pawsplay
Hero
I hate those rules greatly. Weapons of Legacy at least doesn't kill your class abilities the way that the scion rules do.
Howso? The Battle Scion granted full BAB and the Faith Scion and Spell Scion full casting progression.
I hate those rules greatly. Weapons of Legacy at least doesn't kill your class abilities the way that the scion rules do.
Howso? The Battle Scion granted full BAB and the Faith Scion and Spell Scion full casting progression.
Yes, but you lost all the class abilities you might be getting if you weren't playing a wizard or sorcerer. Pity the Barbarian who wanted one of those weapons - they lost out on their new abilities.
Don't even think about playing an Eldritch Knight or a Hexblade.
Obviously, the item can't be zero cost.
Unfortunately, the cost is character concept.
Unless you designed a character that was devoted around the idea of using this legendary weapon, or was the simplest of classes (fighter, wizard, sorcerer), you lost out massively. No prestige classes for you. No non-standard classes.
Given that I saw people designing their characters around the classes and prestige they took - and indeed, this was often the best way of approaching 3E - Scion weapons throw out all of that to give what is effectively just another prestige class.
Frankly, if a character doesn't fulfill their concept by 4th level, there is no concept. At that point, the Scion system isn't to blame, it's using a prestige class for your concept when you should be using a base class. Given that most new base classes were not out when UA was written, you might need to make some tweaks to the system. Just about anything should be workable with 10 levels of X plus 10 levels of Scion. Maybe something is worth cooking up for Eldritch Knight and Duskblade, but honestly, if they go the Spell Scion route, they are getting full casting and a ton of magical abilities anyway.
So maybe a new Scion class for Bards, Duskblades, and fighter-mage prestiges class types.
Actually, The problem isn't loss of PrC bonuses, its the fact that all classes* lose out to gain the legendary weapon. Fighters, Clerics, Sorcerers, and Wizards lose the least. Bards give up new bard songs (swift scion grants up to 3 levels of bardcasting, but not new musics) barbarians give up rage powers, paladins spells and increased smite/lay on hands, druids wildshape, etc. (Rogues, Monks, and Rangers can keep up thanks to the bonus class feature in swift, but rogues lose skill points and rangers Bab/Hp).
* That's even more exacerbated in Pathfinder; where you give up a whole SLEW of powers to multi-class. Those scion PrCs look downright aenimic unless your getting a Staff of the Magi out of the deal! Of course, I guess you could create a bard scion, druid scion, barbarian scion, etc...
Frankly, if a character doesn't fulfill their concept by 4th level, there is no concept.
I'm sorry you don't like 3e.