OSR: Spectacle Fighter

This is a new variant of my Fighting Man class.  It is designed to be the anarchic sister to the Free-Form Wizard, to lend that same air of gleeful unpredictability to the Martial experience.  As such, anything not included or clear here is based off the original, so see it for reference.    

          by JasonTN

Spectacle Fighter 

Starting HP: 1/3 Con

Fighting Spirit: You get +3 FS per level

Atk Modifier: +1 per Spectacle Fighter level

Starting Equipment: Light Armor, Sword or Balanced Weapon (1d6+Atk) of choice, Bow and Arrow (1d6+Atk) or Quick Weapon (1d6), bedroll, war trophy

1: Stunt Fighting, Victory Points, Notches

2: Multi-Tasker, Hidden Cache

3: Tempting Fate, Enemy Counters

4: Treasure Trove, Defensive Work

5: Combo Platter

6: Daredevil

7: Overflowing Hoard, By the skin of your Teeth

8: Guaranteed Credit

9: Ever-Victorious

1: 

Stunt Fighting: When attacking an enemy, instead of just making an ordinary Attack, you can choose to try and perform a Stunt instead.  Stunts allow you to do something besides just doing damage, such as gaining Advantage on your attack, doing bonus damage, disarming an opponent, tripping an opponent, grappling an opponent or even instantly killing an opponent; but they require more than a normal Attack Roll.  When you choose to do a Stunt, decide what you want to happen and the Referee will increase the difficulty of the Attack roll by an appropriate amount.  If you succeed on your Stunt, the effect you tried for happens along with any damage an ordinary attack would do, unless you wished to not deal any damage.  If it fails, you do no damage and your Stunt fails, potentially leaving you in a bad situation.  

 

Stunt Fighting Guidelines: 

Difficulty of Stunt --> Suggested Increase of DC

Easy to Perform ---> +1 to Opponent's Defense Roll

Moderately Difficult to Perform --> +2 to +3 to Opponent's Defense Roll

Hard to Perform --> +4 to Opponent's Defense Roll

 

Example:

John Silverfist wants to jump off the balcony to crash into the assassin targeting the King in the ballroom.  He wants to do bonus damage from landing on top of the Assassin.  This is Moderately Difficult, so the Referee increases the Assassin's Defense roll by +2.  Silverfist rolls his Attack Roll and the Assassin rolls his Defense roll.  If Silverfist wins, he does normal damage, plus bonus damage from landing on the Assassin.  If the Assassin wins, then Silverfist not only fails to damage him, but potentially takes damage from jumping off the balcony.   

Victory Points: Every time you defeat an enemy, you get a Victory Point (VP).  Each time you make an Attack or Defense roll, you may add Victory Points to your d20 roll to increase it.  Each VP increases a d20 roll by +1 per VP spent.  All Victory Points are expended once used.  At the end of an encounter, any unused Victory Points are automatically expended.

Notches: Whenever a Fighting Man gets 10, 20, 30 or 50 kills or wins as many victories with a particular weapon or fighting style, he gains a Notch in that weapon or style. For each Notch the Fighter has, he can learn the Novice-level Secret Technique for that weapon or style.  As the fighter gains more kills with a particular weapon or style, he can learn the higher level Techniques. However, he must know the lower level Technique before moving upward.  He cannot learn the Expert level Technique without knowing the Journeyman and Novice-level Techniques.  

Secret Techniques can be used as an action.  Sometimes they are an addition to an existing attack roll, other times they are separate actions.  It depends on the technique.

2:   

Multi-Tasker: When you attempt to use Stunt Fighting, you may attempt to add multiple effects to the same Stunt if you wish to.  The Referee should increase the enemy's Defense roll an appropriate amount for each effect added to the Stunt.    

Hidden Cache: When an encounter ends, if you still have Victory Points remaining, you may retain up to X, where X is either your STR or CHA modifier, whichever is higher.

Fleeing Ovation: When you successfully complete a Stunt, you can force your enemies to save.  On a failed save, these enemies become Frightened of you and take 1d6 Morale damage a round they face you.  If reduced to 0 Morale, those creatures must flee from your presence.    

3: 

Tempting Fate: On your turn, as a free action, you can "borrow" a number of Victory Points.  These VP function as normal, but when you utilize this ability, your enemies receive a number of Enemy Counters equal to the number of VP you borrowed.   

Enemy Counters: Enemy Counters (EC) work like VP, but for the enemies.  If an enemy wishes to increase his Attack or Defense roll, he can spend EC to increase it by +1 per EC.  However, enemies may only use Enemy Counters when Attacking or Defending against you, the creature who accrued those Enemy Counters.  EC last only until the end of the encounter or all enemies are defeated.      

4: 

Treasure Trove: You double the amount of Victory Points you can store.

Defensive Work: When you are attacked, you may choose to utilize your 'Stunt Fighting' ability and apply it to your Defense Rolls.  Describe the effect you wish to occur and attempt the Stunt.  The Referee will increase the opponent's Attack Roll an appropriate amount.  If you succeed on your Defense roll, then you take no damage and the effect you wished to occur does.  If you fail on your Defense Roll, you take damage and suffer any negative effects that might have resulted from your failed Stunt.      

5:   

Combo Platter: When you use your 'Stunt Fighting' ability, you can get your fellow party members to assist you.  For each party member that assists you, the Referee will give you a bonus to your Attack Roll based on how beneficial their help was.  If their help was minor: +1; if it was major +2-3; if it was absolutely essential, +4.  These party members may be required to make appropriate d20 rolls as determined by the Referee Discretion.  However, if a party members assists you, if the enemies have access to any Enemy Counters, they may utilize those DC against any party member or creature that helped you perform a Stunt.  

6:  

Daredevil: When you attempt a Stunt and fail, 1/Day, you can ignore any extra negative effects of failing the Stunt, not counting damage an enemy might have done to you.  Somehow you miraculously escape without suffering any other damage or loss.  

7: 

Overflowing Hoard: Triple the amount of Victory Points you can hold.

By the skin of your Teeth: When you take damage, you may spend VP to reduce the damage.  For each VP spent, reduce the damage taken by 1.      

8:

Guaranteed Credit: If you are in combat and the enemy has any number of Enemy Counters, if your Victory Points equal less than their number of EC, you gain the difference in VP at the start of your turn.  

9:

Ever-Victorious: When rolling on the Death and Dismemberment table, you may spend Victory Points to reduce your roll.  For each 2 Victory Points spent, you may reduce the roll on the table by 1 result.  

For example, if you rolled an "8" on the Death and Dismemberment table and you had 4 VP, you could spend all of them to reduce that result to "6".  

Example: 

John Silverfist wants to jump off the balcony to crash into the assassin targeting the King in the ballroom.  He wants to do bonus damage from landing on top of the Assassin.  But then John screws up, so he ordinarily would take damage from jumping off the balcony.  But by using 'Daredevil', he simply fails the Stunt, but takes no damage as he crashes into a table loaded with pastries, which breaks his fall.  He does ruin dessert, however.  

by lubliner

OSR: Eight Magic Guns + Magic Ammo + Magelocks

by XabiGazte

If I was including guns in a fantasy setting, I would have them be flintlocks and use the rules found here.  

Magelocks are guns that have been modified to utilize magic.  There are six types...

1d6

1- Casting Aids.  This gun functions as a casting aid.  Can be used to give you a boost to cast spells.  This gun grants +X to cast a random type of magic.  Ex: This pistol grants +1 to use Fire Magic in the hands of a magic-user.           

2- Dual-Fire Mode.  This gun can fire bullets or bolts of elemental energy.  What element will depend on the gun.  For example, a pistol with this feature can fire bullets that do 1d6+1 or 1d6 fire damage depending on what mode it is used.    

3- Empowered Shot.  This gun uses magic to make it's shots more powerful.  Ex: This pistol imbues it's bullets with Fire Magic, so when it strikes a target, it does 1d6+1 damage plus 1d6 fire damage.     

4- Mana Fueled.  This gun is powered by mana instead of black-powder.  People without the ability to channel mana can't use it.  Ex: This pistol has fire runes cut into it, so instead of using black powder, it can be fired by sending mana into the gun.      

5- Melee Musket.  This gun is carved with runes that make it more dangerous in melee combat.  Ex: By allowing mana to flow through this pistol, it can be used as a 1d6+Atk sword, as a blade of magical energy sprouts from the end of the barrel.    

6- Energy Absorbers.  This gun absorbs the energy produced by the explosions within it and can use that energy for something else- such as recharging the user's mana, shielding the user, helping them move faster, etc.  Ex: This pistol absorbs the energy produced by firing it, so as an action on his turn, the user can tap into that energy, granting himself +2 to any roll based on speed or agility.  The pistol must be fired three times for this ability to be active, once it is used, the gun must be fired three more times to recharge the pistol.   

Magelocks come in a variety of qualities, like Wizard Weapons.  Low and Decent quality ones will only fit one of these categories above, while Good or Masterwork quality Magelocks might have the traits of multiple categories.

                        by stevegoad

Here are some more "ordinary" magical ammunition:

1d6

1- Elemental Rounds.  These bullets produce alternative types of damage than regular bullets.  This bullet in particular does 1d4 [1= 2d6 Fire Damage, save for half, on a failed save, you're also set on fire; 2= 2d6 Ice Damage, save for half, on a failed save you're frozen in place until you succeed on a STR check to break out; 3= 2d6 Lightning Damage, save for half, on a failed save you're paralyzed for 1d6 rounds or until you pass a CON save; 4= 2d6 Thunder Damage, save for half, on a failed save creatures are also deafened for 1d6 rounds or until they pass a CON save.]

2- Living Bullets.  These bullets are alive and can 1d3 [1= Carry poisons within them; 2= Burrow around inside a living creature to do extra damage; 3= Lay eggs inside the creature, even if it survives in 1d6 days these eggs will hatch and begin parasitizing the host until they kill it.]

3- Holy Rounds.  These bullets are holy silver and blessed by a priest.  When they hit an evil creature, that creature takes +2d6 damage.  This damage also ignores normal resistances or modifiers.  

4- Demonbone Rounds.  These bullets carry a sliver of a Demon's soul.  When they strike a creature, the Demon can attempt to possess that creature.  The Demon and the creature must engage in a COG contest each round until one of them wins three of these contests.  Whoever wins gains control over the body for 1 day.    

5- Lawful Rounds.  These bullets carry the concentrated power of LAW.  When they strike something, if it is not an object or creature associated with chaos, instead of doing damage, it repairs 1d8 HP worth of damage.  If it strikes a creature aligned with Chaos, that creature takes damage as if they were vulnerable to the bullet's damage (roll twice and take the higher result).  

