Boltcasters
Boltcaster Basic Rules
Boltcasters are made up of two parts, a Damage Core and a Base. Boltcaster Damage Cores are interchangeable, and most can use any core.
All Boltcasters are ranged weapons, with the Ammunition (with a range set by Base), Blast, and Recharge (with the number of charges set by Damage Core, and the charges used per attack set by Base), and deal damage set by the Base with a damage type set by the Core.
Boltcasters are not simple or martial weapons and no class starts with proficiency in Boltcaster. They must take the feat "Bolt Slinger" to get it.
Blast. Ammunition used by a blast weapon is destroyed upon use and cannot be recovered.
Recharge. Recharge weapons have a number of charges set in the property. Each time you attack with the weapon, you reduce the number of charges by the number of charges used per attack, which is also set in the property. If this would put the number of charges into the negative, the weapon cannot be used. A Recharge weapon with zero charges has an inert core and cannot be used. The core can be replaced as an action.
Tiered. Some Boltcasters are designed for use with only a specific tier of Damage Core, set in the property. They cannot use any tier of Core except the one set in the property
Special Weapons
Weapons with special rules are described here.
Cone Boltcasters. Cone Boltcasters deal damage in a cone (as per the rules for Magic in the PHB on page 204) instead of a ranged attack. When held one-handed, this cone is 20 feet. When held two-handed, this cone is 10 feet. Any creature caught in this cone must make a Dexterity save, with a DC equal to 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. They take normal weapon damage plus your Dexterity modifier on a failure, or half as much on a success.
Line Boltcasters. Line Boltcasters deal damage in a line (as per the rules for Magic in the PHB on page 205) instead of a ranged attack. The lines length is 15 feet and its width is 5 feet. Any creature caught in this line must make a Dexterity save, with a DC equal to 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. They take normal weapon damage plus your Dexterity modifier on a failure, or half as much on a success.
Damage Cores
Damage Cores come in 10 varieties, split into 4 tiers, each with 20-100 charges, as displayed in the Tables below, each priced according to its tier and number of charges available.
Each Boltcaster deals a damage type set by it's Damage Core.
| Tier (#) | Damage Type |
|---|---|
| Mundane (1) | Piercing |
| Elemental (2) | Acid |
| Elemental (2) | Cold |
| Elemental (2) | Fire |
| Elemental (2) | Lightning |
| Elemental (2) | Thunder |
| Low (3) | Necrotic |
| Low (3) | Radiant |
| High (4) | Force |
| High (4) | Psychic |
| Tier (#) | # of Charges | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mundane (1) | 20 | 2 gp |
| Mundane (1) | 40 | 4 gp |
| Mundane (1) | 60 | 8 gp |
| Mundane (1) | 80 | 16 gp |
| Mundane (1) | 100 | 32 gp |
| Elemental (2) | 20 | 10 gp |
| Elemental (2) | 40 | 20 gp |
| Elemental (2) | 60 | 40 gp |
| Elemental (2) | 80 | 80 gp |
| Elemental (2) | 100 | 160 gp |
| Low (3) | 20 | 50* gp |
| Low (3) | 40 | 100* gp |
| Low (3) | 60 | 200* gp |
| Low (3) | 80 | 400* gp |
| Low (3) | 100 | 800* gp |
| High (4) | 20 | N/A** |
| High (4) | 40 | N/A** |
| High (4) | 60 | N/A** |
| High (4) | 80 | N/A*** |
| High (4) | 100 | N/A*** |
*These are Common magic items.
**These are Uncommon magic items and cannot normally be purchased
***These are Rare magic items and cannot normally be purchased
Bases
Bases come in 6 forms, with 4 normal forms and 2 area of effect forms.
Each Boltcaster deals an amount of damage, has a range, uses a number of charges per attack, has properties, and has weight, all set by the Base.
