3rd Edition Kender Weapons by Andre
La Roche
Kender fight with intuition and grace. Their
specialized weapons, which are also tools and instruments, are deadly
in the hands of kender, but clumsy in the hands of others (-2 to
attack rolls, even when taking exotic weapon proficiency).
Kender tools are commonly constructed of
a flexible ironwood haft with leather, catgut, and metal adornment.
The heavy "-pak" and "-ak" tools (e.g., polpak, battak) are frequently
used by males, whereas the lighter "-pik" and "-ik" (e.g., whippik,
bollik) are used by females. Hoopaks and whippiks find the most
use among kender.
Battak: The battak is a walking stick
with a variety of items fastened along its length. It is the favorite
tool of young kender. Shaped like a miniature studded club, this
tool sports a small metal wedge at its tapered end and studs around
the wide end. A wooden plug that fits into the broad tip unscrews
and inverts to bear a short knife blade. The nether chamber that
holds this club also stores sling bullets, which may be batted at
one's target with great force.
Bells, chimes, and whistles fasten along
the club, producing music and making a fearsome jangle in battle.
Other uses for this tool include climbing by wedging it in the ground
(+1 to climbing checks), creating percussive music.
Bollik: The bollik is a webbed rope
belt worn about the waist on a leather sash and buckle. The bollik
hangs from a series of quickrelease loops. On one end of the bollik,
three weighted balls of leather hang on short strands of rope, forming
a bola, but typically used as a flail. When the bollik is worn,
these bola balls are tied to the large metal buckle. The bollik
can be tugged free with a simple snapping motion and can be relaced
in two rounds. Other uses include using as a bola, threshing grain,
grappling walls (+1 to climb check) storing items in pockets of
leather strap, and playing as a wind thrummer.
When used as a bola, this weapon can be used
to make a ranged trip attack, as such if you fail your opponent
can not attempt to trip you.
Chapak: The chapak is a combination
hand axe and slingshot. Its single-bladed axe head rests on a hollow
haft of ironwood. The back of the axe blade forms two prongs that
support a cat-gut slingshot. The hollow haft has fingerholes drilled
along its length and can be played as a flute if the end plugs are
removed. Other uses of this tool include splitting wood, prying
with the butt-end, snorkeling (with holes corked), shooting as a
blowgun (with holes corked), and grappling (with a spidersilk rope).
Hachak: The hachak is heaviest
of the kender tools and is used by woodcutters. On one end of its
6 ft. segmented pole rests a hammer, spike, and piercing beak. The
other end of the pole holds a broad axe backed by a hammer head
and a saw blade. Metal rings circle the shaft at 1 foot intervals
along its length. The shaft itself may be separated into three sections
if necessary. Just below the axe blade, a sheepskin wrap can store
6 throwing darts. The hammer and beak can be used as weapons.
Other uses include hammering nails, pruning trees, planing wood,
and playing as a chime by hammering on the blades.
Hoopak: The hoopak is the most
common of kender tools. This 5ft., ironwood staff has a short spike
attached to its tip, which doubles as a spear or bo stick and inflicts
the first damage value listed in the above chart for both. The staff's
other end is forked and laced with gut. A stone may be flung by
either planting the blade end of the hoopak in the earth and bending
the staff back to sling the stone, or whirling the hoopak overhead
as a traditional sling-staff. This tool acts like a bullroar when
whirled in the air, creating a low thrumming sound. Other uses include
prying with the blade, and picking apples with the gut.
Polpak: The polpak is a 6 ft. staff
that sports a short-sword blade. Triggering a catch and giving the
blade a half-turn releases it so that it can function as a sword.
The blade has one serrated edge and doubles as a saw or pruner.
The crosspiece for the sword is a double recurved crescent. Iron
rings appear around the shaft at 1 foot increments to aid in gripping
and climbing. A dozen caltrops are laced on a rod in the crosspiece.
Typical uses include spearfishing with the blade, and playing as
a musical saw.
Sashik: The sashik is
a beaded, weighted sash-of laced rope. Worn across one shoulder,
the sashik bears weighted pouches on one end, making an excellent
flail. Two dozen large wooden beads that line one edge of
the sashik can be pulled loose and thrown. The mesh of the sash
is coarse and netlike. Other uses include scourging by attaching
hooks (+1 damage), entangling enemies, fishing as with a net, and
playing as a xylophone.
You can also use this weapon to make trip attacks. If you
are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the sashik
to avoid being tripped.
Sithak:The sithak (swordbow) was originally
a yoke used for carrying water in buckets. Now, its ends bear two
blades, allowing it to serve as a double scythe. A recurving hook
rests beneath each blade. A bowstring laced across the yoke allows
short field-arrows to fire through a hole in the haft. Other uses
include harvesting crops, furrowing ground, slashing enemies, and
strumming as a stringed instrument.
Whippik: The whippik is a thin
wand of ironwood that holds a short length of looped catgut on its
end. It looks much like a riding whip. The whippik is the most popular
tool among female kender. Short darts may be fired from this whip
bow. The whippik also performs various functions such as snaring
game, fishing, and strumming as a stringed instrument.
Weapon Stats
Weapon |
Cost |
Damage |
Critical |
Range Increment |
Weight |
Type |
Size |
Instrument |
Battak*‡ |
10 Stp |
1d8/1d4+1 |
--- |
50 ft. |
3 lb. |
B |
Medium |
Shake Stick |
Bollik*‡ |
6 Stp |
1d4+2/1d4 |
X2/X3 |
30 ft. |
8 lb. |
B |
Tiny |
Spun for Tone |
Chapak*‡ |
11 Stp |
1d6/1d4 |
X3/--- |
---/50 ft. |
5 lb. |
P/B |
Small |
Flute |
Hachak*‡ |
20 Stp |
2d4/1d8 |
X3/X3 |
--- |
15 lb. |
P/S |
Medium |
Chimes |
Hoopak*‡ |
7 Stp |
1d6+1/1d4 |
X2/--- |
20 ft./50 ft. |
9 lb. |
P/B/ |
Medium |
Bullroar |
Polpak*‡ |
9 Stp |
1d6/1d6 |
19-20/X2/X2 |
--- |
10 lb. |
P/S |
Medium |
Musical Saw |
Sashik*‡ |
12 Stp |
1d8+1(+2) |
X2 |
--- |
6 lb. |
B/S |
Small |
Shake Stick |
Sithak*‡ |
8 Stp |
2d4/1d4 |
X4/X3 |
---/25 ft. |
12 lb. |
S/P |
Medium |
Strung Inst. |
Whippik*‡ |
4 Stp |
1d2+2/1d4 |
X2 |
---/20 ft. |
4 lb. |
S/P |
Small |
Strung Inst. |
*See the description of this weapon for special
rules.
‡Double weapon
Thanks to Andre for compiling this information.
Check out his site at Dragons
Run!
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