TowChainHarpoons
Tow Chain Harpoons (Artifact ••)
Tow chain harpoons are warstrider mounted accessories that were used in an earlier age to assist in fighting behemoths. The bulk of a given tow chain harpoon consists of links of jade as thick as a man's fist and tempered with moonsilver veins. The links are bound together to form a chain whose length puts the distance covered by a mortal's spearcast to shame. One end of the chain is cunningly designed to mesh with clockwork machinations whose relatively trivial designs are descended of grander schemas laid out by the Godhead of Autochthon long ago. The far end of the chain terminates in a wicked spear tip designed for piercing both mountain rock and the flesh of elder beasts with equal alacrity.
To prepare the tow chain harpoon for battle, the chain must be fully retracted into the body of the warstrider which usually leaves just the spear tip externally visible. In addition, special firedust preparations must be made as well as the proper appeasements to the warstrider's least god. These rituals must be conducted by someone who has Lore 4 to correctly place the firedust and someone with Occult 3 for the divine appeasement. In an elder day, the divine appeasements were administered on the eve of battle seperately from the other preperations. In more modern times, the preparations are frequently preformed simultaneously by the same individual for expediency's sake. Assuming the appropriate tools, firedust and libations needed (Resources 3) are at hand, no rolls need to be made to successfully preform these pre-battle preparations.
A warstrider with tow chain harpoons adds an additional mote to its attunement cost per harpoon installed even if one or more harpoons have not gone through proper pre-battle preparations. Once prepared and attuned, the harpoon may be employed in battle. The pilot reflexively pays 3 motes of essence to launch the harpoon accompanied by a warstrider fist-sized puff of smoke. Once a harpoon has been launched, it can not be relaunched without pre-battle preparations. Classic uses for tow chain harpoons include:
- Attacking - The warstrider pilot performs an attack using Brawl or Martial Arts and may use applicable charms to enhance this attack. Use the normal rules for warstriders. In addition, consider the Tow Chain Harpoon to use the following ranged stats on the same turn it is launched: Accuracy +1, Damage +6L, Rate 1, Max Str 10, Clinch Enhancer, and a Range of 100 that cannot be extended. On turns after it has been launched, use the following melee stats: Speed +15, Accuracy -1, Damage +5L, Defense +2, Rate 2, Requirements - Str 10, Dex 4, Brawl or Martial Arts 4, Clinch Enhancer.
- Wrestling At Range - On the turn the warstrider pilot launches a harpoon at a ranged target, he may initiate a ranged clinch. A ranged clinch follows the rules for clinches on page 205 of the Player's Guide except as noted below. The warstrider pilot may not initiate a ranged clinch on a target that is less than 10 feet tall. Before making opposed clinch rolls, each combatant states whether or not they are attempting to increase or decrease the distance between them. The warstrider pilot may use the Releasing the Chain (see below) as their dice action for the turn instead making an opposed clinch roll. The winner of the opposed clinch roll may not use the hold option on the loser at range. The winner of the opposed clinch roll may elect to end the clinch instead of dealing damage, but beings of low intelligence rarely exercise this option. If the winner elects to deal clinching damage, use the following instead: zero damage is dealt, take the extra successes on the opposed clinch roll and multiply by 10 yards to get the change in distance. Consult the following table:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ | | | Winner wanted to Loser wanted to Result | | ----------------- ----------------- --------------------------------------------- | | increase distance increase distance increase the range between combatants by the | | change in distance to a maximum of 100 yards, | | if there is any change of distance left over, | | the loser gets dragged by the winner for that | | amount. | | | | increase distance decrease distance maintain the range between combatants while | | the loser gets dragged by the winner for the | | change in distance. | | | | decrease distance increase distance the winner chooses an amount between 0 and | | the change in distance, the range between | | combatants is decreased by this amount to a | | minimum of melee range. | | | | decrease distance decrease distance add the movement rates of both combatants | | together and decrease the range by that | | amount to a minimum of melee range. | |_________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
- Tow chain harpoons do not enhance clinches after the first turn. If combatants are dragged into melee range, they may engage in normal hand to hand attacks provided that their attacking appendages haven't been wrapped up in the chain via stunts, charms or similar effects.
- Releasing the Chain - The pilot can detach a previously launched tow chain harpoon from the warstrider with an unrolled dice action. Obviously, the chain needs to be recovered post-battle if it is intended to be used again.
- Anchoring - The pilot launches a harpoon at a relatively large piece of scenery (cliffs, suitably large trees found in the far East, impressively sized examples of 1st age architecture, etc). The pilot makes a Dexterity + Brawl roll at difficulty 1, situationally modified as appropriate, to successfully anchor the chain. While the chain remains anchored and intact, the warstrider may take normal actions provided it does not move more than 100 yards away from the anchoring point. Until the chain is released or broken the pilot can perform one of the following actions:
- perform a reflexive dodge with a dice pool equal to half the number of extra successes on its anchoring roll plus additional dodge enhancing charm modifiers by rapidly winching the warstrider towards the anchor point. Use Dexterity, Dodge and relevant specialties to determine dice adder caps as per normal for the pilot's Exalt type. After this maneuver has been performed, the tow chain must undergo pre-battle preparations before it can be used with this maneuver again.
- winch the warstrider to the anchoring point at a move rate of 20 yards per turn. This is most often used for getting to hard to reach locations. If the harpoon is anchored to objects with either insufficient mass or are not firmly attached to the ground, this action is likely to winch the object towards the warstrider at a Storyteller determined speed rather than bringing the warstrider to the object.
Artifact ••
Warstrider Harpoons
Melee Mode:
Speed +15, Accuracy -1, Damage +5L, Defense +2, Rate 2, Clinch Enhancer
Ranged Mode:
Accuracy +1, Damage +6L, Rate 1, Max Str 10, Range 100 yards (cannot be extended), Clinch Enhancer
Requires: Strength 10, Dexterity 4, Brawl or Martial Arts 4; Commitment: special
Comments
Currently there isn't much in the way of rules on mounting accessories on warstriders but assume that a given tow chain harpoon can't be mounted in the same general location as other sizeable warstrider artifacts (i.e. no mounting a tow chain harpoon on the same arm as a warstrider shock ram). -- YuuChanClan
- Hmm, have to look at the Warstrider goodies page and possibly integrate with their construction rules. -- YuuChanClan
I like it! I think warstriders are excellent on sheer coolness factor, even disregarding all the soak and strength bonuses, and this is a prime example. A warstrider could probably use this as a hookshot in a pinch, but, really, Res3 just to prep the thing? Doesn't seem like it'd be that hard to convice the least god: "Hey, don't blow up. kthxbye". -- DODurden
- Thanks, DODurden. I based the Res3 on the costs for the costs for alchemical charges on p254 of the Player's Guide. You are right; it isn't that hard to convince the least god. No rolls need to be made if you have the knowledge and the materials at hand all other things being equal (that is, if you've already somehow managed to piss off your armor's least god, things might not be so easy, but that's a whole nother thing entirely). In retrospect, it was late when I was writing that part and the wording seemed to be making it sound like you're blowing the Res3 purchase almost entirely on throwing a big party for the gods. What I meant was more along the lines of drink a bottle or two of wine in the god's honor, maybe pour a second bottle over the strider if you're feeling generous and then spend 95% of that Res3 purchase on the boom juice needed for this thing to really fly. -- YuuChanClan
