Tome of the Cannonade (Patreon)

This new Eldritch Tome for the Legendary Magus allows you to wield the might of siege engines in combat alongside your magic! Also featured in this release is a new magic item, the endless ammo hoard, allowing you to more easily haul around all the ammo required to keep a siege engine firing.

Tome of the Cannonade

Those who study the tome of the cannonade desire raw power over finesse. These magus are often known as arcane cannoneers and wield the might of siege engines with devastating prowess.

Cannonade Style

At 1st level, the legendary magus gains the Siege Engineer feat, and may use their spell combat ability while firing a siege engine. When doing so, they can only make a single attack with the siege action as part of the full-round action, even if the siege engine would be capable of making multiple attacks in a single round.

Additionally, they learn to harness the powers of an arcane cannon, allowing them to create a construct of magical potential that can fire projectiles imbued with magic. Creating or dismissing their arcane cannon is a full round action. The magus can only have a single arcane cannon active at a time, and it is always created at full hitpoints. This arcane cannon is a medium siege engine that has a crew requirement of 1 (which can only be crewed by the magus), and an aim and load of 0 (see below). Their arcane cannon has hitpoints equal to 10 + 10 x their magus level, and AC equal to 10 + the magus’ Intelligence modifier + 1/2 their class level. Whenever the magus begins to move while adjacent to their arcane cannon, as a free action, they can cause their arcane cannon to gain a fly speed equal to the speed of the movement mode used with perfect maneuverability and then fly to a square adjacent to the magus, afterwards it lands in an adjacent square. If the magus teleports, they may have their arcane cannon teleport to an adjacent square as well. This movement provokes opportunity attacks if the magus’ movement normally would.

An arcane cannon produces its own ammunition. This special ammunition is generated and automatically loaded at the beginning of each of the magus’ turns, or when the arcane cannon is created. When it is generated, the magus can choose for the ammunition to generate as either a bolt or as a bombard. This ammunition counts as a magic weapon for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction.

A bolt causes the arcane cannon to act as a direct-fire ranged siege engine which deals 2d6 + the magus’ Intelligence modifier piercing damage, a critical threat range of 19-20/x2, and a range of 100 ft.

A bombard causes the arcane cannon to act as an indirect-fire ranged siege engine which deals 2d6 + the magus’ intelligence modifier bludgeoning damage, and has a range of 150 ft. (50 ft. min.). The magus does not need to make a targeting check when firing their arcane cannon in this way. A struck creature must make a Reflex saving throw (DC 11 + the Magus’ Dexterity modifier + ½ their class level), with a success halving the damage they suffer. An object receives no saving throw.

At 3rd level, and every 3 levels thereafter, the damage of the magus’ arcane cannon’s bolts and bombards deal an additional 1d6 damage and gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls.

Cannonade Casting

At 3rd level, the legendary magus can use their siege engine to deliver their spells. When using a direct-fire siege engine with spell combat, they can deliver a spell that requires a ranged or melee touch attack as part of the siege weapon’s attack. Spells delivered in this way only critically hit if the attack roll would normally cause the spell to critically hit (normally a natural 20, or 19-20 if you have the Improved Critical (ranged touch or melee touch) feat). It deals normal damage for a crit when it does.

When using an indirect-fire siege engine, you can deliver a spell that targets an area as part of the siege weapon’s attack. This spell becomes centered on the square the attack hits.

Cannonade’s Infusion

At 9th level, the legendary magus gains the Master Siege Engineer feat.

Additionally, the legendary magus can infuse a siege engine with their magical power, allowing it to act as their arcane cannon. Infusing a siege weapon is a full round action, and the magus may only have a single siege engine infused at a time. Infusing a siege engine automatically dismissing their arcane cannon. Creating an arcane cannon, or attempting to infuse another siege engine, immediately ends the magical infusion on the first siege engine.

An infused siege engine has its crew reduced to 1 (the magus), its aim reduced to 0, and its load reduced to 0 (see below). Only the magus can fire an infused siege engine. When the magus moves or teleports, their infused siege engine can move or teleport as well, as if it were an arcane cannon. An infused siege engine also uses the higher of its own AC, or the AC or the magus’ arcane cannon. The magus receives no penalties to attack rolls for firing a siege engine with a size larger than them, and treats all ammunition fired by an infused siege engine as if it were magical for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction. In addition, an infused siege engine deals additional damage equal to the magus’ Intelligence bonus to all creatures it successfully damages, and gains a +3 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, increasing by an additional +1 at level 12, 15, and 18.

An infused siege engine automatically loads one piece of ammunition at the beginning of each of the magus’ turns if there is a valid piece of ammunition on the magus’ person or within 5 feet of the siege engine. It cannot be loaded manually. If there was no ammo in range at the start of the magus’ turn, the magus may place ammo within 5 feet of the siege engine during their turn and the siege engine will load it.

Masterful Infusion

At 15th level, the legendary magus can infuse and store multiple siege engines, allowing them to be called upon at will. When the legendary magus infuses a siege engine, they can choose for it to be a sustained infusion. A siege engine with a sustained infusion can be dismissed and created as if it were an arcane cannon, appearing in a square adjacent to the magus when created. The magus can maintain a number of sustained infusions equal to their Intelligence modifier. These sustained siege engines are treated as an arcane cannon for the purposes of summoning: The magus can only have a single infused siege engine or arcane cannon on the field at a time. The legendary magus can end a sustained infusion as a full-round action, doing so requires the siege engine to currently be on the field. If a siege engine with a sustained infusion loses hit points, those lost hit points remain until the siege engine is repaired. If the siege engine is destroyed, the infusion immediately ends.

In addition, the magus can now create their arcane cannon or a siege engine with a sustained infusion as a move action. Doing so immediately dismisses their previous arcane cannon or siege engine with a sustained infusion, or ends the infusion of a normally infused siege engine.

New Magic Item: Endless Ammo Hoard

Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th; Slot none (see text); Price 25,000 gp; Weight 100 lbs.

Description

This large wooden chest is bound with bands and hooks of runed steel, allowing it to be safely secured to the side of a siege engine. When opened, it reveals an extra-dimensional space that can hold up to twenty pieces of siege engine ammunition. When closed, the chest opens on its side, dispensing a single piece of ammunition as part of loading the siege engine. If multiple types of ammunition are stored, the crew lead of the siege engine chooses which type of ammo is dispensed.

This chest has an additional function: If twenty pieces of identical non-magical siege ammunition are placed within the chest, dispensing a piece of ammunition does not reduce the number of pieces of ammunition stored within the chest. This ammunition is conjured, and only a single piece of this conjured ammunition may exist at any time.

Construction Requirements

Feats and Spells Craft Wondrous item, abundant item, secret chest; Cost 12,500 gp.

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