WEAPON CATEGORIES Weapons are grouped into several interlocking sets of categories. These categories pertain to what training is needed to become proficient in a weapon’s use (simple, martial, or exotic), the weapon’s usefulness either in close combat (melee) or at a distance (ranged, which includes both thrown and projectile weapons), its relative encumbrance (light, one-handed, or two-handed), and its size (Small, Medium, or Large). Most weapons deal lethal damage, but others deal only nonlethal damage. Improvised is another category. Proficiency A creatures type and class determine whether it is proficient with a category of weapons, or a particular weapon. A creature that uses a weapon with which it is not proficient takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls. Simple: Simple weapons are just that, simple. They are typically uncomplicated and require very little training to use. A crossbow is a remarkably complex weapon to create and load a bolt, yet you only need to aim and pull a trigger to fire it. Thus it is simple. A spear is simple, since it is little more then a sharp pointy stick. Using it in battle usually requires the battle tactic of Poke-Poke-Poke. If you have the simple weapon proficiency feat, you are proficient in all simple weapons. Martial: Martial weapons are more complex to use then simple weapons, but all martial weapons generally follow the same over all tactics. A dagger and short sword appear to be quite similar, except for size, but in combat, daggers usually use a stabbing motion and most of the control is in the arm, whereas a short sword uses the whole body to wield properly. Any well trained fighter skilled in the basics of combat can use any martial weapon. As opposed to simple weapons being able to be used by just about anyone. If you have the martial weapon proficiency feat, you are proficient in all marti al weapons. Exotic: Exotic weapons are weapons that are so unusual, that normal battle tactics do not apply, and thus you need specialized training to wield the weapon properly. For example, the bastard sword is a martial weapon, if you wield it with two hands. If you wish to wield it with one hand, you need to take the exotic weapon proficiency [Bastard sword], because using it with one hand requires an entirely different method. Exotic weapon proficiency feat only applies to one weapon and one weapon only. Editor ( Racial ): ): A number of races come with extra weapon proficiencies For example, Elves come skilled in longswords, even if they don’t have the martial weapon proficiency feat. Such exceptions are included under the race. However, there are a number of other racial weapons, such as the flind bar, or the dwarven waraxe. When a weapon has a race listed in the actual name of the weapon, that race gets access to that weapon free, with no additional cost in feats required.
Two-Handed: Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively. Apply 1-1/2 times the Strength bonus on damage rolls for melee attacks with such a weapon. If you’re allowed to wield a two-handed weapon in one hand, such as when riding and using a lance, that weapon is considered one-handed for the purpose of the Strength bonus on damage rolls while you’re using it in one hand. Unarmed: An unarmed weapon is always considered a light weapon. The gauntlet and ward cestus are the only two unarmed attack weapons available. Since the gauntlet has damage listed, it is not eligible for use with a monk’s abilities. You cannot change the size of an unarmed attack weapon and still wield the weapon. Thrown Melee: Some melee weapons have a range. This means that they can be used as melee or thrown weapons without problem. Some do not. It is possible to throw a weapon that isn’t designed to be thrown (that is, a melee weapon that doesn’t have a numeric entr y in the Range Increment column on Table: Weapons), but a character who does so takes a -4 penalty on the attack roll. Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet. Ranged Weapons Some weapons are ranged. These weapons allow you to attack outside your hand to hand threat range. Thrown: With a thrown weapon, the wielder applies his or her Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons, except for splash weapons. A thrown weapon is always considered a light weapon for purposes of throwing. Should you be forced to use a ranged weapon in melee, it is considered a onehanded weapon, unless the description states otherwise. While being used in melee, you suffer a -4 non-weapon proficiency penalty. With some thrown weapons, you can get rid of this by taking an exotic weapon proficiency. Ranged: Also called projectile weapons, ranged weapons differ from thrown weapons in that the weapon must be loaded with ammunition and that ammunition somehow fired at your target. All ranged weapons have a line in the stat block which lists what ammunition the weapon can fire. Sometimes this is only one type of ammo available, like “Normal Sand”. Usually there are many types, like Arrows. All ammunitions have (text) after them in the weapon category line. See ammunition for more details. Not everything a range weapon fires is ammunition, however. Some ranged weapons can fire thrown weapons. These thrown weapons are not destroyed as ammunition when they hit or miss. The ranged weapon overrides the thrown weapon’s range, damage, and any other stats that the text indicates. When in doubt, the projectile weapon trumps the ammunition, unless the ammunition specifically
Two-Handed: Two hands are required to use a two-handed melee weapon effectively. Apply 1-1/2 times the Strength bonus on damage rolls for melee attacks with such a weapon. If you’re allowed to wield a two-handed weapon in one hand, such as when riding and using a lance, that weapon is considered one-handed for the purpose of the Strength bonus on damage rolls while you’re using it in one hand. Unarmed: An unarmed weapon is always considered a light weapon. The gauntlet and ward cestus are the only two unarmed attack weapons available. Since the gauntlet has damage listed, it is not eligible for use with a monk’s abilities. You cannot change the size of an unarmed attack weapon and still wield the weapon. Thrown Melee: Some melee weapons have a range. This means that they can be used as melee or thrown weapons without problem. Some do not. It is possible to throw a weapon that isn’t designed to be thrown (that is, a melee weapon that doesn’t have a numeric entr y in the Range Increment column on Table: Weapons), but a character who does so takes a -4 penalty on the attack roll. Throwing a light or one-handed weapon is a standard action, while throwing a two-handed weapon is a full-round action. Regardless of the type of weapon, such an attack scores a threat only on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. Such a weapon has a range increment of 10 feet. Ranged Weapons Some weapons are ranged. These weapons allow you to attack outside your hand to hand threat range. Thrown: With a thrown weapon, the wielder applies his or her Strength modifier to damage dealt by thrown weapons, except for splash weapons. A thrown weapon is always considered a light weapon for purposes of throwing. Should you be forced to use a ranged weapon in melee, it is considered a onehanded weapon, unless the description states otherwise. While being used in melee, you suffer a -4 non-weapon proficiency penalty. With some thrown weapons, you can get rid of this by taking an exotic weapon proficiency. Ranged: Also called projectile weapons, ranged weapons differ from thrown weapons in that the weapon must be loaded with ammunition and that ammunition somehow fired at your target. All ranged weapons have a line in the stat block which lists what ammunition the weapon can fire. Sometimes this is only one type of ammo available, like “Normal Sand”. Usually there are many types, like Arrows. All ammunitions have (text) after them in the weapon category line. See ammunition for more details. Not everything a range weapon fires is ammunition, however. Some ranged weapons can fire thrown weapons. These thrown weapons are not destroyed as ammunition when they hit or miss. The ranged weapon overrides the thrown weapon’s range, damage, and any other stats that the text indicates. When in doubt, the projectile weapon trumps the ammunition, unless the ammunition specifically
(text) at the end of the weapon category line. If the (text) is part of a ranged weapon’s list of acceptable ammunition, it can be thrown by hand, or loaded into a ranged weapon and fired in that manner. In this case, use the rules on rranged anged weapons above. Editor: What are the qualities of ammunition? Is ammunition a weapon, or something else? Does it have a size? What happens when I use a tiny arrow in a huge longbow? The answers might seem obvious, or unimportant, but alas, WotC has very little RAW on the nature of ammunition. But I will address these issues, each in turn, and explain the implications of said issues. Editor ( Ammunit ion is not a Weapon Weapo n): WotC never comes right out and says that Ammunition is or is not a weapon. In some aspects, it could be considered a “charge” for a weapon, not a weapon in and of itself. On the other hand, every bolt can be wielded as an improvised weapon, which would indicate that it is a weapon. There are two problems with this. One, improvised weapons have made up values that are the best guess of a DM. Even if the player’s guide suggests what those improvised values should be, the values are still improvised, and therefore invalid as proof that ammunition is a weapon. If one chooses to ignore this and state that improvised values are valid, then we have the problem that sling stones cannot be used as improvised weapons. Arrows can, bolts can, but bullets cannot, because WotC has not given them any values as improvised weapons.. You might say, “Well, then I’ll make some values up.” But if you are stating that the WotC suggested values for Arrows and Bolts are valid proof they are weapons, then why did they not suggest improvised weapon values for all forms of ammunition? Either improvised weapon values are official, in which case bullets are not weapons, ( Which raises the question why are some forms of ammunition weapons, and others not?) or they are made up values, in which case a sling bullet could be used as an improvised weapon, and all improvised weapon values are subject to the whims of the DM. Since I could make a tiny creature, hand him a sling stone, and ask him to bash another tiny creature over the head with it, I believe it is quite clear that sling stones can be used as improvised weapons. Therefore the values are “improvised” and not valid as proof that ammunition is considered a weapon. To clear this up, we need to go to the Arms and Equipment Guide. (Arms and Equipment Guide, pg 5) Ammuniti on for ra nged wea pons req uires no particula r proficien cy to use , althoug h the we apons tha t propel the ammunition amm unition (u sually bo ws) do. The Exotic W eapon Proficiency P roficiency feat isn’t required to use an y item in the Amm unition c ategory. ategory . While A&EG is 3.0, I can find no rules that contradict this paragraph in any 3.5 document. We can determine from it that ammunition is a separate category from weapons. The fact that that the ammunition requires no weapon proficiency to use is additional proof that it is not a weapon. •
handed, to one-handed, to light. This has no effect on how many hands you actually use, as stated under the weapon descriptions, you must use two hands regardless of size. When the weapon shrinks one more size, you go to less then a light weapon, and it is simply too small for you to use. A one-handed projectile weapon can be increased in size to become a two-handed projectile weapon, with all the benefits and penalties of an oversized weapon. If the weapon is reduced in size, it becomes effectively a light weapon, and thus you no longer have the benefit of using two hands to modify damage. Editor (Oversized/Undersized Ammunition): So what happens when you try to fire a large arrow with a medium long bow? There are no rules anywhere on what happens if you use mismatched ammo/weapon combos. We can only read into the examples given. The examples that stand out are siege weapons and the bone bow. It appears that when you use ammunition that is larger then the size that is equal to yours, that there is a -2 penalty, and the length of time it takes to fire increases. A standard action becomes a full-round, and every increase in size adds another fullround. In heroes of Battle, a light ballista takes two-full rounds to load. The heavy ballista, which is two size classes larger, takes four rounds to load. This comes up in the DMG regarding catapults. It also appears to show up in the Bone Bow, from Frostburn.. Now, I must admit, thi s is an interpretation of how the weapon reads. It appears that the weapon is actually a Martial Ranged Weapon, just like a longbow, but that you can take an exotic weapon proficiency to use large ammunition from it. This has precedent in other weapons like the bastard sword. You can wield a bastard sword in two-hands as a martial weapon, but in one hand as an exotic weapon. The Bone Bow appears to be the same way. So what conclusions can we draw? A RAI reading of the rules implies that you simply cannot use any size ammo except that which matches with the size of the weapon firing said ammunition. However, it only implies this. I cannot find any entry that indicates there is ANY penalty to using the wrong sized ammo in any weapon. It certainly would appear that way, but I cannot say this is RAW. They gave ammunition a size, so one can assume that it’s used for something. So the safe answer is, only matching size ammunition/weapons can be used together. I believe that this is not the case. After reading many different examples of how medium size creatures use oversized projectile weapons, I believe that the penalties to hit are based on the size of the weapon, but the additional time to fire is based on the size of the ammunition. That said, and drawing upon the example of the Bone Bow, I believe that any projectile weapon has a little bit of, wiggle room. Here i s why:
