Sollir Furryfoot
Explorer
I have a player in my campaign who seems underpowered compared to the rest (everyone just hit level 7). As a way of balancing the playing field and giving his character a unique schtick, I was going to give him a special weapon. I've never been happy with the Weapons of Legacy rules or the Legendary Weapon rules in the 3.5 SRD and have attempted to brew my own rules.
As an added note, I've added Use Magic Device to most non-magic user's class lists. Rogues/Bards are still probably the best at it because of their abundance of skill points.
Legendary Weapon Template:
[sblock]Requires: True Believer feat (Book of Exalted Deeds) or Skill Focus (History) (basically, a feat is burned to use the weapon.
Attune to the Weapon: A flavor-based requirement.
Weapon's History: Each weapon has 3 historic f
acts that can be used as story seeds by the DM. Upon completion of a seed the weapon can be upgraded by a +1 enhancement (see below).
Special Property: Varies, but often a small effect on a critical with the weapon (daze, stagger, etc...).
Stats:
All weapons start out as masterwork versions of themselves but have a final set form that consists of +10 enhancement bonuses worth.
As a 1-hour ritual, a wielder can sacrifice magic items/gold to upgrade the weapon towards this final form. The cost to do so is equal to the difference of the current magic item's bonus compared to what it's being upgraded to. (i.e.: A +1 weapon is worth 2,000 gold while a +2 weapon is worth 8,000. A character would need to sacrifice 6,000 gold worth in items to upgrade the weapon)
Powers:
Each blade has special abilities that can be unleashed with a standard action and a Use Magic Device check. The wielder gets a bonus to this check equal to the total enhancement bonus of the weapon (i.e. a +1 Flaming weapon gives +2 to this check).
There are four abilities at DC 15, 25, 35, and 45. Generally the lowest effect emulates a spell around 1st-2nd level, the next 3rd-4th level, the next 5th-7th level, and the final 8th-9th level. At +10 DC the wielder may weave in a spell from the weapon as a swift action. The CL is equal to the wielder's level and the spell DC is equal to 10 + the spell level + the wielder's Cha modifier.
Penalty: If the wielder fails the UMD check, the weapon has no effect and they suffer a penalty. Generally 1 ability damage per spell level of the ability (the ability affected depends on what is appropriate for the weapon, though the default is Constitution damage).[/sblock]
Sample Weapons (story hooks aren't finished, the first weapon is what I plan on giving to my PC, he will have a Use Magic Device check of about +13):
Legendary Weapon - Gabriel's Blade
Requires: True Believer.
Attune to the Weapon: Must have blood of a good outsider flowing in them.
Weapon History:
-The blade once was owned by the Paladin of the East and is considered a holy relic, there is a sect of priests that seek to take the blade so it may be given to a true and worthy champion.
-Used to slay the black dragon Atralix, earning the enmity of his siblings.
-?
Special Property: Half of the fire damage dealt is considered holy (including flaming property).
Current Form: MW Cold Iron Long Sword
Final Form: +5 Holy Long Sword of Flaming and Bane (Dragon, Evil Outsider)
Powers: Requires a Use Magic Device check (+1 bonus for the total enhancement bonus of the weapon).
DC 15 - Burning Hands
DC 25 - Fireball
DC 35 - Fire Shield
DC 45 - Meteor Swarm
+10 DC - Weave effect into a combat strike as a swift action.
Penalty - If UMD check fails, user takes 1 Con damage per spell level attempted.
Legendary Weapon - Thorn of the Fae
Requires: True Believer.
Attune to the Weapon: Must have entered a pact with one of the fae.
Weapon History: ?
Special Property: Spellcasters struck suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to their Concentration checks for the next day.
Current Form: MW Wooden* Rapier (*No stat penalties for this material)
Final Form: +5 Keen Rapier of Bane (Mages, Priests) and Wounding
Powers: Requires a Use Magic Device check (with a +1 bonus for the total enhancement bonus of the weapon).
DC 15 - Haste (Self Only)
DC 25 - Mirror Image
DC 35 - Divine Alacrity
DC 45 - Time Stop
+10 DC - Weave effect into a move action as a swift action.
