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Geode Splitter Hand Axe 645

—

by

Dale
in

From: Lineage 831 of Geode Vein

This is not merely a weapon but a symbol of Anuran heritage, upgraded with the pinnacle of Abbevillian ingenuity. The axe head is crafted from a single piece of sharpened and magically hardened basalt, designed for both durability and a keen edge. Its primary function is as a perfectly balanced hand-axe, heavy enough to cleave through armor and tough monster hides. Its uniqueness lies in the bronze-reinforced haft, which contains a miniature, steam-piston mechanism fueled by a slow-burning alchemical pellet. Once per encounter, Marn can activate this mechanism. With a hiss of venting steam, the piston fires forward, driving the axe head with a short, incredibly powerful burst of force at the moment of impact. This “Power Cleave” is designed to split massive geode nodules with a single strike but is brutally effective in combat, capable of shattering shields or breaking through a tough defense. The weapon serves as a constant reminder that for an Abbevillian, the best tool is also the best weapon.

Lore

This is no ordinary axe. The basalt head is an ancient artifact, repurposed from one of the original, masterfully knapped bifacial hand-axes used by the legendary “First Crafters” of Abbeville. It is a relic that has been passed down through Marn’s matrilineal line for a hundred generations, its edge still keen after millennia of care. The haft, however, is new. It was crafted for Marn as a coming-of-age gift when he proved his skill in the forges. It is a product of modern Anuran steam-tech, a bronze-reinforced shaft of petrified wood containing a powerful miniature steam-piston.

The mechanism is fueled by Alchemical Steam-Pellets, a specialized creation of the Geode-Vein lineage. Each pellet is made from compressed coal dust, mineral catalysts drawn from resonant crystals, and bound together with a single drop of the crafter’s own potent skin secretion. This makes the fuel for the axe’s signature ability a deeply personal and resource-intensive creation. To carry this axe is to carry the whole of Abbevillian history in one’s hand: the ancient stone of the ancestors and the steam-driven power of the present, a constant reminder that the ultimate purpose of any tool is to shape the future.

Item Values

  • Tier 1 Stats:
    • Weapon Type: Battleaxe
    • Damage: 1d8 Slashing (or 1d10 Slashing if wielded with two hands).
    • Properties: Versatile (1d10).
  • Skills Gained:
    • History: The axe’s ancient head is a tangible link to the past. While holding the axe, the wearer is considered proficient in the History skill regarding the origins of Abbeville and the Anuran people.
  • Passive Magics:
    • Ancestor’s Edge: The ancient basalt head is magically hardened and imbued with the spirit of its creators. The axe is considered a magical weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance and immunity.
    • Perfectly Balanced: The weapon is a marvel of engineering, perfectly weighting the ancient stone with the modern mechanism. The wearer gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with this axe.
    • Crafter’s Tool: The axe’s keen edge and durability make it a superior tool. When used to chop wood or break apart non-magical stone, it functions with incredible efficiency, completing the work in half the time it would normally take.
  • Activatable Magics:
    • Power Cleave (1 use per Short Rest): When you hit a creature, object, or structure with an attack using the axe, you can choose to activate the steam-piston. The attack deals an additional 2d6 force damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away from you. If the target is an object or structure, this attack automatically scores a critical hit.
    • Steam Vent (At will): As a Bonus Action, you can vent a loud hiss of pressurized steam from the haft. This creates a momentary, startling distraction. You gain Advantage on the next Charisma (Intimidation) check you make before the end of your turn.
  • Specific Slot:
    • Weapon Slot (Main Hand or Two-Handed).
  • Tags: Weapon, Axe, Slashing, Versatile, Anuran, Abbevillian, Heirloom, Magical, Steampunk, Alchemical, Single-Target, Burst-Damage, Utility, Pushback, Sundering, Force-Damage, Limited-Use, Social, Ancestral, Composite, Piston-Powered, Pellet-Fueled

The Geode-Splitter Hand-Axe 645 is a unique ancestral heirloom and cannot be bought off the shelf. However, a weapon like it—a modern masterwork incorporating the same steam-piston technology—can be commissioned by a select few, while the original might surface in the most exclusive markets if it were ever lost.