6- Chaos Rounds.  These bullets carry the concentrated power of Chaos.  When they strike an object, that object 1d4 [1= Changes slightly; 2= Changes dramatically; 3= Transforms into another kind of object; 4= Is violently destroyed.]  If it strikes a creature, that creature must save or 1d6 [1= Be violently destroyed; 2= Mutate, developing 1d4 mutations; 3= Gain the ability to cast spells; 4= Change sex; 5= Change race, Referee should select randomly; 6= Gain a unique feature such as 1d6 (1= One of his eyes becomes a different color; 2= Multi-colored hair, roll twice; 3= An unusual skin tone such as purple, gold, black and white polka-dots; 4= His eyes glow; 5= Horns (if you already have horns, they change to be weirder); 6= A tail (if you have a tail, it changes or you grow a second one).]

 by ChrisJr2518

Here are the weirder ones:

1d20

1- Rune Rounds.  These bullets can be 'loaded' with spell and charged with up to 4 MD.  When the bullet strikes, it will cast that spell against the nearest available target.  For example, if it is a Fireball, it will simply go off with the bullet at the center of the fireball, but if it is a Flesh to Stone spell, it will target the nearest available target.  

2- Teleportation Rounds.  These bullets teleport the user to wherever they hit.  

3- Transmutation Rounds.  These bullets transform 10' cubic feet of 1d6 [1= Metal; 2= Wood; 3= Stone; 4= Flesh; 5= Water; 6= Fire] into 1d6 [1= Metal; 2= Wood; 3= Stone; 4= Flesh; 5= Water; 6= Fire].  More rare variants of these bullets do exist, but the more common types will only be capable of these transmutations.  Also, if a bullet has two of the same result, such as Metal to Metal, it simply transforms one type of metal into another, such as Iron to Tin.    

4- Anti-Magic Rounds.  These bullets ignore magical shields and protections, passing through them as if they aren't there.  Enchantments to harden ordinary materials also do not affect them, these bullets treat such materials as if they were non-magical.  Only physical barriers can stop them.          

5- Storm-Caller Rounds.  Anyone struck by one of these bullets attracts lightning.  Each minute the affected creature is outside, there is a 2-in-6 chance he is struck by lightning.  This rises to a 4-in-6 chance if it is actively stormy.  The creature also has disadvantage on saves against lightning damage.  This effect lasts for 1d4 hours.    

6- Mind-Slaver Rounds.  When this bullet strikes a creature, it forces a save.  On a failed save, the creature takes no damage and is Charmed to the user for 1d6 hours.  During that time the Charmed creature will treat the user like a good friend.  On a successful save, the creature takes damage as per normal.  

7- Anti-Grav Rounds.  This bullet explodes when it hits a solid object, creating a 30' diameter wide sphere of anti-gravity.  Anything within this sphere floats around as if not affected by gravity, though this effect only persists inside the sphere.  This effect lasts for 1d10 minutes.   

8- Madness Gas Rounds.  This bullet explodes upon striking a solid object.  It does no damage but instead creates a cloud of mind-altering gas that fills a 30' cubic foot area.  All creatures within that cloud must save or be driven insane.  The Referee should select a delusion or roll.  All the creatures in the cloud believe 1d6 [1= That their former allies are monsters; 2= That all of their allies are actually plotting against them; 3= That they are being observed by an unseen watcher(s); 4= That one previously taboo activity is suddenly permissible, such as cannibalism or public nudity; 5= They are actually the most talented, intelligent and important person in the world; 6= That God is speaking to them and has a special mission for them.]  creatures trapped in this cloud must save each round they are within the cloud.  The cloud lasts for 1d10 minutes, but the effect of the Gas lasts for 1d6 hours.  After that, all creature affected by it must save.  On a failed save, the delusion persists and the creature continues to believe it.   

9- Assassin Rounds.  When fired, these bullets 1d4 [1= Cloak the user in an illusion to make him look like anything he wishes; 2= Make him invisible; 3= Hide the sound of the weapon being fired; 4= Project an image of the user into a different location than the user currently is.]

10- Frenzy Rounds.  When it strikes a creature, this bullet forces a save.  On a failed save, the creature hit takes no damage but instead flies into an insane rage.  The creature will attack a creature near them each round, with preference for the last creature that hurt him or the closest creature.  While in this rage, the creature is immune to being Charmed or Frightened and feels no pain.  This rage lasts for 1d6+1 rounds or until the creature is knocked unconscious or killed.  If denied anything to attack, the creature will vent it's rage on anything breakable around it or will search for targets.  On a successful save, the creature takes normal damage.

11- Quartz Shredder Rounds- These crystal bullets shatter into a storm of razor-sharp projectiles when they strike a hard object.  If they hit a creature, that creature takes +2d6 damage, save for half.  If reduced to 0 HP, this creature is torn to shreds.  If the Quartz Shredder Round strikes a solid object, it instead fills the air in a 30' diameter sphere around it with razor sharp projectiles- all creatures within that cloud take 3d6 damage, save for half.  

12- Vortex Rounds.  These bullets, when they strike a solid object, open a portal to a random Plane.  This portal sucks in everything within 30', all creatures within that area must save or be sucked in.  Non-secured objects are also sucked in.  The portal lasts for 1d6 rounds, after which it disappears.  There are also variants that could send you to other places.  

13- Locksmith Rounds.  These bullets, when they strike a barrier or obstacle that bars the way cause it to open or unlock.  Ex: If fired against a locked door, this bullet will unlock and open it; if fired against an armored creature, it will cause that armor to fall off.     

14- Metalbane Rounds.  These bullets hate metal.  If one strikes a piece of metal, it explodes, disintegrating every piece of metal in a 30' diameter sphere.  Metal items in the hands of a creature can have their owners save, on a successful save, they are not destroyed.  Magical items are not affected by this.  These bullets also come in other varieties such as Stone, Wood, Crystal- and Fleshbane.  If fired against a substance the bullet does not hate, it simply does normal damage to that creature.  

15- Time Bubble Round.  When it strikes a solid object, this bullet creates a 30' sphere.  Inside this sphere, time flows 1d3 [1= Much slower, at 1d100% less than normal speed.  Creatures within it seem to be moving much slower or not at all.  To creatures trapped inside, creatures outside will seem to move much faster; 2= Much faster, at 1d100% more than normal speed.  Creatures outside seem to move slower, while creatures inside the bubble move much faster and experience more time; 3= Time Stops for anything within the bubble.  While time is stopped, anything that is 'stopped' is invulnerable and cannot be affected by any spell or ability, as that ability or spell has no time to occur.]  The Time Bubble lasts for 1d6 rounds from the outside.

16- Preview Round.  This bullet reveals the future to the user, showing the outcome of firing upon 1d6+1 creatures.  The user should roll for damage as per usual and a number of creatures as specified by the 1d6+1 roll should roll their saves, as if they were fired upon.  The user can then select one of these outcomes and fires.  The bullet will strike that creature and the save that creature rolled will be automatically applied to it.    

17- Green Slime Round.  This bullet, upon striking a creature, transforms into Green Slime.  This slime will do 1d6 acid damage to anything anything organic, alive or dead, that it touches.  Anything destroyed by it turns it into more green slime.  Anything touched by that green slime will turn into more green slime and so on.  Green Slime is not an ooze, it cannot move on it's own, but it can flow like a viscous liquid.  It cannot dissolve stone, plastic, glass or metal.    

18- Vampiric Round.  If it strikes a creature, this bullet does normal damage plus an additional 1d6 damage each round it remains inside the creature.  While inside the creature, the user receives +1d6 FS each round the Vampiric Round remains inside the creature.  This parasitic effect lasts for 1d4 rounds or until the Vampiric Round is dug out by a successful medicine check or the use of magic.   

19- Animation Rounds.  These rounds will temporarily animate an object of up to Large size.  For 1d6 hours, the creature will gain intelligence, the ability to move and communicate one language spoken by the user.  For the duration, the animated object will obey the user's every command faultlessly.  The creature remains animated until it is destroyed or the duration ends.

20- Transformation Round.  When it strikes a creature, this round forces a save.  On a failed save, the creature is transformed into a new form of the user's choice.  While in this new form, the original creature keeps his mental abilities (intelligence, charisma, etc) but loses any abilities related to his body and gains the physical attributes and abilities of his new form.  For example, if the Wizard was turned into a dog, he cannot cast spells, as he lacks the hands to make the appropriate gestures or a mouth to speak.  On a successful save, the creature takes +1d6 damage instead.  This effect lasts for 1d6 hours or until the user who fired the bullet ends it as a free action.      

by Grafit-art

Magic Guns: 

Starsilver Forge

1d8+1, Flintlock Rifle, Reload required after each shot

A rifle with a long, dark barrel wrapped in silvery wire.  The stock is not wood, but some kind of dark metal, similar to the barrel.  Within it, you can hear the sounds of machinery, spinning cogs, grinding gears and the sounds of metal being smelted.

The Starsilver Forge was created by the Battle-Smith Dukar Wolfbane, who sought a way to quickly and efficiently eliminate the armies of monsters threatening his domain.  He first tried to give all of his soldiers silvered weapons, but this proved both impractical and expensive.  So he created the Starsilver Forge, a weapon that transformed silver into special bullets that would purify corruption and destroy evil.  His prototype is credited as helping him almost single-handedly win the Battle of the Broken Spire, laying waste to countless Werewolves, shape-changers and enemy Magi.  However, before he could make more of them, Dukar was assassinated by a jealous rival.  The ensuing power struggle ended with his kingdom in ruins and the knowledge of how to create more of the miraculous rifle lost to history.  

Abilities:

- By feeding silver to the Starsilver Forge, it can create special silver bullets.

- For 10 Silver Coins, it produces an ordinary silver ball.  

- For 30 Silver Coins, it produces a silver ball that does +1d6 damage to creatures vulnerable to silver.  

- For 50 Silver Coins, it produces a silver ball that upon impact, explodes into a 30' diameter sphere that does 2d6 radiant damage, save for half.  Creatures vulnerable to silver within this sphere have disadvantage on the save.  

- For 100 Silver Coins, it produces a silver ball that upon impact, explodes into a 50' diameter sphere that does 3d6 radiant damage, save for half.  Creatures vulnerable to silver within this sphere have disadvantage on the save.  Additionally, any magic within this sphere that comes from an evil source has a 50% of being dispelled.   

- For every 30 coins beyond 100, increase the radius of the blast by 10' and the damage by +1d6 radiant damage.  

The Starsilver Forge was lost during the coup attempt against Battle-Smith Dukar and looted from his castle by an unnamed soldier.  From there it has changed hands numerous times.  It is currently in the hands of a zealous and half-crazed monster-slayer who believes he is on a mission from God.  

Liberator/Ghost-Binder/Soul-Chain

1d6+1 Flintlock Pistol, Reload required after each shot 

A beautiful pistol with a lacquered and gold-leaf covered wooden stock, painted with the design of a cruel monster trapping a woman inside a glass jar.  The monster has many eyes, each one represented by a gemstone inset into the stock.  

Ghost-Binder was the weapon of choice of the famous Exorcist Mother Madrigale, a fearsome woman known for her ability to exorcise almost any spirit.  It was said that her presence was so feared by evil spirits that just the rumor of her coming would be enough to drive them off.  And while she was most famous for using her crystal charms, burned sage and her indomitable will, for the more violent spirits she was just as quick to reach for her gun.  When she finally died, a fraction of her power remained behind, clinging to her beloved weapon.  

