Vampiric Weapon Quality

[Ratenef]

My players and I are playing the Drow War campaign by Mongoose (most excellent btw) and in it the characters obtain attuned weapons that can be customized (with regards to what magic powers they have).

My one character has chosen Gnomish Quickrazors as his weapon of choice and is looking for the d20 version of the Vampiric quality (i.e. all or some of the damage done by the weapon to an opponent is absorbed temporarily by the weilder, sorta like a Vampiric Touch spell).

Does anyone know of where this might be in a WotC book or another valid d20 reference?

Or, does anyone have this already done as a house rule that they would care to share?

Thanks,

 

[Orm]

From the SRD:
Sword of Life Stealing

This black iron +2 longsword bestows a negative level when it deals a critical hit. The sword wielder gains 1d6 temporary hit points each time a negative level is bestowed on another. These temporary hit points last for 24 hours. One day after being struck, subjects must make a DC 16 Fortitude save for each negative level or lose a character level.

Strong necromancy; CL 17th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, enervation; Price 25,715 gp; Cost 12,857 gp and 5 sp + 1,029 XP.

 

[ARandomGod]

From the SRD:
Sword of Life Stealing

As far as I know that's the only thing that comes close. Not that it's really all that close, of course. But at least it's there and it's easy to see the base cost of the "life-stealing" addition to the weapon, for if you want to add it to other weapons.

I've got an artefact that has lifestealing, it doesn't steal a portion of damage dealt by you or the (physical) sword, but instead steals ALL the damage done by the enhancement modifier of the sword. Of course, it's an artefact, so I didn't have to price it. The PC's in my games generally learn not to sell GM given magical artefacts. Under the "These are plot points people, if you sell them, they WILL come back to haunt you" school of thought.

Life stealing would be very, very powerful in general... how to price it... You have to price something based on it's "worst case scenario". In this case you have to assume a fighter ... you can ignore TWF as that requires a second life-stealing enchantment (two weapons). So assume 4 hits per round of combat. It's price would have to be somewhere along what you'd price something that gave you 4 (x number of HP's likely to be healed per hit) hit points per round.

Edit: Of course, that comment was for permanent actual healing. An effect like Vamp touch ... well, that would still be similiarly priced, but a little less due to the temporary nature of the HP's. But since temp HP's are taken off first, it's not all that different in base nature.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

My one character has chosen Gnomish Quickrazors as his weapon of choice and is looking for the d20 version of the Vampiric quality (i.e. all or some of the damage done by the weapon to an opponent is absorbed temporarily by the weilder, sorta like a Vampiric Touch spell).

Does anyone know of where this might be in a WotC book or another valid d20 reference?

It's in Unapproachable East. Basically, DC 16 Fort save or take additional 1d4 points of damage, which cure wielder or act as temp hp for 1 hour, for +2 price bonus.

 

[Westwind]

In the second-most-recent Dragon there was a vampiric quality in the final instalment of the vampire storyline. Don't have the issue handy though, sorry.

 

[Rashak Mani]

In Magic of Faerun (3.0) there is a Vampiric weapon quality at +2 cost. (p.141)

Living opponent struck makes a Fort DC 16 save. or loses additional d4 hps. These HPs are added to the wielders hps. If more is added they become temporary hps lasting 1 hour.

 

[Vysirez]

There was a 3.0 enchantment in Enemies and Allies called Wrathful Healing. It's a +3 melee weapon only enchantment that healed the user for 1/2 the damage he does. It's in a sidebar in the book somewhere. Don't actually have the book, just seen it mentioned on various forums.