Prosthetics for PCs?

[Bookworm702]

One of my players wants to play a character that lost his right arm and had it replaced with something very similar to the Hookshot from legend of zelda. Any idea where I could find the item or rules for it?

[Milskidasith]

There aren't any rules for missing limbs AFAIK. As for doing that... I don't know, it sounds incredibly stupid, honestly. I just can't see how you can get flavor from that, especially in D&D, where it would cost a high, but not especially absurd, price to get your limb reattached or regrown by magic. Still, here's the crunch I'd give him.

What he would get as a positive:

The ability to use a grappling hook as a standard action at any time, and pull objects to him with it.
Maybe the ability to daze enemies for no damage on an attack roll, with a low fortitude save (DC 10?)

What he would lose:

The ability to cast spells with somatic components (maybe a natural 40% ASF chance, since he still has one hand for the gestures.)
The ability to wield any two handed weapons.
The ability to wield a shield.
The abiliity to go sword and board.
The ability to use any ranged weapon in the game.

[oxybe]

what edition? either way i would say swap the arm for a permanently attached 1-handed crossbow. he can then use a special barbed bolt with a rope tied to it to a similar effect.

the downside, of course, is that it would require both hands to use effectively (requires his other hand to shoot).

[hamishspence]

Dragon 318 has stats for a hook.

It also has magical hooks, and magical peg-legs.

[The_Snark]

I have no idea what the Hookshot is supposed to do, but replacement arms can be done with grafts. Fiend Folio, Lords of Madness, and Faiths of Eberron each have a different selection; this seems like it would be a construct graft, but if none of the existing ones do what you're looking for, my advice would be to take a different kind of graft and refluff it.

[Sinfire Titan]

I have no idea what the Hookshot is supposed to do, but replacement arms can be done with grafts. Fiend Folio, Lords of Madness, and Faiths of Eberron each have a different selection; this seems like it would be a construct graft, but if none of the existing ones do what you're looking for, my advice would be to take a different kind of graft and refluff it.

You've never played the Legend of Zelda? All it does is act like a grappling hook, but it can pull some objects to you.

I recommend you look at the Rode of Rope from Complete Mage, and the Cablespool from Savage Species to get an idea of how to rule this item. I also recommend the player just have it be a graft in and of itself, rather than replacing his entire arm.

[Vizzerdrix]

Either Quintessential Fighter 1 or 2, Hammer and Helm, or Defenders of the Faith all have replacement limbs in them.

[Asbestos]

What he would lose:

The ability to cast spells with somatic components (maybe a natural 40% ASF chance, since he still has one hand for the gestures.)
The ability to wield any two handed weapons.
The ability to wield a shield.
The abiliity to go sword and board.
The ability to use any ranged weapon in the game.

I don't agree with many of these. First off, spellcasting only requires a single free hand for somatic purposes. So long as nothing is in his actual hand he meets that requirement. If any ASF is going to be had, it shouldn't be more than that required for a light or heavy shield, depending on the weight of the Hookshot attachment and exactly how much of the arm was lost. The shield part is true, so long as the character lost their arm above the forearm. Since characters can hold things in their hands while wielding a light shield, I'd say that that is the largest type of shield they'd be able to wield. Also, don't forget that the character may choose to wield a shield in their good hand. As for ranged weapons, there really isn't a reason they couldn't throw something with their good arm or shoot (but not reload) crossbows and slings. Shooting crossbows one-handed comes with its own specific penalty.

[jiriku]

Real men don't get grafts to replace limbs, they take the HALF-GOLEM TEMPLATE.

[Gnaeus]

Michael Moorcock had some characters with magical prostheses (Corum I think, and one or 2 others). So there is a parody story about this character who continuously throughout his championing career loses limbs and has them replaced by magical relics. So at the end his girlfriend is admiring his magical replacement manhood but lamenting the fact that it was made of sandstone.

Not exactly relevant, but funny.

[Inhuman Bot]

What he would lose:

The ability to cast spells with somatic components (maybe a natural 40% ASF chance, since he still has one hand for the gestures.)
The ability to wield any two handed weapons.
The ability to wield a shield.
The abiliity to go sword and board.
The ability to use any ranged weapon in the game.

He needs to lose the ability to jump.

Also, to put another plug for Iron kingdoms, there's rules in the... Liber Mechanika? for prosthetic limbs, though not hookshot-type limbs AFAIK, just basic arms and such.

[B0nd07]

d20 Modern: Future has some rules for prosthetic limbs, but I don't think that's going to help you. I think your looking for a graft. Here's what I'd do:

I'd consider it a weapon graft with a modified heavy crossbow on the end. If he where to attack with it, it would deal damage as a small light crossbow (1d6), but bludgeoning instead of piercing (if it's his off-hand, those penalties would also apply). Or he could, as a ranged touch attack, make a trip attempt.

I'd also give him a bonus to climb checks (probably +5, but no more than +10) and allow him to pull objects no heavier than his lift off ground score (maybe push/drag) towards him. He'd also lose the use of the missing arm/hand. So, he wouldn't be able to use two-handed weapons, use other ranged weapons, or pretty much do anything else that would require the use of both hands. As for shields, he could only use a buckler.

I'd also say he'd need his remaining hand free to retract the line, either because there's a lever to switch or to use a fishing line type reel, or whatever the mechanism is. It would be a full round action to retract it fully.

I have no idea what that would cost, but if he's low level he probably won't be able to afford much, if anything, else. This is also all off the top of my head, but it seems balanced enough.

[Zephyros]

If you can find the Complete Guide to the Drow by Goodman Games you ll get rules about prosthetic limbs and a PrC called the Adamantine Soldier that revolves around getting to use your prosthetics better.

[Deth Muncher]

If you can find the Complete Guide to the Drow by Goodman Games you ll get rules about prosthetic limbs and a PrC called the Adamantine Soldier that revolves around getting to use your prosthetics better.

Speaking of Goodman Games, their Dragonmech system has a class based on turning oneself into a cyborg by replacing limbs/organs. They never said you still had to have the limb in question.

[Rixx]

Have a crossbow attached to it as well. Awesome.

[Glyde]

You only need one hand free to cast a spell with somatic components...

Also, Hand-Crossbows, Dart Thrusters and Prods are one handed ranged weapons iirc.