Magic Item Request - Build me a cutlass
Celebrim
Legend
I agree that the Dashing Blade is cool, and it reflects the sort of design philosophies (unique, 'broad not deep', flavorful, etc.) that I admire in magic item design.
And the Oathblade is also cool for much the same reasons (though more derivative than the Dashing Blade, its still derivative rather than cut and paste).
But in both cases, I've issues. The Dashing Blade seems more like a shopping list, particularly the 'Charisma rather than Strength' damage, and as a DM it worries me. Maybe its my 1st edition perspective, but I think that as a DM I'm more worried about valuing an item in terms of its empowerment of the PC than I am how much it would theoretically cost a PC to make one. The Dashing Blade seems like I'm make it too easy on the character.
In the Oathblade's case, I've got more issues from a player perspective than I do from a DM perspective. Using this weapon, I'd feel alot like a one trick pony. You have the same problem faced by a low level spell caster (especially in earlier editions). You are pretty much useless except for your one flashy spell per day, and while you get to shine at some point, most of the time you are just tagging along. As a player, I think I'd prefer a simple +3 weapon to a weapon which was +5 only in one encounter each day and was otherwise very weak. And that's to say nothing about the annoyance of what happens when the bad guy gets away and I'm without a primary weapon for a week. As a DM, the problem with the Oathblade is that it runs the risk of making the one encounter I really most want to be challenging and interesting a walkover.
I'd have the same problem, and even more so, as a player with a 'vicious' weapon. The weapon simply wouldn't appeal to me. It's an NPC item, not an item which suits the challenges PC's face. Upon getting such an item as loot, my first instinct as a player would be to sell it. Note, I'd not sell the Oathblade because there is too high of a risk that if I sold it, it would come back to haunt me in the hands of one of my enemies (that's the sort of thing I'd do as a DM). In a sense, this makes the Oathblade even more useless, because not only do I not particularly want it, but its too powerful to get rid of (and unlike an aligned item, there is unlikely to be a story award for destroying it).
I suppose the same thing could be said of my suggested minor artifact (I personally feel that the Dashing Blade has about the same 'budget' if not so obviously so).
As a player, the weapon suggested which most appeals to me after the Dashing Blade (phat loot that) is Andor's suggestion - "Say a +1 flaming cutlass that allows him to apply dex to damage instead of strength and casts Water Walking 1/day." It's broad rather than deep, it solves the player issue of not doing much damage, its clearly 'phat loot' rather than an 'ordinary ho-hum' item, and as a DM there are alot of ways to keep it in control (if it has a problem, its that there are maybe too many answers to 'flaming'). Granted, as a player I wouldn't turn down 'Runewander', but its clearly an item designed from DM perspective (it can be used to drive plot, can be controlled by DM metagaming, and has alot of minor annoyances) and not PC perspective.
And the Oathblade is also cool for much the same reasons (though more derivative than the Dashing Blade, its still derivative rather than cut and paste).
But in both cases, I've issues. The Dashing Blade seems more like a shopping list, particularly the 'Charisma rather than Strength' damage, and as a DM it worries me. Maybe its my 1st edition perspective, but I think that as a DM I'm more worried about valuing an item in terms of its empowerment of the PC than I am how much it would theoretically cost a PC to make one. The Dashing Blade seems like I'm make it too easy on the character.
In the Oathblade's case, I've got more issues from a player perspective than I do from a DM perspective. Using this weapon, I'd feel alot like a one trick pony. You have the same problem faced by a low level spell caster (especially in earlier editions). You are pretty much useless except for your one flashy spell per day, and while you get to shine at some point, most of the time you are just tagging along. As a player, I think I'd prefer a simple +3 weapon to a weapon which was +5 only in one encounter each day and was otherwise very weak. And that's to say nothing about the annoyance of what happens when the bad guy gets away and I'm without a primary weapon for a week. As a DM, the problem with the Oathblade is that it runs the risk of making the one encounter I really most want to be challenging and interesting a walkover.
I'd have the same problem, and even more so, as a player with a 'vicious' weapon. The weapon simply wouldn't appeal to me. It's an NPC item, not an item which suits the challenges PC's face. Upon getting such an item as loot, my first instinct as a player would be to sell it. Note, I'd not sell the Oathblade because there is too high of a risk that if I sold it, it would come back to haunt me in the hands of one of my enemies (that's the sort of thing I'd do as a DM). In a sense, this makes the Oathblade even more useless, because not only do I not particularly want it, but its too powerful to get rid of (and unlike an aligned item, there is unlikely to be a story award for destroying it).
I suppose the same thing could be said of my suggested minor artifact (I personally feel that the Dashing Blade has about the same 'budget' if not so obviously so).
As a player, the weapon suggested which most appeals to me after the Dashing Blade (phat loot that) is Andor's suggestion - "Say a +1 flaming cutlass that allows him to apply dex to damage instead of strength and casts Water Walking 1/day." It's broad rather than deep, it solves the player issue of not doing much damage, its clearly 'phat loot' rather than an 'ordinary ho-hum' item, and as a DM there are alot of ways to keep it in control (if it has a problem, its that there are maybe too many answers to 'flaming'). Granted, as a player I wouldn't turn down 'Runewander', but its clearly an item designed from DM perspective (it can be used to drive plot, can be controlled by DM metagaming, and has alot of minor annoyances) and not PC perspective.
szilard
First Post
Some additional options:
Allows the spontaneous use of Expeditious Retreat and Jump as spell-like abilities with a duration of 1 round and a casting time of 1 swift action (3/day).
Gives the wielder the use of the Improved Feint feat a number of time per day equal to his Charisma bonus (min 1).
-Stuart
Allows the spontaneous use of Expeditious Retreat and Jump as spell-like abilities with a duration of 1 round and a casting time of 1 swift action (3/day).
Gives the wielder the use of the Improved Feint feat a number of time per day equal to his Charisma bonus (min 1).
-Stuart
Here's one idea:
The Doomed Pirate's Blade
+2 Cold Iron Cutlass
- Allows the wielder to make one Intimidate check each round in combat as a free action. If the check succeeds, the foe is shaken for 1 round per point of Charisma bonus. The foe must be within 30' of the wielder for the check to succeed.
- Deals +2d6 damage to "shaken" foes
- Owner receives a -4 penalty to Swim checks
Make up a suitable legend about a pirate who terrorized the seas with the blade, which was given to him in a pact with a demon, but who was drowned when he was pushed overboard.
[Edit: Added caveat about 30' range limit on Intimidate check]
The Doomed Pirate's Blade
+2 Cold Iron Cutlass
- Allows the wielder to make one Intimidate check each round in combat as a free action. If the check succeeds, the foe is shaken for 1 round per point of Charisma bonus. The foe must be within 30' of the wielder for the check to succeed.
- Deals +2d6 damage to "shaken" foes
- Owner receives a -4 penalty to Swim checks
Make up a suitable legend about a pirate who terrorized the seas with the blade, which was given to him in a pact with a demon, but who was drowned when he was pushed overboard.
[Edit: Added caveat about 30' range limit on Intimidate check]
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