I have a player who modeled his character's appearance after Reinhardt from Overwatch and named his character after him. I thought it'd be fun if I made a weapon that would essentially allow him to be Reinhardt for real, but we've had issues with OP magic items in the past and I wanted some advice before I thought about introducing it. So, without further ado, here it is.
Rocket Hammer
Legendary Maul (Requires Attunement)
[sblock]
Flavor:
Forged by an ambitious (and slightly mad) Goblin tinkerer named Gerald Firesprocket, the Rocket hammer uses a volatile and unstable experimental substance (gunpowder. Gunpowder doesn't generally exist in my world but, you know, goblins and stuff.) to allow its bearer to swing it with great force. It also features a magical shield that produces a wall of force in front of the wielder.
Features:
Characters gain +3 to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
Cleave:
Allows the bearer to cleave through enemies. On a hit, enemies that are adjacent to a target take half the damage dealt to the primary target. This feature works with Rocket Boost.
Rocket Boost:Characters who wield the Rocket Hammer may choose to take a -5 penalty to their attack roll in order to deal 10 extra bludgeoning damage on hit.
Barrier Field:
This weapon starts with 4 charges. As an action, a character can expend one charge to produce a 15 ft Wall of Force in front of themselves that absorbs all damage until the start of their next turn. The character's speed is halved, and the barrier moves with the character. The character cannot attack while the barrier is activated. The character specifies which direction the barrier faces when they use this feature. The barrier only blocks damage from that direction. It also protects any allies standing behind the wall and provides total cover for them.
This weapon regains 1d4 charges at dawn.
Earthshatter:
The character can use its action to slam the Rocket Hammer into the ground, shattering the earth in a 15 ft cone in front of him. Enemies caught in the effect must make a Dexterity Saving throw. On a failure, they take 4d6 Bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone. On a success, they take only half damage and are not knocked prone. This feature cannot be used again until the next dawn.
[/sblock]
The idea is to simulate Reinhardt's abilities as close as possible. I decided not to include a fire strike type ranged attack. My main concern is the definition of cleave as used here. It's supposed to replicate Reinhardt's area of effect melee attack but I'm wondering if it's too powerful. We don't use the variant cleave rule as written in the DMG so maybe I could just apply that to the hammer. I'm planning on ruling that the Barrier Field will protect against cone and line effects like breath weapons and lightning bolts. I'm also considering putting in a small penalty for rolling critical failures on attack rolls because of its goblin-make. Maybe the character takes 1d6 fire damage because the rocket boosters backfired.
So what do you think?
EDIT: Someone made a good point that not all of these abilities come from the hammer itself. I've decided to split it up into multiple items. Makes it more of a adventure if The player has to go through a whole questline to get all of Reinhardt's abilities. The Barrier will be its own item, as sort of a modified Cube of Force with less abilities using fewer charges. I'll make a Plate armor that provides a charge like ability, and the weapon itself will lose the +3 bonus, have its abilities consume charges from a pool of 7, and have a Fire Strike-like ability, the listed Rocket Boost ability, and Earthshatter. It'll be the last thing the PC gets, like an ultimate reward for a major questline. probably around level 15-16, since they are lvl 10 right now. Thanks for all the ideas! I'll post an update with the new design soon.
Update: Here's the Reinhardt item set, which I'm calling the Crusader set.
Mark of the Crusader: (requires attunement)
[sblock]
This insignia is about 4 inches across and made from silver formed into the shape of a circle containing a partial triangle.
The Mark begins with 25 charges and regains 1d20 charges daily at dawn. You can use an action to activate the Mark, causing a 15ft square barrier perpendicular to your facing for up to 1 min with the effect and expending charges listed below. The Mark cannot be used if it does not have sufficient charges.
1.Barrier Field (5 charges): Nothing can pass through the barrier. Walls, Floors, and Ceilings can pass through at your discretion.
While the barrier is activated, you cannot attack, and all terrain is considered difficult terrain. At the end of your turn, you choose which direction the barrier faces, including upwards, and it remains in that orientation until the start of your next turn. You can use your action to deactivate the barrier.
If the barrier comes into contact with a solid object that can't pass through, you cannot move closer to that object.
The mark loses charges if the barrier is targeted by one of the following spells.