weapons deal their normal damage, and projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them.” This excerpt from the enlarge person spell needs some examination. While not directly stating that ammunition has a size, it infers the existence of ammunition size, since it “returns to it’s normal size”. However, it doesn’t give us any great insight into what different sized ammunition does to damage. In fact, when you think about it, it’s screwed up. The amount of force is what causes damage with a projectile, but the size of the object is what causes damage for thrown objects. So, in one aspect, adjusting the size of ammunition shouldn’t adjust the damage. In the other, adjusting the size of the ammunition does. So what we have here is clear proof that they never thought it through properly. Editor (Conclusion): Chances are this problem will never come up in your campaign. If it does, there is grounds for ruling the oversized/undersized ammunition affects the damage, and ruling that it doesn’t. This is something to discuss with the DM as there is no clear cut way of seeing this. Simply put, there is no RAW, only the DM’s point of view. Subtypes Not all weapons have a subtype, but for the purposes of quick reference, the foll owing subtypes have been added to the stat block. Double Weapons ( Double ): Some weapons are double weapons, which have two edges or surfaces capable of dealing damage. A character can fight with both ends of a double weapon as if fighting with two weapons, but he or she incurs all the normal attack penalties associated with two-weapon combat, just as though the character were wielding a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. The character can also choose to use a double weapon two handed, attacking with only one end of it. A creature wielding a double weapon in one hand (such as a human wielding a Small two-bladed sword) can’t use it as a double weapon—only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round. Finesse Weapons ( Finesse ): This means simply that you can use the weapon finesse feat with this weapon. Grapple Weapons (Grappling ): Normally you cannot grapple with a weapon, only in unarmed combat. However, a select number of weapons are made so you can grapple with them, thus having the advantage of often making a grapple attack at a distance. Hidden Blade ( Hidden ): This weapon is a hidden weapon. A hidden blade is a spring loaded blade attached to the inside of armor or boots or strapped to the scoundrel’s body. Activating a hidden blade requires a move action. Hidden blades can be made masterwork or magic just as normal weapons can
advantage from reach weapons. There are a few weapons that have reach and can be used on adjacent targets. These are listed as Reach-NM, or Reach-No Minimum. There are also other weapons that have a reach of 15 feet, typically whips. These are listed as Reach-15. It should be noted that most Reach-15 weapons do not threaten the area that they can reach. A normal reach weapon can threaten an AoO in the area it can reach, but most Reach-15 weapons do not. Check the individual weapon for details. Finally, there are a few weapons with no reach. These weapons can only be used on targets in the same square as you, typically when you are grappling or charging. These are listed as Reach-0. Set Against Charge (Set ): This weapon can be set against a charge. If so, it then does double damage against that charge. Shields (Shield ): These weapons not only count as weapons but also count as shields. They can be enchanted as shields, but usually cannot be used as a weapon and a shield at the same time. There are exceptions. Special Monk Weapon (SMW ): A special monk weapon has a number of unusual features when wielded by a monk. The PHB states, "Monks are proficient with certain basic peasant weapons and some special weapons that are part of monk training." It is assumed that a monk has the training to use all special monk weapons. He may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons interchangeably when using flurry of blows. As long as every attack is made with one of the monk’s special weapons (that is, weapons allowed as part of a flurry), the monk can perform any special attack that takes the place of a normal attack. He’s free to disarm, sunder, trip, and grapple to her heart’s content. He couldn’t bull rush or overrun (since those don’t use special monk weapons), nor could she aid another (which requires a standard action) or feint (which requires a move action). Ironically, while they state over and over, monk weapons have multiple special options, they only have one special option, flurry of blows. If you want to use any of your monk powers through your weapon, you need to buy the WSA Ki focus. I highly recommend that you allow Ki focus WSA free for any special monk weapon. This is a suggestion, for no other reason that it just makes sense. The following are special monk weapons: Butterfly sword, C utting wheel, Hook sword, Jitte, Kama, Lajatang, Longstaff, Monk’s cane, M onk’s spade, Nekodes, Nunchaku, Quarterstaff, Sai, Shuriken, Siangham, Steel fins, Three-section staff, Tiger claws, Tonfa, War fan Editor: A good question is, do monks get Weapon Proficiency: Monk Special Weapons (which does not exist in any book.), or if they are considered to have the Exotic Weapon Proficiency for each individual weapon? By RAW, they have a exotic weapon Proficiency for each individual weapon. Yes, with the warblade power weapon aptitude, this is disgusting, by RAW, that is the case. I
Weapon Size Every weapon has a size category, such as Small, Medium, or Large. This designation indicates the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. A Small greatsword is a greatsword designed for a Small creature, such as a halfling. A Medium longsword is a longsword designed for a Medium creature, such as an elf. A Large shortbow is a shortbow designed for a Large creature, such as an ogre. A weapon’s size category isn’t the same as its size as an object. A Medium dagger (one sized for a Medium character), for instance, is a Tiny object (see Table 9–10: Size and Armor Class of Objects, page 166). Instead, a weapon’s size category is keyed to the size of the intended wielder. In general, a light weapon (such as a dagger) is an object two size categories smaller than the wielder, a one-handed weapon (such as a longsword) is an object one size category smaller than the wielder, and a two-handed weapon (such as a greatsword) is an object of the same size category as the wielder. A weapon’s size isn’t the same as its size category as an object. Instead, a weapon’s size is the size category of the intended wielder. As objects, light weapons are two size categories smaller than the wielder, one-handed weapons are one size category smaller than the wielder, and two-handed weapons are the same size category as the wielder. Inappropriately Sized Weapons: A creature can’t make optimum use of a weapon that isn’t properly sized for it. A cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference between the size of its intended wielder and the size of i ts actual wielder. Thus, a human wielding a Small dagger takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls (one size category different), and an ogre wielding a Small longsword takes a –4 penalty (two size categories different). If the creature isn’t proficient with the weapon (a wizard attempting to wield a Small battleaxe, for instance), a –4 non-proficiency penalty also applies. The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. For instance, a Small greatsword (a two-handed weapon for a Small creature) is considered a one-handed weapon for a Medium creature, or a light weapon for a Large creature. Conversely, a Large dagger (a light weapon for a Large creature) is considered a one-handed weapon for a Medium creature, or a two-handed weapon for a Small creature. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all. A creature can’t make optimal use of a weapon that isn’t properly sized. A cumulative –2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference between the size of a weapon’s intended wielder and the size of its actual wielder. The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon is altered by one step for each size category of
Weapon Qualities The weapon a character uses says something about who he or she is. You probably want to equip your character with both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon. If you can’t afford both your melee weapon of choice and your ranged weapon of choice, decide which is more important to the character. What size of weapon you choose determines how your character can choose to wield it (with one hand or two) and how much damage he or she can deal with it. A two-handed weapon deals more damage than a one-handed weapon, but wielding a two-handed weapon prevents the wielder from using a shield, so that’s a tradeoff. The number of weapons your character is proficient with depends on his or her class and race. A character can also become proficient with additional weapons by selecting the right feats. A better weapon is usually more expensive than an inferior one, but more expensive doesn’t always mean better. For instance, a rapier is more expensive than a longsword. For a dexterous rogue with the Weapon Finesse feat, a rapier is a terrific weapon. For a typical fighter, a longsword is better. When selecting your character’s weapons, keep in mind the following factors Cost: This value is the weapon’s cost in gold pieces (gp) or silver pieces (sp). The cost includes miscellaneous gear that goes with the weapon, such as a scabbard for a sword or a quiver for arrows. This cost is the same for a Small or Medium version of the weapon. A Large version costs twice the listed price. A smaller version costs half the price per two size categories smaller than Medium (round up). Alchemy DC: This is the DC needed to craft said item using craft (Alchemy). This is usually reserved for expendable alchemy items. Damage: The Damage columns give the damage you deal by This is the damage dealt by the weapon on a successful hit, given as a dice expression. If two damage ranges are given, then the weapon is a double weapon. Use the second damage figure given for the double weapon’s extra attack. Damage varies by weapon size, though the value for Small weapons is given on most tables. To determine damage for weapons bigger than Medium, use the Increasing Weapon Damage by Size table. For weapons smaller than Small, use the Decreasing Weapon Damage by Size table. A weapon can decrease in size only so far. Weapons that deal less than 1 point of damage have no effect. A weapon that deals 1 point of damage isn’t a weapon if it shrinks further. Critical: The entry in this column notes how the weapon is used with the rules for critical hits. When your character scores a critical hit, roll the damage two, three, or four times, as indicated by its critical multiplier (using all applicable modifiers on each roll), and add all the results together. Exception: Bonus damage over and above a weapon’s normal damage, such as that dealt by a sneak attack or the special ability of a flaming sword, is not multiplied when you score a critical hit.
types of damage (slashing or piercing, for example). In a situation when the damage type is significant, the wielder can choose which type of damage to deal with such a weapon. Accessory An accessory is something that gets added onto a weapon and modifies it. This can be something that gets added so your bolts don’t fall out of your crossbow while hanging upside down, to a device that sprays oil onto your weapon so it bursts into flames. These can be found as part of, or separately from a weapon. Application An application is a material that cannot be used to directly attack someone, although materials that can be used to directly attack someone are sometimes used as applications. An application is a materi al that has a finite number of uses. Once applied to a weapon it has a stated effect that modifies the weapon in any number of ways. An item that is only an application cannot be used to damage or modify anything other than a weapon. I should point out that a monk’s hands are an exception, and he should feel free to use applications on his hands. Do note some applications damage the weapon they are applied to, so check the listing for details and clairifications.
ABOLETH MUCUS - SAVAGE SPECIES (3.0) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Flask) [Splash] Cost: 20 gp Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb An aboleth underwater surrounds itself with a viscous cloud of mucus roughly 1 foot thick. Occasionally this substance finds its way into marketplaces. Glass vials of the mucus can be thrown as splash weapons. Any creature coming into contact with or inhaling this substance must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 19) or lose the ability to breathe air for the next 3 hours. There is no splash effect for aboleth mucus. Editor: Save or die for 20 gp at a fortitude save DC 19? Broken. Just flat out broken. If you are a DM, Ban it. If you are a player, BUY THIS BY THE BUCKET! IT’S NOT A POISON, IT’S A DISEASE! YOU CAN KILL ANYTHING THAT BREATHES! THIS IS PURE WIN IN A FLASK, BABY! Ahem. Sorry about that. I can’t believe this is the first thing on the list. Sigh.
ACID - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.5) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Flask) [Splash] Cost: 10 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Damage (direct ): 1d6 acid Damage ( splash ): 1 acid Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb You can throw a flask of acid as a splash weapon. Treat this attack as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. A direct hit deals 1d6 points of acid damage. Every creature within 5 feet of the point where the acid hits takes 1 point of acid damage from the splash. Editor: The old standby, except that there are much better choices that cost less.