The Steam-Forge Guild (Abbeville – By Commission)

  • The Shop: The only place to get a new Geode-Splitter Axe made is at one of the officially sanctioned Steam-Forge Guildhalls in a major Anuran city like Granthold. These are not shops but massive, roaring industrial complexes filled with the clang of steam-hammers and the hiss of pressure valves, where the nation’s finest weapon-smiths practice their trade.
  • How It Is Acquired: A non-Anuran must submit a formal petition and be sponsored by a respected Anuran clan. The Guild is fiercely protective of its advanced technology, so the buyer must demonstrate significant service or loyalty to Abbeville. If the commission is accepted, the buyer is placed on a waiting list that can be years long. The final weapon would be a new masterwork, with a newly forged and enchanted basalt head rather than an ancient one.
  • Cost: A commission of this magnitude is incredibly expensive. The price for a new, non-ancestral Geode-Splitter Axe from the Guild is 75 Rhodium (750 Platinum), with half required as a down payment.

The Crimson Crucible (Legendary Arms Auction)

  • The Shop: This is not a fixed location but a clandestine, invitation-only auction that occurs once every few years. It’s hosted by a shadowy consortium that deals exclusively in unique, legendary, and historically significant weapons. The clientele consists of warlords, nobles, and the fabulously wealthy, all bidding through anonymous magical proxies.
  • How It Is Acquired: This is the only conceivable place where the original Geode-Splitter Hand-Axe 645 might be sold if it were ever taken from Marn. The auctioneers would present the axe’s full history, detailing its ancestral head and its unique steam-piston mechanism. The bidding would be a fierce, silent affair.
  • Cost: As a one-of-a-kind, historically significant weapon, its value would be immense. The bidding would likely start at 150 Rhodium (1,500 Platinum) and could easily fetch twice that amount, making it a treasure only the most powerful figures in the world could afford.

The Exiled Smith’s Forge (Master Artisan’s Shop)

  • The Shop: In a quiet, industrious quarter of a neutral trade metropolis, one might find the forge of a reclusive, exiled Anuran master smith. The shop is small and unassuming, but the quality of the few pieces on display is breathtaking. The smith is an old master who left Abbeville for political or personal reasons but still possesses all the skills of his trade.
  • How It Is Acquired: This is an entirely personal transaction. The buyer must first earn the smith’s respect; he will not craft his masterworks for just anyone with coin. He would need to be convinced of the buyer’s character and purpose. If he agrees, he would create a new Geode-Splitter, perhaps with his own unique modifications and improvements on the guild’s design.
  • Cost: The smith values his time and artistry far more than wealth. His price for a custom-built axe would be 90 Rhodium (900 Platinum). However, he would also require the buyer to undertake a quest to bring him a rare and difficult-to-obtain component (such as the tooth of a magma wurm or the core of a petrified ironwood tree) to prove their dedication.

The Geode-Splitter Hand-Axe is a pragmatic Anuran weapon, and its roleplay applications reflect a philosophy where the best offense is a decisive, overwhelming blow, and the best defense is to use that same power to control the battlefield.

Offensive Roleplay Applications

Offensively, the axe is used for single, high-impact strikes that can shatter defenses, eliminate key targets, or turn a tool into a weapon.

Close Quarters (Dungeons, Alleys, Ship Corridors)

In tight spaces, the Power Cleave is a devastating tool for eliminating obstacles and breaking formations.

  • Roleplay Example: A heavily armored guard is blocking a narrow doorway, his shield raised.

Marn would brace himself and say, “A stone wall is just a quarry waiting to happen.” He would swing the axe into the guard’s shield and activate the Power Cleave. The roleplay isn’t just about damage; it’s about the result. “With a concussive WHOOSH of steam, the piston fires. The guard’s shield doesn’t just take the hit; it shatters into splinters, and the guard himself is thrown violently backward down the hall, clearing the path for the party to charge through.”

