Crawling Crossbow
Weapon (Any Crossbow) • Uncommon • Requires Attunement
Chitin Bolts. If you load no ammunition in this crossbow, the crossbow automatically produces its own magical ammunition to make ranged attacks with. This ammunition shatter after they hit or miss the target.
Remote Crawler. As an action, you can set the crossbow on the ground and animate it (AC 10, HP 5). While animated, the crossbow has a speed of 10 feet and can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. When you do so and on subsequent turns as a bonus action, you can command the crossbow to move up to its speed and make one ranged weapon attack (using a +4 to hit modifier, dealing 1d6 piercing damage on a hit) against a target in range that you can see. If the crossbow is reduced to 0 hit points, it becomes inanimate, falls to the ground, and can't be animated again until the next dawn.
Crawling Crossbow
Weapon (Any Crossbow) • Rare • Requires Attunement
Chitin Bolts. If you load no ammunition in this crossbow, the crossbow automatically produces its own magical ammunition to make ranged attacks with. This ammunition shatter after they hit or miss the target.
Remote Crawler. As an action, you can set the crossbow on the ground and animate it (AC 13, HP 10). While animated, the crossbow has a speed of 10 feet and can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. When you do so and on subsequent turns as a bonus action, you can command the crossbow to move up to its speed and make one ranged weapon attack (using a +6 to hit modifier, dealing 1d8 piercing damage on a hit) against a target in range that you can see. If the crossbow is reduced to 0 hit points, it becomes inanimate, falls to the ground, and can't be animated again until the next dawn.
Web Snare. Once per turn, before you make a ranged weapon attack with this weapon, you can decide to turn the chitin bolt into a web bolt. When you hit a creature with it, the attack deals no damage and the creature becomes restrained until the web is destroyed (AC 10; HP 5; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to poison and psychic damage). You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and regain all uses at dawn.
Crawling Crossbow
Weapon (Any Crossbow) • Very Rare • Requires Attunement
Chitin Bolts. If you load no ammunition in this crossbow, the crossbow automatically produces its own magical ammunition to make ranged attacks with. This ammunition deals an additional 1d6 piercing damage and shatters after it hits or misses the target.
Remote Crawler. As an action, you can set the crossbow on the ground and animate it (AC 15, HP 15). While animated, the crossbow has a speed of 10 feet and can climb difficult surfaces, including along ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. When you do so and on subsequent turns as a bonus action, you can command the crossbow to move up to its speed and make one ranged weapon attack (using a +8 to hit modifier, dealing 1d10 piercing damage on a hit) against a target in range that you can see. If the crossbow is reduced to 0 hit points, it becomes inanimate, falls to the ground, and can't be animated again until the next dawn.
Silk Rope Shot. As an action, the crossbow creates up to 50 feet of silk rope and fires it. You decide whether the rope's leading end adheres to the surface it strikes and whether its trailing end remains attached to the crossbow. The rope dissolves after 1 hour.
Web Snare. Once per turn, before you make a ranged weapon attack with this weapon, you can decide to turn the chitin bolt into a web bolt. When you hit a creature with it, the attack deals no damage and the creature becomes restrained until the web is destroyed (AC 15; HP 10; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to poison and psychic damage).
Using Evolving Items
Evolving items can be used as standard magic items—the GM simply determines the rarity at which the item is found...
- Character Growth. Reaching a specific level or proficiency milestone.
- Arcane Empowerment. Enhancing the item through crafting or rituals.
- Attunement Over Time. Deepening attunement through continued use.
- Thematic Achievements. Fulfilling tasks or trials related to the item’s nature.
- Divine or Infernal Favor. Gaining recognition from powerful entities.
- Environmental Influence. Exposure to special locations or events.
By using evolving items, the GM can weave them into the story, making them feel personal and rewarding as they develop alongside the characters.