[Splash] Cost: 20 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Damage (direct ): 1d6 fire Damage ( splash ): 1 fire Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb Alchemist’s fire is sticky, adhesive substance that ignites when exposed to air. You can throw a flask of alchemist’s fire as a splash weapon. Treat this attack as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. A direct hit deals 1d6 points of fire damage. Every creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of fire damage from the splash. On the round following a direct hit, the target takes an additional 1d6 points of damage. If desired, the target can use a full-round action to attempt to extinguish the flames before taking this additional damage. Extinguishing the flames requires a DC 15 Reflex save. Rolling on the ground provides the target a +2 bonus on the save. Editor: Some people just want to watch the world burn. Other people use alchemist’s fire. I find it odd that it doesn’t actually set things on fire, as it’s written up. You can only burn for two rounds. If the target just caught fire, he’d burn until he was put out or died. Sigh.
ALCHEMIST’S FROST - EBERRON CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.5) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Flask) [Splash] Cost: 25 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Damage (direct ): 1d8 cold Damage ( splash ): 1 cold Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb A thin liquid that grows extremely cold when exposed to air, alchemist's frost functions like alchemist's fire except that it deals 1d8 points of cold damage on a direct hit (and 1 point of cold damage to those it splashes), rather than fire damage. It deals no additional damage after the initial damage. Editor: Slightly more damage and 5 gp more cost over the alchemist’s fire, and it does cold, which is less common defense then fire. However, this does no damage the next round. It’s a push.
Simple Thrown Ammunition (Flask) [Splash] Cost: 25 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Damage (direct ): 1d8 electrical Damage ( splash ): 1 electrical Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb Alchemist's spark combines two substances that react violently when mixed. A flask of alchemist's spark has two compartments that keep the two substances separate; throwing the flask shatters it and allows the substances to mix, releasing a powerful electrical discharge. Otherwise, alchemist's spark functions like alchemist's fire except that it deals 1d8 points of electricity damage on a direct hit (and 1 point of electricity damage to those it splashes), rather than fire damage. It deals no additional damage after the initial damage. Editor: Electrical damage. Whee.
ALCHEMY BLADE - MAGIC OF EBERRON (3.5) Exotic Light Melee Weapon Cost: 310 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: 19-20/x2 Weight: 2 lb Type: P Ammo: Application, Flask An alchemy blade appears much like a normal short sword. Two slender channels form a groove on each side of the blade, and the pommel is built to accept a flask of either alchemist’s fire or alchemist’s frost. (It could also accept a flask of acidic fire or alchemist’s spark, but a single use of either of these would render the weapon useless.) When a flask of alchemist’s fire or alchemist’s frost is plugged into the pommel, the weapon is primed. When you strike a target with a primed blade and deal damage, an internal alchemical pump instantly expels the fire or frost through hollows in the hilt and out along the channels in the bl ade. In addition to taking any damage dealt by the blade, the target also takes damage as if it had been struck by the flask attached to the weapon. Adjacent creatures, including the wielder, are not subject to splash
breaks if thrown against the body of a corporeal creature, but to use it against an incorporeal creature, the bearer must open the flask and pour the anarchic water out onto the t arget. Thus, a character can douse an incorporeal creature with anarchic water only if he is adjacent to it. Doing so is a ranged touch attack that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A direct hit by a flask of anarchic water deals 2d4 points of damage to a lawful outsider. Each such creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of damage from the splash. Editor: Meh.
ANKUS - MASTERS OF THE WILD (3.0) Exotic Two-Handed Melee Weapon [Droppable, Tripping, Nonlethal, Reach-NM] Cost: 15 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 2d4 Critical: x2 Weight: 15 lb Type: B The ankus is a hooked device used to steer elephants. It deals only subdual damage, but because of its hook, you can also use it to make trip attacks. You can drop the ankus to avoid being tripped during your own trip attempt. The ankus has 10-foot reach. Editor: This is a 3.0 weapon, so your DM may not allow it’s use. The weapon does not state it has a minimum distance for use, so despite it’s description, it threatens everything out to 10 feet. It’s reach is the only thing it has going for it. Editor (General WSAs): A few jump out at me. Bane (animals) makes this ideal for handling animals, which is the point of the weapon. Who’s going to shell out that much money to whack an elephant in the back of the head is another story. If you got the money to burn, You should also look at chargebreaker/intercepting, just in case an elephant tried to trample you. If you want to discourage your animal handlers from beating your elephants, might I suggest vicious. It is only a +1 bonus, it adds +2d6 damage, and it only does 1d6 nonlethal to the wielder. Most Elephants couldn’t handle an Animal Bane/Vicious weapon for more then one or two shots, but most handlers will feel the sting of getting hit for 1d6.
ARROW - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK 1 (3.5) - FROSTBURN (3.5) Ammunition (Arrow) Ammunition (Bone Bow) Cost: .05 gp Weight: 3 lb (20) An arrow used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (–4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (critical multiplier x2). Arrows come in a leather quiver that holds 20 arrows. An arrow that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost. Editor: Here’s the thing, I have no idea what an arrow for a bone bow is. You see, there is no description of them, just that they exist as is written under the bone bow entry. So, I have to assume they are just like normal arrows, except that they only work in a bone bow.
ARROW, ALCHEMIST’S - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0) - SWORD AND FIST (3.0) Ammunition (Arrow) Cost: 75 gp Critical: x2 Weight: 4 lb (20) Each of these projectiles carries a deadly load of alchemist’s fire in its hollow shaft. When it strikes a target, the arrow’s shaft shatters, releasing the alchemist’s fire directly onto the target. One round after impact, the alchemist’s fire ignites, dealing 1d4 points of damage. The target can use a full-round action to attempt to extinguish the flames before taking this damage. It takes a successful Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to extinguish the flames. Rolling on the ground earns the target a +2 bonus on the save. Submerging (such as by leaping into a lake) or magically extinguishing the flames automatically kills the flames. Editor: These are basically normal arrows with x2 crit range, except they deal 1d4 fire damage the turn after unless the victim spends a full-round action and makes a DC 15 Reflex-save to extinguish the flames. Very convenient, though somewhat pricy. Extra damage is never a bad thing.
adjustments for Composite Bow added on top of the half (so fired from Longbow, the increment is half of 100' = 50', but from Composite Longbow half of 100' + 10' = 60').
ARROW, DRAGONSBREATH - RACES OF THE WILD (3.5) Ammunition (Arrow) Cost: 2.5 gp Damage: See Below Weight: 3 lb (20) Type: P A dragonsbreath arrow has a shaft soaked in resin or pitch and a slightly enlarged head filled with a dab of alchemist’s fire. Slots in the head force air into the chamber when the arrow is fired, igniting the alchemist’s fire and the shaft as well. The slots in the head emit a low screech as the arrow flies through the air. A dragonsbreath arrow deals an extra 1 point of fire damage when it hits a target, and that target must make a DC 15 Reflex save or catch on fire. A dragonsbreath arrow can’t be reused on a miss. Editor (Catching on fire): If a character’s clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once he succeeds on his saving throw, he’s no longer on fire.) A character on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with cloaks or the like permits the character another save with a +4 bonus. Those unlucky enough to have their clothes or equipment catch fire must make DC 15 Reflex saves for each item. Flammable items that fail take the same amount of damage as the character. Editor: For whatever bow you make this arrow for, you reduce the damage die as if the weapon was one size class smaller. For example, if you have a medium longbow, which is normally 1d8 damage. You treat the weapon as a small longbow and reduce the damage to 1d6. A small shortbow, which does 1d3 damage, would then be 1d2 damage. That said, it’s superior to the alchemist’s arrow in that the damage is 1d6 a round if they catch on fire until they put themselves out. The alchemist’s arrow only does 1d4 for one round after it hits. This is cheaper too. Editor (Combat ): These arrows have reduced core damage, but deal 1 point of Fire-damage on impact and require a DC 15 Reflex-save or light the opponent ablaze. Certainly handy against Ice monsters, especially Giants and the like. Also good for lighting oil or the like ablaze. These are very useful when
Editor (Crossbreeding ): So what’s stopping someone from designing a customized hybrid arrow? The DM, that’s who. See about if he’ll let you combine this with say, signal arrows or that sort of thing. Or make it into a bolt, or other ammunition that you can use it for.
ARROW, SEA - RACES OF FAERUN (3.0) Ammunition (Arrow) Cost: 7 gp Critical: x2 Weight: 4 lb (20) Type: P These arrows, fletched by aquatic elves, are treated as masterwork, but they don’t grant a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls. Instead, when fired fr om an aquatic longbow, they negate the –2 penalty per 5 feet for making a ranged attack underwater. Editor: So you are being forced to adventure in the ocean. Pick up some of these.
ARROW, SERPENTSTONGUE - RACES OF THE WILD (3.5) Ammunition (Arrow) Cost: .15 gp Weight: 3 lb (20) Type: P and S Arrows aren’t very useful for attacking objects, so the elves developed the serpentstongue arrow, which has a forked point with sharp edges on the tips and inside the prongs. A skilled archer can neatly sever a rope or leather strap with a serpentstongue arrow. A serpentstongue arrow deals both piercing and slashing damage, and it deals full damage (rather than the usual half damage) to objects with a hardness of 5 or less. Editor: These arrows are used for sundering. Amusingly enough, they deal both, Piercing and Slashing damage. They also deal full damage to objects with hardness less than 5. Again, something to keep around. They also don't have any drawbacks compared to normal arrows besides also dealing Slashing damage so you could actually consider replacing your normal arrows with these. Editor ( Hybrid ): Personally, I’d allow a combination of this and dragonsbreath arrows at 53 gp for 20 arrows. If that doesn’t cut a rope, nothing will.
- RACES OF THE WILD (3.5) Ammunition (Arrow) Cost: 1 gp Damage: -1 size class Weight: 3 lb (20) Type: P These arrows are made slightly longer than normal with a small, aerodynamic head and enlarged fletching (the feathers added to the shaft) for extra stability and accuracy on long shots. A swiftwing arrow incurs only half the usual penalty for attacking at range (–1 per range increment rather than the usual –2). Editor: These are excellent for firing far away; they only suffer half the normal increment penalties. Ask your DM how this interacts with Cragtop Archer's ability doing the same. Anyways, they have one category reduced damage, but they actually make those long shots possible without tons of feats, so I'd definitely have a bunch of these in my Quiver. Especially good for sniping things like Dragons from far away a turn or two before they reach you (once that's taken flight, that is). If you have ~200ft increment, you'd be able to shoot to 1000ft with a mere -5 to the roll.
ARROW, THUNDER - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0) Ammunition (Arrow) Cost : 2 gp Damage: N/A Critical: N/A Weight: 7 lb (20) Type: N/A Thunder arrows are tipped with thunderstones. A hit from a thunder arrow deals no damage but triggers the thunderstone’s sonic attack. Thunder arrows that miss should be treated as attacks with a grenade-like weapon. Editor (Thunderstone): When it strikes a hard surface (or is struck hard), it creates a deafening bang that is treated as a sonic attack. Each creature within a 10-foot-radius spread must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or be deafened for 1 hour. A deafened creature, in addition to the obvious effects, takes a -4 penalty on initiative and has a 20% chance to miscast and lose any spell with a verbal component t hat it tries to cast. Since you don’t need to hit a specific target, you can simply aim at a particular 5-foot square. Treat the target square as AC 5.