Open Terrain (Battlefields, Forests)

In open combat, the axe is a reliable weapon, with the Power Cleave reserved as a tactical finisher or a solution to a specific problem.

  • Roleplay Example: The party is fighting a hulking, regenerating troll.

Marn would use the axe’s Perfect Balance to land steady, reliable hits alongside his allies. When the troll is finally brought to one knee, Marn would see his moment. “Gravok, grant me the strength to shape this ending!” he’d shout, bringing the axe down and triggering the Power Cleave. “The burst of force damage is intended to be the final, overwhelming blow, a decisive strike powerful enough to overcome the creature’s regeneration and end the fight.”

Social & Utility Situations

The axe’s industrial nature can be more intimidating than its edge.

  • Roleplay Example: When trying to intimidate a group of bandits, Marn wouldn’t necessarily threaten to swing.

He would hold the axe loosely and activate the Steam Vent as a bonus action. “A loud, sharp HISS of pressurized steam erupts from the haft. It’s not an attack, but a clear and unambiguous promise of contained, industrial power. He wouldn’t need to say a word; the sound of the machine is the threat.”

Defensive Roleplay Applications

Defensively, the axe is used to create space, neutralize specific threats, and overcome environmental obstacles.

Close Quarters

Here, the axe’s pushback effect is a powerful defensive tool for controlling a chokepoint.

  • Roleplay Example: Marn is holding a narrow bridge against charging foes.

As the first enemy reaches him, he wouldn’t try to just kill them. He would meet their charge with a swing and trigger the Power Cleave. “The goal isn’t just to wound, but to use the 10-foot pushback to send the enemy careening back into his own allies, disrupting their charge and turning their numbers into a liability as they stumble over each other.”

Open Terrain

On a chaotic battlefield, the axe is used to defend allies by eliminating a critical threat with one decisive blow.

  • Roleplay Example: An enemy shaman is concentrating on a powerful spell that is decimating the party.

Marn would ignore the other enemies and charge directly for the shaman. “I will break your focus!” he’d yell. The Power Cleave is activated not just for the damage, but because the combination of a direct hit, extra force damage, and a violent shove is almost guaranteed to break the shaman’s concentration, thus defending the entire party from the more significant magical threat.

Social & Utility Situations

The axe’s “sundering” capability makes it the ultimate key.

  • Roleplay Example: The party is trapped in a room with a heavy stone door that has been barred from the other side.

Marn would use his axe not on the lock, but on the door itself. “A door is just a wall that has not been properly shaped,” he’d say. He would activate the Power Cleave, striking the door near the hinges or bar. Because the attack is against an object, it’s an automatic critical hit. “The force of the blow shatters the stone and wood, ripping the door from its hinges and clearing a path. He has defended the party from being trapped.”

Perception of Activation:

When the wearer of the Geode-Splitter Hand-Axe 645 triggers its Power Cleave ability, the perception is one of a sudden, violent, and contained industrial explosion, a stark contrast to the flow of normal combat.

User’s Perspective (Marn)

