Weapons of Legacy preview

[DungeonmasterCal]

I'm sure this has been mentioned elsewhere on the boards, but I couldn't find it. I just read this and thought it was a pretty neat little doohickey. If this is the sort of stuff I can find in WoL, it's a sure buy for me.

http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20050602b&page=3

 

[Jdvn1]

... That's pretty cool stuff. I want that book.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Yeah, that preview may well have converted me. It didn't occur to me that they'd work the same way as Dragonmarks in Eberron do, more or less, but it's a good solution, less clunky than requiring a prestige class (but having it available if people want to go hardcore).

 

[KB9JMQ]

It looks pretty good. Hope to hear good reviews about it.

 

[Klaus]

That scimitar is mighty cool (or hot, even). I loved the description of how the wielder of the blade casts Burning Hands and Fireball!

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

Anyone notice the personal costs from advancing the weapon? That seems like a very bizarre way of handling the weapon's progression. Also, I'm assuming those are the total penalties (attack penalty, save penalty) and not added together. And the skill point loss... wow. 18 skill points is nothing to sneeze at. It just seems like a lot more bookkeping than necessary.

Still, I'll almost definitely be picking this one up. Hopefully all the weapons will have those great historical details. I loved reading the history of the weapon and the flavor of the rituals. This definitely has a great deal of potential. I've been waiting eagerly for another Draconomicon; maybe this is it.

 

[BOZ]

durn filters... will have to check this out at home.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Anyone notice the personal costs from advancing the weapon? That seems like a very bizarre way of handling the weapon's progression. Also, I'm assuming those are the total penalties (attack penalty, save penalty) and not added together. And the skill point loss... wow. 18 skill points is nothing to sneeze at. It just seems like a lot more bookkeping than necessary.

Since there are rules for DMs/players making their own ____ of Legacy, I imagine the way the stat losses are handled is laid out pretty clearly. I agree with you; if I were making my own item under these rules, I'd be inclined to make it as penalty-light as possible. Burning three feats alone is a pretty serious restriction in my world.

And you just know that day one after this book hits the street, we'll see people posting One Ring conversions. (WotC got it wrong about Excalibur, though -- the sword in the stone was a different sword in most legends. Excalibur was handed out by some moistened bint, some watery tart.)

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I agree with you; if I were making my own item under these rules, I'd be inclined to make it as penalty-light as possible. Burning three feats alone is a pretty serious restriction in my world.

Hey, not just in your world! Characters only get 7 feats over the course of their careers, 8 if they're human (not counting bonus feats, of course). Making a character blow a feat or two to use the weapon would be pretty costly, IME.

Using a standard wealth limits, rather than dock characters attack bonus, skills, etc, I'd gradually reduce the character's item slots as the weapon in question progressed.

 

[Morrow]

I'm not entirely clear on those legacy feats. The way the section is worded it looks like you get those as bonus feats.

As for the advancement costs, I think they make a lot of sense. You get a lot of abilities as the weapon advances. If it was layed out as a prestige class (like those in the Game Mechanics' Artifacts of the Ages series) you would probably end up taking a hit in some combination of hit dice size, bab, save progression, skill points, class skill list, and class abilities. If the progression had been built into a prestige class a doubt anyone would complain about taking an equivelent hit. Okay, someone would have complained, but to the majority it would have been clear that you don't get something for nothing.

I like this solution, you pay similar costs to what you would by taking a prestige class to get the abilities, but you can continue to stack up class benefits for your chosen core or prestige class while still unlocking the weapon of legacy's powers.

Morrow