From: Blazevine
Lore: The recipe for Bursting Ember Bolts is a closely guarded secret that originated from a forgotten order of master archers known as the Flame Arrows. Legend has it that the Flame Arrows were an elite group of marksmen who possessed unparalleled skill in harnessing the power of fire. They developed the Bursting Ember Bolts as a means to infuse their arrows with fiery energy, granting them the ability to strike their enemies with explosive force. Over time, this knowledge was lost, and the recipe became a coveted treasure among those seeking to wield the power of flame.
Use: Bursting Ember Bolts are specialized ammunition designed for archers or those who favor ranged combat. When fired from a bow or crossbow, the bolts explode upon impact, releasing scorching flames that engulf the target. They provide a potent combination of physical and fire damage, making them particularly effective against enemies vulnerable to fire or resistant to conventional weapons.
Recipe:
- Blazevine: 3 sprigs
- Enchanted Arrows: 5 arrows
- Elemental Essence (Fire): 1 vial (10 ml)
- Quicksilver Solution: 1 flask (100 ml)
- Feathers of a Phoenix: 1 pair
Level One Stats and Skills:
- Level Requirement: 1
- Required Alchemy Skill: Novice
- Required Archery Skill: Novice
Preparation:
- Grind the Blazevine into a fine powder using a mortar and pestle.
- Dip the tips of the Enchanted Arrows into the Elemental Essence (Fire), allowing them to absorb the magical energy.
- Pour the Quicksilver Solution into a small container.
- Carefully attach the Feathers of a Phoenix to the base of each arrow, ensuring they are securely fastened.
- Dip the tips of the Enchanted Arrows into the Quicksilver Solution, coating them evenly.
- Roll the Quicksilver-coated tips of the arrows in the powdered Blazevine, ensuring they are well covered.
- Allow the arrows to dry for a few hours, ensuring the Blazevine adheres to the tips.
- Store the finished Bursting Ember Bolts in a suitable container, ready for use.
Cost and Process:
- Cost of Ingredients: 500 gold coins (Feathers of a Phoenix being rare and expensive)
- Process Time: 4-6 hours (including drying time)
Availability: Feathers of a Phoenix can be obtained through quests, by trading with specialized merchants, or by defeating powerful fire-themed creatures.
Tags: Ammunition, Fire-based, Explosive, Ranged Combat, Limited Quantity
Level One Effects:
- Explosive Impact: When fired, the Bursting Ember Bolts explode upon impact, dealing 30 physical damage and an additional 20 fire damage to the target and any creatures within a 5-foot radius of the impact point.
The Bursting Ember Bolts offer archers and ranged combatants a powerful tool for unleashing devastating fire-based attacks. However, their limited availability and the costs associated with obtaining the necessary components make them a valuable and strategic resource. Characters must carefully manage their supply of Bursting Ember Bolts and choose their shots wisely to maximize their impact.
Selling Bursting Ember Bolts:
The recipe for Bursting Ember Bolts is a rare and coveted formula, known only to a select few. As a result, the sale of Bursting Ember Bolts is tightly controlled and typically limited to specialized vendors who cater to skilled archers, adventurers, and those with a penchant for fire-based weaponry. These vendors can be found in bustling marketplaces, specialized weapon shops, or hidden enclaves of archer guilds.
However, due to the rarity of certain ingredients, such as Feathers of a Phoenix, acquiring Bursting Ember Bolts can be a challenging endeavor. Characters may need to undertake quests, venture into treacherous locations inhabited by fire-themed creatures, or interact with experienced archers and alchemists to obtain both the recipe and the necessary components. The quest for Bursting Ember Bolts can serve as a rewarding and engaging storyline for players, involving exploration, combat encounters, and negotiation.
Using Bursting Ember Bolts:
The end results of the Bursting Ember Bolts are used primarily as specialized ammunition for archers and ranged combatants. Here’s how they are typically employed:
- Enhanced Damage: When fired from a bow or crossbow, the Bursting Ember Bolts deliver a powerful explosive impact. Upon striking a target, they explode in a burst of scorching flames, dealing significant physical and fire damage. This makes them highly effective against enemies vulnerable to fire or resistant to conventional weapons.
- Area of Effect Damage: The explosive impact of the Bursting Ember Bolts not only damages the primary target but also affects any creatures within a 5-foot radius of the impact point. This makes them particularly useful in situations where multiple foes are clustered together or when dealing with tightly packed groups of enemies.
- Tactical Advantage: The fiery explosion caused by the Bursting Ember Bolts can also create distractions, provide cover, or ignite flammable objects in the environment. Characters can strategically employ the bolts to manipulate the battlefield or create diversions to their advantage.
By restricting the availability of Bursting Ember Bolts and making them a sought-after commodity, you can provide players with unique opportunities to interact with specialized vendors, delve into dangerous locations, or engage in quests to obtain or replenish their supply of these potent projectiles.
Song of the Ember-Tipped Arrows
In the far stretches of the ember-fields, when skies wept fire and winds carried ash, there stood a lone archer of no name but great fame. This archer, said to be kin to the flames themselves, sought arrows that could sing as the fire sings—angry, consuming, and unrelenting. So, they wandered, asking neither man nor beast but the wind itself, “Where lies the secret of flames that burst with force?”
The wind, clever and cruel, carried the archer to the heart of the Inferno’s Maw, where Blazevine twisted and burned eternal under the phoenix’s vigil. “Gather me, if you dare,” the phoenix mocked, shedding its burning feathers as it circled. The archer, neither patient nor foolhardy, waited until the fiery beast turned its gaze to the horizon. With a swift motion, they snatched three glowing sprigs of Blazevine and a feather that shimmered like the sun on molten steel.
Returning to their forge hidden in the black hills, the archer crushed the Blazevine, mixed it with quicksilver from the earth’s veins, and whispered the phoenix’s cry into the solution. With arrows dipped in the fiery brew, tips smoldering and fletching kissed by the phoenix’s plume, the archer created bolts that burst upon impact, spreading flame and ash like a vengeful storm.
These bolts, the tale tells, were tested against the wyrms of the north, beasts who feared no weapon of steel. When the archer loosed their first Ember Bolt, it struck true, erupting in fire so fierce that even the wyrm’s impenetrable scales sizzled and cracked. The archer became a legend, wielding not just arrows but fire’s rage itself.
And yet, as all tales go, there is caution: the archer, too enraptured by the power of the Ember Bolts, forgot the phoenix’s warning: “Fire devours all, even those who wield it carelessly.” One day, surrounded by a ring of their own flames, the archer disappeared into the blaze, never to return.
Moral: To wield fire is to carry both light and destruction; temper its fury, or be consumed by it.