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koz
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### Scaling items for you awesome Tome users

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Post by koz » Mon May 04, 2009 9:54 pm

Essentially, I have attempted to create scaling magic items with a complete set of rules. Currently, only weapons are anything resembling done, but more should come soon. If this contains any repeats of Tome material, it is done only for the sake of clarity, or where changes have been made.
Magic Items
There are fundamentally two kinds of items - minor items (mass-produced shoddy stuff which can be found in any city of sufficient size) and major items (rare and unusual stuff which is not purchaseable for gold or gems alone, and needs to be quested for or made). There are also artifacts, which are just very powerful major items.
Item Fundamentals
Items can be used in three ways: wielded (such as a weapon), worn (such as armour) or consumed (such as a wand, potion or suchlike). The first two categories are termed permanent items. At any one time, a character can only make use of eight permanent items. An item must be wielded or worn by any given character for 1 minute to become 'theirs', and when relinquished, 1 minute must pass before it stops being 'theirs'. Note that simply sheathing a weapon or putting armour in a backpack won't stop it being 'yours' - there must be a conscious decision on the part of the character to reject the item. None of these apply to consumables.
What items your character chooses to wear are entirely up to them. If you wanna go gangsta and wear eight rings, or pimp and wear eight necklaces, or three crowns or whatever else, we're not going to stop you.
Minor Items
Minor items are something which every adventurer will have plenty of during their time. These are available to purchase freely, at a cost of 1000gp on top of whatever the item would normally cost, and provides one of the following bonuses. It is not possible to create minor items that carry multiples of these abilities. If any of these abilities would yield a fractional result, always round the fraction up.
Minor item abilities
- Enhancement bonus to a weapon's attack and damage rolls, equal to 1/3 per character level.
- Enhancement bonus to an armour's AC bonus, equal to 1/3 per character level.
- Enhancement bonus to one attribute of your choice, equal to 1/3 per character level.
- Resistance bonus to all saves, equal to 1/3 per character level.
- Competence bonus to skills, equal to 1/2 per character level.
- Energy resistance to one type of energy, equal to 1 per character level.
- Deflection bonus to AC, equal to 1/4 per character level.
- Enhancement bonus to movement speed, equal to 5ft per 3 character levels.
- Enhancement bonus to something else (natural armour, DR, SR, whatever), equal to 1/3 per character level.
The form taken by a minor item is entirely based on the one crafting them. It is possible to find shoes that give you Dexterity or hats that increase your SR. Obviously silly combinations (such as earrings that increase Strength) are much less likely. The DM should exercise some level of common sense when allowing PCs to craft minor items.
In terms of availability, there should be no limits on the purchase and acquisition of minor items by PCs, provided the local economy can sustain these purchases.
Major Items
Any minor magic item which possesses any non-minor item abilities (termed 'properties') is considered a major item. Major items cannot be purchased for gold or gems alone, and must be bartered, quested for, stolen or made. Major items have anywhere between 1 property (at the lowest end) to 4 properties (usually reserved for artifacts and suchlike). Much like minor item abilities, properties scale, but not always to character level - some may scale to skill ranks, others to BAB, and so on.
If an item exhibits multiple properties, only high-level characters can make use of them all; you may make use of a single property at level 3, up to two simultaneously at level 8, up the three simultaneously at level 13, and up to four simultaneously at level 18. It takes one minute of concentration to change which properties your item exhibits if you cannot use them all simultaneously.
Any saves a property calls for have a DC of 10+1/2 user's character level+user's Cha mod, and any spells that the item can use on the user's behalf are considered to have a caster level equal to the character level of the user.
How many major items the DM chooses to allow his PCs to find or craft is entirely up to them. These items are quite impressive, but do not grant disproportionate abilities to level, thus making them interesting to quest for and find. Usually, by about level 12, players will want to search for such items if they have not been given to them already, but there is no reason, aside from player and DM preference, for players not to find items such as these as early as level 3.
Artifacts
Artifacts are major items, but instead of using the user's character level, skill ranks etc, the weapon possesses its own. If the user's character level or other determining characteristic is higher than that of the artifact, use the better value - the artifact is a minimum, not a maximum. Like with major items, artifacts cannot be bought for gold or gems, and are usually extremely unique, which makes possessing them difficult.
Creating Magic Items
It takes a single day, as well as 500gp of resources, to create any minor magic item.
A major item takes longer to create. A single-property item requires 4 days, a two-property item, 8 days, a three-property item, 16 days, and a four-property item, 32 days. The cost remains at 500gp.
Artifacts cannot be made, except by unusual and powerful rituals, which are outside the scope of this document.
Weapon Properties
Anarchic
Your weapon is infused with the powers of Limbo. It's very shifty.
