Artifacts/TelgarGunsAndAmmo

Telgar's Guns and Ammo

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I find it strange that mecha and biotechnology along the lines of Macross and Gundam Wing are acceptable in the default Exalted setting, but not slug-throwers. Guns are every bit as romantic as swords and battle axes and laser backpacks. And so, I have started creating Steelthrowers and their bullets. In general, they use normal lead or iron bullets but sometimes, that just won't get the job done.

Guns

Steelcaster - Level 2

Designed as a more practical and longer-ranged alternative to Flamewands, the Steelcaster design uses enchantment and alchemical powders easily made by even the most amateur thaumaturge to hurl bits of metal at amazing speed, ripping large holes in whatever stands in their way. There are three basic varieties of Steelcasters. The Tornado Caster is a single-handed pistol that carries six rounds in a rotating chamber, the Thunderthrower, a two-handed rifle designed for longer ranges with a slower rate of fire and the Stormshooter, a double-barreled weapon that fires clouds of smaller ammunition to cause heavy destruction.

Using a Steelcaster requires an alchemical explosive powder which can be purchased (or made) as a Resources 1 item. Each purchase is generally enough to last a month. The physical structure of the weapons also requires weekly maintenance by a person with at least Archery 2 and Crafts 1. All three varieties of Steelcaster are level 2 Artifacts. Please note that these weapons are intended to be customized with various powers, not simply used as stock items. No one ever saved the day with stock items or stock freighters.

Tornado Caster: Acc +3 | Damage 8L | Rate 6 | Range 100 | Committment 5

Thunderthrower: Acc +5 | Damage 10L | Rate 4 | Range 200 | Committment 5

Stormshooter: Acc +0 | Damage 20L | Rate 2 | Range 20 | Committment 5

Caliburn - Level 3

A custom-designed Tornado Caster, Caliburn was favored by a young Solar enamoured of both lightning and blowing holes in things. The weapon is fashioned from the finest steel given a blue sheen by a tiny mixture of Blue Jade into the steel. Orichalcum wire has been wrapped and merged into the weapon to channel its enchantments and add power to the shots. The barrel and chamber of Caliburn are made of Yellow Jade, each carved with opposite patterns. When the owner of Caliburn wishes he can channel one mote of Essence into both the chamber and the barrel. The opposing enchantments cause the bullet to ignite and explode during the process of firing. When the bullet explodes it releases a powerful bolt of lightning that strikes the target, doing 10L Piercing damage. Lightning strikes can also damage those in physical contact with the original victim, doing 8L Piercing damage with as many successes as the original attack had.

Caliburn: Acc +5 | Damage 10L | Rate 6 | Range 100 | Committment 5

Ammo

Shadow-Burning Shells - Level 1

Favored often by those who fight the creatures of Malfeas, the Wyld and the Underworld these shiny little bullets are cast of an Orichalcum-Copper alloy. The enchantments upon them activate when fired and the bullets burst into holy flames before striking their target. Creatures of Darkness and the Wyld take aggravated damage from these bullets. Each purchase of 1 dot's worth of Shadow-Burning Rounds provides enough ammunition to last a single scene.

Soul-Bleeding Rounds - Level 1

When embedded into the flesh of their target, Soul-Bleeding Rounds act as an Essence sink, hungrily absorbing the ambient Essence of their victim. These rounds have no effect at all on those unable to channel their Essence. Being constructed of Soulsteel made from Hungry Ghosts, Soul-Bleeding Rounds consume 2 motes of their victim's Essence every turn they are inside the target's flesh.

Tornado Shell - Level 1

Using the power of Blue Jade and a captured Wind Elemental, Tornado Shells are miniature versions of the Tornado Cannon sometimes used as First Age artillery. When they enter their target, the magic of the Shell summons a violent, but small, whirlwind. The whirlwind picks up the target and hurls them about for 1 turn per Health Level of damage inflicted by the bullet's strike. During each turn the target is in the grip of the tornado they take 10B environmental damage. Prior do taking the damage the target may attempt to escape the tornado with a difficulty 4 Dexterity + Athletics roll. Any other actions while in the tornado's grip suffer a -4 penalty. Ranged attacks are impossible. As a slight bonus, it is equally impossible to make ranged attacks against the target while they are being flung about and melee attacks against them suffer a +2 difficulty.

Spirit-Eating Barb - Level 1

Crafted in the form of either bullets or arrowheads, Spirit-Eating Barbs are easily produced bits of Black and Green Jade that serve their function only when embedded in the flesh of an enemy. Fired from weapons, these small Artifacts sink into the foe's body and force the target to commit 3 motes to them. This commitment is not voluntary and can not voluntarily be ended. The only ways to end the commitment are to remove the Artifact and allow 1 day to pass without contact between the target and the Barb or to use magic to break the attunement.

