The Bane of the Inevitable

[Sejs]

I'm trying to make a sword which is extremely specific to avoiding/destroying the inevitables (specifically marut but i'm pretty sure this would apply to all of them). And not just a normal magical weapon, were talking about a intelligent +4 adamantine weapon.

Anarchic +1 adamantine longsword of construct bane is what i have so far for 32,000g

adding intelligence (oh and by teh way this is not anything i plan on simply 'buying' in a campaign or anything like that... nothing this powerful or specific can be created so casually on the market lol) is where i'm stuck... mostly i just want suggestions for what would be a good personality/alignment/abilities(and how powerful, ie how many lesser and greater) a sword meant to cheat death (or even slay its messenger) should be.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm

lots of fun stuff in there, i just wanted opinions and ideas for it. Should it have minor intelligence and just invoke a feeling of panic whenever the Inevitables are near or should it be an all out chaotic evil sword that is quite aware and talkative, desiring to kill the enivatables.

OKay, if it's speciffically tasked against inevitables, it's going to be chaotic as all get-out. Chaotic Neutral instead of Chaotic Evil.

A thought: how about slapping on the morphing(+1) and metaline (+2) qualities? It's so damn chaotic the weapon isn't even bound to one particular form.

(Morphing lets you change the weapon into another weapon of its same category - light, one-handed, or two-handed - as a standard action. Metaline lets you change the weapon's material with a standard action; silver one minute, cold iron the next.)

 

[Vuron]

ya i knew about the price, just typed in the wrong figure, i have all the numbers on paper in front of me. plus, the mace of smiting is more expensive and it isn't a whole lot better, again'st constructs yes, again'st inevitable no.

anarchic will bypass that silly damage reduction they have as well as deal +2d6 damage to them. That alone is better then a +5 enhancement (for damage anyways)

the bane gives you +2 attack and another +2d6 vs constructs.

so pricing is 75,312 for something that does +5 attack and damage vs a construct with a chance for disintegration.
vs
35,015g for something that does +3 attack , +4d6 extra damage and bypasses DR/15

warranted all of the latter is only really useful again'st a inevitable (adamantine was thrown in because the way i see it, all weapons that cost more then 24,000 aught to be made from something special)

Ahh I forgot inevitables had DR/Chaotic instead of DR/adamantine like normal constructs. That definitely changes the math quite a bit although specialty built weapons tend to outperform general purpose weapons.

 

[Diomeneus]

essentially is not the same thing, plus, constructs down have egos and personalities for the most part. Even warforged which are sentient constructs down have the most dashing personalities.

and imagine... you are capable of thinking just as good as any other sentient creature but your trapped in a freaking immobile object unless somebody helps you out. It seems natural to me that an intelligent sword could be jealous/hateful of his larger, more brawny cousins.

 

[Diomeneus]

Ahh I forgot inevitables had DR/Chaotic instead of DR/adamantine like normal constructs. That definitely changes the math quite a bit although specialty built weapons tend to outperform general purpose weapons.

ya but they are rarely as useful for pretty much everything else

edit: oh and the morphing and that sounds pretty cool too

edit 2: i'm inclined to agree with you all on teh chaotic neutral alignment. Seems quite fitting

 

[Wolfwood2]

I think you guys are going about this the wrong way.

This weapon is supposed to be special prupose for avoiding/destroying inevitables, but all the emphasis is being placed on the second part and none on the first.

Let's start out by looking at what we're up against:

Inevitables are constructs whose sole aim is to enforce the natural laws of the universe.

Each type of inevitable is designed to find and punish a particular kind of transgression, hunting down a person or group that has violated a fundamental principle. When an inevitable is created, it receives its first mission, then finds the transgressors and metes out appropriate punishment. The sentence is usually death, although some inevitables insist on compensation to the wronged party instead, using geas and mark of justice to ensure compliance. From its first step, an inevitable focuses totally on its target. It continues its efforts no matter how cold the trail or hopeless the task.

Note that inevitables target more than just individuals coming back from the dead. There are three inevitables in the SRD. I would give the sword one special ability for each type, designed to aid in foiling their favored tactics. In addition, all of them can use Locate Creature at will, so I would have the weapon utilize a permanent Nondetection effect on itself and its weilder to foil that.

Kolyaruts mete out punishment to those who break bargains and oaths.

...

Kolyaruts are the most talkative of the inevitables, making credible attempts at social niceties such as proper greetings before getting down to the matter at hand. They can use disguise self to appear as almost any kind of humanoid—useful if they need to go undercover to catch their quarry.

...

A kolyarut’s favorite tactic is to use invisibility or disguise self to sneak close, then eliminate the quarry with its vampiric touch ability before it can react. A kolyarut has no compunctions about using its vampiric touch ability on allies to increase its own power, if doing so helps it complete its mission.

To stop Kolyrauts, the weapon needs to see them before they see it. I would recommend some sort of permanent "Local Creature" effect tuned to inevitables. No matter how they disguise themselves, the weapon will detect their general location.

Maruts confront those who would try to deny the grave itself.

Any who use unnatural means to extend their life span could be targeted by a marut. Those who take extraordinary measures to cheat death in some other way might be labeled transgressors as well. Those who use magic to reverse death aren’t worthy of a marut’s attention unless they do so repeatedly or on a massive scale.

