In a Kingmaker game I'm playing, my 13th level Paladin king and his companions just won a tournament and received a Rod of Lordly Might. This Wondrous Item has a lot of cool features, but one of them intrigues me, buttons 4 and 5. According to the item's stat block:
When button 4 is pushed, a spike that can anchor in stone is extruded from the ball, while the other end sprouts three sharp hooks. The rod lengthens to anywhere between 5 and 50 feet in a single round, stopping when button 4 is pushed again. Horizontal bars 3 inches long fold out from the sides, 1 foot apart, in a staggered progression. The rod is firmly held by the spike and hooks and can bear up to 4,000 pounds. The wielder can retract the climbing pole by pushing button 5.
The ladder function can be used to force open doors. The wielder plants the rod's base 30 feet or less from the portal to be forced and in line with it, then pushes button 4. The force exerted has a Strength modifier of +12.
My thought is trying to use the rod as a unconventional weapon. When being used as a ram to force open doors it has a STR of +12! Imagine using that on an enemy. It also has a "range" of 5-50 ft. in a round. Imagine an enemy standing 30 ft. away, you aim at him and use Button 4, and the ladder strikes him at +12 STR. That's gotta do some damage/knock him prone. It has spikes and hooks, so maybe piercing/bludgeoning damage?
I'm looking for advice about this, what are your thoughts? Is there any way this can be a viable unconventional/surprising weapon?
the "12 str" isn't really "12 str"... it's a circumstance bonus from the internal spikes combined with the lengthening of the rod... like a vice, it shouldn't be a 12 str ability at range.
I can't really help further than that though and am unsure of what it actually would be.
Yes, I understand that, but if it can damage a door, it should be able to damage an enemy too. Which is why I'm asking. I would like to ask my GM about it, but I want to present some numbers for her to decide about. I'm just curious about the machanics of how using something like that would work if it were to be used that way.
The door is damaged because it cannot move.
I could see it be a standard action (activate an item) to attack, for a bull rush effect. Granting the +12 mod there is not damage, but could easily make the target pushed further.
/cevah
Yes, I understand that, but if it can damage a door, it should be able to damage an enemy too. Which is why I'm asking. I would like to ask my GM about it, but I want to present some numbers for her to decide about. I'm just curious about the machanics of how using something like that would work if it were to be used that way.the "12 str" isn't really "12 str"... it's a circumstance bonus from the internal spikes combined with the lengthening of the rod... like a vice, it shouldn't be a 12 str ability at range.
I can't really help further than that though and am unsure of what it actually would be.
If it's a paralyzed enemy that can't move, yes. It's more like a small extending ladder than a rapid fire harpoon. Not exactly a weapon function.
A paralyzed enemy can still be pushed along. Just use coup de gras.
An enemy trapped between the rod and a wall or similar unmovable object could be in trouble though.
I can't help but imagine this being used as a lance, actually.
You're riding, holding this rod in your hand. BOOM, LADDER FUNCTION! STAB! RETRACT!
It wouldn't fly but it sounds awesome.
Since it takes a round to lengthen out to a ladder, and presumably the same to retract, it probably wouldn't be what you want.
Now it can become a 12' long spear with the push of a button.
You get the +12 STR bonus by bracing the rod against the floor and extending it, not if you're holding onto it by yourself.I can't help but imagine this being used as a lance, actually.
You're riding, holding this rod in your hand. BOOM, LADDER FUNCTION! STAB! RETRACT!
It wouldn't fly but it sounds awesome.
As I said, it wouldn't fly.
Since it takes a round to lengthen out to a ladder, and presumably the same to retract, it probably wouldn't be what you want.
Now it can become a 12' long spear with the push of a button.
Much more plausible.
You don't find the name of the item too embarrassing to use? Honestly, it's been a joke for decades.
You don't find the name of the item too embarrassing to use? Honestly, it's been a joke for decades.
Reminds me of the time I ran a brief game with a magical item called the INCREDIBLE! Rod. The all caps and exclamation mark are noteworthy - the players had to yell this out to activate the rod, and sometimes if I didn't think they'd yelled loud enough I'd make them yell again. They'd whack the rod around trying to make it work. But if an NPC walked by and idly used the word "Incredible" the rod would activate.
The rod's powers involved being completely indestructible and being able to extend up to 6 feet. It was somewhat malleable for the user (having a command word to activate and then deactivate the malleability) and had a few other nifty powers, but the most important thing is that when you first shouted INCREDIBLE! it would IMMEDIATELY expand to its full length, often resulting in comic misfortune.
They had a love/hate relationship with that rod.
AVR
Embarrassing name?
Amulet of Mighty Fists, Amulet of Spell Cunning, ...................
Rod of Lordly Might has a lot of competition for embarrassing names.
Hmmm...I guess it all depends on the situation in which I use it. I would have to be clever with it. Like, if I were stuck under a larger creature or something, I could use the rod to push the creature up enough to slip out. Maybe pinning an enemy to a wall as @Daw suggested or something like that. Not used all the time, but if certain situations it might have it's unconventional uses.