Talent/Spell of the Week: Missile Weapons

[Shostak]

This IQ 9 talent may be purchased up to three times at the cost of one point each, and with each level conferring a +1DX modifier to attacks with missile weapons or missile spells, and this bonus may be counted towards loosing a second missile in a turn. Missile Weapons offers fantastic value, allowing a character with otherwise middling DX to be effective at range. It is less appealing for wizards if using RAW talent pricing, since it costs them 200%. After character generation, this means that a level of Missile Weapons costs as much XP as two spells, five points of staff mana, or a 38th attribute point. Similarly, a hero in play is better off raising DX until they have reached 36 points instead of learning or boosting Missile Weapons.

Missile Weapons is frequently chosen by players in games I GM, and I often select it for NPCs, especially foes I want to be particularly challenging. Importantly, it seems to be a talent that brings a lot of fun to the table. With it, a PC can really shine with a clutch ranged attack. And, when a PC gets plugged with two arrows from the same longbowman twice in a turn, or when the players realize that a crossbow archer is loosing bolts at their characters every turn, the tension ratchets up a notch or two.

I like how Missile Weapons is designed; unlike the other advanced weapon talents, it has only a modest IQ prerequisite and it gives a single benefit. Because of this, it is accessible to many character types, so it isn't likely to limit character diversity overly much. And, because it is accessible at character generation, it supports the marksman archetype. I wish the other advanced weapon talents were more like Missile Weapons.

Missile Weapons has not given rise to many situations that required adjudication at my table other than whether or not it lets someone loose first if their bonus brings their DX above someone else's (I think the answer is "Yes").

Conversation starters

• Has Missile Weapons precipitated any questions in your games?
• How often do you use Missile Weapons for foes?
• Is there anything about Missile Weapons you would prefer were different?
• How often do you think Missile Weapons has been a decisive factor in a battle's outcome?
• Do you have a memorable use of Missile Weapons to share from your games?