The system used in Weapons of Legacy for dealing with these powerful items seems to be one of the most controversial that Wizards has come up with... if not the most controversial.
To summarise: You have an item that initially appears as a fairly standard masterwork or magic item. However, as you gain levels and perform various rituals, you unlock various new abilities of the item. The drawback is that you slowly incur greater and greater penalties to significant abilities: attacks, skill checks, skill points, spell-slots, caster levels and hit points.
For those looking for specific examples, here they are:
Bloodcrier's Hammer - large +1 warhammer; fighters, barbarians, rangers
Bow of the Black Archer - +1 longbow; rangers, clerics of Shevarash
Exordius - +1 longsword; paladins or militant clerics
I (and my players) rather like Weapons of Legacy. That doesn't mean the penalties are always correct in application. Let's have a look at some of the items:
Bloodcrier's Hammer
At 5th level: 2,200 gp ritual cost, 2,324 weapon cost. Total cost: 4,524 gp.
The weapon is, at this point, a +2 warhammer (approx. 8000 gp value). You've had to go and perform a ritual (defeat an earth-subtype creature), so possibly the ritual costs are higher. You also need a BAB of 2 (easy!), Speak Dwarven and 2 ranks in Knowledge (history). Not too hard. Oh, it's a large weapon, but a goliath isn't hurting yet.
At 10th level: 4,524 gp total cost; -1 attack penalty, -1 saves, -6 hp.
The weapon has remained a +2 warhammer, but the attack penalty reduces that to a +1 for attacking purposes. (so, a 2000 gp weapon). You've gained the following abilities:
* At Will - Detect Earth Creature
* 1/day - Knock
* 1/day - Enlarge Person (self)
* Continuous - Sustenance whilst underground
* Continuous - Feather Fall
At 11th level, the next ritual: 12500 gp cost; total cost: 17,024 gp
The weapon becomes a +3 warhammer [18000 gp], but the -1 penalty (as above) remains. Let's call it a +2 weapon, and we get 8000 gp. It's looking a little underpowered at this level.
At 16th level, the maximum before the next ritual:
17,024 total cost; -2 attack penalty; -2 saves; -10 hp.
* +4 warhammer
* at will - Detect Earth Creature, Enlarge Person (self)
* 1/day - Knock; Meld Into Stone
* +2 resistance bonus on all saves (cancels the save penalty.
)
Right. Enlarge self at will is looking rather good, but an effective +2 warhammer isn't that scary. Mind you, Knock, Meld into Stone and Enlarge Self at will is probably worth 8000 gp... but on this item?
17th level, the next ritual, another 40,500 gp. (Eep!)
47,524 total cost, -2 attack penalty; -2 saves; -10 hp
* +5 warhammer
* at will - Detect Earth Creature, Enlarge Person (self)
* 1/day - Knock; Meld Into Stone
* +2 resistance bonus on all saves
* weapon under effect of obscure object (CL 15)
There's a big whack of GP to be made up here. It isn't.
20th level, maximum.
47,524 total cost; -2 attack penalty, -3 saves, -16 hp
* +5 warhammer
* at will - Detect Earth Creature, Enlarge Person (self)
* 2/day - Wall of Stone
* 1/day - Knock; Meld Into Stone
* continuous: freedom of movement
* +2 resistance bonus on all saves
* weapon under effect of obscure object (CL 15)
* +1 enhancement and +1d6 damage against Earth-subtype creatures
I suppose, if I try very hard, I can assume that it has the "bane" ability and is the equivalent of a +4 warhammer. (32,000 gp). Except that it doesn't. There's an assumption with this weapon that you'll be using it in a game where you're under attack from the Elemental Plane of Earth that limits its use in quite an astonishing way.
Verdict on the Hammer: Too many non-core special abilities, not enough useful smiting power.
More to come later...
Cheers!
To summarise: You have an item that initially appears as a fairly standard masterwork or magic item. However, as you gain levels and perform various rituals, you unlock various new abilities of the item. The drawback is that you slowly incur greater and greater penalties to significant abilities: attacks, skill checks, skill points, spell-slots, caster levels and hit points.
For those looking for specific examples, here they are:
Bloodcrier's Hammer - large +1 warhammer; fighters, barbarians, rangers
Bow of the Black Archer - +1 longbow; rangers, clerics of Shevarash
Exordius - +1 longsword; paladins or militant clerics
I (and my players) rather like Weapons of Legacy. That doesn't mean the penalties are always correct in application. Let's have a look at some of the items:
Bloodcrier's Hammer
At 5th level: 2,200 gp ritual cost, 2,324 weapon cost. Total cost: 4,524 gp.
The weapon is, at this point, a +2 warhammer (approx. 8000 gp value). You've had to go and perform a ritual (defeat an earth-subtype creature), so possibly the ritual costs are higher. You also need a BAB of 2 (easy!), Speak Dwarven and 2 ranks in Knowledge (history). Not too hard. Oh, it's a large weapon, but a goliath isn't hurting yet.
At 10th level: 4,524 gp total cost; -1 attack penalty, -1 saves, -6 hp.
The weapon has remained a +2 warhammer, but the attack penalty reduces that to a +1 for attacking purposes. (so, a 2000 gp weapon). You've gained the following abilities:
* At Will - Detect Earth Creature
* 1/day - Knock
* 1/day - Enlarge Person (self)
* Continuous - Sustenance whilst underground
* Continuous - Feather Fall
At 11th level, the next ritual: 12500 gp cost; total cost: 17,024 gp
The weapon becomes a +3 warhammer [18000 gp], but the -1 penalty (as above) remains. Let's call it a +2 weapon, and we get 8000 gp. It's looking a little underpowered at this level.
At 16th level, the maximum before the next ritual:
17,024 total cost; -2 attack penalty; -2 saves; -10 hp.
* +4 warhammer
* at will - Detect Earth Creature, Enlarge Person (self)
* 1/day - Knock; Meld Into Stone
* +2 resistance bonus on all saves (cancels the save penalty.
)Right. Enlarge self at will is looking rather good, but an effective +2 warhammer isn't that scary. Mind you, Knock, Meld into Stone and Enlarge Self at will is probably worth 8000 gp... but on this item?
17th level, the next ritual, another 40,500 gp. (Eep!)
47,524 total cost, -2 attack penalty; -2 saves; -10 hp
* +5 warhammer
* at will - Detect Earth Creature, Enlarge Person (self)
* 1/day - Knock; Meld Into Stone
* +2 resistance bonus on all saves
* weapon under effect of obscure object (CL 15)
There's a big whack of GP to be made up here. It isn't.
20th level, maximum.
47,524 total cost; -2 attack penalty, -3 saves, -16 hp
* +5 warhammer
* at will - Detect Earth Creature, Enlarge Person (self)
* 2/day - Wall of Stone
* 1/day - Knock; Meld Into Stone
* continuous: freedom of movement
* +2 resistance bonus on all saves
* weapon under effect of obscure object (CL 15)
* +1 enhancement and +1d6 damage against Earth-subtype creatures
I suppose, if I try very hard, I can assume that it has the "bane" ability and is the equivalent of a +4 warhammer. (32,000 gp). Except that it doesn't. There's an assumption with this weapon that you'll be using it in a game where you're under attack from the Elemental Plane of Earth that limits its use in quite an astonishing way.
Verdict on the Hammer: Too many non-core special abilities, not enough useful smiting power.
More to come later...
Cheers!