For many decades, her children used her teachings and weapons to battle evil spirits, saving many more and spreading her name far and wide.  However, those who come after great heroes often fail to live up to the legacy they sprang from.  Madrigale's son was no exception to this rule and while he was not as talented as his mother, he had enough control over spirits to be able to bind and loose them.  He soon realized how this could benefit him and began striking deals with demons, exchanging service for riches and pleasure.  He was especially fond of summoning Demons of Lust (for obvious reasons).  

Such elaborate deceptions rarely survive scrutiny and this one was no different.  So when his wife discovered the truth depth of his perversion and how he had abused his powers, he attempted to cover up his crimes by using his mother's gun to bind her soul and have her be possessed by a Succubus, who could both sate his twisted desires, but also act as a willing accomplice.  However, when he attempted to use his mother's gun to enact this sinister bait-and-switch, the gun rebelled against him and tore away his soul, casting him into the abyss.  Thus did he squander his legacy and suffer just punishment.  

Ego Weapon:

- Liberator must be wielded by a heroic soul, someone who puts others before themselves, defends the helpless and upholds justice

- Any who do evil or attempt to use it's powers for a wicked end will be destroyed 

Abilities:

- 3/Day, Liberator can create and fire a jewel bullet.  When it strikes, this bullet forces a save.  On a failed save, the creature has his soul torn from his body and bound inside the jewel bullet.  On a failed save, the soul targeted takes 1d6 psychic damage.    

- If there are multiple souls inside a body, such as in the case of possession or disease, the user can target one soul in particular.

- While touching a bullet that contains a soul, anyone can communicate with the soul via telepathy.  Destroying the bullet will also free the soul.  The soul could also be used as a mana battery or consumed, but should this be done by Liberator's user, or done with the user's consent, the weapon's vengeance would be terrible indeed.

Since the death of her firstborn, Liberator has been very respectfully treated, kept in a place of honor above the former Matriarch's tomb.  The descendants of Madrigale are paranoid about using it and so when they feel the weapon is needed, or when it tells them it is needed, they bring it volunteers until it picks one that it favors.  The ritual seems ridiculous until you experience it for yourself.        

by diuscanzo

White Whale

1d6+1 Flintlock Pistol, Reload required after each shot

A pistol with a handle of ivory and a barrel stained with dried blood, this pistol radiates animosity.  To those who hold no grudges or hate in their heart, it feels oily and makes them uncomfortable.  For those who do, it feels right. 

This pistol was the personal weapon of Lefan of the Hanshew, a potter who fell in love with Kikos of the Leki, a rival tribe of his own.  He courted Kikos and asked her to be his bride, but her brothers and cousins forbade her to accept, saying it would sully her and their family's honor.  When she refused, they antagonized Lefan at the wedding feast, pretending to be friendly while encouraging him to blaspheme against his God and adopt the Leki's superior ways.  

When he stormed off in anger, they claimed he had told them that he was not going to 'marry into such a vile tribe' and broken off the engagement.  They quickly arranged for Kikos to marry one of them instead.  When Lefan returned some time later, he father told her she had already been married.  Lefan was outraged at this and attacked Lefan's new husband in the street, nearly beating him to death.  He escaped from the angry mob that tried to seize him then, but he did not escape vengeance.  When she fled to her father's house, her kinsmen set fire to it, burning Kikos and her father to death.  

When he heard the news, Lefan swore vengeance upon the Leki and spent the next twenty years waging war upon them.  He struck down any who he thought connected with the burning of his bride-to-be, whether they were the young men who taunted or hunted him, or the elders who had arranged to spare their niece of dishonor.  Whether young or old, strong or weak, great or lesser, none escaped the wrath of Lefan.  

Abilities:

- If the user is confronted by an old enemy while wielding White Whale, count the number of sins that enemy has committed against the user.  For each one, add +1 to the damage roll that the shot would inflict on a hit.

- While holding this weapon, the user can always sense the direction of their adversaries.  If they are close, White Whale will alert the user.  It is impossible for a known enemy to surprise the user while he holds White Whale.

Lefan's one-man war against the Leki lasted for far longer than any would have guessed, but like all quests for vengeance, it ended predictably.  Lefan had been surrounded by Leki tribesmen, armed and hungry for blood.  They had him trapped in the Whale's Graveyard, a rocky beach ringed by sharp stones and sheer cliffs on three sides.  With the sea behind him and enemy steel before him, Lefan was trapped with no way out.  Lefan would not have wanted it any other way.  He attacked them with a ferocity they had never seen before, cutting down dozens with blade and shot.  

When he was fatally wounded, even then he refused to give up, but used his last shot to trigger an explosive he had concealed in the rocks.  The resulting explosion triggered a rockslide that buried him and his pursuers.  The only sign that Lefan had even been there was their reduced numbers and his smoking white pistol, which had somehow not been buried, but rested atop a boulder.  When a Leki warrior tried to pick it up, he was smote dead on the spot.  At this, the survivors abandoned the weapon and the bodies of their comrades, leaving them to rot unmourned in the same grave.  

Lioness of Gamziel/Slayer of Evil/The King's Coming

1d8+1 Flintlock Pistol, Reload required after each shot

A monstrous black pistol, this gun is heavy to carry and when fired, kicks like a mule.  Anyone without significant strength will either be smacked in the head by the recoil or have the gun snatched from their hands.  Along the barrel is engraved the words, "No Rest for Righteousness" and on the other side, "Lady Hesaya is in Heaven now".

This gun was created by the Gunpowder-Paladin Sarvi Whitesmoke, a Brother of Zulin.  When he lost one of his hands in a battle against a monster, many assumed he would retire from the front-lines and devote himself to politics and maintaining the order, as was common of Paladins when they got too old or injured to effectively fight.  Sarvi refused to accept this fate however, regarding it as little more than a slower, more dignified retirement.  He would not be put out to pasture, left to sweet-talk elderly Priestesses and secure funding for his brothers.  

He had joined the Brotherhood to destroy evil and so he would do so until it killed him or Lord Zulin came in glory.  So while he attempted to relearn swordsmanship with his other hand he tried many other methods to restore himself to his former lethality.  And while he never fully regained his prowess, he soon developed a great affection for guns.  For while many Brothers and Knights regarded them as dishonorable, Sarvi argued that there was no honor in losing nor in showing quarter to the forces of evil.  

Thus did Sarvi become the Gunpowder-Paladin, destroying evil with true aim and explosive shot.  Not satisfied with what meagre weapons he could find, which were perfect for slaying men but insufficient for many monsters, he hired gunsmiths and alchemists to train him in their secret ways.  Soon he was manufacturing his own weapons, each more powerful and potent than the last.  The Jackal was his greatest achievement, a monster of a pistol that could fell all but the strongest of foes in a single shot. 

Abilities:

- 3/Day, the user can cloak himself or another creature in an armor of light.  This armor grants +10 FS Spirit and 50% Magic Resistance.  The armor persists for 1 hour or until the amount of Fighting Spirit it offers drops to 0, at which point it fades.

- 3/Day, the user can force an enemy to make a morale check.  On a failed check, the creature is overcome by rage and forced to attack the user.  Evil creatures or those who hate the user make this save at disadvantage.        

After Sarvi Whitesmoke's death at the hands of the Prince of Lust, his body was interred in one of the shrine-fortresses of the Brothers of Zulin, where it soon began causing strange things to occur.  These things were investigated and soon were declared miracles.  Thus was Sarvi elevated to the rank of St. Sarvi, patron saint of gunsmiths and alchemists.  His guns were kept by the Brotherhood, loaned out only to those they deem worthy of touching his sacred arms.

      by Andrei-Pervukhin

Starving Wolf/Grasping Jaws/Ebon Hound

1d8+1 Flintlock Rifle, Reload required after each shot

A rifle with dark wooden furniture, notched from heavy use and tipped with a cruel, stained bayonet.  Radiates a subtle air of malice.  Unless you are the wielder, it gives you bad dreams if uncovered.  

The Black Wolf was a Demon that ravaged and terrorized the land of Vatir for five years, recruiting and leading an army of villains who sought to overthrow the King.  However, the Black Wolf and his allies were less interested in pitched battles and more in spreading random terror, destroying villages, enslaving the locals and looting shrines.  This guerrilla campaign of violence and fear nearly brought down the regime as King Ganir proved unable to capture the Black Wolf or any of his inner circle.

Fortunately, the Gods of Vatir favored Ganir, so they sent one of their own champions.  The Gods raised up a Prophet and guided him to the Black Wolf.  Once he found him, the Prophet bound Black Wolf, sealing him inside his own weapon, a rifle that had been used to perpetrate massacres.  The Prophet then handed the weapon over to King Ganir, with the warning that he must destroy the weapon in a specially prepared fire.  If he didn't, he would suffer the consequences of his disobedience.  

Abilities:

- The user can conjure a Wolf familiar that obeys the user's orders to their letter, but not the spirit.  The Wolf can attack or take an action on your turn.  The Wolf is intelligent and can communicate telepathically with the user or anyone the user permits the familiar to speak with.  

- The Wolf is partially shadow- it cannot manifest in direct sunlight.  In pitch darkness, it has no physical substance, but can still speak.  

- The Wolf can only be harmed by magic, fire and sunlight.  If killed, it remains dead for 1 month, after which it returns to life at full HP.  As long as Starving Wolf remains intact, it cannot truly die.  

Sadly, King Ganir did not heed the voice of his God's Prophet.  Instead he was seduced by the spirit of the rifle, which persuaded him to offer it sacrifices in exchange for power and extended life.  When the Priphet heard of this, he and his companions invaded the palace and caught the King bloody-handed.  When they saw this, they were disgusted and attacked the King.  King Ganir managed to escape the palace, but later expired of his wounds.  His corpse was found lying in a muddy hollow next to a stream, but of Starving Wolf, there was no sign.  

The True Powers of Starving Wolf:

The Demon bound to the rifle was very powerful but in his current state, he has been stripped of most of his power.  He will speak to his user or anyone who touches the rifle and try to convince them to offer him sacrifices.  He will try to corrupt the user, bribing them with power and knowledge to obtain enough sacrifices.  If they give him enough souls, they might become evil enough to either free him of their own will, or he will grow strong enough that he can break out himself.  

In exchange for sacrifices of blood, Black Wolf will offer the following...

1d8

1- Superhuman toughness.  Black Wolf can grant you resistance to 1dX [1= Fire; 2= Poison; 3= Necrotic; 4= Radiant;] damage.  If you offer him enough sacrifices, he can grant you immunity to the same type of damage.   

2- Superhuman strength.  Black Wolf can boost your STR score and 1/Day, give you the ability to lift something that weighs as much as a horse.  

3- Flight.  Black Wolf can grant you huge black wings that enable you to fly at a rate equal to your walking speed.  If you give him more sacrifices, he will increase your flight speed and give you the ability to hover.  

4- Magical ability.  Black Wolf can give you the ability to use magic.  

5- Magical knowledge.  Black Wolf can teach you magical secrets, making you better at magic or giving you something to sell to wealthy mages.  

