Vasquez's Gunblade

Stub-class article · First seen: s03 · Last seen: s16
Vasquez's Gunblade
the gunblade · Vasquez gunblade · the revolver-longsword · Vasquez's longsword
Vasquez's Gunblade, Custom weapon (a blade with a revolver-style chamber of primer charges) portrait
Item
StatusLost
First seens03
Last seens16
TypeCustom weapon (a blade with a revolver-style chamber of primer charges)
HolderVasquez (departed; captured in the s16 retcon)
OriginForged at Shamil's forge, Wyrmbough Grove, session 3

Vasquez’s Gunblade is a custom weapon that Vasquez built at Shamil’s forge in Wyrmbough Grove in session 3: a blade with a revolver-style chamber of primer charges, made from the pistol of a dead looter in Death-at-Sunset’s hoard and his own sword [16][17][19]. Slamming the hammer as a bonus action primes a charge that goes off on the next hit for extra fire or lightning damage [25][27][29]. It was his main weapon until the retcon at the start of session 17 took him and Althea, and his gear is presumed to have gone with him [43].

Overview

Vasquez’s Gunblade is the campaign’s most identity-defining custom weapon. After the death of Death-at-Sunset Vasquez took a pistol from the corpse of a would-be looter in the hoard, and asked Shamil for his forge: “may I borrow your forge for the night? I have a project that I am trying to conduct, and I don’t exactly trust anyone else to do it” [16][17][18]. Over the night he combined the pistol with his own sword into a single blade with a revolver chamber [19]. No change to it is recorded after that, though he drew up a better design [20].

Description

At Fergus’s Grill he walked out with “a strange-looking weapon”, rotated the chamber of its new cylinder and slammed it shut on “four glowing” charges, “way too small to be actual dynamite” [21][22]. Hugo: “Gunblade time.” [23]. The hammer is the safety: “as long as the primer’s not primed, it doesn’t go off” [24].

Mechanics (as played)

  • The primer. Slamming the hammer is a bonus action [25][26]. On the next hit the charge detonates, for 2d6 extra fire damage the first time [27], and later lightning charges [28][29][30]. On a crit the charge’s dice double too: 36 damage in session 12 [31].
  • Charges. There were four in the cylinder [22]. They ran out in session 5, when Vasquez said he had no shells, and came back after a rest [32][33][34][35].
  • A blade, not a gun. Asked about ranged options, Vasquez said the gunblade could shoot only at higher levels: “right now it’s a blade” [36]. In close combat he pulled the trigger as he stabbed [37][38].
  • Weapon mastery. It counts as a greatsword: Vasquez said it “classifies as a great sword”, which is why it has “the one ability”, and he used Graze with it in session 5 [39][32].
  • Ammunition. Terry asked whether Magic Stone could be used as ammunition in it, and the DM said no [40][41].

Open questions

  • Where the gunblade is. Vasquez was captured by the Aurelians in the retcon, and no line says what became of his gear [42][43].

History in the campaign

Session 3: The Lair of Sunset is Nigh and the Death of Cholmondeley

Main article: Session 3

In Death-at-Sunset’s hoard Vasquez was offered the runed sword and took the looter’s pistol instead [1]. Back in Wyrmbough Grove he borrowed Shamil’s forge for the night, laid out the pistol, his sword and some schematics, and a d100 of 4 meant he followed them to perfection but made no improvements [18][44]. At Fergus’s he showed the finished weapon, a cylinder with four glowing charges [22].

Session 4: The Still Current, the Black Mask, and Hugo’s Pact

Main article: Session 4

Against the sabretooth tigers Vasquez slammed the hammer to prime a charge, with “a loud click” and “a little bit of a vibrating hum”, and cut for nine with the blade held in two hands, with another nine from the detonating charge [45]. At The Still Current he called the weapon something he was still developing and explained its safety [24]. Before bed he made a new shell, this time filled with lightning [28].

Session 5: Black Hollow Market Tunnels and the Hollow Guardians

Main article: Session 5

Against the fungal giant Vasquez primed a lightning charge for six damage and nine more from the primer, cauterising the wound, and then spent Action Surge to shove alchemist’s fire into the cavity [6]. In the Hollow Guardians fight he had no shells left and swung uncharged, using Graze to do 3 damage on a miss [7]. After the rest he had his cartridges back [33].

Session 6: Maze of the Minotaur and the Titan

Main article: Session 6

In the Titan fight Vasquez swung at it uncharged when the magic seemed to drain away, and the blade passed straight through [46][47]. He slammed the primer again later [48]. Asked whether he could prime a charge and still hold an action to attack, he was told no, since priming took his bonus action [49].

Session 9: The Death of Harvo

Main article: Session 9

In the Black Vein Quarry, with all his charges after a long rest, Vasquez ran at the succubus and slammed down a fire charge [50]. The fire “seems to be not as effective”, and a voice in his head said “Don’t use fire!” [51]. He used Action Surge for a lightning charge, which the DM called weaker still, “maybe half a cartridge” [30][52].

Session 10: Ruin Joins, the Aurelian Conspiracy, the Plate Armour

Main article: Session 10

After the ambush that killed an Aurelian Paladin, Vasquez asked what kind of greatsword the Paladin had carried, since he might be able to “fashion a better gunblade” [53][54]. The party told him to take it and experiment on it [55][56]. No retune is recorded.

Session 12: Eldwythe and the Candy Cottage

Main article: Session 12

Pushed into a taffy puller and turned to soft taffy, Vasquez primed the hammer and went for the goblin who had pushed him [57][58]. He missed twice, spent Action Surge, hit on a crit, and the DM agreed the primer’s dice doubled with it: 36 damage, in a burst of lightning that knocked the goblin into a wall [59].

