Wire (3.5e Equipment)
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| Size | Cost1 | Damage | Weight1 | hp | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine | * | 13 | * | — | |||||||
| Diminutive | * | 13 | * | — | |||||||
| Tiny | * | 1d23 | * | — | |||||||
| Small | 1 gp2 | 1d33 | — | ||||||||
| Medium | 1 gp2 | 1d43 | 14 | ||||||||
| Large | 10 gp1 | 1d63 | — | ||||||||
| Huge | * | 1d83 | * | — | |||||||
| Gargantuan | * | 1d103 | * | — | |||||||
| Colossal | * | 2d63 | * | — | |||||||
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2: Price is per 1 ft. of wire
3: Damage is dealt only when constricting
4: The hit points of a metal wire at any given point is always 1. Wires are unaffected by bludgeoning damage
This weapon is an inconspicuous looking metal wire. The wire is very thin and yet extremely strong (Break DC 25) and only changes in a real weapon in the hands of one who knows how to wield such a thing. Spotting a wire normally requires a DC 25 Spot check, but the DC decreases to 20 when the wire reflects any ambient light (out in the sun). The wire is a tool often associated with skillful rogues and assassins.
Constrict: Succeeding with a wire attack does not deal damage but causes the wire to grab the target. If a target is grabbed, the wire constricts for an amount of damage as shown on the table for every round that he is grabbed. Damage from a wire is dealt at the start of the victim's turn. If the wire begins with a critical hit, it deals quadruple damage only the first time constrict damage is dealt. The damage is both of the bludgeoning and slashing type (a wire may suffocate without much cutting or simply cut, depending on targets).
Attacking with a wire: A wire attack is a ranged touch attack, in which you attempt to wind the wire irrevocably around certain critical areas of the body (most usually the neck). Wires are meant to be used against the unaware. When you attack an aware target with a wire, he may make a reflex save against a DC of 10 + your character level + your Dex modifier. Success means that the target will slip free without any damage done. If the aware character does not spot the wire, he still takes a -4 penalty on this save.
Effects of a wire attack: When a target is being constricted by the wire, he gains a number of penalties. He loses his Dex modifier to Armor Class and must succeed on an opposed grapple check (with -4 penalty) to be able to attack anything during that turn, including the wire itself. Furthermore, if the attacker can find leverage (like a beam, a girder or a rafter), he may use his weight to heave the victim off the floor (this can clearly only be done if the weight of the attacker is greater than that of the victim). The attacker may enlist help from allies to attain this effect. Victims whose feet can no longer touch the ground are dealt double damage each round. A wire can be tied to an object in order to maintain the damaging effect without the need for the user to hold on to it. Attaching a wire to a certain object requires a DC 20 Use Rope check.
Escaping a wire attack: There are several ways of escaping a wire attack. The wire can be cut with slashing or piercing weaponry or it can be escaped from. Escaping from a wire requires the victim to make an Escape Artist check against a Use Rope check made by the attacker. Special modes of damaging a wire exist as well. If subjected to cold damage for instance, the wire's Break DC decreases by 10 for 1d4 rounds, making it much easier to snap even when threatened by it.
Ranged attacks against wires: Against ranged attacks, a wire is treated as a fine object with AC 23 (+8 size, -5 Dex, +10 circumstance).
Using a wire as a melee weapon: It is possible to use a wire as a melee weapon. A wire assists in grappling and gives the character holding it a +4 bonus to grapple checks against his enemies. Using a wire to grapple like this requires the character to make an attack roll as if using unarmed strike, but with a -4 penalty for using an improvised weapon without the normal penalties associated with using it as a ranged weapon (see Special). If used as a melee weapon, the wire furthermore uses ordinary grappling rules.
Electrical touch attacks through a Wire: It is possible to channel certain electrical touch attacks through a wire, given that it is wound around the body of a victim. A prime example of this is shocking grasp. The attacker may choose to not deal the usual round by round constriction damage to channel an electrical touch attack through a wire. This does not require the usual attack roll. If the attacker attempts an electrical touch attack to a victim that is already heaved off the floor, he still gets dealt the normal constrict damage (instead of the usual double).
Special: Using a wire as a weapon has special applications and limitations.
- You add the appropriate factor of your Strength modifier to damage (depending on using it with one or two hands at the given time).
- Using a wire naturally bestows a -6 penalty on attack due to the complexity of using it. This is compounded by an additional -4 if the attacker attempts to use it with only one hand.
- You get a +4 bonus to grapple checks through a wire.
- If you have 5 ranks in the Use Rope skill, you get a free range increment (i.e.: you can attack without penalty at a range of 10 ft.)
- If a creature has certain protection around the neck (like an armor component that protects the neck area) specially designed to guard against attacks such as these, he does not take damage from the wire. The attacker may however use the wire to damage such protections instead; any protection with a hardness less than 10 can be affected.
Any other special properties of a weaponized wire may be subject to houseruling or DM's fiat
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