Ranged Weapons/Other Ranged Weapons

## Other Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons that are not firearms include such diverse objects as crossbows, tasers, and pepper spray. The feat that provides proficiency with these weapons varies from weapon to weapon, as indicated on Table: Ranged Weapons.

### Other Ranged Weapons Tables

The following weapons each require the Weapons Proficiency feat given in parentheses, or a -4 penalty will be applied to all attacks with them.

### Compound Bow

Bow hunting remains a popular sport in North America. A character’s Strength modifier applies to damage rolls made when using this weapon.

### Crossbow

A crossbow requires two hands to use. Pulling a lever draws the bow. Loading a crossbow is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

### Flamethrower

A flamethrower consists of a pressurized backpack containing fuel, connected to a tube with a nozzle. It shoots a 5-foot-wide, 30-foot-long line of flame that deals 3d6 points of fire damage to all creatures and objects in its path. No attack roll is necessary, and thus no feat is needed to operate the weapon effectively. Any creature caught in the line of flame can make a Reflex save (DC 15) to take half damage. Creatures with cover get a bonus on their Reflex save.

A flamethrower’s backpack has hardness 5 and 5 hit points. When worn, the backpack has a Defense equal to 9 + the wearer’s Dexterity modifier + the wearer’s class bonus. A backpack reduced to 0 hit points ruptures and explodes, dealing 6d6 points of fire damage to the wearer (no save allowed) and 3d6 points of splash damage to creatures and objects in adjacent 5-foot squares (Reflex save, DC 15, for half damage).

Any creature or flammable object that takes damage from a flamethrower catches on fire, taking 1d6 points of fire damage each subsequent round until the flames are extinguished. A fire engulfing a single creature or object can be doused or smothered as a full-round action. Discharging a fire extinguisher is a move action and instantly smothers flames in a 10-foot-by-10-foot area.

A flamethrower can shoot 10 times before the fuel supply is depleted. Refilling or replacing a fuel pack has a purchase DC of 13.

### Javelin

This light, flexible spear built for throwing can be used in melee, but since it’s not designed for it, characters using it in this manner are always considered nonproficient and take a –4 penalty on their melee attack rolls.

### Pepper Spray

A chemical irritant that can temporarily blind a target, pepper spray comes in a single-shot container. To use it, make a ranged touch attack against the target. The target must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. Pepper spray is limited to 5 range increments.

### Shuriken

A shuriken is a thrown, star-shaped projectile with four to eight razor-sharp points. A character may draw a shuriken as a free action.

### Taser

A taser uses springs or compressed air to fire a pair of darts at a target. On impact, the darts release a powerful electrical current. On a successful hit, the darts deal 1d4 points of electricity damage and the target must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) or be paralyzed for 1d6 rounds. Reloading a taser is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

### Whip

Whips deal a small amount of lethal damage. Although a character doesn’t “fire” the weapon, treat a whip as a ranged weapon with a maximum range of 15 feet and no range penalties.

Because a whip can wrap around an enemy’s leg or other limb, a character can make a trip attack with it by succeeding at a ranged touch attack. The character does not provoke an attack of opportunity when using a whip in this way. If the character is tripped during his or her own trip attempt, the character can drop the whip to avoid being tripped.

When using a whip, a character gets a +2 bonus on your opposed attack roll when attempting to disarm an opponent (including the roll to keep from being disarmed if the character fails to disarm the opponent).