Disease Striker
A club made for Papinijuwari's best warriors.
The club functions as a +2 weapon, and it does an additional 1d6 poison damage against creatures. When wielded against diseased creatures, the club gains an additional +1. It also has the returning property.
On a successful critical hit, the club bursts into shards affecting every creature except Papinijuwaris. Creatures within 20 feet must succeed a Reflex save DC 22 or take 2d12 piercing damage (half damage on a save). In addition, creatures damaged by the shards must immediately make a Fortitude save against a disease. Roll 1d6 to determine which disease was the club infused with.
| Roll | Disease |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tallowthroat |
| 2 | Shadow Blight |
| 3 | Ergia |
| 4 | Scarlet Leprosy |
| 5 | Blightburn Sickness |
| 6 | Crypt Fever |
History
Papinijuwaris hunt creatures for food. If the creatures they are hunting are diseased, they can suck the life force out of them. Unfortunately, the hunters lack the ability to infect their prey. Only their druids can do that. Therefore, a chieftain by the name of Gilkwur ordered his druids to work until they found a way to give the clubs of his warriors the ability to infect people with the most deadly diseases they could find. It took the druids years, with an impatient Gilkwur killing many of them in the process. Eventually, they managed to create a disease-carrying weapon, the Disease Striker. They designed a club that, when used at its best, would burst into shards, doing extra damage and potentially infecting creatures with a disease. However, the fact that the clubs burst into shards makes them very expensive to replace. So the chieftain decided that only his best and most skilled warriors would wield these weapons.
Earning the honour of wielding a disease striker is an arduous task, but one which most Papinijuwari warriors are happy to endure. Many will die before getting the privilege. Everyone respects those that survive. No warrior doesn't want to fight close to someone who is wielding a Disease Striker.
Now go and smash someone's brains with it!
Nice weapon! Here is some thoughts. I love that last quote. Title, Disease Striker...Usually titles are in all caps. "The club functions as a +2 weapon, +3 against diseased creatures. The weapon does an additional 1d6 poison damage against creatures. It also has the returning property." -Consider making this a bulleted list or combine what is done against diseased creatures into one sentence and what is normal into one sentence. Example, "The club functions as a +2 weapon that does an additional 1d6 poison damage. It has the Returning property. It also has an additional +1 against diseased creatures." -I find having the returning property to be strange. You don't generally throw clubs. They aren't balanced well for throwing. "On a successful critical hit, the club bursts into shards..." -Hmm, so why have the Returning property if you expect it to explode? "shard and clouds of noxious powder" -So pieces and powder. It's a strange visual. Why do you need the 'clouds of noxious powder'? Based on the effect, simply having the shards would be enough. Why can't, the shards themselves inflict the disease and the piercing damage? Both Reflect and Fortitude saves would still apply, and you wouldn't have to worry about the immunity of creatures who don't breathe. "noxious powder" -Noxious generally has more to do with poison than disease. Consider an adjective like 'virulent' or 'lethal' or 'deadly'. 'which disease was the club infused' -Why would something that does extra damage to diseased creatures also cause disease itself? That seems really strange. (disregard the contact method with the disease) -I don't understand. Are you saying that we should disregard the normal transmission vector of the disease? If so, I don't think this statement is necessary as magical transmission sorta implies ignoring "normal" things. History "Papinijuwaris have a natural ability to thrive off diseased populations. But they lacked the ability to infect people with diseases without their druids." -Hmm, a little confused. So, they live off of diseased pops? So they do better when they eat diseased pops? Consider, for example, "Papin's hunt creatures and people for food. If the prey is diseased, they are able to get more sustenance from the meat. Unfortunately, the hunters lack the ability to infect their prey. Only their druids can do that. Therefore, a chieftan.... "decided to change this and ordered his druids to work until they found a way to give the clubs of his warriors the ability to infect people with the most deadly diseases they could find." -Consider, "ordered his druids to work...the could find. Thus ensuring his papin's would thrive." "It took the druids years and Gilkwur killed many of them in the process for their incompetence, but eventually, the druids managed to create a disease-carrying weapon. " -Run-on sentence, consider, "It took the druids years, with an impatient Gilkwur killing many of them in the process. Eventually, they managed to create a disease-carrying weapon, the Disease Stryker." "and releasing the disease to everyone around." -I think it is 'a disease' since it can release several. "skilled warriors would be able to wield these weapons." -Anyone is able, however skilled are the only ones allowed. Consider, "skilled warriors would be allowed to wield" or even better, "skill warriors would wield". "Obtaining the honour of wielding a disease striker is an arduous task," -Simpler to say, perhaps, "Earning the honor of wielding a disease stiker is aurduous. However, most Papin warriors don't hesitate to try." Maybe? "Many will die before getting the privilege, but those that get it are respected by all around them..." Simpler perhaps, "Many will die in the process. Those that survive are respected by everyone. There's no warrior who doesn't want to fight close to someone who is wielding a disease striker." Love the quote!
Hi! Thanks so much for your detailed feedback! I applied most of it :D And I'm glad you liked the quote, I really liked it too. Throwing clubs? Yeah, I know! I found out that clubs were throwable while designing this weapon (in my system, Pathfinder) and I thought it was too funny not to use it. Why make it returning? Because it only explodes when it does a critical hit, so there are very good chances it takes a while for the weapon to explode.
Ooh, it reads much better now! Very nice. and yeah, throwing clubs is weird, but I'm down with it...I mean, you *CAN*, just seems weird. I tried throwing one at my husband to test...just kinda went kerthunk. ;) Good luck.