Level
3: Any attacks with the weapon are chaotic-aligned. As a swift action, you can command the weapon to transform into any weapon of the same size that you are proficient in, until commanded to transform back.
8: The weapon deals 2d6 additional damage to any lawful opponents it strikes.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, the struck target is affected as if struck by a prismatic spray spell.
18: The weapon is so shifty, it can be ordered to move on its own as a standard action. It fights for four rounds, uses the 'wielder's' BAB and combat statistics, including feats, and cannot be used to make AOOs for this time, but is otherwise considered to be wielded by the 'wielder' for all purposes. The weapon remains in the user's square during this time. It can be regrasped as a free action.
Axiomatic
Your weapon is infused with the powers of Mechanus. It's very solid and perfect.
Level
3: Any attacks with the weapon are lawful-aligned. Additionally, it gains additional hardness equal to your character level.
8: The weapon deals 2d6 additional damage to any chaotic opponents it strikes.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, the struck target is affected as if by a forcecage spell.
18: When the weapon scores a natural 20, followed by a confirmed critical hit, the struck target is affected as if by a temporal stasis spell.
Channelling
You can run magic through this weapon. It is covered in magic runes of awesomeness.
Level
3: As a swift action, you may sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot of any level. If you do, the weapon deals additional damage this round equal to twice the sacrificed spell's level.
8: You may cast a spell into the weapon, which remains stored in the weapon for 24 hours. After a successful hit, you can resolve the spell against the struck target, but affect no other targets even if the spell normally would. The spell must be able to target the target normally for it to have any effect this way. Spells requiring an attack roll (melee or ranged, touch or regular) automatically succeed on the attack roll. Only one spell may be triggered in this way per hit.
13: Anything struck by the weapon is subject to a targeted greater dispel magic effect. If this succeeds, the spell that was affecting the struck target can now affect you instead, for whatever duration remained. If you choose, this effect does not occur.
18: As an immediate action, you may activate this weapon to gain SR 13+character level for 1 round. Spells that fail to defeat this spell resistance are absorbed, and stored as per the level 8 ability. Only one stored spell can be released with each successful hit.
Cleaving [Melee weapons only]
Your weapon can be swung in big, wide arcs to hit many people at once. It's awesome.
Level
3: You gain a +2 bonus on combat manoeuvres as long as you wield the weapon.
8: Anything struck by the weapon must make a Fort save or be pushed back 10ft.
13: You can swing the weapon in such big arcs that as a standard action, you may make an attack that affects everyone within reach. Instead of making an attack roll, all opponents in the affected area must make a Reflex save, and on a passed save, take half damage. If the weapon deals any effects on a hit, it applies to all opponents who fail their save, unless the effect calls for its own save, in which case it is made normally. Effects that apply on critical hits apply on a natural 1 on the save instead.
18: When the weapon scores a critical hit, the target is subject to a bull rush attack by the weapon's wielder. He adds his level as a bonus to the bull rush check, and the wielder does not move with the target. The target moves the maximum distance possible, and if it encounters an obstacle, it stops moving, and both the obstacle and the target receive 1d6 damage per 5ft of movement remaining, and the target is knocked prone. If the obstacle is a creature, it may attempt a Reflex save to avoid the collision, and the target passes through the square unimpeded if the save succeeds.
Defending [Melee weapons only]
Your weapon rushes to protect you. It's very beat-up because of that.
Level
3: Whenever you use the Combat Expertise option, you receive an additional +2 bonus to AC on top of the usual benefits.
8: You receive an shield bonus to AC equal to 5+the weapon's enhancement bonus, which applies against touch attacks.
13: As a swift action, you can grant the 8 ability bonus to an ally within 30ft. This bonus remains until the ally leaves the affected area, or you change the target with another swift action.
18: As an immediate action, you can grant all allies within 30ft a +6 deflection bonus to AC, a +6 resistance bonus on all saves, and SR 12+your character level for 1 round.
Flaming
Your weapons burns. It's very hot.
Level
3: Anything struck by the weapon must make a Reflex save or catch on fire.
8: The weapon deals an additional 1d6 fire damage with each attack. This is not multiplied on a critical hit.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d10 fire damage if the critical multiplier is x2, an extra 2d10 if it's x3, an extra 3d10 if it's x4, and so on.
18: As a swift action at will, the weapon can be transformed into a column of fire, which causes the weapon's damage to become entirely fire, but allowing it to ignore armour and natural armour bonuses to AC.
Frost
Your weapon is very very cold. Very very very cold.
Level
3: When the weapon scores a critical hit, the target is entangled for one round in addition to the damage.
