Sorcerer's Hand crossbow for warlocks

[schreier]

I just found the Sorcerer's Hand crossbow in the Arms and Equipment Guide.

It increases effective caster level by 1 for ray spells when used as a focus, including all aspects of the spell, including damage, range, and duration. It also grants a +2 enhancement bonus on attack rolls for rays.

It isn't written for spell-like effects, but it seems a small tweak to allow that. Do you think this would work with eldritch blast? Should it? If so, would it increase damage for it?

I'm tempted to say yes, but wanted to get your thoughts.

[Darg]

SLAs don't use a focus. I personally wouldn't allow it as is for that reason. The Warlock's Scepter is the warlock equivalent with different effects. Eldritch blast damage is tied to class level, not caster level, with the exception of prestige classes where it uses class progression of caster levels to confer warlock progression (Greenstar Adept says hi).

[Fizban]

Warlocks already have the Warlock's Scepter- the original CA version gave a +2 profane on blasts plus its 50 charge damage boost, while the MiC version is much cheaper and daily charges with only a +1. Meanwhile a +1 "caster level for damage" on Eldritch Blast is just like odd ability scores, half the time useless and half the time huge, and the Chausable of Fell Power already does constant d6 increase. In short, there are already printed items that do the job better- if someone wanted a Warlock Scepter or Chausable in crossbow form, I don't see a major reason to disallow it off the top of my head.

For transparency purposes, the Sorcerer's Hand is 18k: being a +2 weapon and a Chausable of Fell Power 1d6, that price is more than the combined bases but less than the combined price with the +50% for extra ability, which could be considered appropriate for a Specific weapon. That fails to account for the +2 on touch attacks, but then I don't think the original price really accounts for the +1 caster level either (and with the most popular ray spells, the effect is either huge or nothing, as it would be with Eldritch Blast). If you find the original price and effect both constant and acceptable, then letting a Warlock use it as a Chausable bonus is probably reasonable, but I would caution against letting it stack unless you like incentivizing the sort of 10 different +1 "nonstandard bonuses" shenanigans.

[Troacctid]

Meanwhile a +1 "caster level for damage" on Eldritch Blast is just like odd ability scores, half the time useless and half the time huge, and the Chausable of Fell Power already does constant d6 increase.
Except it's worse than that, because +1 caster level does not in fact increase EB damage at all. All you're really getting is an overpriced bonus to spell penetration.

[Fizban]

I am aware of that, the OP is aware of that- and specifically asked for consideration of whether it should be allowed anyway. That's why "caster level for damage" is in quotation marks.

[Thurbane]

You know, I was confused by the name of this item at first (I hadn't stumbled across it before).

I was thinking "But sorcerers aren't event proficient with the hand crossbow?". :smallbiggrin:

I really should do a deep dive an A&EG one day, there's a lot of stuff in there that I've skimmed and missed.