Tyler Durden as an intelligent magical item?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm planning out the sequel to my Midwood campaign and am specifically looking to give the fighters some interesting toys, since they will be losing a lot of their 3E customization if we go to C&C (which is my preference). For one of the fighters, who's drifted between several faiths (he started at level 1 as a failed paladin) and is now in a Fight Club-style warrior church, I'm thinking of giving him an intelligent, talking, spell-casting magical item ...

... with the personality of Tyler Durden from Fight Club.

Workable? Unworkable?

What sort of weapon would Tyler Durden be? What sort of enchantments would he have? What spells could he cast? What alignment would he be?

My goal is (probably) to not have him take over the fighter, but to be the devil/slaadi on his shoulder, urging him into a disdain for established order and toward violent conflict.

While he could probably speak, I might just limit him to telepathic communication with his wielder.

Feedback and brainstorming greatly appreciated.

 

[howandwhy99]

Well skipping the obvious: soap, I think the red shades are the most iconic.

But then again it's all about what Edward Norton's character was wearing, so... I'll take the wifebeater t-shirt.

 

[Ulrick]

PC with Tyler Durden Item: HA HA HA !!!

Other PCs: What's so funny? Why did that guy give you a free meal and tell us to avoid the lobster bisque? And why is your face all bruised?

PC with Tyler Durden Item: I'm not supposed to talk about it.

Other PCs: What?

Tyler Durden Item: You fell down some stairs.

PC with Tyler Durden Item: I fell down some stairs. Now stop asking me so many stupid questions.

----

My only problem is that the item might become the center focus of the game. The other PCs might not like it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

My only problem is that the item might become the center focus of the game. The other PCs might not like it.

Well, this is a game with a lot of "big personality" characters, so there's not too much danger of any one character dominating. But yeah, I'll want to make sure the weapon mostly interacts with its wielder, so it doesn't become the star of the show.

 

[Kzach]

I think the most important question you have to ask yourself is, "What would Tyler Durden do?"

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I think the most important question you have to ask yourself is, "What would Tyler Durden do?"

Break an elf's nose.

 

[milest3hr4t]

I'm pretty sure Tyler Durden would be chaotic evil. also Does he have to be an item?

BETTER IDEA
Tyler Durden : CE Demilich (3E epic level handbook, page 174). CR as lich + 6. (Must have been at least 21st level caster, +lich, +6) It appears to be a skull covered in gems. they could just call it the talking head.

The thing about demiliches is that they eat souls... So going around with a group of adventurers would be quite beneficial. Never eat the souls of the players... Just eat the souls of EVERYONE THEY KILL, and even the people they encounter but will likely never see again... This... actually works pretty well I'd think. you just make it not ever attack the players... only hinder them when it wants something to happen. as for simply touching it being damaging/fatal... make it suppressible... thats very minor.

-edit
Just re-read and noticed their 'losing 3E customization'... New idea... Update the demilich to 4E, or whatever your running, if it hasn't been already.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

One of the party's two fighters going around and smacking people in the head with a demilich's skull is a pretty frightening image.

 

[Kzach]

Why make it an item at all?

Or at least, why have it as an item ON the person?

Why not go the full-hog and say the person is cursed by an item, or the item was some sort of soul jar and there are now two personalities competing for the same body. Something innocuous that they might've sold or left behind somewhere, but with enough of a clue that they can retrace their steps and re-find it to lift the curse?

Let the player have some real fun with it, doing split-personality roleplaying and let the other players figure it out for themselves

 

[Ulrick]

I'm pretty sure Tyler Durden would be chaotic evil. also Does he have to be an item?

BETTER IDEA
Tyler Durden : CE Demilich (3E epic level handbook, page 174). CR as lich + 6. (Must have been at least 21st level caster, +lich, +6) It appears to be a skull covered in gems. they could just call it the talking head.

The thing about demiliches is that they eat souls... So going around with a group of adventurers would be quite beneficial. Never eat the souls of the players... Just eat the souls of EVERYONE THEY KILL, and even the people they encounter but will likely never see again... This... actually works pretty well I'd think. you just make it not ever attack the players... only hinder them when it wants something to happen. as for simply touching it being damaging/fatal... make it suppressible... thats very minor.

-edit
Just re-read and noticed their 'losing 3E customization'... New idea... Update the demilich to 4E, or whatever your running, if it hasn't been already.

I played in a 3.5e game where one of the characters found a regular skull and started talking to it. We cast detect magic on it but found nothing, and we were at low level. Eventually, most of us just forgot he had it. Several sessions later we're in a dungeon, and suddenly the skull levitates out of the character's backpack and floats towards a headless skeleton. The skull wanted to get back to its body.

Maybe that's the ultimate goal of the Tyler Durden item, to find/possess a body. After all, that's what was happening in the movie...