Eldritch Archetypes: Arbalesteur [PF2e]

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Crossbows, Firearms, and more, OH MY! 

The arbalesteur is a combat-oriented archetype that can either help someone perform better with the weapons they already specialize in or to mitigate the penalties and drawbacks of certain weapons. Arbalesteurs are at their heart a ranged specialist that may have some support or high damage actions in mind, trading safety for damage, or damage for situational improvements. At the end of this section there are a few new weapons that the arbalesteur is able to make good use of and diversifies the current group of weapon choices in the game.

FREE CONTENT PREVIEW: NEW WEAPONS

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WEAPON TRAITS
The following weapon traits have been added, these originally
made their debut in Eldritch Ancestries: Merfolk!

Hydroeffective: Weapons with this quality do not suffer
attack or range penalties while underwater. If it is a slashing or
bludgeoning ranged attack it does not automatically miss.

Cable: Weapons or ammunition that have attached a length of cable or rope that is 50 feet long, if fired into a surface it acts as rope for the sake of trying to climb, assuming the weapon pierces the surface it hits. If fired into a creature the tether remains in them and can be grabbed to prevent them from running away with an Athletics check against the creature's Athletics DC. If the cable weapon strikes 50 feet or less away, the attacker may spend an action to grab onto the rope before it falls.

NEW WEAPONS

GREAT ARBALEST ITEM 0
Price 8 gp; Damage 1d10 P; Bulk 2
Hands 2; Range 120 ft.; Reload varies
Category Simple
Ammunition Bolts
Group Bow; Traits deadly d6, kickback
Great arbalests are the heaviest crossbow that can generally be carried, and offer dangerous power in trade. Due to their unweildy size, they are often set upon protective walls or upon wooden turrets to aid in their use for less capable warriors and guards. Sometimes two people will work together to load and fire a set great arbalest to keep pace with approaching threats. Normally the reload of a great arbalest is 3 actions due to the great effort that must be put into loading it. Those trained with martial weapons learn how to manipulate the weapon more efficiently reducing the reload to 2 actions.

HARPOON GUN (UNCOMMON) ITEM 0
Price 7 gp; Damage 1d8 P; Bulk 1
Hands 2; Range 60 ft.; Reload 1
Category Simple; Rarity Uncommon
Ammunition Harpoons
Group Firearm; Traits hydroeffective, deadly d8
This long stock firearm is specially designed to be used underwater with piercing ammunition. The explosive loads used to propel the ammunition are specially treated to work underwater and are attached to the ammunition to keep them safe, dry, and set properly.

AMMUNITION

Below are choices for ammunition for ranged weapons that use harpoons or bolts.

HARPOONS ITEM 0
Price 1 sp (for 10); Bulk Light
Category Ammunition
Ammunition Type Harpoon
Harpoons are metallic rods with barbed points, when loaded into a harpoon gun with a load of black powder they are propelled through water or air with equivalent ease. 

Broadhead Harpoon; Level 0; Price 1 sp (for 10)
Loading a broadhead harpoon into a weapon that uses harpoons for ammunition gives it the Versatile S trait. These harpoons have wide slicing heads designed to glide through water.

Cable Harpoon; Level 0; Price 6 sp (for 1)
Cable harpoons have the cable weapon trait when fired.

CABLE BOLT ITEM 0
Price 6 sp (for 1); Bulk Light (for 10)
Category Ammunition
Ammunition Type Bolt
Cable bolts have the cable trait when fired.

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Content:

1 new Archetype: the Arbalesteur 

7 new feats

2 new weapons

4 new peices of ammunition

Credits

Author

Shawn Pommier (@EldritchDream)

Artwork

Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games (Crossbows)

Dwarf Bolter (cover) by Daniel Comerci – danielcomerci.com

Page components by Shawn Pommier