Type: B Ammo: Flask The common aspergillum is a lightweight metal device resembling a small club or light mace with a perforated head for dispensing holy water. Although not a w eapon per se, it can be used in combat to deliver ranged touch attacks. This lightweight metal device looks like a small club or a light mace. By shaking the aspergillum as a standard action, you can sprinkle one flask of holy water on a target within melee reach. This action is a ranged touch attack (which does not provoke an attack of opportunity). An aspergillum does not require any proficiency to use. Many adventurers prefer using an aspergillum to dispense holy water rather than throwing or pouring out the contents of a flask. Editor: In case it’s not clear, this one holds 1 flask, the other one holds 3.
ASPERGILLUM, HEAVY - RACES OF FAERUN (3.0) - LIBRIS MORTUS (3.5) Simple One-Handed Melee Weapon Cost: 100 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 1d8 Critical: x2 Range: 0 Weight: 12 lb Type: B Ammo: Flask The heavy aspergillum combines the properties of a common aspergillum with those of a heavy mace and is greatly favored by members of the Impilturan church of Ilmater. A heavy aspergillum can hold up to 3 flasks of holy water. In addition to serving as a common aspergillum, it can also be used in melee combat. When a button on the shaft is pressed, tiny holes open in the mace head, allowing holy water to touch a creature struck by the weapon. Each use of the weapon in this manner uses one flask of holy water per attack whether or not the attack is successful. If the wielder has multiple attacks per round with the weapon, the holy water can be released multiple times in one round (but no more than once per attack) until it is depleted. A heavy aspergillum may also be used to make ranged touch attacks with holy water in the manner of a normal aspergillum. Pouring a flask of holy water into a heavy aspergillum is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
of hide or cord to attach to the hand. Editor: At first I thought that the atlatl spear is a type of ammo unique to the atlatl weapon. There are no rules on the ammunition itself. But after reviewing the rules, I believe that the intent was that it be the halfspear, since the damage matches up. Stat wise it’s definitely middle of the road. The ammo is expensive to enchant, but it’s reusable. The damage is low, but it’s max range is 500 feet. Get three or four of these with returning, you could hurl spears all day long. However, it’s true saving grace is that it’s ranged like a projectile weapon (max 10 range increments), but it’s still a “thrown” weapon, so you get to add your strength. This is the weapon of choice for a barbarian, being the farthest you can throw something and still add your strength bonus. For those characters, the 1d4 damage is not that much of a handicap.
ATRAMEN OIL - PLANAR HANDBOOK (3.5) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Flask) [Splash] Cost: 50 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Damage (direct ): -4 fort saves/1 min Damage ( splash ): -1 fort save/1 min Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb This substance is cold pressed from atramen fruit that grows on shoals of Elemental Earth that have drifted too close to the Negative Energy Plane. A flask of atramen oil can be thrown as a splash weapon. Treat this attack as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. A direct hit causes the target to take a –4 penalty on Fortitude saves for 1 minute. Every creatur e within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes a –1 penalty on Fortitude saves for 1 minute. Editor: I suppose if I had some sort of combination that needs a target to have -4 to fortitude saves, I’d consider it money well spent. As such, nothing comes to mind. Do note, that it is a penalty, so it doesn’t stack with itself.
AXE, ICE - FROSTBURN (3.5)
Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: x2 Range: 10 ft Weight: 2 lb Type: S A throwing axe is lighter than a handaxe and balanced for throwing. Gnome fighters often use throwing axes for both melee and ranged attacks. Editor: I find it strange that the throwing axe is a melee weapon and not a throwing weapon. Otherwise, this is a boring weapon.
AXE, ORC DOUBLE - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Exotic Two-Handed Melee Weapon [Double] Cost: 60 gp Damage ( s): 1d6/1d6 Damage (m): 1d8/1d8 Critical: x4 Weight: 15 lb Type: S An orc double axe is a double weapon. You can fight with it as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with two weapons, just as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. As its name suggests, it is often found in the hands of powerful orc fighters. A creature wielding an orc double axe in one hand can’t use it as a double weapon— only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round. Editor: If you are an orc or half-orc, you get it as a free proficiency, so you might as well run with it. That said, it’s an average double weapon if it was martial, but underpowered as an exotic. Technically you can use it one-handed, as the description states. So that make it a superior choice for a one-handed slashing weapon with a x4 critical, which might make it a better choice then the ice axe, if that is what you are looking for.
AXIOMATIC WATER
Martial One-Handed Melee Weapon Cost: 10 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 1d8 Critical: x3 Weight: 6 lb Type: S The battleaxe is the most common melee weapon among dwarves. Editor: It might be the most common weapon among the dwarves, but it is actually a very average weapon and not that impressive.
BATTLEHORN - SANDSTORM (3.5) Exotic Two-Handed Melee Weapon [Double, Set] Cost: 50 gp Damage ( s): 1d6/1d6 Damage (m): 1d8/1d8 Critical: x3 Weight: 10 lb Type: P A battlehorn is a double weapon that consists of two large horns affixed together, facing in opposite directions. You can fight with it as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with two weapons, just as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. A creature wielding a battlehorn in one hand can’t use it as a double weapon—only one end of the weapon can be used in any given round. If you use a ready action to set a battlehorn against a charge, you deal double damage if you score a hit against a charging character. Editor: An orc double axe is exactly the same except for it’s slashing instead of piercing. The orc double axe is at least a free feet for orcs.
BATTLEPICK, GNOME - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0)
Cost: 50 gp Alchemy DC: 15 Damage: See below Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb Distilled from the venomous excreta of certain breeds of monstrous spiders, this substance is a thick, viscous fluid. You can throw a flask of bile droppings as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet. Upon hitting a target, this sticky fluid deals 1d6 points of acid damage the first round and 1d6 points of acid damage in the second round. If the target takes a full-round action to scrape it off it takes no damage in the second round. In addition to causing acid damage, a flask of bile droppings releases a powerful stench when broken open, forcing anyone within 5 feet to make a successful DC 13 Fortitude save or be sickened for 1 round. Anyone actually struck by the vile stuff takes a –4 penalty on the save. Bile droppings can be created with a DC 15 Craft (alchemy) check and the proper raw materials (the spiders that create the droppings are bred by the dark elves, so these materials are readily available in a typical drow city). Editor: +1 for effectiveness, -1 for style. Editor ( Is It Splash?): The problem is that it’s a flask, but not listed as a splash weapon, when clearly it should be. So do we list it as a splash weapon or no? Well, checking with similar thrown flasks, specifically frostfire, we need to list it as a splash weapon. Do note, that is an editorial change, and it isn’t listed in the book as such.
BLADE, CLOSE FIGHTING - RACES OF THE WILD (3.5) Simple Light Melee Weapon Cost: +100 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: 19-20/x2 Weight: 1 lb Type: P or S Elves love swordplay, but even elves recognize that a sword isn’t always an ideal weapon. They developed the close fighting blade for times when they must fight in spaces too constricted for true swordplay. A close fighting blade is simply a knifelike blade concealed within the hilt or haft of a one-handed or larger melee weapon. Pressing a catch in the hilt (a free action) releases the spring-loaded blade, which extends and
- UNDERDARK (3.5) Exotic One-Handed Melee Weapon Cost: 15 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: 19-20/x3 Weight: 2 lb Type: P or S This exotic weapon has a serrated blade with a center mounted hinge and handle. When folded up, it deals piercing damage; when unfolded, it becomes a slashing weapon. Folding or unfolding a f lutter blade is a move action. Editor: As far as I know, it's the only 19-20x3 weapon. Although considering the “flutter” feature, I’d add a close fighting blade, just to have one more thing that can pop out of it.
BLADEFIRE - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0) Application Cost: 20 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Weight: 1 lb Similar to alchemist’s fire but less volatile, this thick, adhesive liquid ignites when exposed to air. Bladefire is typically poured along the length of a bladed weapon, causing the weapon to burn for a short period of time. A weapon treated with bladefire burns for 1d6 rounds. While burning, the weapon sheds light as a torch. A weapon treated with bladefire deals 1 additional point of fire damage with each successful hit. Applying bladefire to a weapon is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Bladefire is thick enough that once applied, it does not flow down the weapon, preventing it from harming the user. Each round that bladefire burns, it also deals 1 point of fire damage to the weapon that it coats, but most weapons have sufficient hardness to ignore this damage. Wooden weapons coated with bladefire ignite, however, taking 1d6 points of fire damage each round until extinguished. Setting flammable items alight requires more contact than just an attack. To light a flammable item requires a full-round action if the item is unattended or a successful grapple check against the opponent wearing or using the item. If your opponent breaks the grapple before your next action, no items catch fire. If you don’t release the grapple on your next action, any flammable item you wear or carry also catches fire.
Editor ( Bloodspike or Spike): Is a bloodspike a spike? Honestly, I don’t know. If you consider it one, then you can load it into a spikard or spike shooter. Personally, a spike as ammunition only costs 1 gp. So why not just make a bloodspike that you can use as ammunition and have it cost 50 gp. This is something to get past your DM, but I’d allow it. It would be much simpler to put the poison directly on the weapon, and cheaper too. All this means is that you can use poison with a spike shooter without risk of poisoning yourself. Considering how many ways there are to get around that problem, including, just don’t roll a 1, I don’t see any reason not to allow it.
BLOWGUN - DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.0) - DUNGEON MASTER’S GUIDE (3.5) - MASTERS OF THE WILD (3.0) - ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0) Simple Ranged Weapon Cost: 1 gp Damage ( s): 1 Damage (m): 1 Critical: x2 Range: 10 ft Weight: 2 lb Type: P Ammo: Blowgun Needle A blowgun needle resembles a lightweight, undersized arrow. You don’t apply your Strength modifier to damage with a blowgun dart. A blowgun dart can’t effectively be used as a melee weapon. Blowgun darts come in a leather pouch that holds 10 darts. A dart that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance to be destroyed or lost. Editor: A blowgun is only of use to inflict injury poison. That’s about it.
BLOWGUN, GREATER - COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5) - MASTERS OF THE WILD (3.0) - ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0)
Ammunition (Blowgun Needle) Cost: .05 gp Weight: - (20) These 2-inch-long iron needles are sold in small wooden cases of 20. A full case is so light that its weight is negligible. The tips of the needles are often coated with poison such as greenblood oil, bloodroot, blue whinnis, shadow essence, or deathblade. Editor: The weapon is only of use for inflicting poison.