You can see all Bases, as well as their properties, range, damage, charges used per shot, weight, and price, in the table below.
| Form | Properties | Range | Damage | Charges per shot | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handwand | Light | 20/60 | 1d6 | 1 | 3 lb. | 250 gp |
| Wand | 40/120 | 1d8 | 2 | 4 lb. | 500 gp | |
| Rod | Two-handed | 60/180 | 1d10 | 4 | 5 lb. | 750 gp |
| Staff | Two-handed, Heavy | 80/240 | 1d12 | 5 | 10 lb. | 1000 gp |
| Cone (Mundane) | Versatile (1d8), Tiered (Mundane), Special | N/A | 1d6 | 8 | 4 lb. | 4000* gp |
| Cone (Elemental) | Versatile (1d8), Tiered (Elemental), Special | N/A | 1d6 | 8 | 4 lb. | N/A** |
| Cone (Low) | Versatile (1d8), Tiered (Low), Special | N/A | 1d6 | 8 | 4 lb. | N/A*** |
| Cone (High) | Versatile (1d8), Tiered (High), Special | N/A | 1d6 | 8 | 4 lb. | N/A**** |
| Line (Mundane) | Two-handed, Tiered (Mundane), Special | N/A | 1d8 | 8 | 3 lb. | 4000* gp |
| Line (Elemental) | Two-handed, Tiered (Elemental), Special | N/A | 1d8 | 8 | 3 lb. | N/A** |
| Line (Low) | Two-handed, Tiered (Low), Special | N/A | 1d8 | 8 | 3 lb. | N/A*** |
| Line (High) | Two-handed, Tiered (High), Special | N/A | 1d8 | 8 | 3 lb. | N/A**** |
*These are Common magic items and should be treated as such
**These are Uncommon magic items and cannot normally be purchased
***These are Rare magic items and cannot normally be purchased
****These are Very Rare magic items and cannot normally be purchased
Feats
When using the Boltcaster rules, there are additional feats that must be added to accompany their existence, as well as a feat that must be updated to accommodate for area of effect ranged weapons.
Sharpshooter
You have mastered ranged weapons and can make shots that others find impossible. You gain the following benefits:
- Attacking at long range doesn't impose disadvantage on your ranged weapon attack rolls.
- Your ranged attacks ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
- Before you make an attack with a ranged weapon you are proficient with, you can choose to take a -5 penalty to the attack roll. If the attack hits, you add +10 to the attack's damage. Alternatively, if the attack requires a saving throw, all creatures within the area of effect get a +5 bonus to their save, taking an extra 10 damage on a failure or success.
Bolt Slinger
Prerequisite: Proficiency with martial weapons or Sharpshooter feat
You have trained in the use of Boltcasters, gaining the following benefits:
- Increase your Dexterity score by 1.
- You gain proficiency with Boltcasters.
- If you also have the Sharpshooter feat, you may double the size of Cone Boltcasters and the length of Line Boltcasters.
Discordant Core
You've learned how to use Boltcaster Damage Cores as a deadly explosive, granting you the following benefits:
- You may throw a Damage Core of any tier, except Mundane, as a ranged weapon with the thrown (range 20/60) property with which you have proficiency, dealing damage equal to half of its remaining charges, rounded down, on a hit, of the Core's damage type.
- Whether one of your thrown Cores hits or misses, it explodes, dealing damage equal to half of its remaining number of charges, rounded down, of the Core's damage type, to all creatures within 15 feet of the target. All creatures within the area may make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + the Core's tier number to half the damage.
Example Boltcasters
| Name | Cost | Damage | Weight | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handwand Acid Boltcaster | 270 gp | 1d6 Acid | 3 lb. | Light, Ammunition (range 20/60), Blast, Recharge (40/1) |
| Staff Necrotic Boltcaster | 1200 gp | 1d12 Necrotic | 10 lb. | Two-handed, Heavy, Ammunition (range 80/240), Blast, Recharge (60/5) |
| Line (Mundane) Piercing Boltcaster | 4032 gp | 1d8 Piercing | 3 lb. | Two-handed, Tiered (Mundane), Special, Ammunition (range N/A), Blast, Recharge (100/8) |
Feedback
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Changelog
V1:
- Made it a thing that exists