Infinite Rope Crossbow – Google Docs
Infinite Rope Crossbow
The Infinite Rope Crossbow is fairly obviously a magic item, given that it’s a crossbow that shoots a grappling bolt attached to a cord of infinite length. Said cord can and does support up to two tons of weight (anything more than that will be somehow shaken off, gently but firmly). Also, the Crossbow reeks of magical energy. Malevolent magical energy, at that; which is why no intelligent mage ever carries one. Better to let the fighters and rogues take that particular risks, hey?
So why is it an unholy item? Mostly because the cord has to come from somewhere; and that ‘somewhere’ is a rather nasty place filled with entities that can’t survive very long in our universe. They can, however, visit for just long enough to snack on whatever organic life is handy. That’s a problem for the user of the Crossbow, because every time he uses it the cord’s passage through the dimension rift between that dimension and ours might attract the attention of a nightmare beast that will probably drag the unlucky user away, screaming. But not the Crossbow itself; there’s an enchantment that prevents that.
Before anyone asks: the Crossbow was probably enchanted that way because some people just like to watch the world burn. It keeps getting used because the actual chance of a thing being summoned is extremely low, and even when it does there’s a faint chance that an entire adventuring party can take it down. And, aside from this one admittedly nasty quirk, the Infinite Rope Crossbow is an extremely effective device. Some people simply think that it’s worth the risk.
Particularly if they’re not the one carrying it. Not everybody in the world knows as much about evil artifacts as your standard seasoned adventurer, after all.