15 Specific Weapons

15 Specific Weapons
Volume I
file
Credits
ple
Original Concept by Marc Rødskov Jensen
Sa
m
Authors: Ken Burnside, K. Axel Carlsson,
Mark Gedak and Jonathan Palmer
Artist: Marc Rødskov Jensen
Graphic Design: Rene Walk
Layout: K. Axel Carlsson
Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying
Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying
Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more
information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying
Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not
guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse
this product.
Pathfinder is a registered trademark ofPaizo
Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder
Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder
Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are
trademarks ofPaizo Publishing, LLC, and are
used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
Compatibility License. See
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibil
ity for more information on the compatibility
license.
OPEN CONTENT: All mechanics are
considered OPEN GAME CONTENT.
PRODUCT IDENTITY: All other material proper names, settings, characters, story
hooks and author's notes - are considered
PRODUCT IDENTITY.
15 Specific Weapons, Vol 1 (c) 2011 HEADLESS HYDRA GAMES. All Rights Reserved.
Introduction
M
Sa
THE FIRST VOLUME
m
ple
file
agical weapons are a necessity ofmost roleplaying games, yet the core
rulebook ofPathfinder presents so few ofthem. Magical weapons are loved
by players and game masters alike, yet there are almost none to choose from.
There is nothing like a memorable magical weapon to help define a
character throughout a campaign, just think about your favorite fictional heroes of
fantasy and the weapons that they carry!
It is certainly possible to purchase a magical warhammer such as the DWARVEN
THROWER or a magical longsword like the NINE LIVES STEALER, but most weapons are
not represented at all. For example, where are the magical falchions, flails, kukris,
morningstars, spears, hand crossbows and whips?
Sure, a creative player can take a look at the special abilities and come up with a
concept ofhis own, but it will be a very limited concept, limited to the twenty-nine
special abilities ofthe core rulebook. The Advanced Player's Guide makes this
selection slightly bigger, yet, most weapons are still not represented among the specific
magical weapons selection.
This series ofshort pdfs hope to bring new weapons and concepts to your game!
To kickoffthis new series ofunusual and specific magical weapons, we have decided
to start with 15 weapons that can be found in the core rulebook and which are not
represented among the specific magical weapons (with the exception ofthe greataxe
and scimitar).
Within these pages, you'll find concepts for the following weapons; blowgun,
chakram, club, elven curve blade, falchion, gauntlet, greataxe, greatclub, hand
crossbow, kukri, punching dagger, scimitar, shortspear and spiked light shield.
Furthermore, you'll also find a new spell, BOIL SKIN, and a new magical weapon
special ability, VENOMOUS.
UPCOMING VOLUMES!
Upcoming volumes will feature weapons from other sources, such as the Advanced
Player's Guide, but also extremely unusual weapons like the dogslicer, ogre hook,
battle ladder and even a magical pillow!
3
TAKING THE WAL-MART
OUT OF YOUR ITEMS
Magic Items
and Characters
Different Perspectives
has to serve two
masters when it comes to producing magic items: it has
to make sure that they’re balanced, with the metric for
effectiveness being how much they cost. It’s this costequivalency balancing that makes for the Swords From
Wal-Mart Effect. If any weapon can be had for list
price in a city of sufficient size, then players, who
know the way weapons are priced, will buy the
weapons that are most effective for their characters.
The way to break the Swords From Wal-Mart Effect
is to try to make as many weapons as you can
thematic. A thematic weapon doesn’t have to be more
powerful than a generic weapon does. It just has to
both be more interesting, and fit into what your
player’s character’s ongoing story looks like.
In some ways, this is what the trait Heirloom
Weapon tries to do - and even before its downgrade in
July of 2011, it only partially succeeded. In your ideal
world, each character will have a few NPCs that are
related to them - not necessarily blood relatives, but
NPCs that care about the well being of that character
specifically. These are NPCs that deliver specific plot
hooks, and NPCs that the character in question feels
some sort of duty and obligation to.
They also provide a useful way to introduce
character-appropriate thematic weapons, without
having to explain why a group of bugbears have a +1
flaming temple sword for the party monk to use. To
make a thematic weapon, remember the following
rules:
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
By Ken Burnside
Sa
m
ple
file
In game mechanical terms, magic items come
in two broad categories: Those that add
capabilities to your character, and those that
add static die roll modifiers. Unfortunately,
in terms ofgame mechanics, adding static die
roll modifiers -- especially to binary
“pass/fail” rolls like To-Hit for weapons,
armor class bonuses, and saving throw
bonuses -- is more effective than adding
capabilities. They are, in fact, enough more
effective that most characters spend
somewhere between 40% and 70% of their
career earnings upgrading the Big Six Items.
WHAT ARE THE BIG SIX ITEMS?
The primary magic weapon your character uses (static
bonus to to-hit and damage), the primary armor your
character wears (static bonus to armor class), amulet of
natural armor (static bonus to armor class), ring of
protection (static bonus to armor class), cloak of
resistance (static bonus to saving throws), and an ability
boosting item or two (static bonus to your core
attribute). All of these provide easily quantified
bonuses that make your character better.
The Big Six Items are also the most boring items in
the game. They look like they could be picked up at a
Wal-Mart with a good sporting goods department.
They also highlight some of the flaws of magic items in
the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
4
Someone made the thematic weapon: They either
made it for someone they knew, or they made it
because it was a commission. Who made it, and why
did they make it? What use did they think the item
would have?
The additional abilities have to have some utility: For
example, the thunderstroke falchion in this pdf, though
its backstory isn’t defined, has the thundering special
ability, and has it on a weapon with a wide critical
is healed by magical healing, it’s of limited use for the
traditional dungeon delve where doors are kicked in,
monsters are killed and their bodies looted.
