How rare is this weapon in our campaign?

T

Toledo

Explorer

• May 6, 2019

• #1

I received a magic weapon in our campaign, and was wondering rare it is...hopefully I don't screw up the poll...

It is a magical two handed sword. In our campaigns, we roll for initiative every round and two handed swords are heavy and two handed, so a -4 to initiative (so frequently my initiative is in the negatives). Magic weapons don't affect initiative.

+1 Two Handed Sword with the following modifications:

-An extra +1 to damage (so a total of +1 to hit, +2 to damage)
-The person it is attuned to learns Dwarvish (I don't know what happens if you're not attuned; if it is retained or forgotten)
-One additional action surge per long rest

A standard +1 weapon is "uncommon". I was wondering if you think this is a "rare", "very rare" or "legendary" item based on the above information. Plot-wise it is a legendary item (which is great for plot development and the campaign), but I thought I'd ask a fun question

 

log in or register to remove this ad

Quartz

Hero

• May 6, 2019

• #2

Since when is a 2H sword -4 to initiative?

I'd call that a cursed weapon.

 

TarionzCousin

Second Most Angelic Devil Ever

• May 7, 2019

• #3

Quartz said:

Since when is a 2H sword -4 to initiative?

Click to expand...

Since 2E, I believe. And Initiative was rolled every round on d10's.

 

T

The Crimson Binome

Hero

• May 7, 2019

• #4

It's a +1 weapon, with a couple of ribbons. The extra action surge barely puts it on par with a +2 weapon, unless it somehow confers that ability to someone who doesn't already have the ability, in which case it could be very useful to a paladin. Since it seems to require attunement, though, I would still consider it to be worse than a +2 sword.

 

Azzy

ᚳᚣᚾᛖᚹᚢᛚᚠ

• May 7, 2019

• #5

It's waaay too dependent on the campaign, the setting, and the rarity of magic and magic items therein.

 

S

Shiroiken

Legend

• May 7, 2019

• #6

Power-wise, I'd guess Rare, but if you look at the actual magic weapons, rarity doesn't always equal power level. I assume the +1 Action Surge/ Long Rest is actually use 1 Action Surge/Long Rest, otherwise it's super restrictive to a single class.

 

cbwjm

Seb-wejem

• May 7, 2019

• #7

I'd call it legendary because from your brief description, it sounds like it might be the only one. If I was going to have it be a generic magical item, I'd probably boost it to rare.

 

I

Immortal Sun

Guest

• May 7, 2019

• #8

Depends on the campaign. I'm in one where that item would be junk you wouldn't even give to your 12-year-old to teach them sword fighting. Yes the campaign is pretty gonzo. Yes that's the goal. Yes we're enjoying it. It's like playing through all your favorite Saturday morning cartoons.

But in another game I run that would be pretty rare. As all +X weapons require finding a master blacksmith, and all enchanted weapons have no +X values and require finding a master wizard, so +X enchanted weapons require finding a master wizardsmith (yes that's a profession). And the most legendary weapons in the realm cap at a +5. So a weapon like yours would only be found in the hands of a powerful warlord, a high-ranking general or a king.

 

Bacon Bits

Hero

• May 7, 2019

• #9

TarionzCousin said:

Since 2E, I believe. And Initiative was rolled every round on d10's.

Click to expand...

Ah, yes, the same edition that says someone with a dagger has better initiative than someone with a polearm. Because if there's one thing a dagger lets you do against someone with a halberd, it's attack them first. What's reach?

 

TarionzCousin

Second Most Angelic Devil Ever

• May 7, 2019

• #10

Bacon Bits said:

Ah, yes, the same edition that says someone with a dagger has better initiative than someone with a polearm. Because if there's one thing a dagger lets you do against someone with a halberd, it's attack them first. What's reach?

Click to expand...

Yes, exactly. That's the one!

Which is why my group instituted House Rules™ for polearms--until one guy equipped his PC with the dread Pike-Whip combo: attack first, then disarm with the whip and use your enemy's weapon against him. It worked extremely well until he came up against five bandits all using the same pike-whip combo. At that exact moment, it was "unfair" and the polearm houserule was temporarily ignored until it could be "fixed."

Ah, good times.