I was wondering how to have some thugs in Sharn have a ranged weapon that wasn't obviously being carried around. Slings can't be drawn and made effective that quick, hand crossbows are exotic (and crap) and low level thugs couldn't afford a wand of cantrips by throwing all their possessions together. Well what about a disposable wand they use, discard and enter melee?
Double Wand
Simple Weapon (Wizards and psions are proficient). Projectile weapon (for feats, max range increments ect.)
Damage: 1d6
Weight: .2 pounds
Critical: 2x
Cost: 15 GP
Range Increment: 20 feet
A double wand is two wands roughly six inches in length joined by a pair of brass clamps at the ends and one end clearly marked with red paint. A double wand is not a true wand, but an alchemical device (DC20 craft check) that can be used without minimal training. Originally developed as a signal device in the later stages of The Last War, double wands have grown in popularity as concealable weapons after the war's end.
A double wand holds two charges. A double wand may be activated as a ranged touch attack, causing a plume of fire from one of the component wands end and expending one charge. An expended double wand can not be restored to function. You get a +2 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal a double wand on your body.
A double wand's charge is unstable once used. After the first shot is fired, the other will inevitably fire in 1d4-1 minutes and 1d12*6 seconds (minimum 18 seconds) if not used sooner. While all purchasers are aware of this flaw, some clever arsonists have used this as a feature. The business end of an expended double wand is covered in burns, ash and soot, making its non functioning stats obvious.