6- The ability to Charm people.  1/Day, Black Wolf will give you the ability to charm someone if that creature fails a COG save.  For more sacrifices, he will grant more use of this power.  

7- The ability to shapeshift.  Black Wolf can grant you the ability to transform into a wolf, crow, snake or spider.  For more sacrifices, he can give you the ability to transform into more animals or the ability to turn into people, if you kill them and eat their heart.  

8- Saving you from Death.  Upon death, Black Wolf can preserve your soul and body, saving your life and restoring your body so you rise at 1 HP.  However, if he offers you this, there is a chance that he will instead use this as a chance to steal your body and imprison you in the rifle in his place.  

Sacrifices:

The Seal binding Black Wolf to the rifle has a strength equal to 3d6+4.  Each time a sacrifice is offered to Black Wolf, he can attempt to break the seal by rolling 1d6+X, where X is the number of sacrifices offered to him.  Note that each sacrifice may count for more than one- see below.  If he ever rolls a number greater than the strength of the Seal, Black Wolf breaks free and will take his revenge on all those who mistreated him.    

How much does this Sacrifice count for?

- Normal person (not especially virtuous or wicked) +1

- Wicked Person +1

- Righteous Person +2

- Child +3

- Priest +3

- King +4

- Hero +5

- Someone you personally love +(1d6+1)               

Gambler's Gun/Demon's Purse/Lead Coffers

1d10/1d8/1d6, Blunderbuss, Reload required after each shot, Can strike multiple targets

A massive, well-used blunderbuss with a trigger that requires "just" the right amount of strength to pull properly.  Engraved on the stock are three dice, all displaying a single pip.  The words "Good Luck!" are engraved underneath.  When you pick it up, you will hear the clatter of dice.  

Frelo Slippery-Fingers was an inveterate gambler who loved nothing more than the toss of the dice and the clatter of coins.  He began his life as the child of a wealthy family, whose parents were able to purchase for him an apprenticeship working for a jeweler.  When he was caught stealing from his employer, he was thrown out and had to return to his family home.  When his mother caught him filching her jewels, she regretfully sent him away as well.  Soon he had sold everything he had and was facing a grisly fate, as he was massively in the hole to the local moneylenders and crime bosses.  

So when he was approached by a strange man who offered to make his problems go away, he leapt at the chance.  The strange man offered him a bargain- they would play one game.  For every toss of the dice Frelo won, the strange man would give him a great sum of money.  If the strange man won, Frelo would instead pledge ten years of service.  Frelo was more than a little frightened of the strange man now, but considering his near-total lack of options, he decided that he might as well go for it.  So he took the strange man up on his offer.

Several tosses of the dice later, Frelo found himself with more money than he could have ever dreamed of.  The strange man went to leave, thanking Frelo for an enjoyable evening.  Frelo was horrified at the notion.  How could his new friend leave when the game was just getting good?  So he made his fateful wager.  "Double or nothing".  It is said that at that, the strange man smiled.  

Abilities:

- When he makes an attack, the user can impose a -X damage penalty on himself, causing his attack to do less damage.  Alternatively, he can give his target a +X bonus to his save vs firearm.  If the user still kills or defeats the enemy, then the user may roll 1d6 on the Gambling Results table below.  The user may also add +X to his 1d6 roll, where X equals the damage penalty + the bonus he granted his target to his save.    

Gambling Results:

1d6+X

1- The creature has literally nothing valuable on his person.  Anything seemingly valuable actually turns out to be worthless.  

2- The creature has 1d10 coppers stashed away.

3- The creature's weapon or armor is slightly better than expected, could be sold for a small sum (1d6 silver).   

4- The creature is carrying a decent weapon.  This could be sold for a small sum (2d6 silver).  

5- The creature is wearing a piece of jewelry.  This could be sold for 3d6 silver.  

6- The creature is carrying a coin-purse that contains 3d10 copper and 1d10 silver.

7- The creature is wearing a nice piece of jewelry that could be sold for 1d10*1d4 silver.

8- The creature is carrying a consumable magic item.  Specifically, a 1dX [1= Scroll; 2= Potion; 3= Magic Arrow; 4= Magic Bullet; 5= A bomb; 6= Magic food.]

9- The creature is carrying a Masterwork weapon.  This grants +1 damage and could be sold for three times the normal value.  

10- The creature is carrying a purse that contains 4d10 coppers, 2d10 silver and 1d6 gold.  

11+- The creature is carrying 1d4 [1= A small magic item; 2= A gemstone that is worth 1d100*1d6 silver; 3= A purse that contains 3d10 silver and 1d10 gold; 4= A piece of art (small statuette, rolled up painting, etc) that could be sold for 1d4*100 silver to a merchant or 1d10*100 silver to a collector.]                  

Frelo Slippery-Fingers went missing that night.  When his debtors finally found the hovel he had been living in and kicked down the door, they found no sign anyone had been there in weeks, nor any money to cover the money they had lent him.  They searched high and low for him, but the gambler was never seen again.  The only sign of his presence was his gun, which he had mysteriously left behind in his otherwise empty home.

             by KaoriAi0w0

Cake Cannon

Special Damage, Flintlock Musket, Reload required after each shot

A bright white and pink musket, smelling of baked goods and dusted with flour and sprinkles.  It has a warm, soothing presence.  

Little Zani was the best baker in the whole town, everyone agreed.  Especially Goodgrief Rark, who loved to steal her cakes and cookies.  When she walked to her mother's house, he would stop her along the way and threaten her that he would hurt her mother if Zani did not hand over the delicious goodies she had made.  Zani hated this, but he could not overpower Rark, who was much bigger and older than she was.  But one day, when she was crying because he had stolen her famous butter cookies, which she had meant as a present for her mother's birthday, a kindly spirit heard her.  That night, as Zani dreamt, the spirit came and whispered an idea into her mind.  Zani did not want to go through with the spirit's plan, but the spirit assured her that it was most fair.  

The next day, Zani made a very special cake with the spirit's instructions.  At the end, the spirit sprinkled a little magic over the top, to make it extra special.  Zani then went to visit her mother.  On the way, Rark jumped out and threatened her.  Zani offered her cake without a fight, but told him that the cake was cursed and if he ate it, he would be very sorry indeed.  Rark laughed at the silly little girl and ate the cake, scoffing at her as he enjoyed it.  And it was delicious.  It was only then that Rark noticed his flesh started changing color.  It was turning bright pink and covered in sprinkles!  Before her eyes, Rark transformed into an enormous musket, but one that was as bright and happy as Little Zani was.  

Abilities:

- Cake Cannon cannot do damage.  If any creature is shot with it, they take no damage nor feel any pain, but instead feel the sensation of tasting something delicious instead.  Any bullets loaded into Cake Cannon transform into spun sugar that disintegrates upon firing, with the exception of using the ability below.  

- Each day, roll 1d6 on the following tables under "Cake Cannon's Transmutations".  

- 3/Day, if a bullet fired from Cake Cannon strikes one of the former substances, it transmutes a 10' x 10' x 10' cube into the latter substance instead.  Cake Cannon can also be used to transmute a smaller amount of the selected former substance into one of the latter substances.  

Cake Cannon's Transmutations:

Today, Cake Cannon transforms...

1d6

1- Wood

2- Stone

3- Metal

4- Smoke

5- Water

6- Fire   

Into...

1d6

1- Cake!

2- Baklava.   

3- A pile of cookies.  Has a 50% of being gingerbread, Zani's favorite.    

4- Jam Tarts.  Has a 50% of being a pile of small tarts or one massive tart.  

5- Candied fruit or nuts.  50% of each, either way, it's an assortment.   

6- Kunafa.    

Though Zani was scared at first, the spirit just explained that the musket would transform back into Rark eventually.  He just had to create an equal number of deserts as he stole.  As it has been years since then, some are beginning to doubt whether or not this is true.  Regardless, Zani has displayed the colorful gun on the wall of her bakery and will give it to anyone who the spirit says are worthy of it.  Regardless of who she gives it too, eventually it ends up back on her wall, usually in exchange for a bag of delicious gingerbread cookies!      

Drunkard's Dare/Omnicast/Forge of Seas

1d8+1, Flintlock Musket, Reload required after each shot

The Alchemist Sage was once posed a question by his students- is evil a real element to the universe, or is it simply a derivation of the Good?  The Sage responded by telling a story.  He recounted the tale of a famous Wizard who loved drinking so much that he created a special gun that would allow him to transform wine into bullets, so he could shoot them into his mouth and perform the most incredible of party tricks.  

He also used this gun to create bullets out of other materials, much to the astonishment of his guests.  But one day, when he was intoxicated, he reached for some wine bullets and accidentally grabbed some bullets made of urine.  When he bit down on them, he choked on the excretion and tried to spit it out.  This led to him, after thoroughly cleaning out his mouth to renounce alcohol and become a hermit, who spent his days avoiding worldly pleasures and living in the mountains.  

Thus finished, the Sage asked his students if anything in the story was evil.  The students considered it, but decided that the only thing that had a will in the story was the Wizard and therefore, since the Wizard was not evil, nothing was.  The Sage congratulated his students and told them the truth: the musket had been a poor attempt by the Wizard to recreate a famous rifle, though it had failed in many ways.  However, it had become a unique creation in it's own right.  Furthermore, through that and the Wizard's failure to exercise good judgement, these events conspired to force him to recognize his faults and become a better person.  With that, the Sage departed, leaving his students to scrutinize his words.

Abilities:

- 3/Day, the user can use this weapon to transform any liquid into bullets.  Doing this will produce a number of bullets equal to the size of the container- a glass will produce 1 bullet, while a large tankard will produce 1d4+1, while a barrel will produce 1d6+4.  Any more liquid will produce 1d8+5.    

- When transformed into bullets, the liquid will function as ordinary metal bullets, having none of the properties they might have had in liquid form with the exception of color.

- When these special bullets strike a solid surface, they break apart and transform back into one cubic foot's worth of that liquid.

- These bullets will remain as solid bullets until struck by a heavy impact such as being hit with a hammer or dropped from a height.  Firing them from Drunkard's Dare doesn't cause them to revert.

While some of the students continued to debate the question they had posed, others considered the Sage's mysterious background.  Wasn't his own story similar to the tale he had told?  Surely a coincidence, they told themselves.  Meanwhile, at the base of the mountain, there is a bartender who will sell you exotic drinks in the form of solid-looking bullets, but when you bite down on them, they turn back to liquid.  How does he make them, despite having no magic of his own?  Well, that's a secret.

by ChefChronos

OSR: 11 Magic Bows

by Akramness

Deadeye:

1d6+Atk

Traxin Bonesinger was a disturbed and dangerous child.  He had a love for killing, even at an early age, pulling the limbs off spiders and torturing small animals in the garden.  His parents were very concerned, but were scared of what their neighbors might do, as they feared their son might be possessed.  So they ordered him to never do such things.  Traxin agreed, but lied, obviously.  This only made him more careful to conceal his crimes.  