Another category of items that should exist are
items that are specifically designed to benefit the
opposition. This flouts conventional wisdom in the
GMing section of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, which
makes a case that all items that aren’t
immediately useful to the players will
just be converted into cash and
used to buy items the players find
useful. A counter argument is the
soulcleaver. It’s a very peculiar
sort of compliment, but having an
The abilities have to be coherent:
NPC show up trying to kill a
While there’s nothing preventing
player character’s paladin with that
you from making a thundering
weapon (and at 7d6+ 1 damage per
weapon that could provide cold
successful hit, it will be noticed!) is a fine
resistance, it isn’t nearly as thematic
way to remind your high-level party that
as one that provides electrical
they have entered the big leagues, a realm
resistance. Plus, by making it convert Gauntlet of Growth where outsiders know of them by name and
a stored spell, you’re giving the player a
feel they are worth taking a personal interest
choice to make, and that’s always a good
in. The fact that it grants a wish to any wielder
thing, provided the number of options on the choice is who kills a lawful good character of sufficient power
fairly small, and all are interesting.
(and its penchant for teleporting if it isn’t used) make it
too dangerous to sell, and too risky to hold on to.
There has to be a reason for the item to exist: Much like the One Ring in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, it
Especially for the more powerful ones. While the represents a plot device that the characters will have to
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game item creation rules are deal with and care about.
remarkably fast (1 day per 1,000 gp of the item to
make), and there’s really no limitation on what items And now... onwards to the weapons!
can be made by which person, the reality is that players
will cherish magic items that were made for them and
were made for a specific purpose.
Sa
m
ple
file
threat range, making it more useful. What does
thunder usually come with? Lightning...at which point
the idea of a thundering falchion that could protect the
wielder from electricity effects came to mind.
Now, the easy way to do this would’ve been to
combine the effect of a ring of energy resistance, but
adding 18,000 gp to the cost would’ve taken it right
past the limit for what the GM had in mind. And the
GM didn’t want to render the wielder immune to
electricity attacks, but to provide an option. At that
point, the idea of a spell storing falchion that
could convert a stored spell into electricity
resistance came into being.
Just because an item has a reason to exist doesn’t mean
that that reason has to correspond to what he player
characters want to do. Two examples are in this pdf the drunkard’s bane greatclub is a wonderful weapon
for the obligatory “former adventurer turned
bartender” to have if he caters to other adventurers, and
their penchant for having bar brawls. It allows the bar
brawl to be resolved quickly, without killing anyone.
On the other hand, given how easily non-lethal damage
5
15 SPECIFIC WEAPONS
CONSTRUCTION
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bleed,
false life or vampiric touch; Cost 19,937 gp and 5 sp
AXE
XE OF
OFTHE
THENNORTH
ORTH
DRUNKARD
RUNKARD' S' SBBANE
ANE
Aura strong evocation; CL 14th
Slot none; Price 70,820 gp; Weight 18 lbs.
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th
Slot none; Price 15,301 gp; Weight 8 lbs.
DESCRIPTION
Sa
m
ple
file
This +4 thundering greataxe offrost is a massive weapon DESCRIPTION
This +1 merciful bane greatclub is
of godly power. The face of the Frost King
Axe
of
pearlescent white, and beautifully
is etched into both sides of the ice-coated
the
North
balanced. It can only do nonlethal
blade, with his beard running down the
damage; even the bane damage is
handle. There is a Strength
nonlethal, and any additional damage
requirement of 18 to wield the greataxe
from
precision damage is likewise
and to everyone else, the axe of the
nonlethal. When used against a bane
north weighs 50 lbs; making it near
target that is drunk, inebriated or
impossible to wield in battle. In addition,
sickened, the merciful and bane effects do
the weather within 30 feet of the axe is
d10
damage rather than d6 damage. On a critical
always considered cold with a temperature
hit against a valid bane target, the target must make
between -10 and + 10 degree Fahrenheit.
a Will save (DC 11) to avoid being dazed for 2
BACKSTORY: Some say that this magical axe was a
rounds.
gift from the God of War, to the Frost King of the
Typically, the bane will be set at the most
Northern Reaches. The god hid the axe deep in the
common species found in the area. This weapon,
belly of an ancient white dragon and commanded
while not commonly found, is sometimes used for
the king to find it. It is well known that whoever
crowd control in affluent societies, and many a
wields the axe ofthe north, is also the rightful ruler
former adventurer turned bartender has made a
of the north.
habit of having one under the counter of their bar
CONSTRUCTION
for dealing with unruly customers.
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor,
CONSTRUCTION
blindness/deafness, chill metal or ice storm; Cost
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, cure
35,410 gp
light wounds, daze, summon monster I; Cost 10,152
BLOOD
R
EAVER
gp
and
5 sp
LOOD REAVER
Aura moderate necromancy; CL 10th
ETERNAL
TERNALDDARKNESS
ARKNESS
Slot none; Price 39,875 gp; Weight 8 lbs.
Aura faint evocation; CL 5th
DESCRIPTION
This old and rusty blade is actually a +2 wounding Slot none; Price 6,400 gp; Weight 2 lbs.
falchion with the ability to suck the life from its DESCRIPTION
victims. Whenever a living creature is killed with the Deep within the bowels of the world, the cruel drow
blood reaver, the wielder instantly gains 1d10+ 5 toil for their demonic masters. The master
weaponmakers of the drow have fashioned many tools
temporary hit points that lasts for an hour.
The blood reaver must deliver the final attack to gain in their efforts to enslave other species. One of the
the hit points and can only have the temporary hit most versatile is the eternal darkness. This +1 hand
crossbow is jet black laced with symbols and runes of
points from one victim at a time.
the Demon Lord of Poisons. Three times per day, the
6