| Weapon | Price | Weight | Length | Space req. | Speed factor | Damage, S-M | Damage, L | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Iron fan | 4 gp | 1 | 12" | 1' | 3 | 1-4 | 1-3 | +2 | 0 | +1 | 0 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -4 |
IRON FAN: The
iron fan is not made of iron, but rather of a
metal skeleton with canvas stretched over
it. The steel skeleton
may be forged only by a master weaponsmith,
due to the precision
workmanship needed to allow the fan to
fold and unfold in
battle. The edges and tips of the fan’s
ribs have been sharpened,
much as a dagger blade would be, with the
canvas often
painted in lovely colors to further complement
the weapon’s
illusion of harmlessness.
The rapid folding and unfolding of the fan
in battle is a very
important part of the weapon’s use; this
action, along with
fluttering and waving the fan, causes enough
of a distraction to
allow the user to draw a dagger or ready
a spell component with
the other hand. The main problem with the
fan is the tendency
for blood to stain the painted canvas,
requiring either repainting
or the installation of a new canvas in
order to keep the
passive appearance of the weapon, which
is so necessary for
using an iron fan in a surprise attack.
Unless someone has seen
one before, it is very unlikely (10% chance
at best) that an iron
fan not in use will be recognized as a
weapon.
by Randy Bowman
| New Weapons | Equipment | - | Dragon #61 | Dragon magazine |