Advice on Harpoons

[Keepiru]

Hello,
I'm playing a 8th level str-heavy Brawler in a game and struggle with being useful at range. I know that composite bows or crossbows, or something like that would be the most "effective", but I wanted something with some flavor that fits the character better.

I hit on the idea of using a harpoon. I figure that I've got enough movement that I can get to within 50' of most enemies to make the throw. Since he's heavy on the STR side and has great grappling skills it would really fit the character. I like the visual of dragging flying enemies back down into range or pulling someone off a cliffside. Or even climbing up the rope to get to that flying dragon.

Are there any paizo feats you can recommend that would go well with a harpoon?

[*Khan*]

Harpoons are the exotic version of spears (simpel weapons) but with only 10ft range increasement if thrown and brace is changed for...

“Grapple: On a successful critical hit with a weapon of this type, you can grapple the target of the attack. The wielder can then attempt a combat maneuver check to grapple his opponent as a free action. This grapple attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the creature you are attempting to grapple if that creature is not threatening you. While you grapple the target with a grappling weapon, you can only move or damage the creature on your turn. You are still considered grappled, though you do not have to be adjacent to the creature to continue the grapple. If you move far enough away to be out of the weapon’s reach, you end the grapple with that action.“

...and harpoon only has a threat range of x3/20.
So for a feat you get shorter range, lose brace and gain 1 grapple attempt for every 20 thrown harpoons...

What you need is “Hamatula Strike“.

[TxSam88]

I would like to point out that certain larger creatures are way more likely to pick you up and fly off with you than you drag them down, so be careful with this one. (there's also a pretty long "reload time" if you miss as I would not expect you to carry more than a couple of harpoons)

[Ilthurin]

I'm not good with feats, but I used the combo Opening Volley and Flinging Charge on a shield champion brawler. Flinging Charge lets you throw a weapon during a charge, but you take a penalty to the melee attack after. Opening Volley gives a bonus to melee someone you've hit with a ranged attack same round.

Distance Thrower can help reduce ranged penalties, and it's something you can flex into as needed since it only requires Str.

I usually go shuriken or wushu darts (both are Monk weapons, so you can Flurry with them, and wushu darts are Close weapons too). But the scenarios you're describing for the harpoon sound really cool! So I'm going to try that sometime.
They're bit hard to make happen, but *Khan*'s suggestion of Hamatula Strike looks like it'd help!

[Keepiru]

TxSam88 wrote:

I would like to point out that certain larger creatures are way more likely to pick you up and fly off with you than you drag them down, so be careful with this one.

That's actually what I'm hoping for at some point, I think that would be fun for me and the DM.

I missed that you only get to grapple on a critical hit and that it only had a 10' range increment. For some reason I pictured a harpoon always grappling when it hit since that would seem like the whole point of the weapon.
I'll have to see if my DM will let me tweak it for the fun factor but if not I think I'll fall back on the composite bow or those darts. I like the spear and the Hamatula Strike feat, but if I'm close enough to hit them with a spear I'm close enough to punch them.

[Lemartes]

Get that belt that make you use str to hit for range attacks and has your thrown weapons return. There are two versions of this belt greater and lesser or something.

I'll go look for it a little later if you can't find it. :)

[Keepiru]

Found it!

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/wondrous-items/a-b/belt-of-mighty-hurl ing/

That would work out well since he already has a belt of str +2, so I'm not giving anything up to switch to it.

I proposed a house rule to my DM for some changes to it to make it work for the concept.

Quote:

What do you think about tweaking it to something like this:

Move action to get it out and get it ready
Standard action to aim and throw, range increment of 50', but can't go beyond that (since you have to let go of the rope)
If you hit you deal damage and start a grapple. Each round you can make an opposing check vs CMD or Fly Skill + CMD or Caster level added to CMD. (whichever is better for defender based on situation. Standing on the ground, natural flying, and magical flying) If I win I move them X feet back towards me.
If you miss you spend your next full turn reeling it in and winding the rope for another throw.
Anything 2 sizes categories larger than me can win the opposed grapple and pull me off the ground. Gargantuan and Colossal auto pull off the ground, but still harpooned.
They can still sunder the weapon to break the rope. You could even throw in some kind of heal check to pull the harpoon free with no damage or make it a full round action to pull it free that deals damage.

[yukongil]

we changed the harpoon and harpoon like weapons that if the initial attack roll also beats the opponent's CMD, you grapple it as in the weapon description. Or it can be used as a grappling hook on suitably large monsters if you need to get your Shadow of the Colossus on.

I'm no harpoon fisher, but only getting 1 out of every 20 or so successful hits seems a tad low.