Penalty - If UMD check fails, user takes 1 Dex damage per spell level attempted.
Comments/concerns/suggestions much appreciated, thanks!
As an added note, I've added Use Magic Device to most non-magic user's class lists. Rogues/Bards are still probably the best at it because of their abundance of skill points.
Legendary Weapon Template:
[sblock]Requires: True Believer feat (Book of Exalted Deeds) or Skill Focus (History) (basically, a feat is burned to use the weapon.
Attune to the Weapon: A flavor-based requirement.
Weapon's History: Each weapon has 3 historic f
acts that can be used as story seeds by the DM. Upon completion of a seed the weapon can be upgraded by a +1 enhancement (see below).
Special Property: Varies, but often a small effect on a critical with the weapon (daze, stagger, etc...).
Stats:
All weapons start out as masterwork versions of themselves but have a final set form that consists of +10 enhancement bonuses worth.
As a 1-hour ritual, a wielder can sacrifice magic items/gold to upgrade the weapon towards this final form. The cost to do so is equal to the difference of the current magic item's bonus compared to what it's being upgraded to. (i.e.: A +1 weapon is worth 2,000 gold while a +2 weapon is worth 8,000. A character would need to sacrifice 6,000 gold worth in items to upgrade the weapon)
Powers:
Each blade has special abilities that can be unleashed with a standard action and a Use Magic Device check. The wielder gets a bonus to this check equal to the total enhancement bonus of the weapon (i.e. a +1 Flaming weapon gives +2 to this check).
There are four abilities at DC 15, 25, 35, and 45. Generally the lowest effect emulates a spell around 1st-2nd level, the next 3rd-4th level, the next 5th-7th level, and the final 8th-9th level. At +10 DC the wielder may weave in a spell from the weapon as a swift action. The CL is equal to the wielder's level and the spell DC is equal to 10 + the spell level + the wielder's Cha modifier.
Penalty: If the wielder fails the UMD check, the weapon has no effect and they suffer a penalty. Generally 1 ability damage per spell level of the ability (the ability affected depends on what is appropriate for the weapon, though the default is Constitution damage).[/sblock]
Sample Weapons (story hooks aren't finished, the first weapon is what I plan on giving to my PC, he will have a Use Magic Device check of about +13):
Legendary Weapon - Gabriel's Blade
Requires: True Believer.
Attune to the Weapon: Must have blood of a good outsider flowing in them.
Weapon History:
-The blade once was owned by the Paladin of the East and is considered a holy relic, there is a sect of priests that seek to take the blade so it may be given to a true and worthy champion.
-Used to slay the black dragon Atralix, earning the enmity of his siblings.
-?
Special Property: Half of the fire damage dealt is considered holy (including flaming property).
Current Form: MW Cold Iron Long Sword
Final Form: +5 Holy Long Sword of Flaming and Bane (Dragon, Evil Outsider)
Powers: Requires a Use Magic Device check (+1 bonus for the total enhancement bonus of the weapon).
DC 15 - Burning Hands
DC 25 - Fireball
DC 35 - Fire Shield
DC 45 - Meteor Swarm
+10 DC - Weave effect into a combat strike as a swift action.
Penalty - If UMD check fails, user takes 1 Con damage per spell level attempted.
Legendary Weapon - Thorn of the Fae
Requires: True Believer.
Attune to the Weapon: Must have entered a pact with one of the fae.
Weapon History: ?
Special Property: Spellcasters struck suffer a cumulative -1 penalty to their Concentration checks for the next day.
Current Form: MW Wooden* Rapier (*No stat penalties for this material)
Final Form: +5 Keen Rapier of Bane (Mages, Priests) and Wounding
Powers: Requires a Use Magic Device check (with a +1 bonus for the total enhancement bonus of the weapon).
DC 15 - Haste (Self Only)
DC 25 - Mirror Image
DC 35 - Divine Alacrity
DC 45 - Time Stop
+10 DC - Weave effect into a move action as a swift action.
Penalty - If UMD check fails, user takes 1 Dex damage per spell level attempted.
Comments/concerns/suggestions much appreciated, thanks!
