Harpoon (Weapon)

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Harpoon 2-Hand / Exotic [edit]
Harpoon
Cost Sm Dmg Med Dmg Large Dmg Crit Range Wt Type
25 gp 1d4 1d6 1d10 x2 20 ft 30 lbs Spindling (physical, rare)
Weapon Qualities: Entangling, Forced Bleed, Melee Capable, Retrieving, Special
A harpoon is a two-handed melee weapon, and may be used as such with no hint at its nasty secrets. The harpoon's true cruelty arises when it is hurled in combat. A harpoon is a nasty, barbed spear with one hundred feet of hemp rope attached. As such, its maximum range is 100 feet. The weight listed includes the weight of the rope. If you use a harpoon without the rope, reduce the weight by twenty pounds, you lose the use of the retrieving quality, and you may throw the harpoon further than one hundred feet if you have abilities or feats that increase your maximum range bands. Note you may purchase a harpoon with 100 feet of Spider Silk rope instead of hemp. This increases the price by 200 gold pieces, but lowers the weight to 14 pounds.

Once the retrieving quality is used in combat, the rope becomes hopelessly tangled and must be un-knotted, and coiled in a specific way. This process requires 5 minutes of preparation, before the retrieving quality of the harpoon may be used again. It is also quite common for the rope to be cut, requiring a fresh rope be installed (a similar 5-minute process).

Any attack which inflicts damage to the foe (hits their AC and overcomes any DR) means the harpoon has stuck to the foe. The enemy gains the Entangled condition. Even worse, the harpoon inflicts a Bleed condition, dealing 1 point of damage per round, which cannot be ended unless the harpoon is removed first. To remove a harpoon requires higher than animal intelligence and takes a standard action by either the creature struck or another creature adjacent to the creature struck. Removing a harpoon ends the Entangled condition and allows a heal check or healing to end the Bleed condition as well.

Note that the Harpoon's ability to inflict the Entangled quality and enable the Retrieving quality are mundane qualities that pierce the immunity to conditions conveyed by some monster roles (such as heavies and threats).

As long as a creature is Entangled by a harpoon with a rope attached, the wielder of that harpoon may expend a move action to retrieve the Entangled foe. Retrieving is a type of Reposition maneuver, requiring an opposed Might roll against the victim's Maneuver Defense. If successful, you may move a harpooned foe only into squares closer to you than the square the foe started in.

The Harpoon belongs to the "Spears" and "Thrown" weapon groups, and is treated as a piercing weapon for the application of Weapon Properties, Feats, Dweomermetals and all other effects.