Description
This item looks like an old, 16th century musket, crafted from bronze and iron casts and detailed with silver threading. The secrets of its construction are lost to time, but according to hearsay the weapon was forged by an alchemist named Johnathan Larion while in the depths of madness. It was erratic and impossible to reproduce (or near-impossible, if you feel the desire to have more than one firearm running around).
This rifle, with a short barrel of only about a foot, was lost and found and lost again, and finally settled into the possession of a cleric whose name has been lost to time. The cleric only used the rifle once.
During an attempt to carry on negotiations with a rivaling religious order, while the cleric was trying to finalize a peace treaty, an assassin from his order came to kill him. The cleric raised the rifle in self-defense and shot him, but they struggled and the assassin dealt him a mortal blow.
The cleric’s murder was publicized as having been the fault of the other side, and he was viewed as a martyr within his own Order, despite their treachery.
Qualities
This gun, which does not need to be loaded or primed with powder, always has one and only one bullet in it. It is fueled by the cleric’s bitterness and hatred for his betrayers, and motivated by his rage at the treachery.
The rifle is more accurate against those who commit falsehoods, particularly those who serve ideals and fail to uphold them. Betrayers and false martyrs are the most accurately targeted.
Mechanics
The rifle functions as a ranged weapon with an 80 foot range that hits with a d10 and threatens on a 19-20. It must be used with both hands and weighs 12 pounds.
The rifle is axiomatic (Lawful for the purpose of damage reduction and deals 2d6 extra damage against Chaotic foes) and has a +1 enhancement bonus, but it is treated as a +2 weapon against traitors and liars.
It does not have to be reloaded physically, but the wielder must commit a move action to ask for aid from the martyr, so that he’ll reload it.
Moderate evocation [lawful]; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, order’s wrath, creator must be lawful; 18,500 gp.
Tags: axiomatic, betrayal, gun, item, lawful, martyr, musket, rifle
