Mechanik’s Union

This invention came from the hands of Mechanik and Monster Hunter, Lambert Ackerly. A man to whom the naturally resistant hides and regenerative properties of the creatures he encountered lead to no end of hat stamping frustration, not to mention a wide array of scars. Upon returning from travels in the Wyrmwall mountains he witnessed the potential for Voltaic technology during a accident in a Caspian workshop when an overloading Storm-chamber conducted its energy halfway across the factory floor to a half finished Centurion shield coil, burning straight through several solid oak support beams along the way. Impressed, and not a little singed by this experience, Lambert set out to devise a method to turn his trusty battle blade into a weapon that could slice through solid steel. After several experiments that at best only emulated the charged potential of a Storm-blade, he decided to try and replicate the accident under more controlled conditions. One burnt down workshop later and Lambert had a new insight on the principals of Voltaic current and the extreme heat a plasma state could generate. He then contacted a number of Rhulic clans to source a metal that wouldn’t simply melt under the furious temperatures a sustained lightning discharge could produce. The final result of his efforts was the Voltaic Arc Blade, a weapon almost as dangerous to the wielder as it is to the enemy. After the construction of the initial prototype Lambert went on to hack and slice his way through many dangerous beasties before vanishing into the depths of the northern mountain ranges. Since his disappearance the blueprints have found a market amongst those with a taste in exotic weapons.

On first impression it seems to be a two-handed battle blade hilt, a secondary handle projecting at right angles from the first. The hilt has a large ovoid container, housing a coil of flexable steel ribbon. It also sports large heat sinks and significant cowling, the handles themselves are even rubberized to isolate the more dangerous voltaic discharges. The control feature of this device is a large mechanical trigger on its main hilt resembling what would usually be found on a military pistol.  A hefty arcano-conductive coil runs from the hilts tag to the housing for two military grade heavy storm-chambers mounted on a belt harness. Finally there is a salvaged temperature gauge from a steam boiler on the hilt itself, with an arrow to designate green through to red measurements.

Instead of a blade this weapon has is a U shaped bonding jumper facing inward toward the hilt. This is made up of two  ionic coil capacitors, coupled with elemental emitters on each end. There are two matching cylinders and emitters on the guard itself, which match up to those placed on the jumper. These are in turn conduited to the convergence engine built around the Storm-chambers, which contain three puissant etched plates, two of Polarization (repulsion field / attraction field) and one of Chain Lightning.

When the trigger is held down, the convergence engine powers up as a standard action. This charges the Ionic coils at the same time it produces a powerful field between the nodes. The Polarization plates imbue the capacitors with magnetically opposing charges, repelling the flexible metal ribbon from its where it is stored in the hilt coil out to the length of an average bastard sword. The Chain Lightning plate feeds through the cable to the capacitors, connecting a coruscating arc of voltaic energy between the ionic coils. Effectively creating two constant ‘edges’ of searing plasma barely stabilized by the opposing magnetic fields.

However, in spite of the many different metals and insulation Lambert tried installing in this weapon, it cannot maintain the arc for more than 10 rounds at a time before the entire device spirals into a deadly feedback loop. Any attempt to push the blade over this limit risks rupturing the Storm-chamber’s due to accumulated static feedback from the ‘blade’. This state deals 1d6 points of damage to the chambers [ignoring hardness] each round the blade is active over the 10 round limit. The blade needs at least 20 rounds to cool down before it can be safely reactivated, if shut down after an overcharge attempt that didnt rupture a Storm-chamber, a Craft Mechanika check (DC 28) must be performed to repair the burnt out conduits before the weapon is once more usable. Additionally, unless like Lambert, the wielder wears some form of insulating clothing (or carries nothing metallic), they take 1 point of electricity damage a round from the earthing effect of the charge on whatever conductive material they are carrying. This increases to 1d4 points of electricity damage per round if the wielder is pushing the blade past overload status.

While this weapon is light enough to be wielded in one hand, it requires a Exotic Weapon Proficiency due to its odd weighting and two handled design. It may be wielded as a martial weapon if used two-handed. Strength bonus is not applicable to this weapon, as added force does not increase the beams damage potential. Instead Dexterity bonus can be applied to weapon damage by those with the Exotic Weapon Proficiency. A wielder with the Exotic Weapon Proficiency may also act as if they possess the Cleave feat, those that already possess the Cleave feat may act as though they possessed the Great Cleave feat.

* as with a battle blade, there is no cutting or piercing tip to this weapon. So while you may be able to slice someones sword in half, you wouldn’t be able to slice open a closed door or a wall simply due to the weapons construction.

[It is said that Lambert's own prototype used a super heavy storm-chamber, the extra charges it produced were used to add an additional functionality to the Blade. By increasing the length of the metal coil strip and adding an additional dial trigger to the hilt (+3350gp), he was able to adjust the weapons overall length to give it 10ft reach as a move action by twisting the lower half of the main hilt. This meant that even with the Exotic Proficiency, he had to use both hands to swing it with any accuracy. Without such Proficiency, the weapon would be unusable in this extended state. Additionaly when in this state the time remaining till overload is halved.]