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    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Singhilarity's Avatar

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    Default (3.5) Cultural Weapon/Instrument; Dwarven Bull-Roarer (PEACH)

    The travelers are high amidst snowcapped mountain peaks. Stings of ice cold wind whips around them, insulated only by their clothes and the small snow-drifts which accumulate in any available crevice. There's a strange howl to the wind, moving between the peaks...

    No, wait, hold on... the wind didn't stop just there, but the sound did. Wait, there it is again... a short one, then another short one. A pause... another short burst followed by two long ones... It's almost like someone's communicating... It sure is an eerie sound though.

    Then comes the rumble. There's no time to look up, but the party's never been more glad to have a Wizard.


    Bull-Roarers, for those who don't know, are indigenous instruments. Most commonly recognized in Australia, they also appear amidst Navajo and Apache cultures, and numerous others around the world.

    Essentially a (semi) rectangular piece of wood, attached to a string, the piece of wood gets partially wrapped, and then spun rapidly at the length of the string to make an unmistakable howling sound.



    But these are the Dwarves, we're speaking of.
    Chains, where one would find string. Huge stones, or ornate metals, where one would find wood.


    Dwarves use their Bull-Roarers much the same as Native Americans would use smoke signals. A sort of morse code, from mountain peak to mountain peak. The "roar" is unmistakable - felt in the bones, haunting.

    For the supremely skilled and aware, certain frequencies can be used to shake the very snow from the mountains, causing crushing avalanches... with practice, these can even be directed at specific peaks.

    In combat, the Dwarves let fly these "instruments", snapping them back with lethal accuracy.

    Exotic Weapon (Special - Dwarven Bards are considered proficient with Dwarven Bull Roarers)
    Dwarven Bull Roarer - 50 gp. - 1d8 bludgeoning damage - x2 crit. - 20lbs - 10' reach.

    Despite their reach, Bull Roarers can be used to attack adjacent foes, as well as those at the extent of their reach.

    They can be used to wrap around the legs of foes, and therefor allow trip attacks to be made. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the chain to avoid being tripped.

    Similarly, they can wrap around the weapons of enemys, and grant a +2 bonus to attack rolls on disarm attempts.

    Those who are unfamiliar with Bull Roarers are apt to find the sounds quite terrifying.

    If the wielder succeeds on a Perform check, DC 15, unfamiliar enemies within a 100' range must make a Will Save, DC 12 + (wielder's Cha Bonus) or be Shaken until they can identify the source of the sound + 1 round.

    A Knowledge (Local) check, DC 15 will tell players that it is not, in fact, the wind howling, but a Dwarven Bull Roarer.

    A Knowledge (Local) check, DC 20 will reveal that they can be used for both communication, and, in rare instances, to trigger avalanches.

    A Knowledge (Local) check, DC 30 can be used to decode the message.
    For those who speak Dwarven (Bull-Roarer communications never take place in any language other than Dwarven), the DC is lowered to 20.
    Those who have the Feat "Bull-Roarer Code" are capable of understanding it's messages as though they can speak it like a language.



    ------------

    Bull-Roarer Code (General)
    Prerequisites: Perform 9 ranks, Weapon Focus (Dwarven Bull Roarer), Must speak Dwarven.
    Benefit: You have learned to use your Bull Roarer to send encoded information across vast distances.
    A Perform Check DC 9 is needed for single words of two syllables or less.
    Add +1 to this check per syllable in the word.
    Each word in a sentence adds +1 to the overall DC to the message.


    Timed Avalanche (General)
    Prerequisites: Perform 15 ranks, Weapon Specialization (Dwarven Bull Roarer)
    Benefit: You have mastered the art of using specific timings with your Bull Roarer to cause avalanches in mountainous terrain, old ruins, and similar locations. Should you succeed on a DC 30 Preform check, you are able to cause snow or rocks to begin a landslide on nearby peaks, poorly balanced ruins to fall, decayed ceilings to collapse, etc (Failing this check by too much (DM's Discression)) can cause the Avalanche/Collapse to occur dangerously close to you. A DC 45 Preform check will allow you to select a specific location, and cause the avalanche/collapse to occur there.

    Each 3 ranks in Knowledge (Geography) grants a +1 bonus to the check for outdoor locations.
    Each 3 ranks in Knowledge (Architecture) grants a +1 bonus to the check for indoor locations.
    Last edited by Singhilarity; 2008-09-20 at 02:56 PM.
    "The wisest of Sages remains intentionally vague, as it prompts the faculties to action" - William Blake

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    SurlySeraph's Avatar

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    Default Re: (3.5) Cultural Weapon/Instrument; Dwarven Bull-Roarer (PEACH)

    My first thought is that these might be a bit too powerful. Having reach and being used for trip attacks is what makes spiked chains the most powerful exotic weapon in the books. These are basically spiked chains that do slightly less damage, do bludgeoning damage, and give you an at-will DC 17 Cause Fear against anything that's close enough to hear you and doesn't make its Spot check to find you. I'd either require a Perform check to make the sound with them or require a feat to make the sound.
    Quote Originally Posted by Thespianus View Post
    I fail to see how "No, that guy is too fat to be hurt by your fire" would make sense.

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    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Singhilarity's Avatar

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    Default Re: (3.5) Cultural Weapon/Instrument; Dwarven Bull-Roarer (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by SurlySeraph View Post
    My first thought is that these might be a bit too powerful. Having reach and being used for trip attacks is what makes spiked chains the most powerful exotic weapon in the books. These are basically spiked chains that do slightly less damage, do bludgeoning damage, and give you an at-will DC 17 Cause Fear against anything that's close enough to hear you and doesn't make its Spot check to find you. I'd either require a Perform check to make the sound with them or require a feat to make the sound.
    Definitely a lot of truth to that.

    I've reduced the damage to 1d6, and added a perform check to making a fear inducing sound.

    I've also created specific feats for communicating and causing avalanches. Glee!
    "The wisest of Sages remains intentionally vague, as it prompts the faculties to action" - William Blake

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    SurlySeraph's Avatar

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    Default Re: (3.5) Cultural Weapon/Instrument; Dwarven Bull-Roarer (PEACH)

    Looks balanced and awesome to me now. Is a check required for the intended receiver of a message to decode it?
    Quote Originally Posted by Thespianus View Post
    I fail to see how "No, that guy is too fat to be hurt by your fire" would make sense.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Pixie in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: (3.5) Cultural Weapon/Instrument; Dwarven Bull-Roarer (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by SurlySeraph View Post
    Looks balanced and awesome to me now. Is a check required for the intended receiver of a message to decode it?
    As per the description -

    A Knowledge (Local) check, DC 30 can be used to decode the message.
    For those who speak Dwarven (Bull-Roarer communications never take place in any language other than Dwarven), the DC is lowered to 20.

    And I just added in -
    Those who have the Feat "Bull-Roarer Code" are capable of understanding it's messages as though they can speak it like a language.
    "The wisest of Sages remains intentionally vague, as it prompts the faculties to action" - William Blake

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