Years later, he grew from a killer of beasts to a hunter of men, stalking the underworld, working as a silk-boy, a male prostitute.  He would work for men or women, but he preferred men and used his position as a vulnerable outcast to lure in men and kill them.  But during one of these attacks, he met Smiling Sam, who was not only a murderer as well, but also a trafficker in illegal goods and forbidden magic.  Sam invited Traxin to work together with him and the two of them descended further into the criminal underworld, experimenting with each other and all sorts of crime.  They became a duo, killing, robbing and raping.  

Eventually, Traxin discovered that he had magical talent and applied himself to the study of magic.  Studying in the underworld from Warlocks, he quickly found out that he had a talent for necromancy and began using raised corpses to cover up his other crimes.  However, when people began to suspect that a Necromancer was working in their city, Traxin went into hiding and Sam went with him.  While laying low, they concocted a wild plan to try to take over the Duchy by assassinating the Duke with an army of the dead and ruling as co-Kings.

As part of the preparations for their revolt, Traxin constructed a bow for his lover.  Made from one of his rib bones, one of the most infamous Warlocks to plight the River Duchy in decades and a talented Necromancer of significant repute, along with sinew from a warrior they had lured in and murdered for the string and wood from the infamous Hangman's Grove, the bow named Deadeye was a terrible weapon that would inspire fear in anyone who was unfortunate enough to face the wielder.  

Fortunately for all, this attempted rebellion never occurred.  When a group of adventurers accidentally found the animated corpses that Traxin had been stock-piling in a cave near the city, they swiftly alerted the Paladins of the Church, the Brothers of Zulin, who were able to find proof that Traxin and Smiling Sam were the ones responsible for this atrocity.  

As such, the pair found themselves pursued for their numerous crimes.  Eventually, they were cornered at one of their hide-outs out in the hills.  They had traps and knowledge of the caves, plus a small army of Undead to back them up, but the Paladins were too strong and cut through their corpse-soldiers.  Traxin himself was killed in the attack, but Smiling Sam was able to escape through a hidden tunnel.  He fled into the dark, plotting his revenge.   

Abilities:

- 3/Day, if the user shoots a corpse with an arrow, that corpse will rise as an Undead under the user's control.  The Undead will remain under the user's control for as long as he maintains possession of Deadeye.  If he ever loses it, the Undead will be free to do as they wish.

- The user can control a number of Undead equal to twice his level, so a level 1 user could control 2 Undead.  Any Undead raised beyond this will be Unbound and free to act as they wish.  

- Undead raised through the use of this ability have 1 HD and the normal abilities of an Undead.

Deadeye was used by Traxin's lover, Smiling Sam, who escaped from the trap that led to Traxin's and his comrades' deaths.  He attempted to raise another army of the Undead and successfully recruited a few dabbling necromancers and evil-doers to help him with this plan.  When a disagreement broke out over who would lead, violence broke out and Sam was stabbed then drowned in a shallow stream.  

The bow was lost during the scuffle.  Secretly it is buried in the mud of the stream, waiting for someone with a heart as black as Traxin's to come along.  When it finds such a person, it will call out to them and continue his plan of building a Kingdom of the Dead.

Featherfriend:

1d6+Atk

Aben was known as the 'good hunter' by the others in his villages, a name he accepted with pride.  He was unaware of the fact that this was done in mockery, for Aben was known for both being a terrible shot and his soft-heartedness.  

He was extremely picky in what kind of animals he shot at- he would not fire upon young animals, nor mothers taking care of their children.  He only ever shot at old or sick animals, or those that seemed strong and proud.  He reasoned that the old and sick were just being put out of their misery and the strong ones had likely already lived good lives.  For this reason, he rarely caught anything and when he did, the meat was never particularly good.  

So one day, when Aben was out hunting, he saw a kestrel flying overhead.  He saw the bird as being strong and noble and slew it with a lucky arrow.  When he watched the Kestrel fall, he saw another Kestrel come and mourn over it's loss.  He realized this was the Kestrel's mate and since Kestrels only roosted together when they were raising chicks, he wept bitterly.  He prayed then that someone would allow him to atone for his crime of robbing the chicks of one of their parents.  

The Simurgh, Queen of Birds, heard his plea and reached out to him.  She transformed him into a Kestrel and allowed him to help.  Now a bird of prey himself, Aben took the female as his mate and helped her to raise her chicks to maturity.  When they grew enough to leave the nest, the Simurgh offered to let him stay as a bird.  She told him that the other birds would accept him, unlike the people of his village, who mocked him for what they thought was simple foolishness.  

Aben refused this generous offer, stating that while he liked being a bird, he did not belong among them.  He was a man and he had the responsibilities of a man- he would not abandon them for the easy life of being a bird.

So the Simurgh returned him to his original form and sent him home.  Aben returned and when he did, he found that the villagers had taken over his house and looted all his possessions, assuming that he had died.  When he informed them he was not dead and told them what he had been up to, they did not believe him and dismissed it as nonsense.  

Aben did not attempt to persuade them otherwise and spent the rest of his life helping others in his home town, living a simple and humble life.  No one noticed anything truly odd about him, except he seemed to have a unique affinity for birds.  Many of the village children claimed he could talk to them, but the elders dismissed this as another story.  

When Aben died, no one excepted the simple service to be attended by hundreds of people, all whom he had helped, but also by an entire Parliament of Birds, from great Eagles to humble Sparrows and everything in between.  When they saw that, all but the most stalwart doubters held their tongues.  Since then, his grave has become a place of pilgrimage for people who seek to commune with the Great Bird Spirits, as well as with the Simurgh.     

Abilities:

- 3/Day, the user can transform an arrow into a bird.  This bird is not a true bird, but a construct.  It will obey all orders and feels no emotions, so it cannot be frightened or manipulated by abilities that affect the mind, such as Charm or Fear effects.  This bird construct lasts for 1 hour or until destroyed.  The user can also cause it transform back into an ordinary arrow.  The arrow can transform into any Small bird.

- If the user has a feather from a particular type of bird, the bird construct can gain the abilities of that species of bird.  For example, if they have a crow feather, the bird construct can speak, as Crows do.

- 1/Day, the user can transform an entire quiver (30 arrows or more) into a Medium or Large Bird.

- While holding this bow, the user can communicate with birds as if they spoke a language.  

- If the user of this bow ever kills a bird with it without the explicit permission of a Royal Bird or the Simurgh, he will be cursed and the bow will leave him.  

Aben's bow disappeared from his dwelling place upon his death.  No one thought anything of it, as he hadn't used it as much more than wall decoration for years at that point.  The bow was taken by an Eagle and borne to the Nest of the Simurgh, where she keeps it safe.  When she sees a heroic soul in need of aid or her Kingdom needs defending against evil birds, she will dispatch her servants to take the bow to a suitable person, so that they might defend the innocent.

by a-tora

Drakehunter/Volkslayer:

1d8+Atk

The Shai Clan were a small clan of martial artists who lived under the tyranny of a great and terrible Dragon named Volkbite, Dragon of Hymns and Screams.  Volkbite oppressed them by demanding tribute in the form of human slaves and livestock that he might consume at his leisure.  

When they refused or couldn't meet their quotas, he rampaged through the Clan's lands, burning and killing at will.  It was during one of these wild rages that he slew the parents of a young girl named Una.  Una was crushed and broken by the loss of her parents, but unlike others who merely sought to survive, she began to hate.  

Una was adopted by her relatives in the Clan and continued to serve Volkbite.  However, while she appeared the perfect, obedient daughter, anyone who knew her could tell how angry she was.  She was driven by her anger and her rage, though she rarely acted on it.  Rather she let her anger cool into a cold, malicious hatred, sculpting and forging it into a tool of vengeance.  

For many, many years she plotted, entering the Dragon's service and becoming one of his most favorite huntresses.  She brought him back exotic game and splendid treasures for his hoard, so that when she left for weeks or months, no one questioned her.  Volkbite was surely aware of how she despised him, but a human likely does not care if the ants in his yard regard him with hatred.  

So one day, when Una returned from a hunt after months away, she was quickly shown into the Dragon's bower, as she promised him a gift like he had never seen.  When she entered however, Volkbite noticed how she bore no trinkets or meat, only a bow and a quiver full of arrows.  When he asked her why she had brought him these, as he did not collect bows nor arrows, she told him the gift she brought him was her true feelings.  

At that point, she drew and buried an arrow in his eye.  Volkbite did not die then, as the stories often claim, but many hours later, in pain and agony as she riddled him with arrows, broke his wings, slit open his belly and extracted his internal organs while he still lived.

Shai Una then took total control of her Clan, killed those still loyal to Volkbite and began a career as both a conqueror and a Dragon-slayer.  By the time she died in battle against Lomakazi, Dragon-King of the Southern Heavens and Unbroken Seas, she ruled over a great kingdom and had slain eleven Dragons.  Her death was deeply mourned and after her bow was recovered from where it fell into the sea, it was venerated by her Clan as a sacred relic.

Abilities:

- 3/Day, when fighting a Dragon or a great Reptilian Monster, the user may cause whatever arrow he is firing to become an Arrow of Slaying directed at that creature.  If that arrow strikes the creature in question, that creature must save vs death.  On a successful save, the creature takes 2d6 damage instead.

- When carrying this bow, the user may sense the presence of Reptilian creatures and Dragons within 1000' of him, even if they are shape-shifted or invisible.  The user can point to their general direction, but unless very close to them, the user will not be able to directly point to them.  

- When in the presence of a Dragon or a Dragon-like creature, the user must save or be overcome with a visceral hatred for that creature.  On a failed save, the user will become furious and will devote all of their energy to trying to kill the Dragon or Dragon-like monster.

Shai Una's bow remains in the custody of her clan, venerated in her massive tomb complex.  Though the Shai Clan has declined in power and status over the decades since her death and the failure of her successors to live up to her legacy, they are not so impoverished that they must part with any of the Foundress' treasures.  

Mind-Taker/Slave-King's Bow:

1d6+Atk

King Barabo Flesh-Tamer was known for his obsession with efficiency and control.  He conquered his home city and set about trying to make it into the ideal society.  He had many plans, from the reasonable to the entirely ludicrous.  For instance, he passed laws enforcing kinder treatment of slaves- no longer was it permissible to beat slaves severely and if a master impregnated a slave, the slave would be allowed to keep their child for at least ten years (or an equivalent amount depending on species).  

He also reduced the amount of labor the citizens of the city were expected to perform for the King and ensured that merchants would no longer be permitted to raise food prices during famines- any that raised them too much would be killed and their goods seized by the crown, where they would be distributed to the needy or resold for reasonable prices.

His other reforms were, less popular.  His notion that money be abolished and that all commerce be conducted via barter exchange or that the city would be ruled by a class of philosopher-priests who owned no property and lived in seclusion from the corrupting influences of the world were considered silly, if not openly heretical.  He would have implemented many of these policies, had not the Priests of the City's God intervened and told him that his Deity did not approve of such notions.  When denied a direct approach, Barabo sought other means of implementing his laws.  

