Legacy/Heirloom/Etc items

[CapnZapp]

Here's a quick rule I whipped up to be able to add some flesh and color to the bare-bones and abstract suggestions in the AV1 chapter "Item Level".

Any feedback welcome. Have I missed an abusive combo? Do you spot any loopholes?




Add the following property to any interesting, significant or unique item of your choice as the DM:

Legacy Item: The full potential of this item has yet not been unlocked. You may engage in a ceremony where you make sacrifice to [insert origin of item here]. This requires either the Legacy Feat ([insert Legacy here]) or the Legacy Ceremony Ritual. The component cost is as follows:
[Add a list of component costs here]

Example (inspired by the Sleeper in the Tomb of Dreams 'venture, Dungeon 155):

[sblock]The Fiend’s Dreamstone Maul +3 (L12)
This hammer has a brutal head made of black stone veined with dimly glowing light. As you heft it you hear a susurrus that you find disturbing despite being unable to discern any meaning.
Weapon (Hammers); Critical: +1d6 radiant damage per plus
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you are about to attack with the weapon. Attack Will instead of the defense the attack normally targets.
Legacy item: The full potential of this item has yet not been unlocked. You may engage in a ceremony where you make sacrifice to the Far Realm. This requires either the Legacy Feat (Dreamstone) or the Legacy Ceremony Ritual. The component cost is as follows:
78,000 gp: The maul’s enhancement bonus increases to from +3 to +4.
390,000 gp: The maul’s enhancement bonus increases to from +4 to +5.
1,950,000 gp: The maul’s enhancement bonus increases to from +5 to +6.[/sblock]
Generally, a PC is expected to buy/find the Legacy Ceremony ritual to boost his item. In recognition of the fact not all PCs are ritual casters, there is the option of taking a Legacy feat instead. This feat is specific to one type of legacy only. Let's see what they do...:

I haven't made a formal write-up of the Legacy Ceremony ritual, but it basically is a level 4 ritual similar to Enchant Magic Item, though its only use is to "power up" Legacy items. Unlike the feat (below), the ritual works for all sorts of Legacy items.

There are two important additions that needs precise rules language:
* The component cost is 150% of the difference in cost between the item’s
lower-level form and its higher-level form.
* When you perform this ritual, make a History skill check (DC: "Moderate" for the level of the upgraded item; see DMGp42) to determine how well you have researched the Legacy and how well you placate the powers that be. If you make the check, you only pay two thirds the component cost.
In other words, if you make the History check, you only pay the listed market price (adding 50% and then deducting 33% brings us back to the original number), avoiding the 10-40% markup you usually pay in magic shops. If you fail the History check, you effectively pay a 50% markup.

The idea is that if you succeed half the time, you effectively pay a 25% markup, which is exactly what (1d4*10%) gives on average. Of course, I expect many ritual casters to succeed more often than not, making this ritual a good deal. Remember other PCs can easily grant a +8 to the check through "Aid Another".

(If you don't use the markups suggested by the PHB at all, simply ignore everything regarding History checks. Feel free to make up another use for History, though)

Legacy Feat (Heroic Tier)
Choose a specific legacy, such as flamecaster bolts or thrice-forged steel. You gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with weapons and implements from your chosen weapon legacy. You are considered to have mastered the Legacy Ceremony ritual for purposes relating to your chosen legacy only.
Special: You can take this feat more than once, each time choosing a different legacy.
The damage bonus is there to make the feat somewhat useful on its own. The real cost is that you aren't supposed to be able to take very many Legacy feats at a time; if you're a "collector", you're better off becoming a Ritual Caster.

So, for the example item (inside the spoiler block above), if a character has the +3 version and performs the Legacy Ceremony ritual (thus upgrading into a level 17 item), the component cost is 78,000 gold if he or she fails a DC 20 History skill check (looking in the DMG Errata here), but only 52,000 gp if he or she succeeds. (A level 17 item costs 65K; a level 12 item costs 13K; the difference is the 52K)

Any questions? Other suggestions?

 

[CapnZapp]

Basically, the idea is to not introduce that "Item Levels" rule from AV1 to all items indcriminately; but only to select items.

This is not only a balance issue - this is to make Legacy items something special.

If any character can upgrade any item at his leisure, the rule loses a lot of its appeal imho. Then it becomes merely a minmaxing tool: players will only select to use the option on the gear they feel is best; and once they have that, it will take something much better to garner that PCs interest.

