Skrill

[Planetouched]

Yey my first post on this forum.

Ok I gave a question for all yah DM's/Players out there, I've been playing DnD for several years now, have been DM for like 5 quests, been player in over 6 other quests. My problem is would like to create a bio-mechanical weapon, called a skrill, it'll obvious be an alien device, and will become one with the character that uses it. It'll have it's own consiousness but the PC or NPC will be the one that's in controll. I would like the weapon to create blasts of energy up to a range of 40 ft. The damage should be something alike 2d6 or 3d6, my main problem is that I don't want to overpower the thing.(my campain could be ruined in one sec if I do that) I think I could use these draw-backs:

-When the skrill first attaches to the PC/NPC(I guess it will attack to the arm, right preferably or left if the player is left handed) it deals 2 points of charisma damage. This cannot be overcome of gained back for aslong the skrill is attached to the player.

-The blast can be used savely for 3 times every day. Firing after 3 uses can be done but is risky. There's a 25% the weapon will refuse and will draw 2 points of con(these can be restored) and won't allow a shot for the rest of the day.

-The Skrill takes up magic-armor spaces, only one more ring and one bracelet can be worn.

The bonusses the weapon gives should be something alike this:

-The weapon has it's own mind. Perhaps it could give the character a +2 in one knowledge skill or a bonus on a save(Will perhaps?)

-3/day energy blast, 2d6(or 3d6, haven't chosen yet) up to 40 ft.

-If the weapon feel threatend(not just the PC/NPC) it could make use of somekind of teleportation spell-like ability(I guess dimension door will do, 1/day perhaps, or 1/week?)

-The Skrill could perhaps create a forcefield of energy, alike mage armor once per tenday if the user has already lost 75% of it's hp or give a +2 against a save that involves Con-drain?

Advise please. Please tell me what you think is overpowered and what's not. The characters are now level 4/5 but at the end of my campain they should reach level 17 at least.

 

[Zhure]

Without going into specifics, I'd look at the rules for sentient weapons, figure a cost, then figure out how much of the characters allotment you take up.

Based on what you're saying, it looks like these skrill would be very valuable and should do a very small amount of damage to make them "affordable."

 

[Mark]

Welcome to the boards, Planetouched!

Maybe you could have the item be tied to a character's level, so that it only increases in power when the character does. This way you can regulate how balanced it will be to the campaign and the other characters (who might otherwise be jealous that one person gets it and they do not.)

 

[Planetouched]

It shouldn't have a value, I like to see it as a living being, rare indeed but still something that lives. Unprizeable, but well I don't mind if my PC's have strong weapons, unique abilities(alike spellfire) or things like artifacts. It only makes my sessions enjoyable, I guess the damage should be something like 2d6, I want to give it extra abilities so the damage shouldn't be very high, but still it must be something they want to use, 2 item spaces and 2 drained ability scores isn't something to take lightly.
The skrill probably will attach and not let go untill the PC/NPC dies or the limb isn't attached to the body anymore. Perhaps I could allow wishes and miracles to remove the skrill.
The skrill should have around 3 advantages and 3 or 4 disadvantages. Just to even it out. Perhaps I could give the user a -4 because he isn't proficient with the skrill yet, and after 6 months he will be?

"I'd look at the rules for sentient weapons", could you tell me wich rules you mean? I have almost all the 3rd edition books, if you mean the rules in the DM's, they aren't really specific about prizes/abilities. I don't want to use the same old lame laser gun-stuff.

 

[Planetouched]

Thxs

level based is ok I guess, the damage could grow with the item...interesting

 

[Kyramus]

hmm Interesting concept.

You could make an enemy alien symbiote of the same type that is attracted to the opposite alignment. imagine the pc finally meeting up with one of the bad guys and he fires a similar bolt of energy. lol

Anyway concept wise....

I'd say think along the lines of witch blade. It takes the slot for ring, bracer and gauntlet.

sure kills the bracer and gauntlet for the other hand though. You might even want a mated pair to fully capitalize on the alien weapon.

benefits could possibly include:
1) bonus to fortitude and reflex saves
2) enhancement bonus to ability score/s
3) energy blast that uses magic missile as the concept. level 1 has 2 missile damage 2d4+2 . level 3 has 3d4+3 damage, level 5 has 4d4+4, level 7 has 5d4+5, level 9 has maximized MM 25/blast.
4) bonus to hit and damage when using it for unarmed attacks.
5) considering that they are sentient, possibly allowing the user to have access to languages that the beings could speak

disadvantages:
1) with enhancement bonus to ability score, there is an equal penalty to another ability score.
2) allergic to a specific substance that the alien beings cann't and will not touch. (can you imagine a golem coated in the stuff and the aliens pull the character away, making him look like the walking dead??)
3) energy blast could be one of the elements and has an opposing element, kinda like green lantern can't hurt yellow and vice versa.
4) should the user abuse the beings, they might decide to join forces and create a bio feedback that ruins his brains then the sentient beings take turns controlling the body.
5) sentient beings evolve and get hungry, slowly taking 1 con point per being per month until the being dies, then the body splits into 4 parts , 2 of the original being, and 2 newly created beings.

just some ideas.

 

[s/LaSH]

The question is, Do you need a cyberviral implant (or whatever you choose to call it) to control the skrill? Or does it come with its own? If you have to have one, then the weapon itself doesn't have to be too powerful, because a standard CVI offers stupendous advantages such as total recall and the ability to read ten pages per second. I don't know how this would translate into game terms; perhaps a bonus to skill points on gaining levels.

Fun fact: Skrills are technically two beings fused together, the symbiote slug-thing and a high-energy butterfly-thing (probably incorporeal) in symbiosis with the slug. This doesn't have to be immediately known, of course.

Now, as to game abilities: A standard skrill is very powerful, more powerful than standard energy weapons. That doesn't mean you have to have it that powerful at first, though. I'd suggest giving the skrill itself levels in monk, except it can attack at range (and instead of being 'unarmed' attacks they're 'force' attacks); every extra unarmed attack the monk levels give it allows it to attack once more per day. I don't know if you'd want to take the monk abilities as well (or whether the wielder gets them), nor how fast you'd want the skrill to level, but monks do get deflect arrows, don't they? That could be translated well.

 

[Planetouched]

Thxs for all these idears so far, I didn't expect so much so soon, these boards are really usefull.