This was not the only upset to Barabo's plans.  He found that no matter how effective his ideas or how careful his plans, his citizens constantly found a way to screw it up.  A program for distributing free bread to the poor was monopolized by families with large numbers of children, who sent each child individually, preventing those with smaller families from receiving an equal amount.  

When he attempted to raise marriage rates among the poor and immigrants to his City, he decreed that all men not married or actively seeking a spouse would be forced to pay a fine.  This led to a new career where women would be paid to reject men's offers of marriage.  These "rejectors" soon became more popular than the prostitutes in the red lantern district, while the marriage rates refused to rise.  

Barabo nearly gave into despair at that, lamenting that for all his good intentions, his citizens were incorrigible.  That was when the strangers came to Court.  There were three of them, identical triplets who spoke in unison and served a strange, foreign religion.  They promised Barabo that they could solve his particular problem.  

Though skeptical at first, he soon became an enthusiastic supporter of the triplets and they became a fixture at court.  Even as other courtiers began to have doubts about these strangers, Barabo grew more attached to them.  Soon he was plying them with gifts and helping them set up a compound within one of the city's most lavish mansions, seized from a rebellious merchant years ago, all in pursuit of their secret project.

While the official consensus was that the triplets were mere conmen, exploiting the King to swindle him out of gold and slaves, in truth the King's Vizier and his former close advisors feared that something much darker was occurring.  Unfortunately for them, before any action could be taken, the King changed.  He summoned his courtiers and announced he had solved the biggest problem afflicting the city.  When asked what exactly that problem was, he produced a bow made of glistening chitin and started shooting.  Anyone struck by one of his arrows fell under his control.  Thus did the King solve the greatest problem afflicting his city, that of free will.  

Abilities: 

- 3/Day, when the user shoots a creature with an arrow, he can force that creature to save.  On a successful save, that creature takes damage as normal.  On a failed save, the creature falls under the control of the user.  The controlled creatures will obey any orders given to them, but if ordered to take an action that violates their own moral code or is obviously dangerous, that creature gets another save to break out of the mind control.  Creatures affected by this mind control will remain under the control of the user until released or the user who dominated them dies.  The mind control effect can also be dispelled by a Magi who can remove the enchantment from the mind of an affected creature.  

- No one else can use the ability of this bow once a creature has used it once, unless that first user willingly hands it over or dies.  In either case, any creatures under mind-control are automatically released.  

King Barabo became known as the Flesh-Tamer and after seizing total control of his city, he launched an unsuccessful attack against his neighbors, attempting to enslave their populations as well.  Unfortunately, mind-controlled soldiers are not creative or flexible, so his armies produced little more than a vast mound of corpses.  After these failed conquests, Barabo's city was besieged for four years, the city only falling after a band of assassins snuck over the wall, infiltrated his palace and killed him.  

His bow was brought back along with his head, but as no one in the alliance that overthrew him could trust their rivals with the bow and it seemed impossible to destroy, the bow was sealed in a metal chest and flung into the sea.  Since that day, no one has seen it since.  If it did ever turn up though, there would be a massive hunt for both the bow and the poor soul who is currently holding it.

by rh og69

Cloudbane/Skybleeder: 

1d6+Atk

The Lords of the Upper Air have waged war against the Servants of the Water Courts since the beginning of the Cloud War.  This foolish pursuit has led to many attempts to create super-weapons in the hope of finally winning the war.  Usually, these either produce slightly more powerful weapons that aren't really worth the effort, or powerful weapons that while very effective, aren't worth the expense needed to create them.  However, the bow named Cloudbane is rare example of a success story.  

Cloudbane was created through the partnership between a mortal King named Iskal and the Gas Noble Ferdinand Adamus.  Iskal wanted a tool that would help bring rain to his arid nation, while Adamus wanted a tool to destroy the cloud-fortresses of the Water Elementals.  They worked together and created the bow, made from the finest materials Iskal could afford and infused with the power of the air, Cloudbane was a work of genius.  With it, Adamus was able to conquer and seize many cloud-fortresses, while Iskal used it to bring rain and nourish the crops of his people.  This was a very equitable partnership that both greatly benefited from.  

However, this success brought unwanted attention and soon other powerful Air Spirits, upon seeing the work of art that was Cloudbane, sought to seize it for themselves.  Some tried to take it by force, but these attempts were routed by Adamus' servants.  So they tried other methods.  They went to Iskal and promised him even better weather and when he was skeptical of this, they brought rain to his lands, even in the dry season.  

Soon the Noble Air Spirits were competing amongst each other, sending torrential rains, rains of fish and frogs and other weather wonders to Iskal's land.  Soon this competition grew fierce and bitter, with the Wind-Lords fighting amongst each other, attempting to ruin each other's efforts with tornadoes, thunder and hailstorms.  This then triggered a minor civil war among the Air Nobles, who tore apart the sky above Iskal's kingdom, shattering the delicate balance of the elements.  

Soon the land was in chaos, the weather running rampant.  Whole villages were obliterated by storms, while crops failed or were destroyed by freak weather events.  Iskal himself was also subjected to many assassination attempts, mostly in the form of lightning strikes, massive hailstorms and several tornadoes, which destroyed much of his palace and capital city.  In the end, Iskal had enough of the chaos.  

He pleaded with Adamus to stop the fighting, but Gas Noble refused, as he was benefiting from all his rivals destroying themselves.  So Iskal threatened to destroy the bow.  Adamus told him if he did that, he would destroy the King, so Iskal stayed his hand.  But when several days later a woman brought her dead son to the capital and asked him why he had been struck by lightning, Iskal's heart was moved with pity.  

He concocted a plan to save his people.  He summoned his Magi and told them to create a means of stopping the war in the Heavens above.  The Magi consulted and schemed and eventually came up with a plan they thought might work.  So Iskal journeyed to the coast and threatened to throw Cloudbane into the sea.  The Air Spirits descended on him, but when they did, his Magi sprang their trap, sealing them in a vast magic circle.  Iskal showed them that he did not have Cloudbane, but instead carried a replica.  

He told the Spirits that if they did not swear to never interfere with the weather of his kingdom again, he would have Cloudbane sealed away where they could never find it.  The Spirits agreed but when they were released, they cursed King Iskal and his line to forever suffer their wrath.  King Iskal didn't care, as long as they stopped.  They then departed.  Years later, King Iskal died mysteriously after being struck by thirteen near-simultaneous lightning bolts on an otherwise cloudless day.

Abilities:

- 3/Day, if the user hits a creature with an arrow, the user can also cause that creature to be struck by lightning.  These lightning bolts do 3d6 damage, save for half.  Creatures get disadvantage on any save they make if they are wearing metal armor or carrying large amounts of metal.    

- If there are clouds in the sky, the user can fire an arrow at them to pierce the cloud and cause rain in a localized area (1d4 square miles, depending on the size of the cloud).

- The user does not take fall damage, as long as he is in an area with an unrestricted airflow.  For example, it would work in a field, but not in a cave deep below the earth (unless the cave was extremely big).  

- The user of this bow will also be hated by Water Elementals.  If he steps into any source of water (such as a river, lake, or heaven forbid the ocean) that water will do it's best to drag him down and drown him.  Even rain will try to kill him, though this will mostly mean getting in his eyes and making him miserable by soaking him to the skin.

King Iskal's lineage still rules, but they have developed an aversion to being outdoors, as almost all the men of their line eventually end up being killed by lightning.  The current heir is desperate to avoid this fate for himself and has promised his family's legendary bow, along with any other reward you could imagine, in exchange for a way to break the curse.  

Death of Courage/Arc of Fear/Soul's End:

1d6+Atk

The Nightmare King was a terrible Demon-King who, after possessing the body of the Prince of Swords, was able to secretly subvert and then eventually take over his home city of Okar, ruling the people with an iron fist.  He ruled through terror, passing harsh laws and torturing those who refused to obey him.  Every night, the people would be forced to experience the memories of this torture in their dreams to forever remember why they must obey.  

To perfect his mastery of fear, the Nightmare King created a weapon to spread terror more effectively, more personally.  He crafted a bow of moonlight and nightmares, weaving thread of discord and failure.  He lacquered it with sorrow and misery and adorned it with the soul of the body he had stolen, sealing it in a violet-black gem to savor his despair forever.  He named this weapon Death of Courage, for that is what it would do.

The surrounding Kings rightly feared him and so formed an alliance to try and destroy him.  Six Kings came against his city, but the Nightmare King was not worried.  He stole their plans from their minds and savored their secret fears and insecurities, making them into arrowheads.  When they attacked, he struck back, driving the Kings insane by afflicting them with waking nightmares.  The King of Tarzil feared that his wife was being unfaithful, so when he saw a "vision" sent from his God about his Queen bedding his least-favorite courtier, he quit the field and went home, leaving his army leaderless.  

The King of Golka had been concealed in a chest when he was younger to protect him from assassins but this experience had left him a crippling fear of small spaces.  When struck by an arrow from the Nightmare King, the King of Golka thought he had been buried alive and was reduced to a screaming, sobbing mess.

So all the Kings failed and their great attack crumbled.  That night, when they all had realized what had happened, they despaired at the thought of attacking Okar's walls again.  Their men had already suffered losses and more then that, they had lost faith in their leaders.  They had no idea of how to counter the Nightmare King's powers or his great weapon, and so in their shame, they sent messengers and asked for peace.  The Nightmare King was happy to agree.  

Abilities: 

- 3/Day, if the user strikes a creature with an arrow, the user can force that creature to save.  On a failed save, that creature takes no damage but is instead suffers an extremely realistic, multi-sensory illusion that forces them to experience their deepest fear.  To the afflicted creature, the illusion is one hundred percent real and absolutely awful.  Any creature that tries to interfere in the illusion will either be unable to be seen, or will be re-interpreted as part of the illusion.  These illusions last for one hour or until dismissed by the user.

- The illusions can also be dispelled by the creature in question facing and overcoming their fear.  To do this, a creature must succeed on three separate COG checks (morale checks for NPCs).  The creature should roll each round.  After three successes, the creature can manage to overcome their fear temporarily and push the illusion away.  If the creature fails three checks before it succeeds on three however, it is locked in the illusion for the full duration.

The Nightmare King had managed to fend off the threat of the rival Kings and ruled Okar for almost a hundred years, terrorizing and bullying both his people and the surrounding lands.  It was only when he launched a campaign of conquest that his rival kings sought to oppose him once more.

by AndreyDenisov

Master of Wind/Speaker of Lies/Faithless:

1d6+Atk

When the Nightmare King attempted to conquer and dominate his neighbors, the Kings of the Cities around Okar raised their armies to defend against him, though they were filled with dread at the thought of facing that master of fear once more.  So in desperation, they contacted the great warrior, Takiz, Son of No One.  

Takiz had been abandoned shortly after birth and only survived thanks to the kindness of strangers.  If anyone had been more unlikely to be a famous hero, it was he.  Yet Takiz had risen to the challenge, becoming not only a skilled warrior, but a maker of wondrous items, a friend to the downtrodden and a mighty hero.