In other words, the "item levels" rule slows down the turn-around of items (because you no longer need to discard items below your level) and makes it harder for the DM to offer treasure hoards that generate any interest form the party (without jumping on to the powercreep wagon, of course).

Making Legacy items something special in itself is my attempt of getting the best of both worlds.

 

[Garthanos]

cool, I had just mentioned the idea of Stormbringer leveling with Elric so as the story progressed it went from +3 Lifedrinker eventually to a +6 Life Drinker with Berzerkergang.

Here is another idea... there are some object oriented rituals, view object is one and another is a ritual for binding objects that corresponds to the sword mages bonding ability with a sword the Legacy feat could in some fashion be an enabler for learning those even if you aren't a ritual caster - and it might reduce the ritual cost if you are a ritual caster.

Feats which gain one access to a ritual seem to gain access to several of them plus some other useful effect.

Your legacy rituals could be used to awaken additional abilities associated with the item too

I guess multiple property devices might be currently defined as the domain of Artifacts, but I have fewer, less frequently swapped out items which incorporate more one reason is I dont like generic and this is a way to create non-standard items easily.

 

[Eric Finley]

I like that, although I'm not sure if a feat or ritual is the best way to trigger the upgrading. I do something similar for "signature items" - where, for other items, you have to justify the upgrade, for a signature item you basically don't. It levels with you as long as you can afford to boost it. (This works best in combination with my IXP rules so that gold doesn't simultaneously vanish when you do this.)

IMO this would make an excellent candidate for a plot-triggered thing instead. Give everyone the option to have a single signature weapon (or other levellable item). Get them to give you a long-term character goal, and identify the next single step toward it that needs to be taken. This should be something that's not too hard to achieve, but won't cycle every session or two anyway simply due to place-and-time constraints. If, during a session, an opportunity comes up to pursue the long-term goal in an unexpected way, let them change their short-term goal. Each time you achieve a short-term goal like this, you can (if you can afford to) upgrade your signature/legacy item.

 

[Garthanos]

IMO this would make an excellent candidate for a plot-triggered thing instead. Give everyone the option to have a single signature weapon (or other levellable item). Get them to give you a long-term character goal, and identify the next single step toward it that needs to be taken. This should be something that's not too hard to achieve, but won't cycle every session or two anyway simply due to place-and-time constraints. If, during a session, an opportunity comes up to pursue the long-term goal in an unexpected way, let them change their short-term goal. Each time you achieve a short-term goal like this, you can (if you can afford to) upgrade your signature/legacy item.

Example goals I find my players having goals like "Freeing the slaves of Sardilan" and that isn't short enough long-term goal to work with what you are talking about?

Your IXP does sound like it connects directly.

 

[Eric Finley]

With "Free the slaves of Sardilan" a given short-term goal will be something like "Find out the nature of the magic that binds them" or "Sneak into the prison" or the like. Something that (a) will clearly advance the long-term goal, but (b) is a specific and immediately available act.

This is largely an attention-focusing trick. It's not that they won't get there. But if the mechanics are saying "here's a cherry if you reach X" then you pay more attention to X.

 

[Garthanos]

Weirdly I want my cake and eat it too. I want the significant devices which grow with the character and which are a part of the characters destiny... Like Elric and Arthur and similar who are dependent on there gadgets and I want characters who are well item independent .. few remember Lancelots sword name (it had one) and one gets the impression that unarmed and unarmored he was still a bloody war machine... just like Beowulf. I want them to be nearly as competant nude as not.

 

[Eric Finley]

Yah. The single biggest thing I'm looking forward to in ... was it the DMG 2 or PHB 3? I now forget, dammit. Anyway, it's the promised "alternate ways to keep up with the enhancement-bonuses curve" they teased us with in one of the articles (probably an Ampersand or the like). They mentioned Oaths and something else as alternate-mechanical ways to integrate the same mechanical effects as items.

IXP once again FTW there, in my opinion. In fact, it strikes me that a character property which would normally be, say, a neck slot item, could simply be a slotless 'talent' or 'blessing' or what have you, with the following general clause: You can't use the associated magic item slot for anything else. If you wear a magic cloak, it will not function; or if allowed to function it will override the talent.

Or other amusing stuff. I recall suggesting a Swordmage reskin at one point (might even have been to you) along those lines... slaves with one hand severed, who always gain the superior benefit from their Swordmage Warding analogue.

 

[Garthanos]

Yeah I remember the reskin suggestion -- I seem to recall one of your ideas also worked out as a perfect incarnation of a wheel of time umm slave collar bound mage. Oaths that's intriguing.