Barbs can be shaped as any sort of arrowhead or bullet the crafter desires.

Spellshot Bullet - Level 1

These bullets are made from Starmetal dust and part of a Sorcerer, wrapped in rusted iron. Properly charged, they can be used to strike down magic rather then living foes. Attacks made with these bullets are unable to harm non-magical targets like people, but they can destroy Charms and Spells with ease.

Attacks are made normally against a character or object currently casting, using or benefiting from a Charm or Spell. The character may attempt to parry or dodge the attack normally. If the attack hits, roll its damage against the soak of the Charm or Spell which is the combined Essence and Ability requirements. Charms and Spells also have Health Levels equal to their Essence and Ability requirements. Using a Spellshot Bullet is an all or nothing deal, either the Spell or Charm is destroyed in one shot, or it takes no damage.

Creatures created via Sorcery such as the Magma Kraken can be targeted directly by Spellshot Bullets and must defend themselves rather then letting their creator defend them. In their case, use their normal Soak and Health Levels to determine if they are destroyed. Attacks against them are not all or nothing.

Chaos Cartridge - Level 2

One of the more disturbing types of ammunition designed for use in Steelcasters, Chaos Cartridges are shaped from bits of Fair Folk killed in Creation and metal taken from a Wyld Zone. Chaos Cartridges never inflict Health Levels of damage on their targets. Instead, when struck by one the target instantly gains as many points of negative Wyld Mutations as he would have taken Health Levels of damage were the attack normal. The Storyteller assigns whatever Mutations he feels are appropriate to the materials used in construction of that specific Cartridge.

Pitfall Rounds - Level 4

Small spheres of black stone harvested from the Tombs of the Malfeans themselves and used to bind a Tomb Guardian spirit, Pitfall Rounds are the single most dangerous bullet in Creation. When fired, they seek out their target with a mindless hunger. The captured Tomb Guardians are ensorcelled, befuddled and confused, they grab hold of their victims from the inside and drag them into the Well of the Abyss. A being hit and wounded by a Pitfall Round is sucked through a portal opened by the Tomb Guardian and plunged into the Well of the Abyss, to be consumed by the Void.

Even after destroying their primary target, Pitfall Rounds are not safe. The portal remains open for a year and a day, a gap in Creation that leads directly to the mouth of the Void. Any creature or object that enters the portal is hurled into the Void. The portal is easy to sense, any creature with Perception 3 or higher or any dots at all in Occult can sense the portal and avoid it easily. They are, however, fairly hard to see, manifesting as a permanent, sourceless shadow in the form of a pool about two feet across.

Pitfall Rounds are destroyed when fired; they can only ever be used one.

Gun Related Things

Distance-Smiting Lens - Level 2

An enchanted disk of Adamant and Glass edged in Blue Jade, designed to attach on the sight of any steelcaster. Distance-Smiting Lenses allow their users to see up to a mile away as if they were only a few yards distant. This attachement increases the range of a steelcaster by 1800 yards. For every 300 yards beyond the basic range of the steelcaster that the target is positioned the Rate of the weapon is reduced by 1. If the Rate reaches 1 is is reduced to 1/2 (one attack every two turns). After the Rate has reached 1/2, additional increments of 300 yards reduce the weapon's Speed by 1. Speed can, in fact, become negative. Distance Smiting Lenses add 1 mote to the weapon's committment.

Comments

IIRC, Magman Krakens heal fully each action. Do the effect of Spellshot Bullets prevent effects like this? If not, then the text about being able to destroy a Kraken bit-by-bit doesn't seem to apply.
--DarkWolff

Interesting. Never having used Magma Kraken, I was unaware of that. Appears I need a new example. But until then, I've modified the example. The answer is: no, the bullet won't stop it healing. - Telgar

It might be thematically appropriate for them not to heal, since you are damaging the magic itself as opposed to the construct, possibly falling outside the scope of their healing effect. I also feel the need to comment on how awsome your Spirit-Eating Barbs are, especially when used with a properly timed multi-action archery combo. :)
--DarkWolff

Might well be appropriate, but that would make the Artifact too complicated. I'd have to include how it interacted with each and every sorcery/necromancy summon. And that's just annoying. So you could make that argument to your ST, but I wouldn't include it in the Artifact itself.

And thanks, I like the Spirit-Eating Barb myself :D - Telgar

Any particular reason that only the Spirit-Eating Barb is mentioned as being available as an arrowhead? Seems like all of them should be. - Wordman

I suppose if you were opposed to firearms in your game, but still wanted the artifacts they could all be used as arrowheads...but that wasn't the way I envisioned them. The Barb seemed to me that it lent itself easily to any form of ranged weapon but the rest just feel more suited to guns and bullets then bows and arrows. - Telgar