Weapons of Legacy opinions?

[JoeGKushner]

Coincidentally, I was re-reading WoL last night, as I'm thinking of introducing legacy items in a future campaign, and I must say, after look at it again, the cost to use legacy items seems pretty steep. You have to burn a feat, AND you have to expend gp, AND you pay a personal price. At least one of those has to go, IMO.

The feats are bonus feats you can for expending the gold.

Unless I've been reading it wrong this whole time!

 

[Felon]

Right, you get the feat for performing the ritual. It really doesn't even need to be a feat per se.

 

[Nightfall]

I like it, but I felt it could be used in conjunction with say Item Familiar or something similiar for helpful purposes. Legacy Weapons cost a good bit and some times the return = not so good. But it's a good start.

 

[DM_Jeff]

3 of the 5 characters in my Shackled City game had Weapons of Legacy I designed for them using the rules as written. They winced a little at the costs, but thought the bonuses were too cool to pass up. The flavor of them alone nearly helped turn one character's personality. It worked great.

-DM Jeff

 

[ceratitis]

i dont actually own the book but... i've read several thread discussing it and i really like the concept of items powering up, that you need to perform specific things to gain said power ups ect. here is one of my favorites even if its not really a legacy item per ce:

Bracers of Archery (lesser)
1st favored foe slain: Foebane Arrow 1/day -- as a Swift action, you imbue one arrow with the Bane (any Favored Enemy) special ability

2nd favored foe slain: Foebane Arrow 3/day, flame arrow 1/day

3rd favored foe slain (so, 10th level or higher): Foebane Arrow 5/day, +4 bonus to Spot

Intermediate Bonus (around 13th level): base items become Bracers of Archery (greater), bracers can create 20 masterwork arrows each day

4th favored foe slain (so, 15th level or higher): Foebane Arrow 10/day, true strike 3/day

Intermediate Bonus (around 18th level): Will of the Hunter (+4 to Concentration and Survival checks)

5th favored enemy slain (20th level at least): Great Bane Arrow 10/day (+4 to attack, +4d6 damage, replaces Foebane Arrow ability), bracers can create additional 10 MW cold iron arrows and 10 MW silver arrows each day

 

[Nightfall]

Jeff,

Shoot me an email. Like to see if I can use those for my next run at Shackled City.

 

[MerricB]

There are currently 7 active legacy items in my campaigns. The players love them. I cannot consider WoL a wasted purchase - it's instead one of the best purchases of last year (along with Magic of Incarnum).

The 9th level barbarian in my Age of Worms game slew the Aspect of the Ebon Triad singlehandedly with his masterwork greatsword, and the blood of the aspect etched the blade with odd patterns. Upon the advice of his shaman, he performed a ritual thanking the gods for their aid... and the weapon was blessed. Alden's Greatsword is currently a +1 keen greatsword that bypasses the DR of evil outsiders. Sure, it has a penalty of -1 to hit, -1 to saves and about 8 hit points, but those factors are completely overwhelmed by what it does. (He's spent 2,850 gp on the greatsword - this seems, to me, a bargain).

The 9th level wizard in my Age of Worms game wrested the Staff of Dragon Tears from the leader of some vecna cultists. It has the properties of a rod of lesser enlarge, allows the reading and detection of magic at will, adds 2 to Intelligence, and can cast 3 magic missiles per day (at her caster level). The penalties are a -1 to caster level (which she's negated with Practiced Spellcaster), -1 to skill checks, and -1 to saves, and the loss of a 2nd level slot. This for 2,000 gp.

The 6th-level incarnate in my Ulek campaign discovered the Ring of Memories in a strange demiplane. At present, the ring allows him to use all Knowledge skills untrained, and can give a bonus to them with the investment of essentia. It also permits him to cast cure light wounds three times a day (extremely significant with his soulmelds) and to detect magic at will. He's given up a couple of hit points.

Because I don't tell my players the full abilities of the items, they're always discovering new things about them as they gain levels.

Cheers!

 

[Nightfall]

Merric,

I like the sword.

 

[MerricB]

Merric,

I like the sword.

So do I. It was the most impressive feat when Martin took down the Aspect on his own... just some really good play. And here I had a book that gave me some great ideas on how to reward him.

In the last session of AoW, they came up against both an evil outsider and a really tough critter in separate encounters. Both times, it was Alden's Greatsword that saved them - by bypassing DR, or through being keen - in the second combat, they were in a lot of trouble, but then Martin rolled two 17s, confirmed both, and suddenly inflicted 8d8+80 damage on the creature. (Alden was enlarged, raging and power attacking...)

Cheers!

 

[Nightfall]

Man enlarged AND enraged. Neato.

But yeah I'd reward something like that for the guy that killed the Ebon Aspect. Something like that, not easy to take down, no matter which version it is.