Ballista on your back.

[escaflowne777]

I find myself once again creating a character for an evil based campagin, and naturally other than a blackguard, the warlock fits the role perfectly. This however is not the problem. His cohort, is. His cohort will be a huge sized humanoid, monstrous humanoid or giant, (haven't decided what yet.) with the bone template (BoVD). In the process of designing this character, I decided that for shock effect, (poor wittle villagers) he would lug around a ballista on his back and hopefully fire it. Most of the other players insist that this isn't possible at all, and even if it was, He would receive such massive subtractions from his attack roll, that he would never hit anything. Now, I'm here to ask, Is this possible, and what are the specifics around it? How long would it take to load? And how could He use it more proficiently (feats). thanks. Oh and any suggestions as to what he could be would be great. (preferably under ECL 15)

 

[Blackrat]

I have to say I mostly agree with your group. I don't think he would be very efficient with it himself but:
He could very well be used as a kind of mobile ballista trailer. He would haul the thing on his back, when reaching position he would get on all fours and after that just follow the commands of the ballista crew. They would do the final aiming and actual firing.

 

[escaflowne777]

I thought about that for a while, but in the end If I can't find a way for him to fire it himself, I'd better spend my time finding another vile theatrical weapon like a club of peasant children corpses or the like, you know, fun stuff. Anyway, Is it possible? Any rules lawyers?

 

[WhatGravitas]

I thought about that for a while, but in the end If I can't find a way for him to fire it himself...

Too bad. I'd treated the 'ballista' as a huge heavy crossbow (3d8 damage). That the weapon is fire from his back is just fanciful description, as long as it keeps both hands occupied... and as a bone creature, the cohort isn't bound by human anatomy, right? I can reach through its ribcage to adjust the weapon.

 

[Sound of Azure]

Forget the ballista!

A Huge Heavy Repeating Crossbow deals 3d8 damage per shot anyway! If you don't mind the giant sucking up a -2 to hit, increase the size to Gargantuan for a 6d6 damage weapon!

Some things to thing of: Crossbow Sniper (PHB 2) to add Dex to damage at close range, and at leastone level of the Exotic Weapon Master (Complete Warrior) for the ability to the crossbow without provoking an attack of opportunity.

The usual Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, of course.

You could achieve something similar by taking Rapid Reload for the Huge Heavy Crossbow, but you would not then be able to take the Exotic Weapon Master level/s.

 

[blargney the second]

I was going to say exactly what Lord Tirian just said. Instead I'll add that there are rules for ballista use in Heroes of Battle.
-blarg

 

[javcs]

I believe that I read, either in the SRD or one of the other WotC 3.5 books, that a ballista is 'essentially a huge heavy crossbow', or some similar verbiage.
If it was in the SRD, it would be under the 'Wilderness and Environment' Section.

 

[MarkB]

Oh and any suggestions as to what he could be would be great. (preferably under ECL 15)

Make him a Warforged Titan, and have the ballista built into his frame. That way, no need to worry about how he's loading it.

(He's the one on the left, by the way).

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I give you props for originality. I'd say it couldn't hit the broad side of barn and say you'd have to roll a 20 to hit something. Simple and it gives you a potential miracle shot each battle.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I don't know what the bone template does, but I don't believe it will increase his dex a lot, so your fellow players are partially right - the attack bonus won't be that great (not compared to when he would wield a club).

That said, just make it a Crossbow sized appropriately for the creature, and ensure he has access to the right feats (Simple Weapon Profiency is sufficient). That would be sticking to the rules. After that, the rest is flavour text, and by this I mean you call the big thing that shoots pointed tree trunks a Ballista.