  • Physical Sensation: The moment his thumb depresses the activation stud, he feels a sharp click and a satisfying thump deep within the axe’s haft as the pellet is engaged. The swing feels perfectly normal until the instant of impact. At that point, a powerful, piston-like jolt kicks through the weapon. It is not a magical surge but a brutal, mechanical kick that he must be braced for, a feeling of controlled, industrial violence being unleashed through his hands.
  • Auditory: The sound is a two-part explosion of noise that momentarily deafens him to the battlefield. It is a sharp, metallic KRAK as the piston fires, immediately followed by a concussive WHOOSH as the pressurized steam vents. It is the signature sound of an Anuran quarry-blaster, condensed into the haft of his axe.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Vibrational Sense: His innate connection to the earth is overwhelmed by a sharp, chaotic, and completely unnatural vibration. It is not the song of stone but the shriek of a machine under immense pressure, a feeling of pure, directed force designed to shatter, not to shape.
    • Ley Line Attunement: He feels the alchemical pellet ignite—a tiny, contained nova of raw, forceful energy, completely separate from the gentle hum of the world’s ley lines. It is a perception of manufactured, focused power.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Visual: An observer sees a standard axe swing transform into a violent event. At the exact moment of impact, there is a violent, instantaneous burst of white steam and grey alchemical smoke from vents along the axe’s haft. The target doesn’t just recoil from the hit; they are visibly and unnaturally thrown backward, as if struck by an invisible battering ram.
  • Auditory: The normal sound of a weapon striking armor or flesh is completely drowned out by a startlingly loud BOOM-HISS. It is the sound of a small cannon and a pressure release valve firing at the exact same time, a sound that echoes across the battlefield.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Magical Sense: A magically attuned observer would perceive a sudden, sharp flare of evocation and alchemical energy, but not in the shape of a typical spell. It would feel like a stored magical charge being released by a mechanical trigger, a fusion of technology and raw power.
    • Empathic Sense: An empath would feel a sharp spike of overwhelming, decisive intent from the user. It is the feeling of bringing a tool’s full, single-minded purpose to bear—the desire to break, shatter, and end a conflict in one definitive motion.

Positives

  • Shock and Awe: The loud, explosive nature of the activation is extremely intimidating. It transforms a simple axe swing into a shocking display of power that can cause fear and hesitation in enemies.
  • Decisive Impact: The visible force and concussive sound clearly communicate to allies that a powerful, tactical blow has been struck, often signaling a turning point or a breach in the enemy’s defenses.
  • Technological Ambiguity: For foes unfamiliar with Anuran steam-tech, the effect can be confusing. It is not obviously a spell, which may cause them to misjudge the user’s capabilities and waste magical defenses against a physical attack.

Negatives

  • Total Lack of Subtlety: It is impossible to use the Power Cleave without announcing your exact position and action to everyone in the vicinity.
  • Reveals the Trump Card: The dramatic activation is a clear signal that the user has expended a powerful, limited-use ability. An intelligent opponent will immediately recognize that the user cannot immediately repeat the maneuver.
  • Identifiable Signature: The unique sound and function of the axe are an unmistakable signature of high-end Abbevillian technology. Anyone with knowledge of the world’s factions would immediately identify the user’s origin.

Schematic: Guild-Issue Piston Axe

This document details the approved Steam-Forge Guild process for creating a new, Tier-1 Piston Axe. This weapon is a hallmark of Anuran ingenuity, requiring a master’s touch in smithing, tinkering, and alchemy. Unauthorized replication is a severe guild offense.

Materials Needed:

  • Axe Components:
    • 1x Billet of High-Grade Basalt (for the axe head)
    • 1x Haft of Petrified Ironwood
    • 2x Bronze Ingots (for reinforcements and the piston housing)
    • 1x Miniature Piston & Valve Assembly (Masterwork Quality)
    • 1x Spool of High-Pressure Copper Tubing
  • Alchemical Fuel Pellet Components (per batch of 5):
    • 1x Pouch of Fine Coal Dust
    • 1x Pinch of Powdered Resonant Crystal (catalyst)
    • 1x Vial of Anuran Skin Secretion (Volatile-Grade)
    • 1x Jar of Alchemical Binding Paste

Tools Required:

  • Primary Workstations:
    • A Steam-Forge and Anvil (for shaping the basalt head).
    • A dedicated Tinkerer’s Bench (for the piston assembly).
    • An Alchemist’s Lab (for crafting the fuel pellets).
  • Artisan’s Kits:
    • A complete Masterwork Weaponsmith’s Kit.
    • A complete Tinkerer’s Kit.
    • A full set of Alchemist’s Supplies.

Skill Requirements:

  • Primary Proficiency: The crafter must possess Jouryman-level proficiency in Weaponsmithing.
  • Secondary Proficiencies: The crafter must also be proficient in Tinkering (Steam-Tech) and Alchemy.
  • Warning: The steam-piston assembly is a volatile mechanism. Attempting to construct or install it without proficiency in Tinkering can result in a dangerous explosion. An Anuran crafter is highly recommended for the successful creation of the alchemical pellets.

