Wondrous Equipment Wednesday - Boomerangs

Boomerangs

Boomerangs are unique thrown weapons, often carved from precisely curved wood, bone or metal. In the hands of a skilled user, returning boomerangs allow a warrior to inflict multiple attacks on a single target, making them ideal for hunting and warfare. In the right hands, a boomerang can clear a room with a single well placed throw! Mastering the boomerang requires the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (boomerangs) feat.

Boomerangs fly in a roughly circular orbit, possibly striking multiple foes and returning to the thrower. If the boomerang successfully strikes its initial target, it will deflect to a second adjacent target within 30 ft of the first. This secondary attack is normally made at a –6 penalty, a –8 penalty if the target moves, or a –10 penalty if the secondary target takes a double move. These penalties are in addition for attacking with paired weapons, if the attacker chooses to fight in this style.

Instead of striking a second target, the thrower can instead choose to make two attacks against the same adversary. The second attack suffers at least a –6 penalty. The thrower must make this decision before rolling to strike.

After attacking this secondary target, whether successfully or not, the boomerang returns to the thrower. The thrower must expend one of his attacks of opportunity for the round to catch the boomerang as it flies past. If the thrower does not choose to do so, or if he can make no more attacks of opportunity during the round, the boomerang falls to the ground at the throwers feet, in a randomly determined adjacent square.

Boomerangs are light one-handed weapons. If the thrower wears a shield, its armor check penalty applies to attacks with the boomerang.

Specific Boomerangs	Cost	Damage (medium weapon)	Critical	Range Increment	Weight
Chakram (masterwork)	77 gp	1d6+1 slashing	19-20/x2	30 ft	1 lb (small)
Discus	2 gp	1d6 bludgeoning	20/x3	20 ft	2 lbs (small)
Flying Sap	3 gp	1d4 subdual	19-20/x3	30 ft	1.5 lbs (medium)
Hunter’s Boomerang	1 gp	1d4 slashing	19-20/x2	30 ft	1 lb (medium)
Razor Flyer	81 gp	1d6 slashing	20/x3	20 ft	1.5 lbs (medium)

Chakram: The chakram is a small metal disk, roughly the size of a dinner plate, with its outer edge tooled to a razor’s edge. The inner surface of the chakram is blunt, allowing the thrower to catch the weapon on its return flight without slicing her fingers clean off. Chakrams are finely balanced, and most are intricately decorated and are often acid-edged with amazingly detailed designs. More expensive chakrams are inlaid with semiprecious stones or metal.

Due to the precision involved in the construction and balancing of a warrior’s chakram, these weapons are always considered masterwork quality. They receive a +1 masterwork bonus on attack and damage rolls and may easily be enchanted.

Discus: The discus is a simple weapon: a polished stone disk roughly as big as a dinner plate. This heavy stone is hand polished to a high gloss, but often undecorated and plain.

Flying Sap: The ‘flying sap’ is a blunt edged wooden boomerang that is slightly shorter but thicker and heavier than a regular hunting boomerang. Unlike traditional boomerangs, this weapon is designed to bring down prey without killing, making it an ideal weapon for slavers, bounty hunters and even well trained city guards and militia.

Hunter’s Boomerang: This sleek weapon is formed from a single piece of laminated wood, with its edge honed to a fine enough edge to slit the throat of the hunter’s prey as it soars past. Hunter’s boomerangs come in many varieties but the most common configuration is a single, long curved wing the length of a man’s forearm. Some tribes use tri-bladed boomerangs or sharply v-shaped weapons. Many of these weapons are intricately painted and colorfully decorated.

Razor Flyer: The razor flight is an especially lethal variety of boomerang, first used in warfare by the jungle-dwelling elves and orcs of the distant southlands. This weapon consists of three or four bone blades attached lashed together to form a roughly wheel-shaped boomerang.