Portable Howitzer (3.5e Equipment)

Author: Sulacu (talk) Date Created: December 8, 2015 Status: Compleeeah Editing: Clarity edits only please

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For those who need the absolute maximum dakka.

Portable Howitzer

Exotic Two-Handed Projectile

Cost:	15,000 gp
Damage (Small):	—
Damage (Medium)1:	4d6 ballistic plus 4d6 splash
Critical:	19-20/×2*
Range Increment:	100'
Weight2:	500 lbs
Type3:	Piercing plus bludgeoning and fire
HP4:	40
Hardness:	10

1. See Damage Increases by Size to calculate the damage for a weapon larger than Medium or smaller than Small.
2. Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much.
3. When two types are given, the weapon is both types if the entry specifies "and", either type (player's choice at time of attack) if the entry specifies "or", or each end of the double weapon is a different type if the entry specifies "/".
4. The hp value given is for Medium armor, weapons, and shields. Divide by 2 for each size category of the item smaller than Medium, or multiply it by 2 for each size category larger than Medium.

*: Only the ballistic damage is multiplied on a critical hit.

A howitzer is an artillery piece characterized by mid-sized barrels and firing angles roughly between −5 and 40 degrees. And this lightened version, constructed of a combination of titanium-enriched steel and mithral, is meant to be carried and operated by a living creature. A very strong living creature.

A portable howitzer is fitted with a harness that covers the back and shoulders, ensuring a proper weight distribution for carrying. It is fitted with state-of-the-art dilatantoplastic recoil dampeners to reduce the load on its operator. The portable howitzer fires 15-pound iridium-tipped shells at a velocity of 650 feet per second.

A portable howitzer has an 8-foot barrel starting behind the dominant shoulder. Most portable howitzers are used by enlisted giants, turning them into mobile artillery platforms. Even then, they require rigorous training to enable them to wield these monstrously heavy portable artillery pieces. A human-sized creature has to be positively mad to wield one... without the right equipment.

Combat

A portable howitzer counts as a siege weapon and deals siege damage, ignoring hazards and effects that stop normal projectiles, and dealing extreme damage to structures and unattended objects. It deals ballistic damage (caused by physical contact with the projectile) to targeted creatures, and splash damage in an area (caused by the resulting explosive event).

Portable howitzers go very well together with super heavy armors like the iron juggernaut, granting wielders of a portable howitzer the benefit of its stability effect and the massive armor check penalty to protect against the excessive recoil.

Requirements: 30 Strength (Medium), −5 for each size category above Medium, to a minimum of 15); −4 to attack rolls. Cannot target-fire except against creatures and objects of Huge size or larger.

Requirements (Exotic Weapon Proficiency): −5 to all Strength requirements; −2 to attack rolls. Attack penalty disappears if you also meet the non-proficient Strength requirement.

Attack: A portable howitzer deals splash damage in a 20-foot-radius spread centered on a target creature, object, or 10-foot square, with a Reflex save for half (DC 10 + ½ BAB + Str). Any creature or object directly hit by an attack takes both the ballistic damage and the splash damage, and is allowed no save for the latter. Attacking with a portable howitzer is a full-round action, and reloading the howitzer requires a standard action. This standard action may be taken by another creature to allow the wielder to fire once every round. An autoloader may be attached to allow autonomous use of the howitzer without delay.

Long Range Combat: Only a proficient wielder may fire beyond 10 range increments (1,000 feet), up to the portable howitzer's maximum range of 10,000 feet (roughly 2 miles). However, past 1,000 feet, even a proficient wielder cannot perfectly target a specific 10-foot square. When firing further than 1,000 feet, the shot errs 1d10 feet in a random direction for every 1,000 feet traveled, rounded up to the next increment of 5 feet (maximum of 10×1d10 at 10,000 feet).

Recoil: The recoil of firing a portable howitzer effectively bull rushes the wielder at a static DC of 20, pushing him or her back 5 or more feet in the opposite direction from where they were firing if they fail their opposed Strength check. Exotic Weapon Proficiency in the portable howitzer grants a +4 bonus to any opposed Strength checks. The wielder gains a quarter of his total armor check penalty as a bonus to any opposed Strength checks to avoid being pushed back by the recoil of firing the howitzer. If the wielder fails the check by 5 or more, he is not only pushed back, but also falls prone unless he makes a DC 20 Reflex save.

Damage: A portable howitzer's damage is 4d6 ballistic damage plus 4d6 splash damage. Ballistic damage counts as piercing, and splash damage counts as both bludgeoning and fire (a creature must be resistant to both to resist the damage, and the smaller resistance applies).

Any point of magical enhancement bonus to attack adds +1d6 ballistic and +1d6 splash damage, and increases the recoil DC and the save DC by 1.
You deal +2d6 points of ballistic and +2d6 points of splash damage for every iterative attack after the first you are entitled to for having a high BAB, to a maximum of +6d6/+6d6 at a BAB of +16.

Ammunition: 15-pounder shell, brass-jacketed, with iridium tip. Value 150 gp; weight 15 lb.

An autoloader attachment for a portable howitzer weighs 100 pounds, holds up to 30 shells, and costs 2,500 gp. Fully loaded weight 550 lbs. Increases the howiter's Strength requirement by 5.

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