Crafting Steps:

The creation is a two-part process: forging the weapon and crafting its unique fuel source.

Part A: Forging the Piston Axe

  1. Forge the Head: The basalt billet is heated in the Steam-Forge until it glows with a dull red heat. It is then carefully hammered and shaped into the form of a balanced axe head. The final step is a specialized quenching process in a solution of oil and magical reagents to grant it supernatural hardness.
  2. Prepare the Haft: The petrified ironwood haft is carved and then carefully hollowed out to precise specifications, creating a chamber for the piston assembly. The bronze ingots are used to create reinforcing collars and a protective housing at the top of the haft.
  3. Assemble the Piston: At the Tinkerer’s Bench, the miniature piston, valve assembly, and copper tubing are painstakingly assembled. This delicate mechanism is pressure-tested to ensure it can handle the violent force of the steam release without failing.
  4. Integration: The completed piston assembly is carefully installed within the hollowed-out haft. The trigger mechanism is integrated near the handle, and the loading port for the alchemical pellets is set.
  5. Final Assembly: The forged basalt head is mounted onto the completed haft, and the bronze collars are secured. The weapon’s balance is checked and adjusted to ensure it is perfect.

Part B: Crafting the Alchemical Steam-Pellets

  1. Prepare the Powder: At the Alchemist’s Lab, the coal dust and powdered resonant crystal are mixed in a ceramic bowl until they are a uniform, grey powder.
  2. Infuse and Bind: The Anuran skin secretion is added drop by drop, causing the mixture to heat rapidly. The alchemical binding paste must be added at the correct moment to stabilize the reaction and form a thick, volatile slurry.
  3. Press and Cure: The slurry is spooned into a pellet press, which forms it into small, dense pellets. These pellets must then be left to cure in a cool, dry, and magically inert container for at least 48 hours before they are stable enough for use.

Ashia and Waking of the Forge

Hark now to the story, as it is told from the cracked and faded tablets, its words a poor shadow of a song sung in a tongue of dust. It tells of the first Geode-Splitter, in the age the scribes call the Time of Sleeping Stone.

In those days, a great sorrow was upon Abbeville. A creature of dread, the Beast of Basalt, whose name is not truly known, came forth from the deepest, untamed quarries. Its hide, the legends say, was of a single piece of living stone, so hard that the finest axes shattered against it like glass, and so dense that even the Stoneweavers’ magic could not find purchase. It was the Uncarvable. The beast shattered the works of the Anuran people, toppling cranes and breaking golems, for it was a thing of un-making, and its presence was an affront to Gravok.

The greatest warriors and quarry wardens went forth, but their weapons were as toys against the beast. A despair fell upon the land, for the stone itself had turned against them in a form they could not shape.

There was then a crafter named Ashia, of Marn’s ancient matrilineal line. Her hands were skilled in the new arts of steam and pressure, but her heart was rooted in the old ways. She was a crafter, not a warrior, and she watched the beast’s destruction with a shaper’s eye. She saw not an enemy to be killed, but a material that refused to be worked. In the Grand Forge, she prayed to Gravok, and a vision was put upon her mind. She saw two things: the simple, chipped bifacial hand-axe of the First Mother, the most ancient of relics, and she saw the roaring, hissing heart of a steam-forge, the newest of their creations. In her vision, the two became one.

The meaning of this was debated, but Ashia understood. She journeyed to the sacred Ancestor’s Grotto, and there, from the shrine of the First Mother of all Anurans, she took up the first axe. It was a simple thing of sharpened basalt, but it was their history, their beginning. The priests cried sacrilege, that she would disturb the first tool.

To her own forge she went, a place of steam and new-making. The priests spake that she would ruin the sacred relic with the noise and filth of a machine. But Ashia had seen the vision. For a moon-turn, she worked. She carved a haft from petrified ironwood, hollowing its core. She forged a house of bronze and, with a skill none had seen before, she built a prison for the mountain’s breath—a tiny piston, a series of valves. She sought to put the power of a great steam-hammer into the body of a small axe.

