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The Sling of Staggering is a magic sling created by a skilled elven leatherworker named Nylathrea. She was commissioned by the leader of the Thundering Legion, a formidable organization of mercenaries known for their disruptive tactics. Nylathrea crafted multiple copies of this weapon, each one imbued with the ability to daze and stagger opponents for a short period, giving the wielder an advantage in combat.
These slings became a signature weapon of the Thundering Legion’s skirmish units and only a few remain in existence today, highly sought after by collectors and warriors.
Sling of Staggering
Weapon (Sling), Uncommon, Requires Attunement
You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
Stagger. Once per turn, when you make a ranged attack with this sling and hit a creature, that creature can’t use reactions until their next turn and roll a d4 and consult the Stagger table.
Stagger
| Roll | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | You move the creature 5 feet towards you to an unoccupied space. |
| 2 | You move the creature 5 feet away from you to an unoccupied space. |
| 3 | You move the creature 5 feet in a direction of your choice to an unoccupied space. |
| 4 | You do not move the creature, but it treats all terrain as difficult until the end of its next turn. |
Story hooks for DMs:
- The party arrives at a new city that becomes besieged by an army of gnolls. Fearing an assault on the city, the mayor, a dwarf named Velinda Stoneguts, offers the party the sling of staggering if they help defend the southern stretch of the wall. That night, the gnolls attack and if the party can keep them from setting up ladders and ropes to climb the wall, the city will triumph. The party can keep the sling and the mayor awards them 25 pp each and a military award for their bravery.
- In an underground mausoleum the adventurers come upon a chamber where members of the Thundering Legion are buried. The western and eastern walls are adorned with a carved mural of skeletons fighting a battle. If the murals or any of the tombs are disturbed skeletons emerge from the murals and attack the party. One of the tombs contains a sling of staggering.
- A human merchant named Lucas of Stone Harbour wants to hire the party for 100 gp per person to escort his caravan of goods to a busy port 4 days travel to the south. On the third day the group is attacked by a group of bandits. The leader, a halfling named Snap, wields a sling of staggering.