BOLA FLAIL - GHOSTWALK (3.0) Exotic Light Melee Weapon [Droppable, Grappling, Tripping] Cost: 5 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: x2 Range: 20 ft Weight: 4 lb Type: B Disarm: +2 This is a 5-foot length of rope with a loop or small metal handle on one end and a 2-pound weight on the other end. With a bola flail, you gain a +2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an enemy (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if you fail to disarm your enemy). You can also use this weapon to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the bola flail to avoid being tripped. You can throw the bola flail at a Medium-size or smaller target in an attempt to trip the target instead of dealing damage. You must make a ranged touch attack to do so, and if you hit, your opponent must make a Strength or Dexterity check (DC 15) or be tripped (the defender takes a –4 penalty for every size category smaller than Medium-size). The opponent must then make a grapple check against your attack roll. If he fails, he is grappled. A bola flail can trip or grapple only a Small- or Medium sized target. An opponent can extricate himself from a bola flail as a full-round action. When you use a bola flail to make a ranged trip attack, your opponent does not get an opportunity to trip you in return. Editor: A neat weapon with many options. You can trip, disarm, throw it, beat someone. The problem is, over all it’s nothing special. It is, however, superior to bolas and barbed bolas, so for that, I make it a
BOLAS, BARBED - COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5) Exotic Thrown Weapon [Tripping] Cost: 10 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: x2 Range: 10 ft Weight: 3 lb Type: P This weapon is similar to a normal set of bolas, except that its weighted balls are studded with hooked barbs and thus deal lethal damage. Because the barbed bolas can wrap around an enemy’s leg or other limb, you can use this weapon to make a ranged trip attack against an opponent. You can’t be tripped during your own trip attempt when using a set of barbed bolas. For purposes of weapon proficiency and similar feats, barbed bolas are treated as if they were bolas. Thus, if you have Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bolas), you are also proficient with barbed bolas. Editor: These do lethal. Bolas still suck.
BOLT - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Ammunition (Bolt) Cost, Crossbow: .1 gp Cost, Repeating Crossbow (1 Case/5 Bolts): 1 gp Weight: 1 lb (10/Case of 5) A crossbow bolt used as a melee weapon is treated as a light improvised weapon (–4 penalty on attack rolls) and deals damage as a dagger of its size (crit x2). Bolts come in a wooden case that holds 10 bolts (or 5, for a repeating crossbow). A bolt that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost. Editor: There is some conjecture as to weather or not the bolts for the regular crossbow are the same as the
A mithral grappling bolt is lighter than a standard bolt but just as strong, and it can be fired farther. It comes with 200 feet of thin, light rope attached. It can only be fired from a grapple-firing crossbow. Attempting to shoot it from any other crossbow results in automatic failure and a 50% chance the bolt is now unusable Editor: Okay, if you absolutely need to scale a wall in an antimagic zone, here you go. Expensive and overpriced, but sometimes you need to sneak in under the radar.
BOLT, TUMBLING - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0) - SWORD AND FIST (3.0) Ammunition (Bolt) Ammunition (Spike) Cost: 5 gp Damage: +2 Critical: x2 Range: x1/2 Weight: 2 lb (10) Type: P A tumbling bolt resembles a standard crossbow bolt except for a few minuscule holes and vents along the shaft. A channel allows air to pass through the bolt, which causes the bolt to tumble when fired. The bolt deals +2 damage but only has one-half its normal range increment due to the way the projectile moves through the air. Editor: If you are a wizard with a heavy crossbow and a gnome crossbow sight, you are shooting at no penalty out to 360 feet. So why not reduce that to 180 f eet and add +2 damage.
BOLT, WINCH - MASTERS OF THE WILD (3.0) Ammunition (Winch Bolt) Cost: .5 gp Weight: 1 lb (20) These bolts only work with the winch crossbow. They are specifically designed for use with the rope and pulley system that makes up the winch crossbow.
boomerang (potentially Dazing both) after you hit the first.
BOOMERANG, TALENTA - EBBERON CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.5) Exotic Thrown Weapon Cost: 15 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: x2 Range: 30 ft Weight: 1 lb Type: B The halflings of the Talenta Plains use traditional boomerangs—simple curved, polished sticks designed to return to the thrower. Editor: I am not impressed.
BOOMERANG, XEN’DRIK - EBBERON CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.5) Exotic Thrown Weapon Cost: 20 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: x2 Range: 20 ft Weight: 2 lb Type: B or P The drow of Xen'drik use three-pronged boomerangs to hunt prey. Some adventurers and explorers learn to use the weapon while operating in the Xen'drik jungles, but few outside the drow communities ever master the intricacies of the Xen'drik boomerang. A boomerang of any sort returns to its thrower when it misses its target. To catch a returning boomerang, the thrower must make an attack roll (as if he were throwing the boomerang) against AC 10. Failure indicates that the boomerang lands 10 f eet away from the thrower in a random direction.
- COMPLETE SCOUNDREL (3.5) Simple Light Melee Weapon Cost: 4 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: x3 Weight: 1/2 lb Type: P Some archers add blades to the grips or risers of their weapons. Bowyers can craft bows that allow such blades to be permanently affixed. Treat a bow blade as a punching dagger. Editor: If you fight with a bow, it’s 2 gp well spent. Anything that lets you defend yourself without dropping your bow is good. Plus, it’s one more thing you can put weapon enchantments on.
BOW, BONE - FROSTBURN (3.5) Exotic Ranged Weapon Cost: 250 gp Damage ( s): 1d8 Damage (m): 1d10 Critical: x3 Range: 120 ft Weight: 4 lb Type: P Ammo: Bone Bow Arrow This powerful and oversized bow is designed to fire exceptionally large arrows specially made for it. Made of the bones and sinews of huge animals such as woolly mammoths and dire rhinoceroses, these bows were designed by primitive cultures expressly for the hunting of huge creatures that require a lot of damage to take down. A bone bow functions as a composite longbow with regard to applying the user’s Strength bonus to damage done with arrows shot from it. The bow has a long, thick spike protruding from both ends; this spike is used to brace against a solid object (either the ground or an overhanging protrusion or ceiling) to aid in pulling the bow’s string. A character may use a bone bow as a martial weapon, but doing so imparts a –4 penalty on attack rolls, and firing an arrow from the bow requires a full round action. For purposes of feats such as Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization, a bone bow is treated as if it were a
Characters with Exotic Weapon Proficiency (elven double bow) can use the bow to fire two arrows at once. Knocking an arrow on the second string requires a move equivalent action. Once the wielder has taken an action to load the second string, his next attack is a double shot that launches both arrows simultaneously at the same target. The wielder makes one attack roll at a –2 penalty to determine whether or not both arrows strike the target. If the attack is successful, both arrows deal normal damage. If the attack is a critical hit, only one arrow deals extra damage, and extra sneak attack damage is applied only once. Editor: This is a strange one. You can spend a Move Action to load up a second arrow and then your next attack is a Volley Attack at -2. You can, if you somehow get extra Move Actions, combine this with a full attack for effectively an extra arrow and it doesn't even punish your entire volley, only the next attack. Of course, the kicker is that there's no Composite version of this listed which means no Strength-bonus to damage. If you get DM to allow Composite versions of these, this might very well be worth the feat. Without Str ength-modifier, the extra shot being a Voll ey Attack and thus applying precision damage only once, it is by and large impractical to use one of these even with something like Belt of Battle [MiC Pg. 73] or Quicksilver Motion [ToB Pg. 65] to gain those Move Actions. Anyone with Longbow proficiency can use one of these as a Longbow, but you need Exotic Weapon Proficiency to use the special features.
BOW, YUAN-TI SERPENT - SECRETS OF XENDRIK (3.5) Exotic Ranged Weapon Exotic Two-Handed Melee Weapon [Double] Cost: 150 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 (S)/1d6 (P) Damage (m): 1d6 (S)/1d8 (P) Critical: 19-20/x2 (S)/x3 (P) Range: 0 ft (S)/80 ft (P) Weight: 2 lb Type: S (Melee) or P (Ranged) Ammo: Arrow Made from a long, curving piece of exotic wood, this bow is carved in the likeness of a serpent whose tail ends in a short metal blade. You can use a yuan-ti serpent bow either to make ranged attack with arrows or melee attacks with the serpent blade. When wielding a yuan-ti serpent bow, you can freely interchange
Cost: 20 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: x3 Weight: 4 lb Type: S At first glance, a dwarven buckler-axe appears similar to a standard buckler, but this weapon has enlarged bladelike edges at its top and bottom, allowing the w ielder to swing it like an axe. Thus, in addit ion to its obvious protective qualities, it proves a capable off-hand weapon or emergency weapon when disarmed. A dwarven buckler-axe grants its wielder a +1 shield bonus to Armor Class. As with any shield, when you attack with a dwarven buckler-axe, you do not get the shield bonus to your AC. A buckler-axe also provides a –1 armor check penalty and a 5% arcane spell failure chance. Like a spiked shield, a buckler- axe can be enhanced as a weapon, as a shield, or both, but such enhancements must be paid for and applied separately. Editor: It’s an axe, it’s a shield. It’s an Axeld! It’s thematic. It sucks for the most part.
BULLET, ACID - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0) Ammunition (Bullet) Cost: 10 gp Alchemy DC: 15 Weight: 10 oz These hollow glass sling bullets are filled with acid. When they strike a target, they immediately shatter, dealing 1d4 points of acid damage in addition to the normal damage from the sling bullet. To hold sufficient acid, these bullets must be larger than normal. The increased size makes the bullets awkward and unwieldy to launch, imposing a –2 penalty on the attack roll. Editor: I like this because of the implication. You can talk to your DM about filling it with other liquids. As it stands, it’s still better then normal ammunition and doesn’t cost that much more. Fifty bullets would cost 500 gp and be well worth the cost. Editor (WSAs): The obvious choice are any acid damage related WSAs. They should all add together for the purpose of overcoming acid resistance
BULLET, FLAME
Weight: 10 oz These hollow glass bullets are filled with holy water. When they strike a target, they immediately shatter, dousing the target with holy water. Editor: There is no reason these cannot be crafted with unholy, anarchic, or axiomatic water. That said, a bit on the expensive side and a rather specialized form of ammuniti on. Buy a few and save them for emergencies.
BULLET, SLING - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Ammunition (Bullet) Cost: .01 gp Weight: 5 lb Bullets are lead spheres, much heavier than stones of the same size. They come in a leather pouch that holds 10 bullets. A bullet that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost. Editor: Your basic sling ammunition. You can get a hundred for a gold piece.
CABER - MASTERS OF THE WILD (3.0) Exotic Thrown Weapon Cost: 10 gp Damage: See Below Critical: x2 Range: 10 ft Weight: 100 lb Type: B A caber is a heavy pole that you can throw at one or more targets grouped closely together. To throw a caber, you must target a 10-toot-square area and hit AC 15. Success means that everyone in the target area must make a Reflex save (DC = your attack roll) or move 5 feet backward. If a creature or object in the target area is incapable of movement, it takes 2d6 points of damage. The caber is normally used for breaking up military formations.
Editor ( Hating Invisibility): Revealing causes everyone who you hit to gain faerie fire for one round. Upgrade to sparkling for several rounds. Think you have an invisible intruder, throw a log at an area and see if anyone in it glows. Technically, it works if the enemy is hit, not damaged, so everyone in the area starts glowing, no saving throw allowed.
