Item: Bow Staff
The bow staff is a whipstaff with a retracting spool of wire inside a metal cap on one end and a hooked protrusion on the other. A wielder trained in the weapon's use can quickly spool and attach or detach the wire to transition the weapon between bow and staff functionality.
Trait Effects
Combination: Combination weapons combine the functionality of melee weapons and ranged weapons in unique or unusual ways. A combination weapon has a ranged form or usage and a melee weapon form or usage. The combination weapons table lists the ranged weapon statistics first and the melee weapon statistics indented beneath, just above the ammunition. Switching between the melee weapon usage and the ranged weapon usage requires an Interact action. However, if your last action was a successful melee Strike against a foe using a combination weapon, you can make a ranged Strike with the combination weapon against that foe without fully switching to the ranged weapon usage, firing the ranged weapon just as you hit with the melee attack. In this case, the combination weapon returns to its melee usage after the ranged weapon Strike. Since a combination weapon is one weapon with two usages, both usages share any fundamental runes. You can put a property rune on a combination weapon as long as it's appropriate for either of the two usages, but if only one of the usages meets the property rune's requirements, the effects of the property rune only apply for that usage. For instance, a _vorpal axe musket_ only applies the _vorpal_ property rune when you're using it as an axe. Due to their complexity, combination weapons can't have another weapon, such as a bayonet or reinforced stock, attached to them.
Deadly: On a critical hit, the weapon adds a weapon damage die of the listed size. Roll this after doubling the weapon’s damage. This increases to two dice if the weapon has a _greater striking rune_ and three dice if the weapon has a _major striking rune_. For instance, a rapier with a _greater striking rune_ deals 2d8 extra piercing damage on a critical hit. An ability that changes the size of the weapon’s normal damage dice doesn’t change the size of its deadly die.
Monk: Abilities with this trait are from the monk class. A weapon with this trait is primarily used by monks.
Critical Specialisation Effects
Certain effects can grant you benefits when you make a Strike with certain weapons and get a critical success. This is called a critical specialisation effect. The exact effect depends on which weapon group your weapon belongs to, as listed below. You can always decide not to add the critical specialisation effect of your weapon.
Bow: If the target of the critical hit is adjacent to a surface, it becomes stuck to that surface by the missile. The target is immobilized until it succeeds at an Interact action and a DC 10 Athletics check to pull the missile free. The target doesn't become stuck if it is incorporeal, liquid, or could otherwise escape without effort.
Related Items
| Name | Level | Rarity | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gakgung | - | Common | 1d6 |
| Mikazuki | - | Uncommon | 1d6 |
| Crescent Cross | - | Uncommon | 1d6 |
| Lancer | - | Uncommon | 1d8 |
| Shield Bow | - | Common | 1d6 |
| Black Powder Knuckle Dusters | - | Uncommon | 1d4 |
| Longbow | - | Common | 1d8 |
| Shortbow | - | Common | 1d6 |
| Composite Longbow | 1 | Common | 1d8 |
| Composite Shortbow | 1 | Common | 1d6 |
| Hunter's Bow | 3 | Common | 1d6 |
| Dazzling Shortbow | 5 | Uncommon | 1d6 |
| Horselord's Longbow | 6 | Uncommon | 1d8 |
| Splithead Bow | 7 | Uncommon | 1d8 |
| Hunter's Anthem | 11 | Common | 1d8 |
| Oathbow | 11 | Common | 1d8 |
| Dragonfire Halfbow | 12 | Uncommon | 1d6 |
| Mammoth Bow | 12 | Unique | 1d8 |
| Singing Shortbow | 14 | Common | 1d6 |
| Godsbreath Bow | 15 | Rare | 1d6 |