Air Gun (weapon)

[kanachi]

Obviously not the kind of thing everyone would want to put in their game but see what you think. Could be good fun :)

Also any thoughts on prise and power would be helpful, thankyou!!

Air Gun

At first glance you could be mistaken into thinking this weapon was in fact an unfinished yet rather exquisite (if not quite unusual) crossbow. Mounted atop an ornate crossbow setting sits a solid silver tube with one end (closest to the wielder) closed off by a clear white crystal. The trigger mechanism appears almost identical to that of a crossbow however in reality it is merely a trigger for activating the charged magic within the crystal.

Once triggered the crystal releases a firm jet of air (through use of a gust of wind spell) down the tube forcing a projectile (needle or dart) at great speed.

If the crystal is twisted the barrel reveals a slot allowing easy and swift reloading of the weapons. After firing it requires 3 rounds for the crystal to recharge, once ready the crystal will gain a subtle blue hue.

The projectiles this variant of the weapon was designed to fire are metal backed thin glass needles. They are hollow and are generally filled with either injury or contact poison.

This particular weapon is also fitted with a modified and detachable spyglass which allows for greater accuracy and precision over a long distance.

Reloading the weapon is a move action, however those with the rapid reload feat may reload it as a free action. It’s important to note that a full 3 rounds are required between each shot before the crystal will recharge with sufficient power to launch a projectile. The wielder does not need to handle the weapon in any way to recharge the crystal and therefore can act normally within this time.

At ranges of over 30ft the wielder may take a full round action to fire the weapons with a +2 attack bonus Provided the spyglass is attached to the weapon.

Glass Needle Projectile
Range increment: 100ft
DMG (s) = 1d3-1
DMG (m) = 1d4
Critical = 20/x4
SPECIAL = Generally purchased containing poison
Cost (of projectile) = 5gp+poison cost

Steel Needle Projectile
Range increment: 50ft
DMG (s) = 1d6
DMG (m) = 1d8
Critical = 20/x4

Cost of weapon = ??

[kanachi]

*bumpage* :P

[Hyrael]

Interesting. I like it alot. But you need to stat it out more. assign what kind of action re-loading takes. count it as a magic item, and stat out creation cost. I reccomend Gust of Wind for the required spell, but make the Cost nonetheless low, as it's a pretty simple and weak use of the spell.

[Eighth_Seraph]

This would be a good weapon to give a few of Ielenivia's constructs in the elemental war; and Garet, too. I like the concept of a weapon fueled by fairly ingenious use of simple magic, good job. The only thing that's missing is whether it's a simple, martial or exotic weapon. Because it uses the same mechanism and approximate damage as a light crossbow, I'd say it'd be good as a simple weapon that counts as a light crossbow in terms of proficiencies, that'll make it open for monks to use as well. As for cost, I'd say in the area of 45-50 gp, due to the +2 attack bonus it's capable of and the fact that it's obviously meant as a one-shot assassination weapon, what with the poison and all.

[kanachi]

The detachable spyglass and enchantment upon it makes weapon costs over 1000 sadly. Realistcly though this is probably more the kind of weapon you find or are given, its quite unique. You would also probably find or be given the weapon with a number of poison needles (as they are expensive to buy).

steel needles are more the kind of thing you would buy in a shop.

I was also thinking of making it a light crossbow for proficiencies sake. Its not really a overpowered weapon

[Jarl]

Colonel Sebastian Moran?

-I dig it.

[SmileyX]

This sounds really cool, however if your being given a delicate weapon thats most likely unique, why trust mundane poisons? Why not make magical darts, like a finger of death, fireball(if you really want to make a impression), Dominate Person(you will give all of the pies to the gnomes....), imprisonment(for later pick up), Polymorph Any Object(OH NO THE KING'S A GNOME!), Baleful Polymorph(well atleast he's not a gnome....), etc. Even shooting a Gate to the Nine Hells would be fun. Its somethign to think about i guess, although most of these cost alot lol. This idea is fairely obvious, just no one had brought it up yet so here it is....