When a marut has identified its target, it walks surely and implacably toward the foe, never resting.

...

Once it has found its target, a marut brings it the death it has been trying to avoid. Those who defile death through necromancy may instead receive a geas and/or mark of justice to enforce proper respect. It typically uses wall of force to shut off any escape routes, then opens up with chain lightning while it closes to melee range. Once there, it strikes with its massive fists, using circle of death if beset by numbers of defenders. It hits spellcasting opponents with repeated uses of greater dispel magic, and it uses dimension door and locate creature to track down foes who flee.

Maruts can shoot chain lightning and have shocking/blinding on their melee blows. To fight it on your terms instead of its (avoid, then destroy) some sort of electricity resistance might be appropriate

Zelekhuts are charged with hunting down those who would deny justice—especially those who flee to escape punishment. Expert trackers, they use a combination of natural skill and magic to find fugitives wherever they may hide.

A zelekhut may initially appear rather non-threatening—but when it is about to enter combat, it can cause two spiked chains to spring forth from its forearms as a free action. In similar fashion, it can cause a pair of golden metallic wings to emerge from its back. Retracting the chains or the wings is also a free action.

...

Once it has found its fugitive, a zelekhut uses its speed and its spell-like abilities to cover the most likely escape routes. Then it immobilizes any defenders while attempting to protect any innocent bystanders. Finally, it apprehends the fugitive with its spiked chains, tripping or disarming the foe as needed.

Zelekhuts are most dangerous to the weapon itself, as they specialize in disarming maneuvers. I would give it the ability to appear back in the owner's hand when disarmed.

 

[Diomeneus]

that would be most excellent but the rules for intelligent items (or even just the sword enhancements) doesn't leave much room to add in all those powers. I would definately want to add the ability to nullify locate creature as that would probably be the biggest avoidance tactic you could really add (the damned things will walk across an ocean floor if your on the other side!).

as far as i can tell the best the sword has to offer in any of those fields is "locate creature", invisibility purge (if you can locate Kolyrauts with locate creature then you can purge his invisibility), and dismissal (you aren't destroying him, merely sending him away for awhile).

resistance cannot be accomplished by a sword (no enhancements do it, nor any intelligence abilities). he could tell the weilder to get a cloak or armor enhancement that resists energy.

as for disarming.... your pretty much screwed there... no abilities can help that either. Returning has to be applies to a ranged weapon. Once again maybe the sword will demand that he must be used two handed (+4 to disarm attempts) and be used with a locked gauntlet

 

[Wolfwood2]

that would be most excellent but the rules for intelligent items (or even just the sword enhancements) doesn't leave much room to add in all those powers. I would definately want to add the ability to nullify locate creature as that would probably be the biggest avoidance tactic you could really add (the damned things will walk across an ocean floor if your on the other side!).

Those rules are just guidelines, and the powers offered in in the intelligent item chart were never intended to be a final and complete list. You yourself said this isn't being costed up with the item creation feats or anything, so just give the weapon what it needs.

as far as i can tell the best the sword has to offer in any of those fields is "locate creature", invisibility purge (if you can locate Kolyrauts with locate creature then you can purge his invisibility), and dismissal (you aren't destroying him, merely sending him away for awhile).

I can write Nondetection up for you:

"The weapon grants a permanent Nondetection effect, CL-15, as long as it's being held. This effect can be dispelled, but the weapon can restablish it on the weilder's next turn as a free action."

resistance cannot be accomplished by a sword (no enhancements do it, nor any intelligence abilities). he could tell the weilder to get a cloak or armor enhancement that resists energy.

Sure you can. Watch, I'll write it up for you:

"Special Ability: Sword grants Cold Resistance 20 to the weilder."

as for disarming.... your pretty much screwed there... no abilities can help that either. Returning has to be applies to a ranged weapon. Once again maybe the sword will demand that he must be used two handed (+4 to disarm attempts) and be used with a locked gauntlet

"Special Ability: As a free action on the weilder's turn, the sword can be called into instantly to hand. This functions as the Quick Draw feat, but the sword can be anywhere up to 120' away. This is a teleportation effect and can be blocked by Dimensional Lock and similiar magics."

Look at the list of specific weapons in the SRD. Tell me where the rules are for adding the Wish-granting property to a Luckblade or the ability to extinguish magical fires of the Frostbrand. Unique magic items can have unique abilties.

 

[BlackSeed_Vash]

Another option is to make the weapon a "Weaon of Legacy". Then the enchantments and abilties could more closely fit the requirements you desire.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

As for personality, if you're going for having it avoid death, why not go whole hog--have the sword actually be a person who chose to pass their soul into the weapon in order to avoid dying (and being hunted down by the Maruts).

 

[Diomeneus]

lol, i like the way you went about that wolfwood. Yeah i suppose if it isn't going to be something thats purchased and its going to be a campaign item there wouldn't be any problem just adding in those abilities (maybe not quite as powerful as you mentioned, resistance 20 is a hell of a lot!).

I also like where basilisk is heading with that idea... could be neat

either the sword was created by a group/one powerful wizard(s) because they had cheated death multiple times in large quantities and made this blade to protect them from the coming inevitables.

or...

the sword was created bya powerful mage who then imbued his own soul into it to escape detection from them and ot aid others in escape/destruction of inevitables.