Help with a custom magic item/artifact

[industrygothica]

Note: Players of my TLB game should NOT read this thread.​

I could use some help with the following magic item:

[sblock=Necromancer's Staff]
Necromancer's Staff, Level 4+
Implement (Staff)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 necrotic damage per plus
Power (Daily): Free action. Use this power when using a power with the necrotic keyword. After you resolve the power, all enemies within 3 squares of you are weakened (save ends).

Essentially, this is nothing more than a re-skinned Staff of Winter.
[/sblock]
Now, I want to take this Necromancer's Staff and turn it into an artifact called "The Staff of the Walking Dead." Specifically, a Level 9 staff (with a +2 bonus), with additional powers and such. One of those powers should be a daily summoning power used to summon a zombie. I'm thinking maybe two additional powers on top of that (for a total of three for the artifact, plus the one for the standard staff). Probably re-skinned class features from other classes to make it more necromancer appropriate.

Along with the inability to stir up the creative juices necessary to come up with additional powers, is the inability to satisfactorily craft the goals and concordance scale.

Ideally, this isn't necessarily an evil item, but it darn sure isn't a good one either. I'd think that one of it's goals would be similar to that of Khazid'hea, in that it desires to be wielded by someone it deems worthy. Other than that, I'm as a loss.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in advance,


-IG

 

[the Jester]

Instead of a "summon one zombie" power, how about a "summon four minions" power and a power based on the necrolock wight's ability to revive undead minions?

 

[ZephyrTR]

Tweak it however you want. I think this oughta get you goin, though. This is totally not a level 9 weapon, but you said level 9 so whatev. It's "Legendary" or something.

Spoiler

The Staff of the Walking Dead, Level 9+
A spindly staff made entirely out of animal vertebrae, it is topped with three rows of cracked ribs and a large, smooth onyx that seems to dim the light around it.
Implement (staff)
Enhancement: Attack and Damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 Necrotic damage per plus and Immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Property: While equipped, the user cannot use any Power that has the Radiant keyword.

Power (at will): Standard Action. Target destroyed undead is revived with HP equal to its Bloodied value. It stands up as a free action. If it was destroyed with a Radiant attack, you cannot revive it in this manner.

Power (Daily): Free action. Use this power when using a power with the necrotic keyword. After you resolve the power, all enemies within 3 squares of you are weakened (save ends).

Power (daily): Standard Action. Summon 2 Zombies. You must take a Standard action to Command your Zombies, otherwise they will act as they normally would, but will not attack you or your allies.

Power (daily): Standard Action. Your target must be immobilized and within 5 squares of you. Intelligence VS Fortitude. 3d6 + INT Necrotic damage, and you and Undead within a Close Burst 5 are healed 10 HP. Miss: Half damage.

 

[industrygothica]

All excellent ideas. Thank you! I look forward to seeing more, if there are any.


-IG

 

[Mesh Hong]

I think for a Necromancers Staff artefact I would look at some or all of the following abilities (note these are off the top of my head and you might need to double check the damage expressions):-

Properties:
Wielder gain darkvision
wielder gains a +2 bonus to Acana and Religion skills
wielder gains Resist 5 or 10 necrotic

Powers:

Control Undead (standard, encounter) necrotic, sustain minor
Burst 5; one undead creature in burst; Int or Cha vs. Will; on hit target is
dominated until the end of wielders next turn; sustain minor action, the
weilder repeats the original attack but only requires line of sight to the
target

Withering Blast (standard, daily) necrotic
Close blast 3; Int or Cha vs. Fortitude; 3d8+(int or cha) necrotic damage;
on hit target is slowed (save ends); weilder gains 5 temporary HPs for
each target hit by this attack

Toll of Dark Warning (standard, daily) thunder, fear
Area burst 2 within 15; Int or Cha vs. Will; 2d8+(int or cha) thunder
damage; on hit target is pushed (Int or Cha) squares and dazed (save
ends), after effect target is slowed (save ends); on miss target is slowed
(save ends)

I would work this up as an artefect so that you can add the powers slowly as the PC levels.

 

[Mesh Hong]

also how about

Disrupt Undead (minor, daily) zone, sustain minor
Area burst 2 within 10; creates a zone that lasts until the end of casters next turn; all undead inside the zone take a -2 penalty to all defences; the caster may spend a move action to move the zone 5 squares; minor action to sustain

 

[industrygothica]

Thanks for the new ideas. Again, they are all wonderful. I'm still working on getting this thing statted out.

Thanks again!