She took the sacred head of the First Mother’s axe and, with a prayer, she bound it to the new, mechanical haft. The thing she held was a contradiction: the silent, ancient stone of their past, now joined to the loud, hissing machine of their future. The priests banished her from the Grand Forge for her blasphemy.

It was then that the Beast of Basalt, in its arrogance, attacked the Grand Forge itself. The warriors were thrown aside, their axes broken. The great doors began to splinter. As all seemed lost, Ashia arrived, alone, holding her strange new weapon.

She faced the Uncarvable. She swung the axe, and its ancient head struck the beast’s flank with a loud clang, but the hide was not marked. The warriors and priests who watched mocked her. “Your machine has only made the sacred tool weaker!” they cried.

Ashia stood her ground. She waited as the great beast reared up to deliver a final, crushing blow. She saw not a monster, but a single, perfect piece of stone that needed to be split. She spake a prayer to the First Mother for guidance and a prayer to the future for strength. She raised the axe, and as she swung, her thumb found the trigger.

The tablets say the sound was like a mountain cracking in two. A violent hiss, a concussive boom, and a great cloud of steam erupted from the axe at the moment the ancient stone struck the beast’s hide. This was the first Power Cleave. The blow was not of one Anuran, but of all their history and all their future combined. The ancient stone provided the edge, but the steam gave it the force of a landslide.

A great crack, the first ever seen, appeared on the beast’s basalt shell. The creature shrieked, a sound of stone grinding in agony, a sound of the unbreakable being broken. It was not slain, but it was wounded, and for the first time, it knew fear. It fled back to the deep quarries, and did not trouble the city again. Ashia stood in the steam and silence, her weapon a vindication. She had shown that the old ways and the new ways were not enemies, but two halves of a greater strength.

The Moral of the Story: For the past gives a weapon its soul, and the future gives it its strength. A people who forget their foundation cannot stand, but a people who refuse to build upon it will surely fall.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Geode-Splitter Axe Weapon (battleaxe), rare (requires attunement)

This masterwork battleaxe features an ancient, magically hardened basalt head fused to a bronze-reinforced haft containing a steam-piston mechanism.

  • Magic Weapon: You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
  • Properties: The axe has the Versatile property, dealing 1d8 slashing damage when used one-handed, and 1d10 slashing damage when used two-handed.
  • Power Cleave: Once on each of your turns, when you hit a creature with an attack using the axe, you can activate the steam-piston. The attack deals an additional 1d10 force damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away from you.
  • Sundering Strike: When you hit an object or a structure with this axe, the hit is a critical hit.

Blades in the Dark

Anvil-Fired Piston Axe A heavy, brutal-looking axe with a reinforced haft containing a powerful, steam-driven piston. (Heavy Weapon, 2 Load)

This is not a subtle tool. It’s an instrument of industrial violence, designed to split rock and shatter barricades with a single, deafening blow.

  • Special Qualities:
    • This is a fine heavy weapon. When you use it to Wreck an object with brute force, take +1d to your roll.
    • The weapon is loud, intimidating, and demonstrably powerful. When you use it to Command through open threats, take +1 Effect.
  • Activatable Ability:
    • Power Cleave: Once per score, when you unleash the piston’s power on a target, you can choose one of the following effects:
      • Shatter: Inflict devastating harm (+1 Level of Harm).
      • Overwhelm: Send your target flying or smash through an obstacle, creating a new opportunity for your crew.
      • Terrify: All enemies who witness the blow must resist a consequence of fear or hesitation.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Fossil-Breaker’s Piston Axe An unusual piece of industrial equipment, likely repurposed from a Miskatonic University geological expedition. It is a heavy-headed axe with a strange, hissing mechanism in the haft, powered by volatile alchemical cartridges.

This tool was designed to split fossil-rich nodules with a single blow, but its power is easily turned to more gruesome work. Its loud, unnatural activation can be unnerving.

