My DN Rant (cont'd)

[Kugar]

Actually, I like the ideas, the power level is just screwy.
1) Half-Glaive: I'd make it an exotic weapon using a pole arm stats with the ability to attack at 5' as well as 10'. Base cost = 75 - 100 gp. Masterwork cost an additional 300 gp as normal.

2) Alright we have a masterwork glaive, let's enhance it with magic.
A) In order to hold the secondary ability, the weapon must first have an enhancement bounus - remember this boosts the overall cost.
B) The closest spell to the effect desired is Flesh-to-Stone(Wiz6)
C) Comparing it to other effects, I would assign this a +3 or +4 equivalent. On a confirmed critical, the target must succeed in a fortitude save or be turned to stone as per the flesh-to-stone spell. Requires: Flesh-to-Stone, Craft Magical Arms and Armor.
*(Min DC = 10 base + 6 lvl spell + 3 stat = 19)
D) If you are looking for a cheaper spell you could use "Hold Person" and say the spell causes the person to become temporary paralyzed, or use a dagger of venom and adjust cost based on a different poison.

3) Now we have a disappointed / frustrated lvl 1 character.
a) Make him suck it up, or
b) Design the Half-Glaive like the article "Leveling Up Your Longsword" or treat it as Samurai Swords are in Oriental Adventures. In a nutshell the basic concept = EXP of GP for cool sword abilities.

Hope this helps.
Kugar

 

[I'm A Banana]

First off, let me say that I agree. Probably about a +4 bonus ability....which means that it's got to be at *least* a +8 weapon before it can get that ability. Which is bloody friggin' expensive, methinks.

Also, let me rant about people who write novels about their D&D characters for a bit:

(various profanities)

There. It just frustrates me when either talentless hacks think they can write a few adjectives and call it a novel, or when true talent is layered beneath this bizarre need to base your creativity on something you have too close of an emotional attatchment to.

Gr.

I'm sure the dude is great, but you can't let him have a weapon of anysort that turns people to stone on a crit quite yet, no matter what kind of justification he has for it.

Also, I was unaware that drow weapons crumbled to dust in the sunlight....or that somehow this petrifying half-glaive has to be a drow weapon.

Ah, well. Basically, don't let him have it before the power level of the campaign can handle it, and maybe watch him for Drama-Munchkin characteristics a bit.

Of course, as always, above all, have fun.

 

[Horacio]

Drow special weapons, and in general all that "c00l dr0VV" equipment crumbles to dust on sunlight. I think it's a kinf of game balance. "Dr00VVs" carry always tons of magical stuff, so DM need a way of preventing those "c00l" stuff from becoming part of PCs looting...

 

[RogueJK]

Drow special weapons, and in general all that "c00l dr0VV" equipment crumbles to dust on sunlight. I think it's a kinf of game balance. "Dr00VVs" carry always tons of magical stuff, so DM need a way of preventing those "c00l" stuff from becoming part of PCs looting...

Actually, they removed this in 3rd Edition. Drow equipment no longer crumbles to dust when exposed to sunlight. As it stands now, there is no mechanical difference between Drow equipment and any other race's equipment. A drow sword may look a little different, but it functions the same as any other sword.

 

[The Dungeon Nazi]

Actually, they removed this in 3rd Edition. Drow equipment no longer crumbles to dust when exposed to sunlight. As it stands now, there is no mechanical difference between Drow equipment and any other race's equipment. A drow sword may look a little different, but it functions the same as any other sword.

When did this happen, and can you point me to where I can find specifics on it?

 

[Horacio]

When did this happen, and can you point me to where I can find specifics on it?

Me too, I want to know that...
Oh, if it's true (and as I don't play FR, I've only read the FRCS once, so I have no reasons to doubt it) is a big change...

 

[RogueJK]

It's pretty simple, really. It's not where it *does* say it... it's where it *doesn't* say it.

None of the 3rd Edition books mentions Drow equipment crumbling to dust when exposed to sunlight.

(Also, I think I remember one of the WotC guys specifically stating that Drow equipment no longer crumbles to dust, but I could be misremembering this.)

 

[Darkness]

First off, let me say that I agree. Probably about a +4 bonus ability....which means that it's got to be at *least* a +8 weapon before it can get that ability.

Hm? Is it supposed to be a +4 weapon? 'cause if not, he only needs a +5 equivalent (+1 +4 for the ability)...

... "c00l dr0VV" ... "c00l" ...

You misspelled "k3VV1" - twice.

 

[The Dungeon Nazi]

It's pretty simple, really. It's not where it *does* say it... it's where it *doesn't* say it.

None of the 3rd Edition books mentions Drow equipment crumbling to dust when exposed to sunlight.

(Also, I think I remember one of the WotC guys specifically stating that Drow equipment no longer crumbles to dust, but I could be misremembering this.)

The way I've been using 3E FR is as a supplement for all my AD&D stuff. Since the FRCS doesn't have a map of Shadowdale and included only a small blurb on the town itself, I had to get my hands on the boxed set for all the relevant information. So now I've decided to stockpile old 2nd Edition FR material and swap out any outdated information.

That having been said, if 3E doesn't cover some material, then in my own game AD&D materials still apply. I've seen adamantine treated in 3E books, but I was under the impression that adamantine was only the material, and further processes were worked upon an object made of such material before it was considered "drow" and thus susceptible to crumbling in sunlight.

I also like to defer to the novels on points like this, and the drow scimitars do indeed crumble.

 

[RogueJK]

I've seen adamantine treated in 3E books, but I was under the impression that adamantine was only the material, and further processes were worked upon an object made of such material before it was considered "drow" and thus susceptible to crumbling in sunlight.

This might be true, but none of the drow-specific equipment that has been updated to 3e, such as the Lesser and Greater Piwafwi or the Drow House Insignia, make any mention of the items crumbling to dust when exposed to sunlight.

In Lords of Darkness, there is even a section detailing a Drow outpost on the surface. Once again, no mention is made of the Drow equipment crumbling to dust or having to be specially treated to withstand sunlight.

It's up to you if you wish to continue using some holdovers from 2e, but IMHO, that's not the greatest idea. 2e flavor text and maps are easy to use with 3e, but game mechanics and rules aren't. If, for example. the 3e game designers left out a certain racial ability or they removed a monster's special attack, you shouldn't assume that they still have it "since that's how it was in 2e." Most of the time, if it's not there, they don't have it in 3e. I think it is the same way with the drow equipment's reaction to sunlight. It is not mentioned at all, so it doesn't exist in 3e. Many, many things have changed, and most of them have a good reason behind the change.

(And pointing to the novels isn't a valid argument. They were written with 2nd edition rules, not 3rd edition. So just because it happens in the novels doesn't mean that it is that way in 3rd edition. Not to mention the fact that the novels didn't even follow 2e rules exactly.)

If you're using 3rd edition as an update to 2nd edition, do you allow your players to use all of the 2nd edition spells? Not all of them have been updated to 3rd edition, but by your reasoning, they should still be available. What about the racial abilities that have changed? For example, do you allow Drow to keep their inate ability of levitation? It's not mentioned in 3rd edition, but they had it in 2nd edition, so should still have it, right?

3rd Edition is meant to completely replace 2nd Edition. It's not a "patch" meant to change some things, but keep everything that hasn't changed or isn't mentioned in 3rd edition.