strength check to avoid getting pulled closer. But how would the barbed, embedding spearhead work out? Maybe an enemy takes 1d6 damage to rip it out? Make a medicine check to remove it unharmed?

[nickl_2000]

What about taking an action to pull it out carefully so you don’t take damage, or you can do it with an object interaction and take 1d6? Just spitballing here

[da newt]

Merrow use harpoons (MM).

[Phhase]

I think it looks good. Would probably be an exotic weapon requiring special training or a sailor background or something.

Barbed weapons are pretty nasty actually. Hence, I do agree that the embed mechanic should require a little more than just "remove carefully".

If you miss a harpoon attack, I think retrieving it should be a bonus action (Tug the rope).

Longspear as a base weapon with 30ft of rope makes sense. I think that the contested check to reel in the enemy should be a separate action though. Essentially a ranged shove attempt. On a hit, I think the harpoon ought to remain in the enemy. In order to remove the embedded harpoon, the target must use an action to make a DC 14 Medicine check. On a success the target takes only 1 point of slashing damage. Of a failure, the target take 1d4 slashing damage and begins to bleed, losing 1 hitpoint at the end of each of its turns, every turn, until it makes a DC 10 Medicine Check to staunch the flow.

In addition, if the target succeeds at a saving throw against being tugged closer by the harpoon, the harpoon is torn out as if they had failed the extraction check.

In return, the range of the harpoon should be fairly low. Say 20ft close range, 30ft long range.