  • Weapon Stats: Functions as a Large Axe.
    • Damage: 1d10+2
    • Base Chance: 25%
    • Hands: 2
    • HP: 15
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Piston Blast: The axe is fueled by alchemical cartridges. On a successful Fighting (Axe) roll, the user can expend one cartridge to activate the piston. The attack deals an additional 1d10 damage and automatically Impales the target.
    • Resource: The user begins with 1d6+2 cartridges. Crafting more requires a successful Chemistry roll and rare ingredients.
    • Unnerving Mechanism: The first time the Piston Blast is activated in a scene, anyone witnessing it (friend or foe) who is unfamiliar with the device must make a SAN roll (0/1 loss).

Knave (2nd Edition)

Steam-Piston Axe A heavy battleaxe with a reinforced haft containing a hissing, piston-driven mechanism.

  • Slots: Takes up 2 of a character’s 10 inventory slots.
  • Damage: Deals d10 damage. Requires two hands.
  • Qualities:
    • Attacks with this weapon are considered magical.
    • You have Advantage on all tests to break inanimate objects.
  • Ability:
    • Power Cleave: The axe holds 3 charges, which are refilled by loading new alchemical pellets. When you hit with an attack, you can expend one charge before rolling damage. If you do, the attack automatically deals the maximum possible damage (10) and pushes the target 15 feet away.

Fate Core

Ashia’s Legacy This is an Extra, an heirloom that represents the fusion of ancient tradition and modern Anuran ingenuity.

  • ASPECTS:
    • High Concept: Heirloom Steam-Piston Battleaxe
    • Trouble: Requires Rare, Personal Alchemical Fuel
    • Other: The Perfect Union of Old Stone and New Steam
  • STUNTS:
    • Perfectly Balanced: Because it is a masterwork weapon combining ancient and modern techniques, gain a +1 to Fight when attacking with this axe.
    • Sundering Blow: Because the axe is designed to split geodes, you get a +2 to Overcome an obstacle using Physique or Crafts when your goal is to break an inanimate object.
    • Power Cleave: Once per conflict, when you succeed on a Fight attack, you can activate the steam piston. Instead of dealing stress, you automatically inflict a Mild Consequence on the target (or a Moderate Consequence if you succeeded with style), describing how the concussive blow shatters their guard or sends them reeling.

Numenera & Cypher System

Anuran Piston-Axe This weapon is an Artifact, a product of a culture that has mastered a strange fusion of alchemy, steam power, and magic.

  • Level: 6
  • Form: A heavy, perfectly balanced battleaxe. Its bronze-reinforced haft contains a complex steam-piston mechanism.
  • Effect:
    • Passive: This is a heavy weapon that deals 6 points of damage. Due to its perfect balance, all attack actions with it are eased.
    • Active: The wearer can load a specially crafted alchemical pellet (an iotum or part) into the haft as an action. On the next successful hit with the axe, the piston fires, dealing an additional 4 points of damage. The target is also pushed up to 20 feet away. Using this ability triggers the depletion roll.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check when the piston is fired).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Geode-Splitter Item 5 Uncommon Anuran Magical Evocation

  • Price 160 gp
  • Usage held in 1 or 2 hands; Bulk 1
  • The ancient basalt head of this +1 striking battle axe is fused to a modern, bronze-reinforced haft. A low hiss of steam occasionally vents from the weapon.
  • Base Weapon: This is a +1 striking battle axe.
  • Activate [free-action] Power Cleave (Evocation, Force); Trigger You successfully Strike a creature with the Geode-Splitter; Frequency once per 10 minutes; Effect You trigger the axe’s steam piston. The target takes an additional 1d10 force damage. If the target is on solid ground, you can choose to either push it 5 feet away from you or knock it prone. The target attempts a DC 19 Fortitude save to resist this movement.
  • Sundering: When this weapon is used to attack an object, any damage it deals ignores 5 points of the object’s Hardness.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Guild-Issue Piston Axe A heavy, master-crafted battle axe reserved for the Anuran Quarry Wardens. It contains a powerful, steam-driven piston that can be discharged on impact.