CALCULUS, GNOME - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0) Exotic Ranged Weapon Cost: 50 gp Damage: Per ammo Critical: Range: 50 ft Weight: 2 lb Type: Ammo: Flask, Calculus This oversized sling is made to fire flasks filled with liquid. Common ammunition includes acid, alchemist’s fire, and other alchemical substances. Alchemical ammunition deals damage according to its properties, but it gains the range increment of the gnome calculus. Editor: The problem is, there are a number of items that are the right size for hurling with a calculus, but they aren’t flasks. Such ammunition is listed as Calculus, since it doesn’t really fit under any other category. Otherwise, it’s a godsend for a flask rogue. Do you wish to fling alchemically unstable materials about like a farmer sows seeds? Then you need this. While not everyone can benefit from having one, anyone who chooses to use this weapon can rest assured that you can ruin someone’s day.
CANE, MONK’S - SECRETS OF SARLONA (3.5) Exotic Light Melee Weapon [SMW] Cost: 3 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: x2
- PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.5) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Caltrops) Cost: 1 gp Range: 5 ft Weight: 1 lb A caltrop is a four-pronged iron spike crafted so that one prong faces up no matter how the caltrop comes to rest. You scatter caltrops on the ground in the hope that your enemies step on them or are at least forced to slow down to avoid them. One 2-pound bag of caltrops covers an area 5 feet square. Each time a creature moves into an area covered by caltrops (or spends a round fighting while standing in such an area), it might step on one. The caltrops make an attack roll (base attack bonus +0) against the creature. For this attack, the creature’s shield, armor, and deflection bonuses do not count. (Deflection averts blows as they approach, but it does not prevent a creature from t ouching something dangerous). If the creature is wearing shoes or other footwear, it gets a +2 armor bonus to AC. If the caltrops succeed on the attack, the creature has stepped on one. The caltrop deals 1 point of damage, and the creature’s speed is reduced by one-half because its foot is wounded. This movement penalty lasts for 24 hours, or until the creature is successfully treated with a DC 15 Heal check, or until it receives at least 1 point of magical curing. A charging or running creature must immediately stop if it steps on a caltrop. Any creature moving at half speed or slower can pick its way through a bed of caltrops with no trouble. The DM judges the effectiveness of caltrops against unusual opponents. A Small monstrous centipede, for example, can slither through an area containing caltrops with no chance of hurting itself, and a fire giant wearing fire giant-sized boots is immune to normal-size caltrops. (They just get stuck in the soles of his boots). Editor: There is some conjecture as to if you can throw caltrops or not. From what I can determine, you can try, but if you fail to hit the square you are trying to target (AC 5), they are scattered too far to be a danger to anyone. Also, they count as ammunition, so once you use them, they are used. They get a blue because they are cheap and because they can change your target’s movement rate. Slower targets remain inside area effect spreads longer, meaning it’s a good choice with Evard’s tentacles of I’veSeen-Enough-Hentai-To-Know-Where-This-Is-Going. You know what I mean.
CALTROPS, CRYSTAL - RACES OF FAERUN (3.0) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Caltrops) Cost: 150 gp Range: 5 ft
Disarm: +2 Also called the manriki-gusari, this is a simple chain with weighted ends. It can be whirled quickly, striking with hard blows from the weights. One end can also be swung out to entangle an opponent. The chain can be used either as a double weapon or as a reach weapon. You can fight with it as if fighting with two weapons, incurring all the normal attack penalties as if using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. In this case, you can only strike at an adjacent opponent. If you use the chain as a reach weapon, you can strike opponents 10 feet away with it. In addition, unlike other weapons with reach, you can use it against an adjacent foe. In this case, you can only use one end of the chain effectively; you cannot use it as a double weapon. Because the chain can wrap around an enemy’s leg or other limb, you can make trip attacks with it. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the chain to avoid being tripped. When using a chain, you get a +2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if you fail to disarm your opponent). You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a chain. Editor: It’s a double weapon or a reach weapon. It has a bonus to disarm. You can trip with it and you can use weapon finesse with it. The damage sucks, but it does everything. In savage species, it is called the chain lash.
CHAIN, BARBED - SAVAGE SPECIES (3.0) Exotic One-Handed Melee Weapon Cost: 18 gp Damage ( s): 1d10 Damage (m): 2d6 Critical: x2 Weight: 6 lb Type: B and S This weapon is a length of four to six short, barbed iron bars connected by links of chain. Kytons often wield these weapons in place of their chain rakes and apply their dancing chains ability to them. Editor: That’s quite a bit of damage for a one handed weapon. Normally, when you apply an exotic weapon feat like this, you can use the weapon two handed as a normal martial weapon, at least under 3.5. That puts it on par with a greatsword, certainly better then a bastard sword.
fails). You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a drow scorpion chain sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon. Most drow who wield the drow scorpion chain will take the Drow Skirmisher feat, but other characters who take Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus, or Weapon Specialization for either the spiked chain or drow scorpion chain may apply the effects of those feats to attacks with either weapon. Editor: Exactly the same as a normal Spiked Chain, except that if you happen to be a drow, you can take the Drow Skirmisher feat (which grants several proficiencies and minor bonuses) instead of Exotic Weapon Proficiency to get proficiency with it. Not useful for Haberdash, but worth including on this list for the sake of completeness.
CHAIN, SPIKED - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Exotic Two-Handed Melee Weapon [Droppable, Finesse, Reach-NM, Tripping] Cost: 25 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 2d4 Critical: x2 Weight: 10 lb Type: P Disarm: +2 A spiked chain has reach, so you can strike opponents 10 feet away with it. In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, it can be used against an adjacent foe. Because the chain can wrap around an enemy’s leg or other limb, you can make trip attacks with the chain. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the chain to avoid being tripped. When using a spiked chain, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails). You can use the Weapon Finesse feat to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a spiked chain sized for you, even though it isn’t a light weapon for you. Editor: Most of us know how obvious this is. Any sort of search for the word “chain” and maybe “fighter” on this board will turn up numerous builds, a lot of them very nasty. Useful if you have a ton of reach and a potent magic weapon with an AoO build. But most of the time you can just use a glaive and a 5 ft step. If you're really in a pinch, use armor spikes.
- ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0) Exotic Thrown Weapon Cost: 15 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: x3 Range: 30 ft Weight: 2 lb Type: S The chakram is a throwing disk or quoit about 1 foot in diameter, with a sharpened outer rim. Editor: It looks neat and has a great range, but otherwise is very unimpressive.
CHATKCHA - MONSTER MANUAL II (3.0) - SAVAGE SPECIES (3.0) - EXPANDED PSIONICS HANDBOOK (3.5) Exotic Thrown Weapon Cost: 1 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical:18-20/x2 Range: 20 ft Weight: 3 lb Type: P This exotic ranged weapon is a crystalline throwing wedge. Its sheer weight makes it unwieldy in the hands of those not proficient with it. It is favored by thri-kreen. Editor: Now that’s a good crit range. Good distance, and okay damage. Cheap too. Worth a look at.
CHIJIRIKI - ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0) Exotic Two-Handed Melee Weapon [Double, Droppable, Tripping]
Some chuul manufacture these lashes to extend the reach of their own paralyzing tentacles. Using a lasher, a chuul can substitute a whip attack for one of its claw attacks. A successful strike with the whip attack does normal whip damage (1d2 points of subdual damage), and forces a Fortitude save against the chuul’s paralysis ability. It has a reach of 15 feet. Editor: Uhhhh… Unless you are a chuul, no. Just…. No. That said, if you happen to have a paralyzing strike, I suppose you could use this. As a DM, I’m stretching it. That said, maybe arm a ghast with one of these and watch the party freak out.
CLAW BRACER - ARMS AND EQUIPMENT GUIDE (3.0) - FORGOTTEN REALMS CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.0) Exotic Light Melee Weapon [Undroppable] Cost: 30 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: 19-20/x2 Weight: 2 lb Type: P A claw bracer is a metal armband with three steel claws projecting from the top, extending about 4 inches beyond the tip of the wearer’s extended fingers. The wearer can cast spells norm ally while wearing the bracer and cannot be disarmed. Many claw bracers are enhanced as magic weapons. Editor: Well, as a wizard, it might be nice to have a backup weapon, except that it eats up one of my feats that could be spent on metamagic. Anything that you can enchant a gauntlet with can be enchanted onto one of these.
CLOAK, WEIGHTED - CITYSCAPE (3.5) Martial One-Handed Melee Weapon [Tripping, Undroppable] Cost: 95 gp Damage ( s): 1d4
Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: x2 Range: 10 ft Weight: 3 lb Type: B A wooden club is so easy to find and fashion that it has no cost. Editor: Whump! Whump! Whump! Don’t forget you can throw it. Carry around a few.
CLUB, HURL - CHAMPIONS OF VALOR (3.5) Martial Two-Handed Melee Weapon Cost: 10 gp Damage ( s): 1d8 Damage (m): 1d10 Critical: x2 Range: 5 ft Weight: 8 lb Type: B Hurlclubs are greatclubs modified and specially weighted for throwing. They are identical to greatclubs in every way (including proficiency and all feats or other abilities related to using a greatclub) except that they cost 10 gp and have a range increment of 5 feet. Throwing a hurlclub requires two hands. Despite tavern tales to the contrary, a hurlclub doesn’t return to its thrower; however, some Knights attach long chains to their hurlclubs to prevent losing them (add 1 gp to cost). Once thrown, an attached hurlclub applies a –1 penalty to its user’s AC and on Strength- and Dexter ity-based ability checks and skill checks until it is pulled back in. Reeling in and picking up a thrown hurlcl ub is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Editor: Okay, it gets points for style. Not the best range, but you can pull it back. Got to be something cool you can do with that chain. Animate it and make it come back to you on it’s own. Something like that.
CLUB, TIGERSKULL - FROSTBURN (3.5)
Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: 19-20/x2 Weight: 2 lb Type: S Only a few desert societies have the wherewithal to forge the exotic weapon known as the collapsing crescent fan. Of those, the bhukas are most commonly associated with the weapon, and so another name for this weapon is the “bhuka blade”. When not in use, a crescent blade folds into a compact shape not too much larger than a wand. However, with a mere flick of the wrist, the many segments of a crescent blade slide into view and lock into place. The vanes of the fan are thin, razor-sharp steel sheets. When you attack a flat-footed foe with it, you gain a +4 bonus on the attack roll. Editor: +4 to attack any flat-footed foe. Great when combined with Iaijutsu Focus. What’s to say, except that it’s sneaky as heck. I see this being the weapon of a woman who fans herself with it, then slashes the crap out of you when you least expect it. Editor (General WSAs): Assassination/Deadly Precision/heartfinder all seems like an obvious choice for the sneak attack. Since this seems like a sneaky weapon, harmony might be a bad choice. Blurstrike will render your target flat-footed. I like chargebreaker (+1), but only for the imagery. Clouting (+3) drives people back 10 feet. Duststorm also seems thematically appropriate. I like the idea of putting an air elemental in it. Fly also seems to fit. Hideaway allows you to fold it up to nothing for 2,000 gp and it returns to normal size as a swift action. Jumping comes with feather fall built in, which fits with a fan weapon. Paralyzing is good if you are using this to assassinate someone. As a sneaky weapon, silent moves would be a good fit. Smoking goes along with a fan theme. Strength Sapping (+2) could be a good fit. Stunning surge as well. Vanishing allows you t o teleport 60 feet, a good trick for an assassin. Editor ( Brutal Surge): A +1 bonus. This one takes some explaining. Brutal Surge allows you to initiate a bull rush against any target you hit with a successful melee attack, w ithout actually moving along with the target. So it’s sort of like you wave the fan at someone and send them flying backwards. Just a cool visual effect. Using a two handed weapon with brutal surge is far more effective. Although you could use balanced to wield a large CCF, thus making it a one-handed weapon that you could wield with two hands. A lot of effort, however, to do what a longsword does as a martial weapon. Editor (Vorpal/Tentacle): Normally I don’t recommend vorpal. That said, there is some merit to having a vorpal fan. One, it’s a light weapon which means you can use it in your off hand. You can just keep swinging with it and hope to get lucky. Two, if you are an assassin and get lucky enough to behead someone from the shadows, that +4 will help confirm the critical. Three, it’s kinda cool to kill someone
CROSSBOW BAYONET, KNIFE - COMPLETE SCOUNDREL (3.5) Simple One-Handed Melee Weapon [Set] Cost: 2 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: x2 Weight: 1 lb Type: P Bayonets easily fit onto light or heavy crossbows, attaching to the stock below where the bolt fires. A knife bayonet attached to a crossbow functions as a shortspear. A crossbow with an attached bayonet cannot be thrown as a true spear can be, though it can be set against a charge. A hand crossbow is too small to accept a bayonet. Editor: While it might seem like the knife one goes on the light crossbow and the sword goes on the heavy, it actually doesn’t technically say that. No reason you can’t mount a sword bayonet on a light crossbow, except that as a DM I’d say that was stupid and RAI would indicate that you should keep knife bayonets on light crossbows.
