Seeking rules for leveled items

[Kalen_Darkstar]

I am currently seeking the rules for leveled items that was mentioned in the coolest weapons name thread. The rules are in Dragon Magazine 289 but so far i have not been able to get a copy. Can anyone help me? If so thank you if not thanks for at least taking the time to read this.

 

[WanderingMonster]

This isn't what you asked for, but this is my homebrew version for my World of Chalice campaign. It hasn't been playtested (yet), so proceed at your own risk.

Signature Weapon [General]

You invest your heroic essence into a weapon and gain special bonuses when using it.

Prerequisite: Weapon Focus, Base Attack Bonus +5

Benefit: A specific weapon becomes invested with part of your heroic essence. In your hands only, the weapon is considered magical. It receives a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage. As you gain experience, you may choose to invest more of your essence in your weapon, thereby granting it more wondrous abilities. Each new bonus/ability costs experience points to invest in the weapon. To find the xp cost, determine the difference in base price between the upgraded weapon to the older version. The xp cost is 1/10th the difference. The weapon bonus or special ability the character may invest in the weapon is determined by his character level.

Character
​

Level
​

Weapon Bonus Max/
​

Special Ability Limit
​

1st–7th
​

+2/Minor
​

8th–14th
​

+4/Medium
​

15th+
​

+5/Major
​

You may add only one enhancement per level. Should the weapon be lost or destroyed, you must wait until you gain a level before you can declare another signature weapon. A character may only have one signature weapon at a time.



Example: Joe’s barbarian has used his greatclub to slay many fearsome monsters. He declares it as his signature weapon. It gains an initial enhancement bonus of +1 to attack and damage. He later defeats a fire elemental in a battle worthy of song. He gains a level of experience, and soon thereafter decides to invest his weapon with the flaming special ability which has a market price modifier of +1. This brings the total weapon bonus to +2. The upgraded weapon has a base price of 8,000 gp, while the older version has a base price of 2,000 gp leaving a difference of 6,000 gp. Joe’s barbarian must pay 1/10th that difference in xp, or 600 xp. He now has a +1 flaming greatclub. In anyone else’s hands, it is merely a mundane greatclub.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

I am currently seeking the rules for leveled items that was mentioned in the coolest weapons name thread. The rules are in Dragon Magazine 289 but so far i have not been able to get a copy. Can anyone help me? If so thank you if not thanks for at least taking the time to read this.

IIRC, the article suggested that you stat out an item up to its maximum power level, then create "levels" at which each power manifests. The character can spend xp to raise the item's level, revealing new powers.

I tried this in my last campaign and ran into two problems:

1. Players don't really like the idea of the GM deciding which powers manifest. Maybe it's the munchkin in all of us, but most players didn't want to be "surprised".

2. Players hate to give up xp. I couldn't get a single player to use xp to purchase extra skill levels, prestige races, leveled items (I included all of these in the campaign). They wanted to go up levels.

If you want to use leveled items, I suggest giving them out early on, then just increasing the item's power as the owner gains levels. Don't make the character spend xp - just hand out a bit less treasure to balance things out. You can even discuss with an individual player what kind of sword, staff, armor, figurine, etc. they'd like, then design the item based on that. It could encourage players to come up with some interesting item histories to justify the neat powers they'll (eventually) get.

 

[FireLance]

Like Sir Whiskers said, one way is to just lower the treasure and give "free" upgrades to the PCs' existing equipment.

Alternatively, a leveled item's power may be divided into a number of receptacles, and the PCs have to find the receptacles and add them to the item to unlock its higher powers. E.g. a +5 axiomatic, holy, evil outsider bane sword may have its power stored in five diamonds (one for each "plus"), two sapphires (axiomatic), two sunstones (holy) and one emerald (evil outsider bane). The PCs have to find all the gemstones and add them to the base sword in order to unlock all its properties.

Another good way, especially for weapons, is to tie its ability to the creatures that it kills. The same sword above could have its more powerful abilities unlocked when its possessor uses it kill increasingly powerful demons.

 

[Douane]

Hong has a similar system on his D&D site:

Imbued Magic


Hope this helps!

Folkert

 

[Anime Kidd]

*Snip*

2. Players hate to give up xp. I couldn't get a single player to use xp to purchase extra skill levels, prestige races, leveled items (I included all of these in the campaign). They wanted to go up levels.

*Snip*

Why not just then have the items just gain a certain percentage of all the player's XP instead of the players giving it up so long as they keep using the item on a regular basis? Just an idea.

 

[Will]

Book of Exalted Deeds has 'Ancestral relic' feat.

Essentially, you have an item where you can swap treasure/gp at full value for increasing the value of an item, with a ritual and such.

Big advantages over just adding enchantments to an item or trading up:
Flavor
Faster (even if you're trading up, it's going to take time to track it down!)
No local limits. So if the local city caps at 30k and you want to go up to 100k...

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Swords of Our Fathers and Staves of Ascendance feature items attached to Prestige Classes; Both of these have been combined into a single book, now, and the basics of it (from SoOF) is in Unearthed Arcana. I like the system, but haven't actually used yet (we do have one PC questing for his penultimate ancestor's blade, which will use these rules, but he has a ways to go still).

 

[Trainz]

Book of Exalted Deeds has 'Ancestral relic' feat.

Essentially, you have an item where you can swap treasure/gp at full value for increasing the value of an item, with a ritual and such.

Big advantages over just adding enchantments to an item or trading up:
Flavor
Faster (even if you're trading up, it's going to take time to track it down!)
No local limits. So if the local city caps at 30k and you want to go up to 100k...

I really like that feat. It gives the player the ability to have a weapon more customized to what he wants. WHEN he wants, too. And no XP penalty. And it's in an "official" book, so it's easier for SOME players to make it go for SOME DM's.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

You could also base something off the Kensai Prestige Classe (complete warrior), wherein the character spends (yes) XP to add powers to his weapon of choice.

AR