Item: Spike Launcher
Built from the spiked tail of a manticore, a spike launcher is designed to launch large, spear-like projectiles. A spike launcher is a +1 striking weapon. It's a distinct type of martial firearm that deals 1d8 piercing damage. It has the backstabber, fatal aim d12, and kickback traits with a range increment of 120 feet and reload 2. It uses the critical specialization of the bow weapon group, rather than the firearm critical specialization.
Activate—Spike Shot 3 (manipulate)
Frequency once per day
Requirements The spike launcher is loaded
Effect The spike launcher fires a volley of spikes in a 10-foot type:burst centered anywhere within its range. Make a Strike with the spike launcher against each creature in the area; your multiple attack penalty does not increase until after you have resolved all these attacks. On a success, the spike causes the creature to take a –5-foot status penalty to their Speed. On a critical success, the creature becomes Immobilized instead. In either case, the creature, or an adjacent creature, can use an Interact action to remove the spike and end the penalty or immobilized condition.
Craft Requirements The initial raw materials must include the tail of a manticore.
Trait Effects
Backstabber: When you hit an off-guard creature, this weapon deals 1 precision damage in addition to its normal damage. The precision damage increases to 2 if the weapon is a _+3 weapon_.
Fatal Aim: It’s possible to hold the stock of this weapon under one arm so you can fire it with a single hand, but if you use both hands, the weapon can make fatal attacks. When you wield the weapon in two hands, it gains the fatal trait with the listed damage die. Holding the weapon underarm stably enough to fire is significantly more complicated than just releasing one hand from the weapon, so switching between the two grips requires its own Interact action, not via Releasing or as part of reloading.
Kickback: A kickback weapon is extra powerful and difficult to use due to its high recoil. A kickback weapon deals 1 additional damage with all attacks. Firing a kickback weapon gives a –2 circumstance penalty to the attack roll, but characters with 14 or more Strength ignore the penalty. Attaching a kickback weapon to a deployed bipod, tripod, or other stabilizer can lower or negate this penalty.
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.
Firearm: The target must succeed at a Fortitude save against your class DC or be stunned 1.
Related Items
| Name | Level | Rarity | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shobhad Longrifle | 1 | Rare | 1d8 |
| Iris of the Sky | 6 | Unique | 1d8 |
| Obsidian Edge | 6 | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Fulmination Fang | 4 | Uncommon | 1d8 |
| Mindlance | 8 | Uncommon | 1d8 |
| Boastful Hunter | 3 | Rare | 1d8 |
| Obsidian Edge (Greater) | 9 | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Screech Shooter | 9 | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Gun Sword | 1 | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Hex Blaster | 11 | Unique | 1d8 |
| Jezail | 1 | Uncommon | 1d8 |
| Reaper's Grasp | 11 | Unique | 1d8 |
| Arquebus | - | Uncommon | 1d8 |
| Harmona Gun | - | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Obsidian Edge (Major) | 12 | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Rapier Pistol | - | Uncommon | 1d4 |
| Screech Shooter (Greater) | 13 | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Alicorn Trigger | 15 | Rare | 1d8 |
| Screech Shooter (Major) | 17 | Uncommon | 1d10 |
| Obsidian Edge (True) | 18 | Uncommon | 1d10 |