CROSSBOW BAYONET, SWORD - COMPLETE SCOUNDREL (3.5) Simple Two-Handed Melee Weapon [Set] Cost: 4 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 1d8 Critical: x3 Weight: 2 lb Type: P Bayonets easily fit onto light or heavy crossbows, attaching to the stock below where the bolt fires. A sword bayonet attached to a crossbow is treated as a spear. A crossbow with an attached bayonet cannot be thrown as a true spear can be, though it can be set against a charge. A hand crossbow is too small to accept
CROSSBOW, COVERED - SONG AND SILENCE (3.0) Accessory Cost: +125 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 30 ft Weight: 4 lb Type: P Ammo: Bolt Rogues often find themselves hanging from ropes, clinging to walls, and in other positions that make normal missile fire impossible. However, a covered crossbow, in which a thin sheet of wood holds the bolt in its firing groove, can be fired from any position without the bolt slipping out. This device is very similar to the cut-down repeating crossbow in appearance, except that it lacks a clip. The covered hand crossbow loads from the rear and holds only one bolt at a time. Editor: How often do you find yourself hanging upside down? There you go.
CROSSBOW, GRAPPLE-FIRING - SONG AND SILENCE (3.0) Simple Ranged Weapon Cost: 70 gp Damage ( s): 1d2 Damage (m): 1d3 Critical: x2 Range: 120 ft Weight: 12 lb Type: P Ammo: Grapple Bolt This device helps adventures scale unclimbable walls, bridge chasms, escape down sheer cliffs, and the like. A grapple-firing crossbow is a heavy crossbow modified to fire a special, grapple-headed metal bolt attached to 100 feet of thin, light rope. A successful shot at an appropriate target indicates that the grapple
Range: 120 ft Weight: 14 lb Type: P Ammo: Bolt You draw a great crossbow back by turning a small winch. Loading a great crossbow is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Normally, operating a great crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot, but not load, a great crossbow with one hand at a –4 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a great crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two weapons. These penalties are cumulative with the penalty for firing the crossbow one-handed. Editor: Nice. Good damage, good crit range, the problem is the load speed. In theory you could use selfloading WSA, but it’s up to the DM if this is a siege weapon. Technically, it is not. Quick loading is an excellent second choice.
CROSSBOW, HAND - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Exotic Ranged Weapon Cost: 100 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 30 ft Weight: 2 lb Type: P Ammo: Bolt This exotic weapon is common among rogues and others who favor stealth over power. You can draw a hand crossbow back by hand. Loading a hand crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity. You can shoot, but not load, a hand crossbow with one hand at no penalty. You can shoot a hand crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two light weapons Editor: So you get one of these and a light crossbow with Quick Loading. Then you get your best video game/hail of bullets maneuver going. Otherwise, waste of a feat.
CROSSBOW, HAND DOUBLE
CROSSBOW, HEAVY - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Simple Ranged Weapon Cost: 50 gp Damage ( s): 1d8 Damage (m): 1d10 Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 120 ft Weight: 8 lb Type: P Ammo: Bolt You draw a heavy crossbow back by turning a small winch. Loading a heavy crossbow is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Normally, operating a heavy crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot, but not load, a heavy crossbow with one hand at a –4 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a heavy crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two one-handed weapons This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for one-handed firing. Editor: A good starting weapon for a wizard. You are unlikely to invest in feats that let you fire into melee, unless you are a ray specialist, so chances are you won’t be firing more then once. So after that, fall back to the Crossbow Bayonet (sword) you have installed under it.
CROSSBOW, HEAVY DOUBLE - RACES OF THE DRAGON (3.5) Exotic Ranged Weapon Cost: 100 gp Damage ( s): 1d8 Damage (m): 1d10 Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 120 ft Weight: 12 lb Type: P Ammo: Bolt
Type: P Ammo: Bolt The repeating crossbow (whether heavy or light) holds 5 crossbow bolts. As long as it holds bolts, you can reload it by pulling the reloading lever (a free action). Loading a new case of 5 bolts is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. You can fire a repeating crossbow with one hand or fire a repeating crossbow in each hand in the same manner as you would a normal crossbow of the same size. However, you must fire the weapon with two hands in order to use the reloading lever, and you must use two hands to load a new case of bolts. Editor: Yeah, it’s cool. Loading as a free action takes the edge off this puppy. Great for fighters with lots of actions to burn.
CROSSBOW, LIGHT - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Simple Ranged Weapon Cost: 35 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 1d8 Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 80 ft Weight: 4 lb Type: P Ammo: Bolt You draw a light crossbow back by pulling a lever. Loading a light crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Normally, operating a l ight crossbow requires two hands. However, you can shoot, but not load, a light crossbow with one hand at a –2 penalty on attack rolls. You can shoot a light crossbow with each hand, but you take a penalty on attack rolls as if attacking with two light weapons. This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for one- handed firing. Editor: A good starting weapon for a wizard. Let’s you save on spells and gives you a chance to join in without issues. What makes this superior over the heavy crossbow is the rate of fire. Now, if you are a ray specialist, you are going to take the feats that let you fire into melee anyways, so you might as well have some non-magical backup at your disposal.
wield. Otherwise, just get the heavy version.
CROSSBOW, LIGHT REPEATING - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) Exotic Ranged Weapon Cost: 250 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 1d8 Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 80 ft Weight: 6 lb Type: P Ammo: Bolt See Heavy Repeating Crossbow. Editor: You know what would be cool? A light double repeating crossbow. A logistical nightmare, I know, but damn cool looking if you can full round fi re two bolts a round for five rounds wi thout needing to reload. Otherwise, unimpressive.
CROSSBOW, WINCH - MASTERS OF THE WILD (3.0) Exotic Ranged Weapon [Nonlethal] Cost: 75 gp Damage ( s): 1d6 Damage (m): 1d8 Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 50 ft Weight: 10 lb Type: P Ammo: Winch bolt The winch crossbow fires a rope and pulley attached to a special crossbow bolt. The bolt is split down the
Accessory Cost: +150 gp Weight: 1 lb This device comes in two parts: an eyepiece that attaches to the stock of a crossbow and a sight that is affixed to the end of the weapon. When calibrated properly, the sights allow the user to focus more carefully on a target. The user treats targets as if they were two range increments closer. It has no effect on targets within the first two range increments. Editor: There is no reason for not buying one of these for every crossbow. 150 gp to negate -2, and -4 to hit? You might not need to hit targets that far out that often, but when you do, you’ll consider it a trivial amount.
CUTLASS - FORGOTTEN REALMS CAMPAIGN SETTING (3.0) - STORMWRACK (3.5) Martial Light Melee Weapon Cost: 15 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: 19-20/x2 Weight: 3 lb Type: S A light slashing weapon especially favored by pirates and other nautical raiders, the cutlass is a heavy blade about 2 feet long with a curved edge. It is easy to wield in close quarters and can deal vicious gashes to an opponent. Its heavy basket hilt gives the wielder a +2 circumstance bonus on any checks to resist being disarmed. Editor: Yar!
CUTTING WHEEL - SECRETS OF SARLONA (3.5) Exotic Light Melee Weapon [SMW] Cost: 15 gp
Critical: 19-20/x2 Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb Type: P or S The dagger is a common secondary weapon. You get a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a dagger on your body. Editor: The baseline for a simple light weapon is 1d4. It has the perk of being a throwing weapon that can be used in melee, but I’m not that impr essed. Stick one in your boot and forget about it. Editor (Throwing Knife): Alas, the death of the throwing knife. It simply never made the cut to 3.0. They consolidated it into the dagger and the throwing knife stopped existing. So if you are looking for throwing knives you are stuck with desert throwing knives, an exotic weapon.
DAGGER, BARBED - COMPLETE ADVENTURER (3.5) Exotic Light Melee Weapon Cost: 35 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: 19-20/x2 Weight: 1 lb Type: P Barbed daggers, as their name implies, look like normal daggers with long barbs covering the blade. The design makes the weapon more difficult to wield properly than a normal dagger, but it allows those skilled in the weapon’s use to deal more damage with a well-placed attack. If you have 5 or more ranks in Sleight of Hand and use a barbed dagger, you gain a +2 bonus on damage rolls on any successful sneak attack made with the weapon as it twists in the wound. This bonus also applies (and is therefore doubled) on successful critical hits with the weapon. Characters proficient with the barbed dagger can treat it as a dagger for the purpose of any of the following feats: Greater Weapon Focus, Greater Weapon Specialization, Improved Critical, Weapon Focus, and Weapon Specialization. Editor: Cool weapon for back stabs, bad weapon for needing a feat. Meh.
DAGGER, RIBBON
Critical: x3 Weight: 1 lb Type: P This dagger puts more force from your punch behind it, making it capable of deadly strikes. Editor: Better critical, but cannot be thrown. Meh.
DARKOIL - UNDERDARK (3.5) Application Cost: 25 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Weight: 1 lb Darkoil is a rare mineral oil specially prepared with various alchemical reagents. It protects drowcraft weapons and armor (see Magic Items, below) from the effects of sunlight. A vial of darkoil is sufficient to protect a weapon for 3 days or a suit of armor for 1 day. Applying darkoil to any item requires 1 minute. Darkoil can be created with a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check. Editor: While it has no use in combat, it does allow you to use certain weapons in fighting conditions you normally couldn’t and makes the WSA drowcraft much more useful.