Unfortunately, when they found him, Takiz was very drunk, found sleeping under a plum tree.  He was woken up and when informed of the situation, expressed his irritation at being asked to solve such a "simple" problem.  When the servants sent to fetch him expressed disbelief at this, Takiz just shook his head and went with them.  

When he was brought before the rival Kings, Takiz informed them that he would solve their problem, but only if they would provide him with whatever materials he needed, including Unicorn Hair, Griffon Claws, Honey Badger Fur, A jar of live ants, Buffalo Horn, Moose Antler and the skull of a Hippo.  He also requested a bronze mirror, horn and sinew, some arrows and as much plum wine as he could drink.

After laboring for three days and nights, Takiz told them to assemble their armies and prepare for battle.  Their armies gathered together and faced the Nightmare King's terror-fueled berserkers at the Battle of the Boulderfield, or as it would be remembered later, the Battle of Liar's Rock.  Before battle was joined, a group of men dressed in robes came out and drew runes all over a large, flat rock in the center of the battlefield.  

Then the King of Tarzil came out and stood on the rock, challenging the Nightmare King to single-combat.  The Nightmare King refused and instead shot him with an arrow from Death of Courage.  Yet to the Nightmare King's shock, the arrow did nothing.  The King of Tarzil laughed and told them that the rock he stood on was warded against the Nightmare King's magic.  The only way for him to win would be with the sword.

So the Nightmare King rode out, worried about losing the fear of his men and engaged the King of Tarzil in single combat.  But as he began to fight him, he came to a shocking conclusion.  This wasn't the King of Tarzil!  It was an illusion.  When he peeled the illusion away, he saw that sitting next to the rock was an unassuming man with a seemingly ordinary bow folded across his lap.  

The man greeted the Nightmare King casually and informed him that he was about to be defeated, his foul magics undone.  The Nightmare King laughed in response.  Then the unassuming man told the King who he was.  When the Nightmare King learned he was facing Takiz, Son of No One, for the first time, he felt genuine, unabashed fear.  When he did that, his powers weakened just enough for Takiz to skewer him with an arrow. 

When the arrow struck him, it disguised the Nightmare King, making him look utterly ridiculous.  As the illusion tripped and stumbled away, spluttering and making a fool of itself, Takiz laughed at him.  This frightened the Nightmare King, but worse, it made him angry.  Fueled by rage and anger, he blindly lashed out.  Takiz never liked fighting angry people, so he made it quick.

After the battle was won, the rival Kings found Takiz getting drunk in his tent.  When they asked him about the Nightmare King, Takiz informed him that he was dead and that his arrow riddled-body was around here, somewhere.  When the Kings prostrated themselves before the hero and asked him how they could repay him, Takiz asked for more wine.  

The Kings went to comply, but when they did, they found that not only had Takiz consumed most of the plum wine they brought, he had used one barrel to preserve the body of the Nightmare King for "future experiments".  As they were terrified of him even in death, the Kings burned the barrel and destroyed the former vessel of their demonic enemy.  Takiz was reported to have wept at the waste of good materials.      

Abilities:

- 3/Day, the user can create an illusion within 50' of himself.  This illusion lasts for 10 minutes or until dispelled.  The Illusion can produce visual and auditory sensory data, but does not stand up to physical scrutiny.  Additionally, as a free action on his turn, the user can manipulate the illusion.  For example, the user could make an illusion of a man who walks and moves realistically.

- 3/Day, the user can mark an arrow and if fired from this bow, when that arrow hits, it can create an illusion that covers a 30' diameter circle and is centered on the arrow's impact point.  The user can manipulate this illusion as a free action on his turn.

After the death of the Nightmare King, Takiz entrusted both the Demon's bow, Death of Courage, and the one he had made, Master of Wind, to the rival Kings before he departed, as Takiz hated evil, but he had no patience for Kings.  The rival Kings agreed to make an alliance amongst themselves, calling themselves the Six-City League.  

As part of this treaty, the bow Master of Wind would remain in each City for 1 year and be transferred to a new City each year.  As for Death of Courage, since the Kings still feared it, so they had it sealed in a secret vault and swore the builders to secrecy, so no one could ever find or use it again.       

  

Door-Smith/Key of Dreams:

1d6+Atk

Caran Quickfeet was a Hoba and a thief of great renown.  He stole not just for money, not just for prestige, but because he simply loved the game.  He was known to leave taunting messages behind or to steal things that had no actual value, just because he could.  Once he infiltrated the Yellow Emperor's palace just to steal the underwear of his favorite concubine, which he then strung up a flagpole.  

He stole into the Monastery of the Blood-Seeker Monks and stole the petrified heart of their founder to demonstrate that he could.  Once, when a comrade of his was captured, he disguised himself, got himself arrested, stole the keys, locked the warden in one of the empty cells, then freed every single person in the dungeon and managed to escape with his companion.  

Caran terrorized many over the years, but eventually, even his legendary prowess met their match.  Caran finally drew the attention of the great Seeker, Altrim Sharpeye. Altrim was an Agent of Law, committed to the forces of Order.  He traveled the land, seeking sources of Chaos to snuff out and crush.  

When he heard the tale of Caran, he at first dismissed it, stories of Hoba thieves not being uncommon, but eventually he became convinced that these stories were not exaggerations or a composite of multiple thieves, but one legendary criminal.  Altrim sought to capture this man as an enemy of Law.  As such, he came up with a scheme.  

Altrim convinced a royal dynasty to hide their jewels and replace them with fakes, then had a Magus put a very sensitive, very delicate tracking spell on the fakes.  Then he announced that the jewels were going to be put on display.  However, to ensure that they were not able to be stolen, the King had hired him to make sure that no thief could possibly take them.  Altrim was confident that this was a challenge Caran would not be able to refuse.  

He was correct in this as on the first day, the Chief Clerk received a note that the jewels would be stolen.  It was signed "C. Quickfoot".  Altrim was confident now and made ready.  Sure enough, two nights later, a gang of thieves attempted to infiltrate the hall where the jewels were being kept.  

Altrim had prepared well however and they were captured.  Altrim crowed in victory at outfoxing the great thief.  He was greatly lauded for this.  Yet the celebration was short-lived, for when the King went to "return" the royal jewels to their rightful place of honor, he found them missing, replaced by a gloating apology letter from "G. Quickfoot".

When he was interrogated that night, "Caran Quickfeet" revealed that the name 'Quickfeet' was not just because he had two fast feet, but also that there were two Quickfoots out there.  That night, he disappeared from his cell and vanished into the night, never to be captured again.  The only clue left behind was a broken arrowhead found stuck into a tiny gap between the doorframe and the wall.

Abilities:

- 3/Day, the user can enchant two arrows and place them where they are touching a pair of doors.  When he does this, he can create a sympathetic link between the two doors.  For as long as those arrows remain in contact with the two doors, the doors will act as a pair of portals, one leading to the other.  If either of these arrows are removed from the door they are touching, the portals stop working.

After he passed away, Caran Quickfeet's bow was taken and placed in a secret temple to the God of Thieves.  It is guarded there until a suitably bold thief earns the attention of the Lord of Thieves, who will summon them to this temple and offer them the bow, in exchange for performing a great service or a notorious heist.

                         by YarArte

Voidpiercer/Daughter-Devourer/Eater of Hope:

1d6+Atk

Frowar was a cunning and ruthless politician, born the firstborn son of a Sorcerer-King.  He was everything one might want in an heir, handsome, well-spoken, intelligent and ambitious.  He was a leader of men, a skilled duelist and possessed both skill at military maneuvers and the subtle conflict at court.  There was just one problem- he had little to no magical talent.  No one could succeed the Sorcerer-King without impressive arcane power so for all his Frowar's other virtues, he was not a viable choice.

This infuriated him, for he considered himself the superior of all his brothers in all areas but in magical talent.  This frustration of his only grew as his wife bore him five daughters, each one possessing excellent affinities for magic.  So when his father grew ill and seemed about to pass, Frowar became desperate.  He convinced himself that any of his brothers would lead the kingdom into ruin and that he must do anything to save it.  So he sought methods both unusual and unethical.  

Eventually, he found something he thought might work.  He contacted a powerful Demon named Arkalos and asked for the ability to command magic.  Arkalos told him that it was possible to gain such power, but that it would be hard to obtain and require sacrifice.  Frowar agreed to do whatever the Demon asked, in exchange for the power to save his people.  So the Demon told him what he must do.  

Several days later, while Frowar and his family were out hunting and enjoying the spring flowers, bandits attacked!  Frowar's wife and daughters were kidnapped while he was out chasing a boar with his retainers.  When he returned, he was enraged and personally lead the search.  

Three days later, they found the bandits, who were actually cultists!  They had sacrificed Frowar's wife in a gruesome black-magic ritual.  Frowar flew into a rage at the sight and killed them all.  This was his deepest regret, as there was no sign of the girls.  Frowar and his retainers waited to see if there would be any ransom demands, but none ever came.

Frowar shortly thereafter developed magical talents, each one more potent than the last.  He even had five affinities, an almost mythic trait.  He even demonstrated a talent for crafting magical items, forging a bow he named 'Remembrance', made from the wood of yew trees and the blade that slew his wife, while her hair and that of their daughters was magically woven into a nigh-unbreakable cord that formed the bowstring.  

He quickly earned the praise of Court and seemed likely to reclaim his spot as heir apparent, but his rivals at court suspected something strange was happening.  After all, Frowar's daughters had gone missing and he just so happened to have gained magical talent identical to their affinities?  

Before any serious investigation could occur, however, the chief daughter vanished in the night without another word.  Kidnapping was suspected, but there was no proof of forced entry or coercion.  It was as if he vanished into thin air.  After a few more courtiers disappeared, Frowar's critics took the hint and stopped critiquing the heir or spreading rumors about him.  

With no more obstacles standing in his way, Frowar was poised to ascend the throne as soon as his ailing father passed.  Yet the heir suddenly seemed to develop strange tendencies.  He started hearing voices and having nightmares, talking to people who weren't there and begging not to see his daughters again.  He argued with someone he called 'their Husband', though this other person did not seem to be real and had metal statues of his daughters built.  

Day and night he would plead with them, begging them for forgiveness, telling them it was the only way.  Still, he kept things together well enough and was too powerful at court for anyone to object too much- after all, a mad king is better than no king.  Besides, there was no better option.  After the disappearance of his greatest rivals, none of his brothers were willing to challenge him.  

Abilities:

- If the user strikes a creature with an arrow, the user can force that creature to save.  On a successful save, the creature takes +1d6 necrotic damage.  On a failed save, the creature is banished to an icy, lightless void.  This void is empty, apart from pale, white humanoids without eyes that hunt any kill any living creature and tear it to pieces, bathing in it's blood.  A creature banished to this void will remain banished for 1d4 [1= 1d6 rounds; 2= 1d6 minutes; 3= 1d6 days; 4= 1d6 weeks.]    