Session 13: Bubba Walker and the Gummy Sarcophagus

Main article: Session 13

At the short rest, Vasquez was pleased to find that his charges came back [60]. He then showed the table his design for the gunblade at level 5, in the spirit of the Red Queen from Devil May Cry 4: a magazine of four cartridges in the back in place of the revolver chamber, slammed down by pulling a ripcord [20].

Session 15: The Death of Ruin and Althea Joins

Main article: Session 15

In the Eldwythe sewers Vasquez primed a lightning charge and put it through a kuo-toa’s abdomen, and the DM narrated “a huge chunk fatty tissue just get blown out of his back” [61]. Terry asked if the blast had pushed the party back, and Vasquez said it happens [62][63]. He blocked a whip’s blows with the blade [64].

Session 16: Through the Sewers, Onto the Skiff

Main article: Session 16

Vasquez handed Althea the schematics for the gunblade as a sign of faith, and Althea, in her player’s telling, answered with a surge of holy power from her gem that mended his armour [65][66]. Terry wondered about special ammunition, and the DM would not allow magic stone [67]. Vasquez worried about denting the blade on a wall too hard to break [68].

Status

As of session 23. Lost to the party. Vasquez was captured by the Aurelians in the retcon at the start of session 17 and his gear is presumed to have gone with him [42][43]. He is treated as a departed player character, not an active rescue thread (DM ruling 25). He kept the Paladin’s greatsword to “fashion a better gunblade” [54], and no retune is recorded. Terry speaks of him as “a fighter with a gun blade” in session 18 [69].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 3, line 1548-1554: Vasquez takes the looter's pistol from the hoard instead of the sword.
  2. ^ Session 3, line 2080-2120: He borrows Shamil's forge for the night and builds the gunblade to its schematics.
  3. ^ Session 3, line 2202-2208: The finished gunblade is shown at Fergus's Grill, a cylinder with four glowing charges.
  4. ^ Session 4, line 374-398: First combat use against the sabretooth tigers.
  5. ^ Session 4, line 974-990: Vasquez explains the safety mechanism.
  6. ^ Session 5, line 723-734: A lightning charge on the fungal giant, then alchemist's fire in its chest.
  7. ^ Session 5, line 953-957: Out of shells, Vasquez swings uncharged and uses Graze.
  8. ^ Session 6, line 2099-2100: An uncharged swing passes through the Titan.
  9. ^ Session 6, line 2679-2683: The DM rules on priming and holding an action, and Vasquez says the gunblade counts as a greatsword.
  10. ^ Session 9, line 1204-1210: Fire, then lightning, charges against the succubus.
  11. ^ Session 10, line 1417-1420: Vasquez wants the Aurelian Paladin's greatsword to fashion a better gunblade.
  12. ^ Session 12, line 1338-1367: A 36-damage crit with the primer in the taffy fight.
  13. ^ Session 13, line 2036-2050: Vasquez shows his design for the gunblade at level 5.
  14. ^ Session 15, line 909-922: A lightning charge into a kuo-toa in the sewers.
  15. ^ Session 16, line 725-733: Vasquez gives Althea the schematics, and the DM refuses magic stone as ammunition.
  16. ^ Session 3, line 1548: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 3, line 1554: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 3, line 2080: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 3, line 2110: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 13, line 2043-2050: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 3, line 2200: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 3, line 2204: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 3, line 2202: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 4, line 990: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 4, line 374: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 6, line 2681: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 4, line 392: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 4, line 1358: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 5, line 723: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 9, line 1208: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 12, line 1357-1360: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 5, line 953: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 5, line 1418: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 13, line 2036: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 13, line 2038: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 15, line 1273-1278: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 4, line 398: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 15, line 912: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 6, line 2683: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 16, line 732: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 16, line 733: Inline citation.
  42. ^ Session 17, line 130: Inline citation.
  43. ^ Session 17, line 785: Inline citation.
  44. ^ Session 3, line 2110-2120: Inline citation.
  45. ^ Session 4, line 374-396: Inline citation.
  46. ^ Session 6, line 2099: Inline citation.
  47. ^ Session 6, line 2100: Inline citation.
  48. ^ Session 6, line 2448: Inline citation.
  49. ^ Session 6, line 2679-2681: Inline citation.
  50. ^ Session 9, line 1204-1206: Inline citation.
  51. ^ Session 9, line 1207: Inline citation.
  52. ^ Session 9, line 1209: Inline citation.
  53. ^ Session 10, line 1417: Inline citation.
  54. ^ Session 10, line 1418: Inline citation.
  55. ^ Session 10, line 1419: Inline citation.
  56. ^ Session 10, line 1420: Inline citation.
  57. ^ Session 12, line 1319: Inline citation.
  58. ^ Session 12, line 1338: Inline citation.
  59. ^ Session 12, line 1345-1367: Inline citation.
  60. ^ Session 13, line 2036-2039: Inline citation.
  61. ^ Session 15, line 909-912: Inline citation.
  62. ^ Session 15, line 913: Inline citation.
  63. ^ Session 15, line 914: Inline citation.
  64. ^ Session 15, line 922: Inline citation.
  65. ^ Session 16, line 725: Inline citation.
  66. ^ Session 16, line 729: Inline citation.
  67. ^ Session 16, line 730-733: Inline citation.
  68. ^ Session 16, line 1042: Inline citation.
  69. ^ Session 18, line 1934: Inline citation.
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