Bane- Worth +2 enhancement ?

[Roland Delacroix]

One of my players is wielding a leveled weapon, from Dragon mag 289. His character history states that the sword has been in his family for centuries, and was originally a Dragonslayer type sword. Looking over the Bane enchancement for weapons, it doesn't seem worth the +2. For that cost you could easily get, say, Acidic and another +1, but that works on ALL enemies. I'm considering house ruling Bane to only be a +1 enhancement.

Does that seem way to powerfull? The way most types are split up I don't think so, but I could be wrong. Any opinions?

 

[Crothian]

Well, the good thing about bane is on a +5 weapon, against a certain creature it becomes +7.

It sounds like this sword has a history, and if Dragonslayer is part of that history, leave it bane. Who cares about degree of power? Have them fight a few more dragons then usual, make it worth his while if you really think it needs to be.

Personally, I think Bane is great for the right character. Rangers for instance would love a bane weapon. I have a giant slayer ranger and I intend to hunt down all giants. I want a giant bane weapon.

 

[Epametheus]

Bane's good when ya finally get to use it. +2 to hit and 2d6+2 bonus damage per hit isn't something to dismiss.

How 'bout some lesser version that's just +2 to hit and damage or +2d6 damage for a +1? Bane weapons are cool if ya actually get to use them (in the campaigns I play in, human-bane weapons are really good, since usually the DM just runs human opponents).

 

[Limper]

Well since you posted this in House Rules.....


Blood Metal:

When found in its raw unrefined or keyed form this alkaloid type metal is a lusterluss grey black in color. The power of this metal is released when it is bathed in the blood of a type of foe.... it doesn't matter if the blood is of the "Intended" species or not Blood Metal keys off the FIRST blood it contacts, thus many a weapon has been forged and its foe not as intended.

Effect: Blood Metal alloy adds +1 to damage vs a particular type of foe for which its keyed... its also reduces the cost of the Bane enchantment for weapons to a +1 modifier to enchantment. Given the difficulties involved in its refining it is an expensive substance (insert a cost 50% more than the Bane enchantment alone here)

 

[Roland Delacroix]

Wow, thats a really cool idea Limper. I would use that, except he already has the blade and I already pointed out that its made of Arandur, from Magic of Faerun.

Yeah, the damage to your foe is nice, but how often are you gonna face that foe and make it worthwhile? 20 levels is about 80 encounters, if you meet your designated foe maybe every month and a 1/2 thats, what, 30 some encounters the Bane is usefull? And those may be mixed as well. In all I would rate Bane about as usefull as Sure Striking, and give it a +1.

But in a particular campaign, sure that can change. Bane:Human in Rokugan is definitly +2.

 

[Limper]

I said alloy.... and I dont see where you listed the metal.

The only time Bane isn't cool is when you are using the Leveling weapons... or to be better said, I think its fine at +2.

Burst effects now here's the weak one.

 

[Crothian]

Wow, thats a really cool idea Limper. I would use that, except he already has the blade and I already pointed out that its made of Arandur, from Magic of Faerun.

Yeah, the damage to your foe is nice, but how often are you gonna face that foe and make it worthwhile? 20 levels is about 80 encounters, if you meet your designated foe maybe every month and a 1/2 thats, what, 30 some encounters the Bane is usefull? And those may be mixed as well. In all I would rate Bane about as usefull as Sure Striking, and give it a +1.

But in a particular campaign, sure that can change. Bane:Human in Rokugan is definitly +2.

Sure striking is underpriced. Get a +1 blade, sure striking, and then load up on cool enchantments. Then you are set to about 20th level.

Bane varies in usefulness. I just think you have to look past usefulness since it has history. You can have stories about all the evil dragons this sword helped to conquor. There can myths and lore about its power. It can be reconginized for what it is, and so will he for welding it.

 

[Hammerhead]

Some banes are greater than others. A Bane weapon of the dominant race is always nice. Similarly, there are enough undead or evil outsider opponents of lots of CRs to make it worthwhile - and they can often be summoned by others. On the other hand, an ooze bane weapon probably isn't very good.

Also, I think that Bane weapons, along with favored enemies, tend to assume some proactiveness. The ranger with max favored enemy: Giants and a Giantbane weapon will probably seek out giants and hunt them down.

Finally, DMs tend to have pet monsters that they like to use all the time. Find out their favorites and make some bane weapons.

Sure striking is overrated. The highest DR one is likely to face is +3. Most DR creatures are going to have +1 or +2, though. Most of the time, a +2 weapon beats DR as well as a sure striking weapon, and gives the actual bonus. So only against the +3 monsters and the people with stoneskin will surestriking be superior to the normal +2 weapon. If surestriking was anything more than a +1, it'd be worthless. "Hmm, make a surestriking +1 sword or make a normal +3 sword that will get past the DR of 95% (wild guess) of the creatures out there. Gee, I wonder . . ."

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

My most min-maxed character was a paladin who dual-wielded a pair of short swords. One was undead bane, and the other was evil bane. He was extremely badass against undead which, as it turned out, was all we ended up fighting in the one-shot adventure I played him in

 

[Gez]

You'll probably be interested by this article:

http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/magicitems/greaterbaneandlesserbane.html

For the lazies out there, and since it's OGC, here are the variant properties:

Lesserbane
A lesserbane weapon excels at attacking one type of creature (aberrations, beasts, evil outsiders, goblinoid humanoids, and so on). Against its designated foe it deals +2d6 points of bonus damage.
Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, summon monster I; Market Price: +1 bonus.

Greaterbane
A greaterbane weapon has all of the properties of a lesserbane weapon, plus it bypasses the damage reduction of the designated creature as if its enhancement bonus were a +4 more than its actual value (this modified enhancement bonus can exceed the normal +5 limit of magic weapons).
A lesserbane weapon can be crafted into a greaterbane weapon as if adding another +1 ability. For example, a +1 lesserbane longsword (8,315 gp, cost to create 4,315 gp + 320 XP) could be made into a +1 greaterbane longsword (18,315 gp, cost to create 9,315 gp + 720 XP) for a cost of 5,000 gp and 320 XP (the difference between the cost to create of the two weapons).
Caster Level: 8th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, summon monster I; Market Price: +2 bonus.