- Voidpiercer is cursed.  Each time Voidpiercer's banishment ability is used, the user must save.  On a failed save, 1d6-1 (explodes on a "5") of the pale humanoids appear near him.  As they abhor the light of the sun, they will appear in the nearest darkness.  The humanoids will be driven to stalk and kill the user, then bathe in his blood and devour his flesh.  They will avoid conflict with others along the way, but will fight if a creature tries to stop them from reaching their goal.  If the humanoids kill the current user, they will disappear from the world and return to their void, leaving behind only patches of cold air.         

Details of the Void: 

- The Void contains no food or water and is just cold enough to freeze you to death if you have no shelter.  The void also has extremely limited mana-flow, so spellcasting is hard there and all spells only function at 50% power.

- The pale humanoids, known to the most esoteric and damned of scholars as the Daughters of Arkalos, number 555,555.  When a creature appears in their Void, they can sense that creature's arrival.  Additionally, for each hour a creature remains there, he has a 1-in-6 chance of drawing more Daughters to him.  Creating light, heat or using magic will also draw them like honey draws flies.

- If a creature dies in the void, whether or starvation, dehydration, hypothermia or being devoured, their body will never return to the mortal world.      

Fortunately for his father's kingdom, Frowar did not survive to his coronation.  After his father died, Frowar locked himself in his room and refused to let anyone, even his guards inside.  That night, the guards outside his room heard the sounds of screaming and pleas for mercy.  They broke down the door, but found nothing but a torn mattress and blood-stained sheets.  

The only evidence Frowar had even been here besides the messy bed was his bow resting on a chest.  As no one wanted the gruesome treasure, it was sealed away in one of the family's vaults, where they did their best to forget it.  The bow obliged this request by disappearing in the night.  Since then it has wandered the world, looking for more souls to feed it's endless hunger.  

Arc of the Rainbow:

1d6+Atk 

Once there was a girl named Lazy Jen who loved nothing more than to take naps in the sun and avoid working on her family's farm.  Her mother complained of this, but she was adored by her Father, who let it slide.  So Jen lived many peaceful, happy years on her father's farm.  Yet unknown to her, as the years passed, she grew into a true beauty.  One day, when Jen went with her father to the market, as otherwise she might have to stay and help with the animals, she noticed all the men in the market stealing looks at her.  

Though this distressed her at first, her mother told her that good looks were a gift, one that could fetch her a good husband.  That being said, her mother warned her not to misuse them, as they could get her into trouble.  

Jen promptly ignored her mother's advice and went off to flaunt her beauty.  She learned to tease and flirt and soon had half a dozen men wrapped around her fingers.  They showered her with gifts and flattery and treated her like she was made of gold and Jen loved every second of it.  Her parents worried for her, but Jen assured them that she had everything under control.  

Then one day, as she napping on the grass, the Sun noticed her on the grass.  He was immediately smitten with her and took human form.  When she woke, she gaped at the shining avatar before her.  The Sun identified himself and told her that he wished to marry her.  She was too shocked to refuse as he took her hand.  

For the rest of the day, the sun showered her with impossible wonders and took her to see dazzling sights that shook her mortal mind.  She was so overcome with the whole experience that she couldn't imagine saying no.  So the Sun negotiated with her parents and it was agreed that the two of them be wed.  

That night, however, the Moon came to her and whispered into her dreams.  Jen was terrified that the Moon, as the Sun's wife, might object to their union.  The Moon insisted she had no qualms, but warned her that part of the reason why she and the Sun separated was that his issue was burning hot.  Only someone sufficiently strong could handle it without being consumed.  

Jen was horrified at the thought and so tried to think of a way to get out of the marriage.  Yet her every excuse was brushed aside or ignored.  She tried many schemes, some clever and others foolhardy, but her groom-to-be plowed through, almost oblivious to her distress.  

Finally, Jen decided she had enough and decided to accept her fate.  Days before the wedding, she cried herself to sleep.  The Goddess of Marriage heard her cries and upon seeing Jen's distress, decided to help her.  She went to all of Jen's former hanger-ons and informed them of what was going to happen.  They were horrified and asked how they could help.  She told them what they ought to do to save Jen and in their desperation, they agreed.  The next day, all of Jen's men gathered together and set to work on a crazy, audacious plan.

The day of the wedding, they confronted the Sun and told him about their concerns.  The Sun told them that Jen would probably survive and even if she didn't, it's not like she would last long anyway.  A few more decades and she'd be dust, just like them.  So why did they care?  They protested and told him they had a plan that could make everyone happy.  The Sun was amused at the notion, so he agreed to allow them to try.  

They set their plan into motion then, by stealing Jen's dress and giving her a new one covered in fine, clear crystal.  Jen was not really thinking and assumed that it was just another present, so she put it on.  Then, as the ceremony was about to begin, they told the Sun what he ought to do.  He agreed to try.  Then it all came down to waiting.  All they could do now was pray that their plan would work.  

As Jen came out, the Sun, as the plan demanded, fired a beam of his power at her.  Jen cried out, but instead of annihilating her, his light hit the crystals in her dress and refracted through them.  As the dress had been enchanted to copy what was done through it onto the wearer, suddenly instead of one Jen, there were seven!

As the Goddess of Marriage had told them, people were composed of seven parts- Earth, Plant, Beast, Emotion, Ego, Reason and Immortality.  Thus Jen was divided into her separate components- Red Jen was of Earth and was extremely stable and known for her very dry wit.  Orange Jen was of Plant and was obsessed with the pattern of the Seasons.  Yellow Jen was of Beast, she never spoke, but her husband described her as being an amorous lover and rampant glutton.  

Green Jen was her emotions and was known for both her incredible sensitivity and only a little self-obsession.  Blue Jen was her Ego and thus, most like the old Jen.  Indigo Jen was her Reason and was known to be an extremely good, if cold wife, as she politely and diligently explained her feelings at all times.  Finally, Purple Jen was composed of the part of her that made her soul immortal.  She was not only beautiful and ageless, but strong enough to marry the Sun without dying.  

As thanks for saving them, the other colored Jens wished Purple Jen well in her marriage to then Sun, then each married one of her mortal lovers.  As he was pleased at this result, the Sun took a beam of sunlight and stretched into a bow shape, then took a drop of color from each of the Jens and fashioned them into seven magical arrows to accompany it.  He then gifted the bow to the men as a 'Thank you' gift, before departing with his new wife.

Abilities: 

- X/Day, when the user strikes a creature with an arrow, the user can cause that arrow to explode into a blast of elemental energy that does damage of any kind that he has the Color Arrow for.  For example, if the user possesses the Red Color Arrow, he can make his regular arrows explode into a blast of fire.  This fire blast can cover a space of up to X*10' diameter wide, where X is the number of Color Arrows he possesses.  This blast does 2d6 damage, save for half.

- X/Day, the user can make himself immune to elemental damage of a type equal to the type of one of the Color Arrows produces for 1 minute.  He can repeatedly make himself immune to one type of elemental damage, he does not have to switch to being immune to other elements if he does not wish to.   

- As long as the user is touching the bow or one of the Color Arrows, he can sense the location of the other arrows vaguely.  For example, if he was 1000 leagues north of the arrow, he would know it was "South of him".

- There are 7 Color Arrows, each doing a different type of elemental damage and offering protection from the same.  These colors and Elements are: Red - Fire; Orange - Acid; Yellow - Radiant; Green - Poison; Blue - Cold; Indigo - Psychic; Purple - Lightning. 

After the Sun gifted them such a valiant weapon, the six men swore to protect it and use it only for Goodness.  As the bow was passed down from generation to generation, this oath became less important and the six families began to covet the bow.  Then one night, it vanished.  All the families blamed the other, but since no one would confess, each of them took one of the Color Arrows, for without them, the bow was much less powerful, needing all seven to reach it's full potential.    

                 by TheMaestroNoob

Clearbone/Word-Burner/Tongue-Slice:

1d8+Atk

During the Strixan Civil War, also known as the War of the Mage-Houses, many terrible weapons were unleashed upon both Magus and commoner alike.  The Key to the Final Door was a famous necromancy spell that could devour the souls of an entire cohort and raise the soldiers as Undead puppets of the sorcerer, while the Rod of Five Seasons caused droughts and storms, leading to an out-of-control magical effect that permanently altered the weather for the Southern Provinces, even to this day.  

In order to bring them to heel, the Imperial Throne created a secret corps of assassins known as the Glass-Knives, commoners trained and equipped to hide themselves from Magi an assassinate them.  They were extremely successful, wiping out several Houses and crippling others.  They might have gone and won the war the Emperor had they not been discovered and the Mage-Houses taken counter-measures against them.  

Still, the damage was done and the rebels were left divided and scattered between the radical House Eshorn, which wanted to overthrow the Emperor, and the more conservative House Javo, which wanted to reform the Imperial bureaucracy, which they saw as the source of the dispute between them.  This division was not as advantageous as one might think, for while the Emperor did not want to lose his throne, he definitely did not want to shrink the Imperial bureaucracy.  

The former would be easier to fight, but Javo's offer was both reasonable and attractive.  Many Houses had not sworn for either side or had sworn in a non-committal fashion, their true aim to side with the winner.  The Emperor knew that unless he could win a quick victory, Javo might accumulate more support.  

So he had his war-mages create a new weapon for his Glass-Knives.  It fit the pattern of their previous weapons, crystal and clear, but this one was laden with potent runes that enabled it to slice through the strongest arcane defenses like it was soft butter.  He then armed his assassins and sent them to cripple House Javo.  

His weapon proved very successfully, with the Glass-Knives able to assassinate both the patriarch of the House, along with his two sons.  House Javo was significantly weakened and fell into infighting, no longer capable of defending against Imperial pressure or leading a rebellion against the Emperor.  

Abilities:

- 3/Day, the user can imbue an arrow with anti-magical properties.  The arrow has a 50% of penetrating magical defenses as if they weren't there.  This applies to any shield, ward or other defense composed of or held together via magic.  

- 3/Day, the user can cloak himself in power, giving himself 50% Magic Resistance.  If the user is targeted with a magical effect, roll 1d10.  If the user rolls equal to or under the number of his Resistance (50%), the magical effect passes over him without harming him and instead effects the nearest available target.          

Sadly, the Emperor was a victim of his own success.  While attacking House Javo might have prevented them from forming another front against him, his ruthless behavior merely emboldened his enemies and provided plentiful ammunition for them.  The Emperor's supporters deserted him one by one until he was finally besieged in his capital by a coalition of the Mage-Houses.  

In the grand tradition of Strixan Emperors, he killed himself and used the last of his life force to curse his enemies, rather than be taken alive.  When the victors were permitted to enter the City, they found the Glass-Knives waiting next to the corpse of their Emperor, holding the weapon which had wounded House Javo.  However, rather than destroy them, the Patriarch of Eshorn took them into his house-hold and declared himself the new Emperor.  

After he was assassinated years later, though not by the Glass-Knives, but by his own son, the bow that had laid low first House Javo then many others disappeared during the coup and has not been seen since.  Secretly, it was stolen by a cook's boy, who promptly sold it to a merchant who didn't know any better what it was for a pouch of silver that he squandered on drink and women.  It is currently stuffed into a traveling merchant's cart, hidden under some blankets as he looks for the right buyer.

by Bartek Fedyczak