cursing wounds

[jaker2003]

I submit the following for EnWorld peer review:

Wound Cursing: The damage this weapon deals doesn't heal naturally and resists healing spells. A creature attempting to cast a conjuration (healing) spell on a creature damaged by this weapon must succeed on a DC 16 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the injured creature. Only the damage dealt by the weapon itself, not energy damage curses wounds in this manner.
Faint necromancy; CL 5th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, bestow curse; Price +1 bonus.

Morgul steel: This cursed metal inflicts wounds that cannot heal naturally, though healing magic functions normally. Weapons made of Morgul steel cost twice as much to make as their normal counterparts. Items without metal parts cannot be made from morgul steel. An arrow could be made of morgul steel, but a quarterstaff could not. A double weapon that has only half of it made of morgul steel increases its cost by 50%. Morgul steel has 30 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 10.

Comments?

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

interesting..

I suggest using the 'Infernal Wound' mechanic already in existance.. which is basically what you have, but not quite as lethal. Referencing it this way would allay arguments about stacking.

Not sure about the cost, an 'un-healable' wound can be pretty dastardly and at these prices would be the must have items.

 

[Nifft]

They seem to be strictly anti-PC weapons. Or do you somehow track NPC healing over multiple days?

Cheers, -- N

 

[jaker2003]

An Unholy weapon is an anti-PC weapon against a party of Good characters.

Everything heals over time when I run a campaign, unless it's dead/destroyed, of course.

Yeah, it's a nasty bit to play. I think they would exist in a magical world, though. Especialy during wartime. Soldiers that survive a battle may face you again later, but this time they have more experience.

 

[Nifft]

An Unholy weapon is an anti-PC weapon against a party of Good characters.

Absolutely. But there's a complementary weapon ("holy") which works just the same for PCs. So that's a balanced property.

Everything heals over time when I run a campaign, unless it's dead/destroyed, of course.

Sure, but unless you track the specifics, and PCs are rewarded by facing weaker NPCs if those NPCs had been wounded by their special weapons -- or the NPCs have fewer attack / buff options due to lower wealth, because they've been forced to buy magical healing -- then it is effectively nothing more than an anti-PC weapon property.

I'm not saying that it can't be done, just that doing it right seems to require an undue amount of accounting. Personally, I'm too lazy to do that kind of accounting.

Cheers, -- N

 

[jaker2003]

So, it all comes down to DM style and what works for your own gaming group. That's always the case.
But if i'm willing to track how a retreating group heals over time, and the players are going to track them down, this will work for the game, right?

 

[Nifft]

Yup. But IMHO Morgul Steel is too cheap. The Wound Cursing property is fine. I'd drop the former and just use the latter.

Cheers, -- N

 

[jaker2003]

Yup. But IMHO Morgul Steel is too cheap. The Wound Cursing property is fine. I'd drop the former and just use the latter.

Cheers, -- N

Drop the first and keep the last?

 

[Nifft]

Drop the first and keep the last?

I'd drop Morgul Steel and keep the Cursed Wound magical weapon special property.

-- N