  • Damage: Str+d8
  • AP: 2
  • Weight: 12
  • Notes:
    • Two-Handed: Requires two hands to use effectively.
    • Sunder: The weapon grants a +4 bonus to damage rolls when attacking an object.
    • Power Cleave: As a free action before making a Fighting roll, the user can declare they are using the Power Cleave. The attack is made at a -1 penalty. If the attack hits, it deals +d10 damage, and the target is pushed 1d4″ (2d4″) directly away. This ability may only be used once per combat encounter, as it takes time to reload the alchemical pellet.

Shadowrun (6th World)

Ares “Quarry” Industrial Axe Marketed as a high-torque industrial tool for demolition and mining, the Ares Quarry is also a brutally effective melee weapon favored by corporate sappers and troll security specialists. It incorporates a chemical-propellant piston for overwhelming striking power.

  • Type: M
  • Accuracy: 4
  • DV: (STR + 3)P
  • AP: -4
  • Availability: 12R
  • Cost: 9,500¥
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Sundering: The axe’s head is designed to shatter rock and plasteel. The weapon’s Damage Value is doubled when attacking inanimate objects, barriers, and structures.
    • Power Cleave (Major Action): Once per combat encounter, the user can trigger the propellant piston. Make a single melee attack with the axe. This attack gains a +4 dice pool bonus and its AP is increased to -8. If the attack hits, the target must immediately make a Body + Strength test against a Damage Value of 4 or be knocked Prone.

Starfinder

Geode-Splitter Level 5 Advanced Melee Weapon

  • Price 3,150 credits
  • Damage 1d10 S; Critical Knockdown
  • Hands 2; Bulk 1
  • Special analog, powered (capacity 10, usage 2), sunder
  • An archaic-looking but technologically advanced battle axe. Its bronze-reinforced haft contains a piston mechanism powered by alchemical micro-charges.
  • Game Mechanics:
    • This is a two-handed advanced melee weapon with the analog and sunder properties.
    • Power Cleave (Standard Action): You can make a single powerful attack that expends 2 charges from the weapon’s battery. This attack is made at a -2 penalty to your attack roll. If the attack hits, you deal an additional 2d6 force damage, and the target is pushed back 10 feet. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Industrial Piston Axe (TL 8) A heavy-duty tool used in asteroid mining and salvage operations for breaching stubborn hulls or rock formations. It is powered by a standard power pack and contains a hydraulic piston for a single, devastating strike.

  • Damage: 3d6+2
  • AP: 4
  • Weight: 5 kg
  • Power: Power Pack (Belt)
  • Cost: Cr 3,200
  • Traits: Cumbersome
  • Game Mechanics:
    • This is a Two-Handed weapon.
    • Power Cleave: Before making an attack, the user may declare they are using the hydraulic piston. The attack is made with DM-2. If it hits, damage is automatically considered to be the maximum possible (20) before adding the Effect of the roll. The piston then requires one round to recharge and cannot be used on the wielder’s next turn.
    • Sunder: The axe ignores 12 points of Armour when used to attack an object or structure.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Dwarf Steam-Axe of Karak Kadrin An experimental and dangerously unstable weapon from the Engineer’s Guild of the Slayer Keep. It incorporates a steam-piston salvaged from a gyrocopter, allowing it to deliver a blow of truly legendary force.

  • Group: Two-Handed
  • Damage: +SB+5
  • Enc: 3
  • Availability: Very Rare
  • Qualities: Damaging, Impact, Pummeling, Slow, Unreliable
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Power Cleave: Once per combat encounter, the wielder may declare they are using the steam-piston before making a Melee (Two-Handed) Test. The attack gains the Devastating and Impale Qualities.
    • Unstable Mechanism: After using the Power Cleave, the wielder must immediately pass a Challenging (+0) Cool Test or gain 1 Fatigued Condition from the violent, bone-jarring recoil. If this Test is fumbled, the mechanism explodes, dealing a hit with the Damaging and Fiery Qualities to the wielder’s Body location.