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 210, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Spell[/TD]
[TD]Charges Lost[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Disintegrate[/TD]
[TD]1d12[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Horn of Blasting[/TD]
[TD]1d10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Passwall[/TD]
[TD]1d6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Prismatic Spray[/TD]
[TD]1d20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wall of Fire[/TD]
[TD]1d4[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
In addition, any damage greater than or equal to 20 depletes 1 charge +1 additional charge for every 10 additional damage beyond 20. The barrier fails if it has 0 charges and sustains an effect that would cause it to lose charges.
[/sblock]
Crusader's Armor: (requires attunement)
[sblock]
Flavor:
A suit of armor crafted by one of the multiverse's most brilliant (and possibly most insane) Goblin artificers. This armor features a built in mechanism capable of propelling its wearer forward with great force.
Charge:
You may use your action to make a charge attack fueled by explosive force. You charge up to your full speed, if possible, in a straight line along the ground in a direction of your choosing. Each creature within the line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and is pinned to you. It moves with you until the end of this effect. If multiple creatures fail the saving throw, only the creature closest to the effect's point of origin is pinned, and the rest take the damage and are pushed 5ft to one side (you choose). On a successful save, no damage is dealt and the creature moves into an adjacent square of its choosing. If the charge is stopped prematurely, such as by impact with a wall or similar solid object, any creature pinned by this effect takes an additional 4d8 bludgeoning damage.
This effect cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.
[/sblock]
Crusader's Might: (requires attunement to Mark of the Crusader and Crusader's Armor)
[sblock]
Flavor: Forged by Goblin artificer Gerald FireSprocket as the centerpiece of his greatest invention, Crusader's Might harnesses the explosive power of an unstable experimental substance to allow its wielder to crush its enemies with enhanced force.
Features:
This weapon starts with 7 charges and regains 1d6 charges after a long rest. You can use one of the following abilities, expending a number of charges based on the ability used.
Fire Strike: (1 charge)
You use your action to unleash a fiery projectile in a 30 ft line. Creatures within the line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 2d6 fire damage, or half on a success.
Crusader's Wrath: (1 charge)
You may choose to take a -5 penalty to your next melee attack roll in order to deal +10 extra bludgeoning damage if you use this ability.
Earthshatter: (3 charges)
You may use your action to slam Crusader's Might into the ground, shattering the earth in a 15 ft cone originating from you. Enemies caught in the effect must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 4d6 Bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone. On a success, they take only half damage are not knocked prone.
If you roll a critical failure on an attack roll made with this weapon, its boosters backfire and you take 2d6 fire damage.
[/sblock]
Rocket Hammer
Legendary Maul (Requires Attunement)
[sblock]
Flavor:
Forged by an ambitious (and slightly mad) Goblin tinkerer named Gerald Firesprocket, the Rocket hammer uses a volatile and unstable experimental substance (gunpowder. Gunpowder doesn't generally exist in my world but, you know, goblins and stuff.) to allow its bearer to swing it with great force. It also features a magical shield that produces a wall of force in front of the wielder.
Features:
Characters gain +3 to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.
Cleave:
Allows the bearer to cleave through enemies. On a hit, enemies that are adjacent to a target take half the damage dealt to the primary target. This feature works with Rocket Boost.
Rocket Boost:Characters who wield the Rocket Hammer may choose to take a -5 penalty to their attack roll in order to deal 10 extra bludgeoning damage on hit.
Barrier Field:
This weapon starts with 4 charges. As an action, a character can expend one charge to produce a 15 ft Wall of Force in front of themselves that absorbs all damage until the start of their next turn. The character's speed is halved, and the barrier moves with the character. The character cannot attack while the barrier is activated. The character specifies which direction the barrier faces when they use this feature. The barrier only blocks damage from that direction. It also protects any allies standing behind the wall and provides total cover for them.
This weapon regains 1d4 charges at dawn.
Earthshatter:
The character can use its action to slam the Rocket Hammer into the ground, shattering the earth in a 15 ft cone in front of him. Enemies caught in the effect must make a Dexterity Saving throw. On a failure, they take 4d6 Bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone. On a success, they take only half damage and are not knocked prone. This feature cannot be used again until the next dawn.
[/sblock]
The idea is to simulate Reinhardt's abilities as close as possible. I decided not to include a fire strike type ranged attack. My main concern is the definition of cleave as used here. It's supposed to replicate Reinhardt's area of effect melee attack but I'm wondering if it's too powerful. We don't use the variant cleave rule as written in the DMG so maybe I could just apply that to the hammer. I'm planning on ruling that the Barrier Field will protect against cone and line effects like breath weapons and lightning bolts. I'm also considering putting in a small penalty for rolling critical failures on attack rolls because of its goblin-make. Maybe the character takes 1d6 fire damage because the rocket boosters backfired.