DART, ACID - RACES OF FAERUN (3.0) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Dart) Ammunition (Dart) Cost: 20 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 + Special Damage (m): 1d4 + Special Critical: x2 Range: 20 ft Weight: 1 lb Type: P When these hollow darts hit a target, they break, splashing the victim with acid. This does an additional 1d6 points of acid damage in addition to the normal 1d4 pi ercing damage from the dart itself. Once used, the
Simple Thrown Ammunition (Dart) Ammunition (Dart) Cost: 40 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: x2 Range: 20 ft Weight: 1 lb Type: P When one of these hollow darts hits a target, it releases a small puff of poison gas. The victim must make a Fortitude save (DC 12) or be stunned for one round. After one round, the target must make another Fortitude save (DC 12) or be stunned for an additional 1d4 rounds. Editor: What a lousy save, but still, it is what it is. I’d buy a few.
DART, THROWN - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK (3.0) - PLAYER’S HANDBOOK I (3.5) - UNDERDARK (3.5) - COMPLETE WARRIOR (3.5) - ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0) Simple Thrown Weapon Ammunition (Dart) Cost: .5 gp Damage ( s): 1d3 Damage (m): 1d4 Critical: x2 Range: 20 ft Weight: 1/2 lb Type: P A dart is the size of a large arrow and has a weighted head. Essentially, it is a small javelin. Editor: Standard issue dart. Throw it, load it in a blow gun. Just remember that blow darts are different from thrown darts. Buy them one way or the other.
Cost: 15 gp Alchemy DC: 20 Damage (direct ): 2d4 Damage ( splash ): 1 Critical: x2 Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb This vile liquid has a muddy brown hue and smells of rotten plant life. You can throw a flask of defoliator as a splash weapon. On a direct hit, it deals 2d4 points of damage to plant creatures and kills normal plants of Medium-size or smaller. The splash damage from defoliator deals 1 point of damage to plant creatures and kills normal plants that are smaller than Medium-size. The damage is not limited to living plants: wooden objects such as doors and wooden weapons also take damage from defoliator, though their hardness applies. Editor: Anti-plant weapons are neat, but how often do you have to worry about being attacked by shrubs? However, this is dual purpose, since it will help you destroy all sorts of plant matter. Rope is plant matter. Doors are plant matter. So this can help with a wide selection of alternate problems. The thing is, it’s only 2d4 points of damage, so buy a half dozen, if you buy it at all.
DELVER SLIME - SAVAGE SPECIES (3.0) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Flask) [Splash] Cost: 150 gp Alchemy DC: 25 Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb Delvers produce a mucus-like slime that contains a highly corrosive substance. The slime is particularly effective against stone. Glass vials of this substance occasionally appear in marketplaces, sold by enterprising dwarves who bribed delvers with gems. Vials of the slime can be thrown as splash weapons. A successful hit deals 2d6 points of acid damage to organic creatures or objects. Against metallic creatures or objects, the delver’s slime deals 4d8 points of acid damage, and against stony creatures (including earth elementals) or objects it deals 8d10 points of acid damage. All creatures within 5 feet of where the vial lands take 1d6 points of acid damage from the splash, but objects within 5 feet are not affected.
1d8 points of acid damage in a 15-foot-radius burst (Reflex DC 15 half). The damage dealt by a ditherbomb ignores the hardness of stone. The more powerful ditherbombs are inherently unpredictable, as reflected in their variable damage values. To determine the damage dealt by a strong ditherbomb or a wyrm ditherbomb, roll two different dice and multiply the results. For example, a strong ditherbomb deals 1d4 x 1d6 points of damage, which means that you roll 1d4 and 1d6 and multiply the result together to determine the damage it deals when it explodes. The strong ditherbomb is thus just as likely to deal 1 point of damage as it is to deal 24 points of damage (but is most likely to deal somewhere around 9 points of damage). A wyrm ditherbomb’s average damage is about 16 points Editor: That is a lot of money for a weapon that might do 1 point of damage. However, it is quite a bit of acid damage and it ignores the hardness of stone. I can see stacking some interesting WSAs onto it and taking it to the next level. Some people just want to watch the world melt. Also, it’s the right size to put into a gnome calculus. Can you say, “The south wall has been breached?”
DRAGONSPLIT - MONSTER MANUAL 4 (3.5) Exotic One-Handed Melee Weapon [Finesse] Cost: 25 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: 19-20/x2 (P) or x4 ( s) Weight: 2 lb Type: P or S A greenspawn sneak wields a pair of dragonsplits, one-handed exotic melee weapons with which all sneaks are proficient. A dragonsplit can be used as a piercing weapon like a short sword. Alternative grips use its long edge for slashing attacks or its short edge for chopping and hacking. It counts as a light weapon for the purpose of Two-Weapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse. Dragonsplits are not double weapons. Instead, a wielder chooses to use either the piercing edge for a greater critical threat range or the slashing edge for a devastating (but rarer) quadruple-damage critical. Editor: This is the “other” x4 threat one-handed weapon. Unlike the tigerskull club, this does slashing damage, which qualifies it for things that the club can’t, and it counts as a light weapon for Twoweapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse. However, it has no tripping or disarming qualities.
- DROW OF THE UNDERDARK (3.5) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Bullet) Cost: 50 gp Alchemy DC: 25 Range: 20 ft Weight: 1 lb These small stones are treated with a substance that gives them a faint purple sheen. When you throw a dwarfblind stone as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 20 feet, it releases a burst of violet light upon striking a hard surface. This burst illuminates a 10-foot radius for an instant and interferes with darkvision. Creatures within the area of the burst must make a DC 15 Reflex save or lose their darkvision ability for 10 minutes. A dwarfblind stone has no effect on normal or low-light vision. Since it doesn’t need to hit you can simply aim a dwarfblind stone at a particular 5-foot square. Treat the target as AC 5. Editor: While you can load it into a sling, this item does no damage in and of itself. The sling does not add base damage to the weapon, but WSAs can apply, depending on how they are worded. That said, it’ s got good range and an okay AoE. Might be worth buying one to put in your handy haversack.
EAGLE’S CLAW - SANDSTORM (3.5) Exotic Light Melee Weapon Cost: 20 gp Damage ( s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6 Critical: 18-20/x2 Weight: 2 lb Type: S or P The asheratis invented the first eagle’s claw. This light, exotic melee weapon has a quarter-circle blade that is equally sharp on both the inner and outer edges. The blade is about 6 inches long and looks very much like an eagle’s claw enlarged and forged in steel. The handle of an eagle’s claw is slightly curved with a hole at the end to facilitate the use of a finger (middle or index) in wielding the weapon, allowing you to instantly swing the blade between differing grips. You get a +1 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal an eagle’s claw on your body Editor: Nice critical spread for a light weapon. Might be good on your off hand if you are a TWF, have keen on this, and enjoy critical WSAs.
Editor ( Energy Damage ): The two types of energy damage to put on something like this is fire and frost. They simply have the best spread of stackable WSAs. If you are going with only official WSAs, stick with fire. If your DM allows extrapolated WSAs from specific weapons, I recommend frost. I speak off The Frost Shard. Combining Frost shard, frost, and energy aura, you can put +6d6 damage into your grenade for 1,376 gp for one. Not bad for a touch attack. It gets cheaper if you mix and match, but blindness and a frozen face are rather impressive for a sneak attack. Editor (WSAs): Assassination is the obvious choice. You can coat this sucker with contact poison (it does not cause injury, so injury poison is out) and whip it in someone’s face. Make sure to add virulent , so that the secondary effects kick in after 5 rounds. is a good choice for putting damage on this. True, it’s only +1d4, but it works with the touch attack. Then you can stack on other WSAs that require you to inflict damage. Strength Sapping comes to mind for the half speed and Dex/Str debuff. Clouting is also a weird choice, but when you blind the target, you would also drive him back 10 feet, possibly knock him down, and you also might stun him. A +3 bonus like that is usually expensive, but useful in ammunition. Dismisser banishes a foe on a touch attack and that +3 cost is much easier to swallow in ammo. If you fail to dismiss, they are still blind. Hideaway is a weird choice but it would fold and egg up to something you could put on a ring. Impedance is one of those WSAs I never use, but could work well with this to screw up a magic user. Forcing spellcraft checks is usually a trivial annoyance, but in ammunition, it’s not that expensive. Revealing will surround the target in faerie fire for a round. Combine this with seeking and as long as you know what square the target is in, an invisible enemy will be hit. Swarmstrike will allow you to blind an entire swarm in one shot. Torturous stuns for one round, but upgrade to the improved version for the better save DC. Editor ( Exit Wound ): What happens when you buy this on something that clearly was never intended to go through people? The answer is, everyone in a line gets blinded and it does 1d6 points of damage to each target. Scary. Editor ( Explosive): Not a big fan of explosive, but for ammunition, this works. However, where the real synergy occurs is when you add in flying. Basically, you make a flying, suicidal, blinding exploding egg. It solves the problem of wondering if it’ll break open when you fall down a flight of stairs, and since they are a touch attack, it don’t matter that they attack as animate objects. They follow orders about as well as an animated skeleton, so you could have four or five of these orbiting your head and people will just think they are weird ioun stones. Then they fly off, slam into someone, then explode for 2d4 damage, blind the target, and if they miss, there’s still a chance for blinding everyone in the explosion if they fail the fortitude save.
Alchemy DC: 20 Range: 5 ft Weight: - lb A favorite tool of ninja, used to create distractions, eggshell grenades are emptied eggshells carefully packed with various alchemical substances. A pepper grenade that hits its target directl y incapacitates the target for 1 round unless he makes a successful Fortitude save (DC 10). The target is treated as stunned: He loses his Dexterity bonus to AC and can take no actions, while enemies gain a +2 bonus to hit him. There is no “splash” effect. Naturally, eggshell grenades are very fragile and must be stowed carefully to avoid breakage. If a character carrying these items suffers damage from falling, each eggshell grenade must make a Fortitude save (as if the character were making the saving throw) against a DC of 10 + the amount of damage suffered. Eggshell grenades are too light to be used in a sling or other launcher. Editor: See dust eggshell grenade above for ideas. Unfortunately this grants a saving throw.
EGGSHELL GRENADE, POISON SMOKE - ORIENTAL ADVENTURES (3.0) Simple Thrown Ammunition (Eggshell) Cost: 150 gp Alchemy DC: 25 Range: 10 ft Weight: 1 lb A favorite tool of ninja, used to create distractions, eggshell grenades are emptied eggshells carefully packed with various alchemical substances. A poison smoke grenade is effective only when thrown into a fire source, where it bursts into a cloud of vile, stinking smoke. The cloud spreads to a radius of 10 feet from the fire source, and has the effect of a stinking cloud spell: Creatures within the cloud must make a successful Fortitude save each round (DC 13) or become nauseated. The only action a nauseated character can take is a single move (or move-equivalent) action per turn. The effect lasts for 1d4+1 rounds after the character leaves the cloud. There is no effect if the grenade misses the fire (though the grenade is ruined). Naturally, eggshell grenades are very fragile and must be stowed careful ly to avoid breakage. If a character carrying these items suffers damage from falling, each eggshell grenade must make a Fortitude save (as if the character were making the saving throw) against a DC of 10 + the amount of damage suffered. Eggshell grenades are too light to be used in a sling or other launcher. Editor: Again, it would be easier to fireball the egg then to throw it into fire. Still, it could serve as a distraction. And it does last a few rounds.