[Triaxx]

Very interesting. If you expand on the above suggestion, you could arm a group of soldiers, give them different darts, and turn them into an artillery, or even sniper unit.

This would make a great addition to a campaign involving armies.

[kanachi]

Sweet thanks for reviving this one guys :)

My initial thought was indeed to replicate a sniper rifle but an entire unit could be kitted out with these as they are relitivly low cost.

[Eighth_Seraph]

I'm actually more interested in the implcations that this could have for a bandit tribe with a creative wizard within it. I don't like the idea of having such insanely powerful spells placed into poisons, especially into injury poisons; unless as a plothook. Still no cost in the weapon description, Kanachi. You planning on deciding any time soon? In my opinion, since this is a toned down version of Gust of Wind it doesn't have to be the full price of the spell for the crystal, but that looks like DM fiat to me. Either way, how about giving us a starting point?

[Triaxx]

I'm actually more interested in the implcations that this could have for a bandit tribe with a creative wizard within it. I don't like the idea of having such insanely powerful spells placed into poisons, especially into injury poisons; unless as a plothook. Still no cost in the weapon description, Kanachi. You planning on deciding any time soon? In my opinion, since this is a toned down version of Gust of Wind it doesn't have to be the full price of the spell for the crystal, but that looks like DM fiat to me. Either way, how about giving us a starting point?

I don't think so much that they'd be injury poisons, if they were spell imbued. But, if I launch a fireball dart at your feet, you're not going to have a fun time. Or a Cloudkill/Ice Storm.

[kanachi]

Sorry for not updating this for a while guys, I thought everyone had lost interest and was working on other things (samurai class idea).

Actually, you know what… I’m gunna rant for a bit about poisons and magic here, so sorry in advance. I know poison are naff in D&D and that magic is king, but basically I just like the flavour.

Magic can be used so easily and do so many amazing things that I often find it sucks the creativity and real-worldness out of a game. In reality magic does not exist (though people counting votes in Florida may disagree) and thus as people who live in the real world (sadly) we are naturally detached from it and its logic, we cant get as emotive about something we don’t really have any basis for understand for (though obviously good DMing descriptions help allot). Therefore i like to use things that though mundane in the world of D&D still have certain grounding in reality.

Assassins use poison historically, but in D&D poison is seen as rubbish and therefore assassin builds are often created who almost completely ignore poison. I like to use things that okay, might not be the best thing for the job, but are interesting and naturally more believable.

"Oh we don’t need this any more because there is this spell here that does it so much better with but a click of the fingers, an utterance of a word or even a single thought" I’m sorry but people still need to wipe their bottoms in my world and the mundane should therefore shall never be removed from it - even for the very powerful.

some of the best D&D moments I’ve had are when players solve complex problems not with some earth shattering spell but a steel mirror, a magnifying glass, a loadstone or some similar item.

Magic is great and I don’t want to bash it to hard as it certainly has a place in the game. I also know that D& akin to reality and therefore cant really be compared to reality. I just don’t think that because something is the best thing it has to be the only thing.

And lets not forget if something like a poison is not strong enough for you, its no great task to make a save or die poison, or one with a far faster (and more regular) interval between the damage it incurs.

/rant

Anyway, a for value of this item I would like to get it on the market for under 1000gp but that’s simply not possible because of the spyglass, so we are probably looking at something around 1750gp.

[Vazzaroth]

I wanted to chime in that you should have a limiter on the fact that a person can carry around 3 or 4 of these things and fire each round. mabye it's really heavy so a bunch would weigh a ton? or mabye the magic is unique and it won't recharge properly if in close proximity to another? Just realized it had somewhat of an exploit...

[Triaxx]

I understand not wanting to infect the 'everyday', with magic, but it seems a little, counter-productive with a Magically Empowered weapon.

Unfortunately, If I'm going to assasinate someone within the game, I'll walk upto to him or her, and stab them with my sword. I find poison less reliable than a good Critical from a powerful sword/axe.