D&D 3E/3.5 3.5E Holy Weapon Break DC? Effects?

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Have the breaking of the sword trigger a backlash of sacred energy that, unfortunately, kills the wielder but in the process opens a wormhole to the Seven Heavens that sucks in the demons.

Kinda sucks to be a demon in a Plane full of angels!

 

[coyote6]

RAW, nothing would happen -- and he'd have a tough time breaking the blade anyways. OTOH, it might be a cool way to die.

Stealing an idea from Moorcock's Elric books, the holy sword contains an angel that dedicated its existence to being the sword. So when the sword breaks, the angel is freed, and hangs around for seven rounds of smiting. I'd make it a planetar or solar.

Oh, breaking the sword should deal the PC's current hp + 15 to everyone within 20 ft or so (no save). That'll kill the PC and hurt the demons. Then the solar starts swatting things undo death.

 

[blargney the second]

There was a really neat 3rd party book that had something that could be applicable here. (I think it was the Artificer's Handbook.)

Essentially, the item is crafted by binding a reasonably powerful outsider into it. (IIRC it was usually unwilling.) When the item is broken, the outsider is released. Weapons made this way take on some of the characteristics of the bound outsider, so it would be a good outsider in this case. Assuming it was imprisoned in there, it would be pretty grateful to be released.

Presto, instant powerful ally! It's even RAW.
-blarg

ps - Heck, it could even be a good source of plot hooks. The freed outsider could hire the party to track down and chastise the evil artificer that trapped it in the sword.

 

[Aran Thule]

As mentioned by RAW you end up with a broken sword and laughing demons.

But its Dm's decision and if you want to you can do what you want, as mentioned, making it a precedent would be bad, you dont want W(ands)MD's

The holy smite idea might work, or you could go one step further and say that his action causes divine intervention.
This brings to mind a level 4 paladin spell in SPC, cant remember the name(i call it paladin bomb) which basically destroys the body and causes a burst of holy energy (20d6) that heals allies and damages enemies.
If someone can post the exact wording that would be great.

 

[Dandu]

There was a really neat 3rd party book that had something that could be applicable here. (I think it was the Artificer's Handbook.)

Essentially, the item is crafted by binding a reasonably powerful outsider into it. (IIRC it was usually unwilling.) When the item is broken, the outsider is released. Weapons made this way take on some of the characteristics of the bound outsider, so it would be a good outsider in this case. Assuming it was imprisoned in there, it would be pretty grateful to be released.

Presto, instant powerful ally! It's even RAW.
-blarg

ps - Heck, it could even be a good source of plot hooks. The freed outsider could hire the party to track down and chastise the evil artificer that trapped it in the sword.

Hopefully the party won't decide to destroy every Holy weapon they come across in hopes of repeating the experience.

 

[blargney the second]

Hopefully the party won't decide to destroy every Holy weapon they come across in hopes of repeating the experience.

Actually, it'd be kind of neat if they did. Can you imagine a campaign where the party is actively seeking holy weapons to destroy them to free the good outsiders? Good times!

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Actually, it'd be kind of neat if they did. Can you imagine a campaign where the party is actively seeking holy weapons to destroy them to free the good outsiders? Good times!

Agreed, definitely some interesting potential campaign twists in the idea:

"Which is more important: free the entrapped angels, or use the powerful weapons to fight encroaching demons?"

That could be a nice setup for a schism in a good-aligned church, maybe even pitting PC against PC.

 

[Dandu]

Actually, it'd be kind of neat if they did. Can you imagine a campaign where the party is actively seeking holy weapons to destroy them to free the good outsiders? Good times!

Except that not all holy weapons will have good outsiders in them... so the forces of good are going to end up disarmed.

 

[coyote6]

It will turn out that the people who put the PCs up to this "free the celestials" crusade are actually a consortium of mercanes and other merchants who possess a large stock of potions, oils, wands, staves, and other expendable magic items of align weapon and mass align weapon. Their goal the whole time was to remove the supply of permanently good-aligned weapons, so that they could charge a premium on their temporary solutions.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

It will turn out that the people who put the PCs up to this "free the celestials" crusade are actually a consortium of mercanes and other merchants [...] Their goal the whole time was to remove the supply of permanently good-aligned weapons, so that they could charge a premium on their temporary solutions.

Ouch! The paladin is really not gonna like that....