Melee Weapons

Ironically,this Wisdom drain actually improves one’s bonus to use Craft (chaositech)†,but it also makes the character less likely to save successfully the following month.This Wisdom drain is special,however,because the loss does not affect the spellcasting abilities ofchaotically aligned clerics.

Characters who lose all their remaining Wisdom while working on chaositech go insane.The exact nature ofthe insanity is up to the DM,but it should be dramatic: raving,homicidal mania;complete catatonia;and so on.

It should come as little surprise to readers that many chaositech devices are weapons—weapons to maim,kill,and destroy are the perfect tools of deep chaos.These weapons appear magical to the untrained eye.They have moving parts,shimmer with arcing energies,and are clearly more than simply sharp or heavy objects to strike a foe.

However,remember that chaositech is not magic. Creatures immune or resistant to nonmagical attacks, such as incorporeal beings or those with damage reduction,react to these weapons just like standard nonmagical weapons.On the other hand,creatures immune to magic,within an antimagic field,and so on, enjoy no special resistance to chaositech.

All chaositech weapons suffer chaotic failure with an attack roll of1.

Arc Staff:This 4-foot-long iron shaft is thin with a wide Cshaped tip.The center portion ofthe staffhas two handholds, with a metal sphere in between.The two prongs that make up the C-shaped tip measure about 1 foot apart.Because the prongs are flat,not pointed,the staffcannot be used as a stabbing weapon.

The sphere generates electricity that runs through the staff. The handholds are safe to touch,but anyone touching another portion ofthe staffsuffers 1d6 points ofelectricity damage.If wielded in combat,however,the staffcan be used as a touch attack weapon.Anything placed within the prongs—like an opponent’s arm,torso,or head—draws an arc ofenergy from both ofthem and suffers 2d6 points ofelectricity damage.

Since electricity courses through the entire staff,the wielder can also use it like a blunt weapon,inflicting 1d6 points of damage + 1d6 points ofelectricity damage.The DM may rule that some creatures can be attacked only in this fashion—for example,a Colossal creature may have no body parts able to fit easily between the prongs.

Using the arc staffeffectively as a touch attack weapon proves difficult.It is an exotic weapon.However,using it as an “electric club” requires no special skill and can be accomplished by anyone with Martial Weapon Proficiency.

Use activation;Craft DC 25;Price 4,500 gp

Chain Blade: This weapon resembles a bastard sword with a spiked chain wrapped lengthwise along the blade— down one side and then the other.The “blade,” in fact,is not a blade at all but simply an iron support for the chain.At the top and bottom ofthis support,the chain wraps around a small wheel.A switch on the pommel makes these wheels turn rapidly,moving the chain around them in a constant rotating motion.When applied to a surface (or a foe), the moving chain creates a sawing action that inflicts grievous wounds.The weapon’s bowl-like hilt protects the wielder’s hands. The chain blade inflicts 3d6 points ofdamage while activated (only 1d6 points when not).This exotic weapon proves difficult to wield.Anyone attempting to wield it without the proper feat breaks the chain and destroys the weapon on an attack roll ofa natural 1. Should damage reduction or object hardness entirely stop a hit from the chain blade,the action stops the moving chain.The wielder must reactivate it using a more complex control on the hilt.Treat this weapon as a bastard sword in all other respects. Switch/Lever activation;Craft DC 29;Price 5,200 gp

Drilling Spear: This chaositech weapon bears a strong resemblance to a standard shortspear.The head, however,looks like a drill tip,and below that along the shaft is a small mechanism.When activated by a switch, the tip rapidly rotates with a drilling motion.A drilling spear inflicts 1d10 points ofdamage.Ifused to make a single attack as a full-round action against an object,the drilling spear ignores up to 6 points ofobject hardness.This is a martial weapon used in all other respects like a shortspear.

Switch activation;Craft DC 27;Price 4,650 gp

Gear Blade: This odd weapon—a round saw blade connected to a series ofgears with a handle—can be quite dangerous. The wielder must use a standard action to pull on a cord twined around the base gear.Once this motion begins,the gears move very quickly,spinning the round blade with incredible power.The blade spins for 1d4+1 rounds before it needs another activation.The gear blade inflicts 2d8 points ofdamage while spinning,and 1d6 points ofdamage when not (critical 20/×3).Treat this one-handed exotic weapon in all other respects as a battleaxe.

