Level Up (A5E) Magic Items that grant Maneuevers

[xiphumor]

I think we could stand more magic items that interact with maneuvers and exertion. For example:

Wounding Flail​

weapon, rare (1000 gp)

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls with this flail. While wielding the flail, you are considered to know the Wounding Strike maneuver and can activate it once per long rest without spending any exertion. Your maneuver DC for the Wounding Strike maneuver increases by 1 while wielding the flail.

I might try to submit a GPG article based on this premise, but I’d love to hear what people would like to see from this concept first.

 

[jphinney]

I like the idea of supporting a maneuver, but not giving you one. I see these maneuvers as something you have taken time to learn and perfect. You need to know the first to learn the next. To have items give you that will lesson the impact of those who learned the maneuvers. Just how I think of them.

 

[Faolyn]

You might want to consider one or more the following:

You also can spend your own exertion on this maneuver, in addition to being able to use it for free 1/long rest.

If you already know the maneuver (or possibly, if you are already proficient in the Unending Wheel tradition), or become proficient in it, then your cost to activate the maneuver when you spend exertion on it is reduced by 1 point (minimum of 1 point).

If you roll a critical hit with it (while using the maneuver), you inflict d6 or even d8 bleed damage instead of d4.

Otherwise, it looks like a great concept! It almost sounds like it could be someone's named weapon. "Behold, the Thirsting Flail, whose deadly barbs drank the blood of Temzeth, the Foul Dragon of the Swamps." I'm always up for ways to make weapons cool without resorting to throwing a +1 on it, and this hits the spot.

 

[jphinney]

You might want to consider one or more the following:

You also can spend your own exertion on this maneuver, in addition to being able to use it for free 1/long rest.

If you already know the maneuver (or possibly, if you are already proficient in the Unending Wheel tradition), or become proficient in it, then your cost to activate the maneuver when you spend exertion on it is reduced by 1 point (minimum of 1 point).

If you roll a critical hit with it (while using the maneuver), you inflict d6 or even d8 bleed damage instead of d4.

Otherwise, it looks like a great concept! It almost sounds like it could be someone's named weapon. "Behold, the Thirsting Flail, whose deadly barbs drank the blood of Temzeth, the Foul Dragon of the Swamps." I'm always up for ways to make weapons cool without resorting to throwing a +1 on it, and this hits the spot.

Much better put ;-) The magic item enhances the maneuver instead of granting it.

 

[xiphumor]

I like the idea of supporting a maneuver, but not giving you one. I see these maneuvers as something you have taken time to learn and perfect. You need to know the first to learn the next. To have items give you that will lesson the impact of those who learned the maneuvers. Just how I think of them.

Counterpoint: lots of magic items grant the ability to cast spells, which also theoretically take time to learn and perfect. Do you feel the same way about cantrip wands?

I think of it as the magic item infusing your nerves with trained patterns while you wield them.

 

[xiphumor]

You might want to consider one or more the following:

You also can spend your own exertion on this maneuver, in addition to being able to use it for free 1/long rest.

If you already know the maneuver (or possibly, if you are already proficient in the Unending Wheel tradition), or become proficient in it, then your cost to activate the maneuver when you spend exertion on it is reduced by 1 point (minimum of 1 point).

If you roll a critical hit with it (while using the maneuver), you inflict d6 or even d8 bleed damage instead of d4.

Otherwise, it looks like a great concept! It almost sounds like it could be someone's named weapon. "Behold, the Thirsting Flail, whose deadly barbs drank the blood of Temzeth, the Foul Dragon of the Swamps." I'm always up for ways to make weapons cool without resorting to throwing a +1 on it, and this hits the spot.

1. The way its phrased DOES allow you to use your own exertion.

2. I like that. None of my players know that tradition, so I didn’t think about it when I wrote it up, but that’s a solid idea. That being said, spellcasting items don’t usually permit that, but maybe for a very rare item or one without the +1 bonus that would do the trick.

3. This is also a cool idea, but less strictly necessary for the base design. Also, the fighter I made it for already has a crit range of 18-20 at level 6, so additional crit bonuses are probably less necessary for him in particular.

 

[jphinney]

Counterpoint: lots of magic items grant the ability to cast spells, which also theoretically take time to learn and perfect. Do you feel the same way about cantrip wands?

I think of it as the magic item infusing your nerves with trained patterns while you wield them.

True. That being said, infusing magic into something is one part. Infusing physical training another.

Just how your explain the system.

 

[xiphumor]

True. That being said, infusing magic into something is one part. Infusing physical training another.

Just how your explain the system.

Tenser’s Transformation? Invigorated Strikes? Warrior’s Instincts? Arcane Muscles?

It would seem to me that magic infusing physical training is already part of the game.

 

[Faolyn]

Much better put ;-) The magic item enhances the maneuver instead of granting it.

I was seeing it as both. It can impart the maneuver into your mind, but enhances your own knowledge and abilities as well.

When I was writing that, I had an image of a scene from the Discworld novel "Soul Music. In it, the main character finds a magical guitar which grants him, basically, amazing rock god skills--but later on, when he tries to play a regular guitar, he can't. He basically had no skill with them. Which is what made me think of named magical weapons at the like.

 

[xiphumor]

I was seeing it as both. It can impart the maneuver into your mind, but enhances your own knowledge and abilities as well.

When I was writing that, I had an image of a scene from the Discworld novel "Soul Music. In it, the main character finds a magical guitar which grants him, basically, amazing rock god skills--but later on, when he tries to play a regular guitar, he can't. He basically had no skill with them. Which is what made me think of named magical weapons at the like.

Yup. A sentient magic item could be extra fun for this too. A magic item that really wants to be used with certain traditions/maneuvers, and maybe protests when you do something else.