8: The weapon deals an additional 1d6 cold damage with each attack. This is not multiplied on a critical hit.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d10 cold damage if the critical multiplier is x2, an extra 2d10 if it's x3, an extra 3d10 if it's x4, and so on.
18: As a swift action, the weapon can be transformed into an beam of freezing power. It deals entirely cold damage, but anyone struck by it becomes slowed for 1d4 rounds.
Ghostbuster
Your weapon is good against ghosts. It's kinda ghosty itself, come to think of it.
Level
3: The weapon is treated as being either incorporeal or corporeal, whichever is more favourable, at all times.
8: You have see invisibility active as long as you grasp the weapon.
13: You may ignore any critical hit and sneak attack immunity of undead that you attack with the weapon.
18: Any incorporeal creature damaged by the weapon loses its incorporeal miss chance and 50% chance to ignore spells for 1 minute. A second activation of this ability while a first is already active does nothing.
Hating
Your weapon is quenched in the blood of an enemy and magicked up. It's very angry at them and wants to kill them.
Level
3: Choose one type according to the table. This weapon ignores any DR possessed by this type.
8: You gain mindsight out to Long range, but it can only detect the chosen type.
13: The weapon deals 1 point of damage to a single ability score when used against the chosen type. You can change the ability score being damaged as a swift action.
18: Whenever the weapon strikes the chosen type, the target struck must make a Fort save or be slowed for 1 round. For the Unliving type, this is a Will save instead.
Hating Table
Mortal: monstrous humanoids, humanoids, giants
Beast: animals, magical beasts, plants, vermin
Elemental subtype: acid, air, cold, earth, fire, electricity, sonic, water (chosen from this list - for example, water-hating)
Alignment subtype: chaotic, evil, good, lawful (chosen from this list - for example, chaotic-hating)
Unliving: undead, constructs
Supernatural: abberations, fey, oozes
Holy
Your weapon is full of holy holiness. It's shiny and awesome.
Level
3: Any attacks with this weapon are good-aligned. Additionally, it sheds light like a light spell.
8: The weapon deals 2d6 additional damage to any evil target it strikes.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, the target is affected by a holy smite spell and a dismissal spell. The effects are simultaneous.
18: Anyone holding this weapon emits an angel's protective aura, but the range and bonuses are doubled.
Merciful
Your weapon doesn't kill people as much as knock them out. It's a rarity.
Level
3: You can deal either lethal or nonlethal damage with the weapon, changeable as a swift action.
8: Whenever the weapon hits, you may perform a trip attempt against the opponent as a free action.
13: Whenever the weapon hits, you may perform a bull rush attempt against the opponent as a free action.
18: Whenever a critical hit is scored by the weapon, the target is stunned for 1 round.
Throwing [Melee weapons only]
You can throw this weapon, although it normally has the ballistic properties of a wet fish. It hits hard.
Level
3: The weapon can be thrown, and is considered to have a range increment of 10ft per point of enhancement bonus. The weapon also returns to your hand immediately after it's thrown, but you may only make one attack with it per round.
8: Your weapon returns faster, allowing you to make as many attacks with it per round as you normally could.
13: You may perform a bull rush manoeuvre against any target you hit with the weapon when it's thrown, and receive a +2 bonus on any checks you make. Use the weapon's movement rather than your own for the purpose of the bull rush (thus, the distance the weapon travels is the distance you have 'moved' for bull rush purposes).
18: You may make a special throwing attack as a standard action, which affects everything within one increment of the weapon's range. Anything within that area is dealt the weapon's damage, with a Reflex save for half. Any effects which trigger on a critical hit trigger on a natural 1 on the save instead. Additionally, you may perform a bull rush attempt against any target that fails their Reflex save, using the weapon's movement rather than your own, as per the 13 ability.
Thundering
Your weapon is an honest-to-goodness vibroblade. It hums and vibrates when drawn.
Level
3: The weapon ignores hardness as if made of adamantine. If it's also made of adamantine, it ignores all hardness.
8: The weapon deals an additional 1d4 sonic damage with each attack. This is not multiplied on a critical hit.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d8 sonic damage if the critical multiplier is x2, an extra 2d8 if it's x3, an extra 3d8 if it's x4, and so on.
18: As a swift action, you can command the weapon to become a column of noise. It deals sonic damage and causes anyone struck by it to become staggered for 1 round unless they make a Fort save.
Sharpness
Your weapon is nasty-sharp. It cuts things long time.
Level
3: The weapon's critical threat range is doubled.
8: The weapon's critical multiplier is increased by 2.
13: If you spend a move action, the next attack made with this weapon is a touch attack.
18: Whenever you roll a natural 20, followed by a confirmed critical hit, you destroy your opponent's head, or some other vital area, killing them instantly.
Shock
Your weapon is a living pile of lightning. It's very shocking and smells like ozone all the time.
