Cursed Item: Executioner's Axe

[EPRock]

So what do you guys think of this beneficial/cursed weapon?

Executioner’s Axe: This uniquely crafted weapon, etched with deep runes and grooves radiates strong magic. You feel the axe pulse with power as you handle it. This custom Greataxe has a larger head than normal making it seem unwieldy in combat. This weapon requires an Exotic Weapon Proficiency to use, a Character can use it without proficiency with a –4 penalty to hit. This +1 weapon is enchanted with the Vorpal ability, allowing the wielder to cut off their opponents heads, if they are susceptible to critical hits. This ancient weapon is both enchanted and cursed by strong magic. The weapon has been attuned to the spirit of the Executioner and will only function flawlessly for him (Ignoring the curse). Any other character wielding the Executioners axe the Vorpal ability will function normally. If a character wielding the axe rolls a natural 1, the axe twists around causing the character to make a reflex save DC 35 or cut their own head off.

Magical Auras: Strong Transmutation / Strong Necromancy (DC 24)
Bace Price: 72,000

- What can I change to clean up the description to make it neater and cleaner?
- What should the value of this weapon be, even with the curse?
- I only put in a reflex save with a high DC to ensure that almost always kills the wielder.
- 5% insta kill either way is reasonable?

 

[AuraSeer]

This isn't a curse, it's a security system. Whoever the Executioner is, he should pay extra for the weapon, because it's not liable to be stolen or used against him. Since the power is deadly, and impossible to completely avoid, I'd call it at least a 50% hike in construction cost, but not sale value.

That is, for purposes of constructing the weapon and calculating character wealth, act as if the total market price is 108,000 (plus the cost of the masterwork weapon). But if somebody kills the Executioner and loots his body, the axe is worth nothing to an arms merchant, because it's so dangerous to the wielder.

In order to make it playable at all though, I would change the effect of the curse. A DC 35 Reflex save is practically impossible for most characters, so you may as well not allow a save at all. That is, to put it bluntly, unfair and rather dumb.

Instead I would require the axe to make an attack roll to confirm its "critical" on the wielder. This would be a roll using only the axe's +1 enhancement bonus, not the wielder's BAB or other bonuses. If the confirmation roll is a hit, the wielder is subject to the vorpal effect; otherwise, he takes normal damage as if hit by the axe.

What can I change to clean up the description to make it neater and cleaner?

Remove the whole "feel the axe pulse with power" sentence. Second-person narrative does not fit in item descriptions.

Clarify what you mean in the sentence about the proficiency requirement. If the weapon requires an EWP it's not a greataxe, so you must specify what kind of axe it is. (If it is a greataxe, take out the EWP stuff altogether.) Also, shorten or remove the explication of the nonproficiency penalty; that's a general rule, and individual descriptions need not set it out in detail.

You have two description sentences, the ones beginning with "This uniquely crafted weapon... " and "This custom Greataxe..." Remove one of the sentences, or combine them.

Cut the entire sentence starting with "This +1 weapon"; it's overly verbose, and everyone knows what the vorpal ability does. Put that information succinctly into your descriptive sentence, e.g., "This uniquely crafted +1 vorpal greataxe..."

 

[Endur]

I'm familiar with the Executioner and his axe. I think the proposed rules are a good way to implement the character. Some more comments.

This isn't a curse, it's a security system. Whoever the Executioner is, he should pay extra for the weapon, because it's not liable to be stolen or used against him. Since the power is deadly, and impossible to completely avoid, I'd call it at least a 50% hike in construction cost, but not sale value.

I agree that it is a security system. I'm not sure that the price should be higher. Intelligent/Holy/ Unholy/Lawful/Chaotic weapons also have a security system in that characters with opposing alignments take negative levels when wielding a weapon, but we don't charge extra for that ability.

That is, for purposes of constructing the weapon and calculating character wealth, act as if the total market price is 108,000 (plus the cost of the masterwork weapon). But if somebody kills the Executioner and loots his body, the axe is worth nothing to an arms merchant, because it's so dangerous to the wielder.

Completely disagree that the axe is worth nothing to an arms merchant. The axe will be worth quite a lot to an axe merchant. Follow the chart in the DMG for price for cursed weapons. The closest example is the "Spear +2, Cursed Backbiter". A normal +2 spear costs 8300 gp, the cursed spear costs 7500 gp. So I would say a 10% discount in market price. Rolling a 1 is worse for the Axe than the Spear, so a discount of more than 10% would make sense. Maybe 50,000 gold pieces is the market value of the Executioner's Axe.

In order to make it playable at all though, I would change the effect of the curse. A DC 35 Reflex save is practically impossible for most characters, so you may as well not allow a save at all. That is, to put it bluntly, unfair and rather dumb.

The DC 35 reflex save has nothing to do with "playability" and everything to do with story. Only someone with divine speed or super-speed or incredible evasion will avoid the Axe. I like the DC 35 reflex save as appropriate.

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Clarify what you mean in the sentence about the proficiency requirement. If the weapon requires an EWP it's not a greataxe, so you must specify what kind of axe it is. (If it is a greataxe, take out the EWP stuff altogether.) Also, shorten or remove the explication of the nonproficiency penalty; that's a general rule, and individual descriptions need not set it out in detail.

I agree that you should clarify. Example sentence: This axe requires the EWP feat to be used effectively. For game purposes (damage, etc.), treat the Executioner's Axe as a Great Axe.

 

[Elric]

I don't know anything about the Executioner, but this item is far, far too dangerous to the wielder to be worth much of anything to anyone besides the Executioner. Having an item cursed for people besides you isn't a disadvantage.

I would put the value of the axe at its normal value for the Executioner, and nothing (0 gp) for anyone else, because using this thing is sure suicide in very short order. The benefits to having it if you know what it does are more than outweighed by the problems of finding its curse the hard way.

 

[Endur]

I agree that the Executioner should pay normal value, or perhaps greater than normal value.

But for someone else, they should also have to pay something for the axe. The value isn't zero. If the value is zero, then the axe is free. Vorpal Axes are not free.

Also, many people besides the Executioner might be willing to wield the axe. Especially if they can't afford to buy a vorpal weapon, the axe offers power for a price. The axe offers the ability to defeat a foe whom you might not otherwise be able to beat. Similar to Elric's sword, StormBringer. StormBringer brings doom upon its wielder, but many PCs would be willing to wield StormBringer for the glory in the short run.

And if you have the Luck Domain or some other ability to re-roll 1's, you can avoid the drawbacks of the curse.