Coupla new items

[hong]

Something for one-handed-weapon fighter types who don't want/can't use a shield, but also don't want to just use a Big Sword. Based on various movies where the hero fights with a sword in one hand and the scabbard in the other, including Hero and (in the final fight) Kill Bill 2.

Scabbard of defending: This scabbard made of lacquered darkwood is inlaid with gold filigree and runic carvings. When held in one hand, it grants a shield bonus to AC of from +1 to +5.
Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Craft Wondrous Item, shield; Price 1,000-25,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.


A replacement for the bracers of blinding strike in the MaoF, which I consider rather overpowered.

Bracers of blinding strike: These armbands act as bracers of armour +6, and confer on the wearer the Improved Initiative feat. In addition, the wearer can act as though affected by a haste spell for up to 10 rounds per day. The duration of the haste effect need not be consecutive rounds. Activating this latter effect is a free action.
Moderate conjuration; CL 10th; Craft Wondrous Item, haste, mage armour, creator must have the Improved Initiative feat; Price 75,000 gp; Weight 1 lb.

 

[Piratecat]

I really like the scabbard. O-Ren fought this way in Kill Bill 1, too, until the Bride sundered it.

 

[Nifft]

The scabard shoudl require Two-Weapon Fighting.

I really like the bracers, though I'm thinking of replacing haste with hustle 10/day.

-- N

 

[hong]

I really like the scabbard. O-Ren fought this way in Kill Bill 1, too, until the Bride sundered it.

Ah, I forgot about that detail in KB1. Now I have another excuse to get the DVD.

The scabard shoudl require Two-Weapon Fighting.

To make, or to use? If the former, perhaps, although it might cause confusion if people start thinking they also need the feat to use the item. If the latter, I don't really see the need. You don't need TWF to use a shield, and this basically substitutes for a shield.

I really like the bracers, though I'm thinking of replacing haste with hustle 10/day.

Hustle?

 

[Nifft]

To make, or to use? If the former, perhaps, although it might cause confusion if people start thinking they also need the feat to use the item. If the latter, I don't really see the need. You don't need TWF to use a shield, and this basically substitutes for a shield.

True, but a shield isn't available to every character, especially the cool cinematic types that would benefit most from this item -- Monks can't use shields, and buying Shield Proficency is just as expensive for a Rogue as taking Two-Weapon Fighting. (Of course, Rogues get added stabbity-stab-stab benefits from TWF.)

Hustle?

XPH power, manifested as a Swift action (Auto-Quickened, with a limit of one Quick/Swift action per round), which grants you an extra move action.

-- N

 

[hong]

Shield proficiency is almost pointless. A masterwork buckler or light shield has no armour check penalty, so anyone can use one without problems.

I might add a rider saying that monks using this scabbard thingy can't use their flurry ability. Maybe something that says you have to use it in conjunction with an actual sword.

 

[ARandomGod]

Shield proficiency is almost pointless. A masterwork buckler or light shield has no armour check penalty, so anyone can use one without problems.

I might add a rider saying that monks using this scabbard thingy can't use their flurry ability. Maybe something that says you have to use it in conjunction with an actual sword.

As a monk, you could hold a sword of defending +5, and it would be the same. Hell, you could hold TWO swords of defending +5, no need to take any feats, and just let them defend while making your full unarmed flurry of blows without your hands.
"Defending: A defending weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the sword’s enhancement bonus to his AC as a bonus that stacks with all others. As a free action, the wielder chooses how to allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonus at the start of his turn before using the weapon, and the effect to AC lasts until his next turn."
As such, I don't see any real reason to worry too much about this being abused, there's a similiar abuse just waiting to be used already.
Of course, a +5 defending weapon IS much more expensive than a +5 shield ... but still, with the "don't want, CAN'T USE" a sheild, well
For the don't want crowd, price it as a shield, say it counts as a shield, and end of conflict. OR, for the can't use crowd, pay up. You're getting something extra for not using a shield, you have to pay extra for a shield substitute. You could also easily price this as a wonderous item (I really think it would be a wonderous one) that doesn't take up a slot. Really that's how I see this being made. For a pricing example, a quote from the SRD:
"AC bonus (deflection) Bonus squared x 2,000 gp
AC bonus (other*) Bonus squared x 2,500 gp
Natural armor bonus (enhancement) Bonus squared x 2,000 gp

* Such as a luck, insight, sacred, or profane bonus."

 

[Ferrix]

I really like the scabbard, I'd probably price make it a wonderous item, but it confers a shield bonus (so you can't stack it with a buckler or something).

Scabbard of Defending: +1 (2000gp), +2 (4000gp), +3 (8000gp), +4 (16000gp), +5 (32000gp)

Basically it the formula would be 2^X x 1000gp.

The bracers of blinding strike are nice in the book, and I could see yours as being a lesser version of them, but I don't think they are that overpowered as written up originally.

 

[mhd]

Neat idea. It just bothers me that you would have no reason to ever fight without your scabbard. A TWF by any other name...

What about making it a Scabbard of Expertise, that bestows upon you the Combat Expertise feat. You'd still be able to defend with it (up to +5, as usual), but there'd be a motivation for concentrating on your main weapon (other than switching to a two-handed grip for increased damage). You wouldn't even have to throw it away, just holding it in a non-parrying manner would suffice.

 

[UltimaGabe]

"Defending: A defending weapon allows the wielder to transfer some or all of the sword’s enhancement bonus to his AC as a bonus that stacks with all others. As a free action, the wielder chooses how to allocate the weapon’s enhancement bonus at the start of his turn before using the weapon, and the effect to AC lasts until his next turn."

You have to actually attack with a Defending weapon in order to get its enhancement bonus to AC.