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Aiming for Savings

January 15th, 2015

Joshua Zaback

Magic Market Archive

                We all love magic weapons; after all, what kind of magic item is more exciting than one you can use to smash your enemies to smithereens? There are a lot of great magic weapons out there, from magical swords to magical axes, but interesting new ranged weapons tend to be overlooked and underdeveloped. This week’s article seeks to help change all that with these new magical weapons.

 

BOW OF THE EAGLE HUNTER
Aura moderate divination; CL 9th
Slot none; Price 35,700 gp; Weight 3 lbs.
Construction Requirements Craft Magical Arms and Armor, scrying; Cost 18,200 gp

                Carved from supple yew and wrapped with bands of polished gold decorated with bright agates made to resemble an eagle’s eye, this impressive bow is beautiful as well as functional. In addition to functioning as a +1 distance composite longbow (+3 Str), as a free action made as part of an attack, the wielder of this bow can cause a single piece of ammunition it fires to be further empowered by a potent tracking magic. If the attack is successful, the bow’s wielder can see a bright orange glow around the target which remains clearly visible to him, regardless of the target’s actual distance (a target which is beyond the maximum range of the wielder’s vision or which has concealment from him still cannot be seen) and grants the wielder a +40 bonus on Perception checks made to locate the target (this bonus does not apply to other Perception checks against the target, such as those to discover a disguise the target might be wearing). Additionally, ammunition fired at the target from the bow of the eagle hunter flies true, ignoring any penalty to attack due to range increment (the target still cannot be attacked if he is beyond the bow’s maximum range).

                Finally, as a swift action, the wielder of a bow of the eagle hunter can shift his vision to the target’s position, allowing him to clearly see the target and the 10-foot-radius area around the target (using his normal senses as well as any special senses he possesses). This ability only functions so long as the target remains within sight distance and works in a fashion similar to a scrying spell. This effect lasts for as long as the wielder wishes and can be ended with a swift action. While viewing the target in this way, the wielder is not able to see with his normal vision, and is treated as being blind for all purposes except this ability.

                Some of the bow of the eagle hunter’s unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +3-equivalent weapon for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.

 

SLING OF BEASTS
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th
Slot none; Price 54,300 gp; Weight
Construction Requirements Craft Magical Arms and Armor, summon nature’s ally V and teleport; Cost 27,300 gp

                This sleek and well-crafted sling is made from the remnants of a torn bag of tricks and thus comes in brown, grey, or tan, and seems to generate the sounds of various wild beasts as it whirls through the air. In addition to functioning as a +1 thundering sling, up to three times per day, the wielder of a sling of beasts may invoke the sling’s magic in order to conjure forth any animal which could be summoned by a summon nature’s ally V spell. Using this ability is a full-round action and the summoned creature is treated as having charged on its first turn, even if it does not actually move. The beast summoned in this way remains for 5 rounds, and acts immediately following the wielder’s initiative. If the wielder can communicate with the summoned creature, he may give it instructions, which it obeys without question; otherwise, the summoned beast attacks the wielder’s enemies to the best of its ability, or if unable to do so, does nothing.

                Finally, by placing the sling of beasts in direct contact with his animal companion or familiar, as a full-round action, the wielder can transform that animal companion or familiar into a sling bullet and launch it to any square within range by making an attack roll. If he targets a square occupied by another character, and the result of the attack roll is high enough to hit that character, the bullet transforms into your animal companion immediately before impact and that creature can make an attack against that target. The animal companion or familiar is treated as having used the charge action for this attack (including using the pounce special ability, or any similar ability, if the animal companion or familiar possesses it). If the animal companion or familiar kills the target or forces the target out of that space, it end its turn in that space; otherwise, the animal companion or familiar is moved to an unoccupied adjacent space. If you do not target a square occupied by another character, your animal companion or familiar simply reappears in the unoccupied space.

                None of the sling of beast’s unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +2-equivalent weapon for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.

 

VORDIS CROSSBOW
Aura moderate divination; CL 6th
Slot none; Price 68,335 gp; Weight 8 lbs.
Construction Requirements Craft Magical Arms and Armor, true seeing; Cost 34,335 gp

                Though not actually created by the vordis, a race of evil construct-like undead, this hideous and bizarre-looking crossbow was created by human wizards using cruel and advanced science commonly used by the vordis scourge. Appearing mostly as a dull brown metal crossbow, this wicked weapon incorporates several organic components, prominently including what appears to be a large pupil-less eye at the front of the weapon, as well a fleshy cord which extends from the rear of the device and connects to a gleaming black metal cup designed to fit over a human’s eye. Though the use of this +3 heavy crossbow is abhorrent to some, others find its potent magical effects to be more than worth the tradeoffs. In order to properly wield a vordis crossbow, the wielder must attach the metal cup to his right eye. Though apparently opaque, the cup does not interfere with the wearer’s vision in any way (though it does prevent the use of items worn on the eyes such as goggles and spectacles) and by closing his eyes, the wielder can evoke the true power of this dread weapon. Once the wearer shuts his eyes, small metal spikes protrude from the cup, inflicting 1d6 points of damage each round the wearer’s eyes remains shut, but triggering electrical responses in the wearer’s brain that allow him to see through solid objects as though he were wearing a ring of x-ray vision.

                Additionally, by placing the eye-like organic compound on the front of the crossbow in contact with a solid surface, the wielder can channel the same strange psychic impulses which allow him to see through walls to create a temporary warp in the very fabric of reality, allowing him to make a single attack with the crossbow through up to 5 feet of solid materials. Certain rare substances (such as adamantine, blacksteel, and even simple lead) cannot be pierced by this effect, though it can bypass force effects (such as a wall of force or a resilient sphere) with ease. Typically, targets of these attacks are denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, both as a result of total concealment and because the very idea of attacking through a solid barrier is difficult for those inexperienced with such things to predict; however, certain circumstances might negate this penalty (for example, attacking through a transparent wall of force or making such an attack after loudly proclaiming that you were about to do so). The wielder can use this ability up to three times per day.

                Some of the vordis crossbow’s unique abilities count as an enhancement bonus equivalent, and it is treated as a +4-equivalent weapon for the purposes of the cost of further improving its magical abilities.