Unique activation;Craft DC 25;Price 4,500 gp

Grinding Sword: This gruesome weapon could only have been conceived by chaos.It looks like a normal longsword with a particularly long pommel.A small tube affixed to the pommel attaches to the wielder’s headclamp.Without a

headclamp,this becomes simply a normal sword.A wearer with a headclamp uses the blade normally,but on either a critical hit (or a coup de grace) or a roll ofmaximum damage, the wielder can mentally activate the sword’s special function.A critical hit or maximum damage indicates that the wielder has thrust the blade into the target.When activated, the sword blade begins to spin on an axle connected to the pommel.This gory grinding inflicts an additional 3d6 points ofdamage.Further,the wielder can choose to continue grinding on subsequent rounds,inflicting 3d6 points of damage per round.This requires a full-round action on the wielder’s part.The victim can pull away from the grinding sword by making a successful grapple check against the wielder,freeing himselffrom the blade and its effects.

Headclamp activation;Craft DC 30;Price 9,000 gp

Grinding Sword,Lifechewer: This variation on the grinding sword† allows the wielder to drain life energy as the sword grinds.Through the connection to his headclamp,the wielder gains the points ofdamage inflicted by the grinding sword as temporary hit points that last no more than 24 hours.A wielder can gain no more than 50 temporary hit points in one day from the sword’s grinding—after that point,he becomes satiated.

Headclamp activation;Craft DC 34;Price 21,000 gp

Mandibled Staff: This 8-foot-long staffis made of lightweight metal with a set oflarge metal prongs at one end like a pincer or mandible.A wielder can use it in melee as a reach weapon to inflict 1d8 points ofdamage.Ifthe attack succeeds,the wielder can begin a grapple (with a +2 circumstance bonus to the grapple check due to the barbs on the mandibles) with the target as a free action that does not provoke an attack ofopportunity.The target must be no larger than Large and no smaller than Small.Ifthe wielder gets a hold,the weapon immediately injects the foe with a mild sedative poison (Fortitude save,DC 18) that induces fatigue.A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and suffers a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity.Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted.After eight hours ofcomplete rest,fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.The grappled foe cannot grapple back or attempt to inflict damage on the wielder until he gets free.This two-handed weapon is used as a staffin all other respects.

Use activation;Craft DC 22;Price 2,800 gp

Ooze Sword: This bastard sword has a simple switch on the pommel.Taut wires run up the flat sides ofthe blade from the hilt to attach to small nodes on either side ofthe weapon,about 6 inches from the tip.When the sword is activated,the tip above the nodes transforms into a caustic, viscous ooze that dissolves flesh like a gray ooze.The wielder can make attacks that inflict an additional 1d6 points ofacid damage.Further,leather armor or clothing dissolves and becomes useless immediately unless it succeeds at a Reflex save (DC 16).Further,any organic substance that touches the sword (such as a wooden shield used to block an attack) also dissolves immediately unless it succeeds at a Reflex save (DC 16).Ifheld for a full round against an inanimate organic substance like a wooden table or a cloth curtain,the sword’s tip inflicts 16 points ofdamage per round.Unlike a gray ooze,the sword is not particularly good at dissolving metal.

A flick ofthe switch returns the sword to normal.

Switch activation;Craft DC 34;Price 7,000 gp

Shearing Blade: This greatsword is shorter than most of its ilk.It resembles a sword with two side-by-side blades affixed to each other with a hinged mechanism.The weapon is used like a normal sword,but when the wielder scores a hit he can activate a switch (free action) that moves the shorter ofthe two blades.He can immediately make a pincerlike attack with it,using the attack’s original attack bonus +2.If the second attack succeeds,the sword inflicts an additional 2d6 points ofdamage (no bonus for Strength,magic, and so on).This is an exotic weapon. Switch activation;Craft DC 24;Price 4,250 gp

Sickening Rod: This 2-foot rod looks like little more than a stick,although many ofthem bear symbols ofchaos or other adornments.It is sturdy and can be used as a light mace.Iftouched to a living creature,as a part ofa light mace attack or as a touch attack,the rod sickens the victim for 1d20 minutes unless the target succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 14).Sickened creatures take a –2 penalty on all attack rolls,weapon damage rolls,saving throws,skill checks,and ability checks.The sickened target must immediately make a second Fortitude saving throw (DC 14) or become nauseated for 1d6 rounds as well.Nauseated creatures cannot attack,cast spells,concentrate on spells,or do anything else requiring attention.The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn,plus free actions (except for casting quickened spells).

Use activation;Craft DC 28;Price 7,500 gp