Crossbow of the Crab

Price 2,500 gp; Type exotic ranged weapon; Weight 24 lbs.

DESCRIPTION

Built by ancient clockwork smiths, this weapon was designed for use with an apparatus of the crab both above water and underwater.

This Large masterwork repeating heavy crossbow is powered by a system of clockwork gears and torsion springs. It functions like its normal counterpart above water, but it can also be used underwater, where it has a range increment of 50 feet. Pulling a lever on the crossbow as a move action extends and retracts the weapon’s stock and opens and collapses its limbs for easy stowage, making it small enough for a Medium character to carry in a backpack. The crossbow can be enchanted with weapon abilities like any normal masterwork crossbow.

When mounted on the pincers of an apparatus of the crab or another similar device (which takes a full-round action), a character operating the vehicle can aim and shoot the crossbow up to twice per round (attack bonus +12) by pulling the lever that normally snaps the pincers. While using the crossbow in this way, a character without Exotic Weapon Proficiency (repeating heavy crossbow) doesn’t take a penalty for nonproficiency. While the crossbow is thus mounted, the apparatus can’t make attacks with the pincers.

If a character operates the lever that extends and retracts the pincers and feelers while the crossbow is mounted, the apparatus ejects the crossbow instead, enabling the vehicle to make pincer attacks again.