Books of Swords

[shadowbloodmoon]

Hi folks,

One campaign I had started to write ages ago and even played awhile was loosely based on Fred Saberhagen's Book of Swords series. The problem is, now that 3.5 is here, I need to update said campaign and stat out the Swords.

My question is this: Has this already been done or barring that, has anyone that read the books tried to stat them out?

I would greatly appreciate any help in the matter. A collaborated design is usually better than a single one...

 

[the Lorax]

I ran a campaign storyline for that about 10 years ago.

I have a few questions about how do you intend to use this storyline.

Are you running a fresh new campaign set in Saberhagen's world, or are you introducing the forging of the Swords into an existing campaign?

How are the gods involved in this storyline?

Do you intend to tell the stories of what happens to each of the Swords?

Are you going to use all 12 Swords?

What basic power level are you considering for the Swords?

(That should at least get things started)

 

[Phaedrus]

Sean Reynolds had some stuff about the Swords on his site once upon a time. I'm at work and can't do the research for you, though (our Fun Filter blocks some sites but allows others. Thankfully EN World gets through!)

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

Well, the world is actually my own. The campaign itself was/ is called 'From the Outside Inn'. I names it thus because I started with the idea that all the characters all begin life in the same town, arbitrarily called Nordtown. There exists an Inn a few miles south of said town called, Outside Inn. The campaign world would grow as the players and I added new details etc. I was also going to include my versions of some of the more well known characters, such as the Emperor, Queen Yambu, the evil demon wizard guy. I can't remember his name for the life of me... Malekith I think.

As far as the Swords go, instead of gods, they were forged by dragons. Originally they were meant for 12 champions chosen by the dragons to play in a huge game of chess. Of course, millenia ago, certain things came to pass, Swords were lost, etc.

I had intended to use all 12. The dragon-god Bahamut would 'request' that all 12 be returned to the statue in his image in the Dragon Moratorium, the place where all dragons go when they reach that age. Of course, he is not the only one looking for these weapons.

As far as power levels go, I was thinking minor or major artifact. Especially considering that each Sword's power is absolute. Someone wielding Doomgiver is pretty much immune to anything. Someone wielding Shieldbreaker can not be touched except by one thing and one thing only (monks take note). However ruling these things is another story... Thus, my question.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hi folks,

One campaign I had started to write ages ago and even played awhile was loosely based on Fred Saberhagen's Book of Swords series. The problem is, now that 3.5 is here, I need to update said campaign and stat out the Swords.

My question is this: Has this already been done or barring that, has anyone that read the books tried to stat them out?

I would greatly appreciate any help in the matter. A collaborated design is usually better than a single one...

Part of the problem is that certain Swords (Shieldbreaker, Woundhealer, Mindsword, Farslayer, Soulcutter) are so powerful as to completely unbalance a game, while others were never really explained properly (Doomgiver).

Do you intend for the PCs to end up in possession of any of the Swords... and if so, do you intend to restrict them to Swords like Townsaver, Dragonslicer, Stonecutter, and Coinspinner, that aren't such gamebreakers by themselves?

Sightblinder and Wayfinder I'd put in the potentially-viable category.

-Hyp.

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

As I mentioned I had intended all 12 to eventually show up. However, since (as with all my campaigns) I usually plan on them lasting a long time, I was going to introduce them in a slow manner in a sort of power level accrument. Townsaver and Doomgiver maybe early on, but not Shieldbreaker or Woundhealer until much later. At least not having them capable of retrieving them that is. Maybe not even until almost Epic levels.

 

[domino]

Part of the problem is that certain Swords (Shieldbreaker, Woundhealer, Mindsword, Farslayer, Soulcutter) are so powerful as to completely unbalance a game,

He's got it right.

For some like Shieldbreaker, it would be hard to stat out. I mean, it is a +1200 Defending longsword, that forces a DC 80 fort save or die, and on a successful save, you die anyways? Of course, that's only if you're against an armed opponent. A PC should never get a weapon like that.

Some, like Coinspinner could be fairly interesting, and definitely workable.

But others, like Doomgiver aren't that well covered, so you'd have little to go on.

Dragonslicer is of course, the easiest. And Stonecutter could simply be a "stonebane" sword that ignores hardness of stone.

Some are intelligent, some aren't.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Townsaver and Doomgiver maybe early on...

Doomgiver at the low end of the power scale?

-Hyp.

 

[shadowbloodmoon]

Low being relative, I suppose. They wouldn't see any of them until at least 7th level...

From what I remember, Doomgiver has one power. Whatever happens to the wielder is instead reflected on the user, this goes both ways however. Even healing spells will not work on someone wielding Doomgiver. It is essentially a mirror. Someone attacks you, they take the damage instead of you. They try to dominate you, they are dominated instead, your cleric tries to buff you, they are buffed instead, and so on...

My biggest balancing effect would be playing up the weapons weaknesses. Mindsword makes you one paranoid SOB. Farslayer tells the name of the person who last used it to the next person that picks it up. We all know Shieldbreaker's problem. The only one that I can think of without a weakness is Woundhealer, unless you count the fact that you can't hurt anybody with it....

 

[Hypersmurf]

A PC should never get a weapon like that.

And you really have to watch PCs. They'll always look for a way to break an ability.

Farslayer - the biggest drawback is that you use it, and it's gone, and someone chucks it back at you. Solution? You only ever throw it at someone who's in the room, and your buddy has a readied action to grab it before anyone else does after the target dies...

Townsaver - cart a gaggle of unarmed peasants around with you, so you've always got some non-combatants to defend...

And Woundhealer? You know some PC's gonna try the whole stick-it-in-my-heart thing, and see just what the transformation entails...!

-Hyp.