So what do you think?
EDIT: Someone made a good point that not all of these abilities come from the hammer itself. I've decided to split it up into multiple items. Makes it more of a adventure if The player has to go through a whole questline to get all of Reinhardt's abilities. The Barrier will be its own item, as sort of a modified Cube of Force with less abilities using fewer charges. I'll make a Plate armor that provides a charge like ability, and the weapon itself will lose the +3 bonus, have its abilities consume charges from a pool of 7, and have a Fire Strike-like ability, the listed Rocket Boost ability, and Earthshatter. It'll be the last thing the PC gets, like an ultimate reward for a major questline. probably around level 15-16, since they are lvl 10 right now. Thanks for all the ideas! I'll post an update with the new design soon.
Update: Here's the Reinhardt item set, which I'm calling the Crusader set.
Mark of the Crusader: (requires attunement)
[sblock]
This insignia is about 4 inches across and made from silver formed into the shape of a circle containing a partial triangle.
The Mark begins with 25 charges and regains 1d20 charges daily at dawn. You can use an action to activate the Mark, causing a 15ft square barrier perpendicular to your facing for up to 1 min with the effect and expending charges listed below. The Mark cannot be used if it does not have sufficient charges.
1.Barrier Field (5 charges): Nothing can pass through the barrier. Walls, Floors, and Ceilings can pass through at your discretion.
While the barrier is activated, you cannot attack, and all terrain is considered difficult terrain. At the end of your turn, you choose which direction the barrier faces, including upwards, and it remains in that orientation until the start of your next turn. You can use your action to deactivate the barrier.
If the barrier comes into contact with a solid object that can't pass through, you cannot move closer to that object.
The mark loses charges if the barrier is targeted by one of the following spells.
[TABLE="class: grid, width: 210, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Spell[/TD]
[TD]Charges Lost[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Disintegrate[/TD]
[TD]1d12[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Horn of Blasting[/TD]
[TD]1d10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Passwall[/TD]
[TD]1d6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Prismatic Spray[/TD]
[TD]1d20[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Wall of Fire[/TD]
[TD]1d4[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
In addition, any damage greater than or equal to 20 depletes 1 charge +1 additional charge for every 10 additional damage beyond 20. The barrier fails if it has 0 charges and sustains an effect that would cause it to lose charges.
[/sblock]
Crusader's Armor: (requires attunement)
[sblock]
Flavor:
A suit of armor crafted by one of the multiverse's most brilliant (and possibly most insane) Goblin artificers. This armor features a built in mechanism capable of propelling its wearer forward with great force.
Charge:
You may use your action to make a charge attack fueled by explosive force. You charge up to your full speed, if possible, in a straight line along the ground in a direction of your choosing. Each creature within the line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and is pinned to you. It moves with you until the end of this effect. If multiple creatures fail the saving throw, only the creature closest to the effect's point of origin is pinned, and the rest take the damage and are pushed 5ft to one side (you choose). On a successful save, no damage is dealt and the creature moves into an adjacent square of its choosing. If the charge is stopped prematurely, such as by impact with a wall or similar solid object, any creature pinned by this effect takes an additional 4d8 bludgeoning damage.
This effect cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.
[/sblock]
Crusader's Might: (requires attunement to Mark of the Crusader and Crusader's Armor)
[sblock]
Flavor: Forged by Goblin artificer Gerald FireSprocket as the centerpiece of his greatest invention, Crusader's Might harnesses the explosive power of an unstable experimental substance to allow its wielder to crush its enemies with enhanced force.
Features:
This weapon starts with 7 charges and regains 1d6 charges after a long rest. You can use one of the following abilities, expending a number of charges based on the ability used.
Fire Strike: (1 charge)
You use your action to unleash a fiery projectile in a 30 ft line. Creatures within the line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 2d6 fire damage, or half on a success.
Crusader's Wrath: (1 charge)
You may choose to take a -5 penalty to your next melee attack roll in order to deal +10 extra bludgeoning damage if you use this ability.
Earthshatter: (3 charges)
You may use your action to slam Crusader's Might into the ground, shattering the earth in a 15 ft cone originating from you. Enemies caught in the effect must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 4d6 Bludgeoning damage and are knocked prone. On a success, they take only half damage are not knocked prone.
If you roll a critical failure on an attack roll made with this weapon, its boosters backfire and you take 2d6 fire damage.
[/sblock]
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