Level
3: Anything struck by the weapon must make a Fort save or be entangled for 1 round.
8: The weapon deals an additional 1d6 electricity damage with each attack. This is not multiplied on a critical hit.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d10 electricity damage if the critical multiplier is x2, an extra 2d10 if it's x3, an extra 3d10 if it's x4, and so on.
18: When the weapon scores a critical hit, the target struck is affected as if by a chain lightning spell, with appropriate secondary targets, with a CL equal to your character level.
Speed
Your weapon is so fast, it's blurry. Very very blurry.
Level
3: You receive an enhancement bonus on initiative checks equal to this weapon's enhancement bonus.
8: The weapon is so blurry that your first attack each round ignores the target's Dex to AC.
13: When making a full attack with the weapon, you get an additional attack at your highest BAB.
18: You can make a full attack with the weapon as a standard action.
Unholy
Your weapon is full of evil evilness. It's strangely dark all the time.
Level
3: Any attacks with this weapon are evil-aligned. Additionally, it sheds a darkness spell, but the wielder is excluded.
8: The weapon deals 2d6 additional damage to any good target it strikes.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, the target is affected by a bestow curse and an unholy blight spell. Both effects take place simulteneously.
18: Whenever the weapon hits a non-evil target, they must make a Fort save or become sickened for 1d4+1 rounds. Creatures who are already sickened are nauseated instead for 1d4+1 rounds instead. Good targets receive a penalty on their save against this equal to the wielder's Charisma modifier, with a minimum of -4.
Vicious
Your weapon is like a rabid wolverine with iron teeth. It turns people to shreds.
Level
3: As a swift action, you can command your weapon to gnash and tear like crazy. Any attacks with the weapon deal an additional 2d6 damage, but in return, you are dealt 1d6 damage. Another swift action returns it to normal.
8: Your weapon deals an additional 1 point of Con damage with each hit.
13: The weapon's critical multiplier increases by 2.
18: Whenever the weapon scores a critical hit, the opponent is affected by a disintegrate spell, with a CL equal to your character level.
Specific Weapons
Some major magic items acquire legends and stories of their own, without being artifacts. They are, however, both named and famous, and have abilities which other items of their kind do not possess. Specific weapons have the properties they are ascribed, and function as they would normally. They also have a special set of properties which do not scale to levels.
Assassin's Dagger
This deadly tool of killing has become infamous among those who do not practice the art of contract killing, and famous with those that do.
Unholy dagger
Sleight of Hand ranks
6: Whenever the weapon scores a critical hit, the opponent must make a Fort save or become poisoned by a poison dealing 1d4 Con damage as both initial and secondary damage. The damage improves by 1 dice grade for every 3 ranks in Sleight of Hand above 6 the wielder has.
11: As a standard action, you may use blink, as the spell.
16: As a swift action, you can cause the weapon's next attack to be resolved as a touch attack.
21: Once per hour, you may use etherealness, as the spell.
Dwarven Thrower
This is a powerful throwing hammer, said to resemble that of Moradin himself, used with pride by many dwarves.
Throwing giant-hating warhammer
BAB
3: Any size penalties to AC are doubled against attacks with the weapon.
8: The weapon's critical threat range is doubled.
13: When the weapon scores a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d8 damage if the critical multiplier is x2, an extra 2d8 if it's x3, an extra 3d8 if it's x4, and so on.
18: The weapon deals damage as if it were five size categories larger.
Frost Brand
This ranseur sheds a blue light, and seems to be made from perfect ice.
Frost ranseur
Knowledge (arcana) ranks
6: You gain fire resistance equal to your character level. The weapon also sheds light as a light spell, except the light is blue.
11: As a swift action, you may use greater dispel magic, as the spell, except that it is only effective against spells with the [Fire] descriptor. If used on a nonmagical fire, it automatically extinguishes it.
16: As a swift action, you may fire a ray out to Close range. The ray deals 1d6 cold damage per character level, and any target struck by it must make a Fort save or take 2d6 Dexterity damage.
21: Any fire damage dealt to the user of the weapon is instead converted to twice its amount in healing.
Holy avenger
The greatest weapon a paladin can have.
Holy great-hammer (uses greatclub stats)
Knowledge (religion)
6: Any attacks the weapon makes are considered to be of whatever material is most advantageous in that situation.
11: You gain SR equal to 5+character level. Anyone adjacent to you also receives the same benefits.
16: Whenever the weapon hits a target successfully, the target is subject to a greater dispel magic spell.
21: You may ignore the critical hit immunity of any evil creatures, and your critical hit multiplier improves by 1 against them.
Javelin of Lightning
This javelin becomes a lightning bolt when thrown, and is deadly when wielded by storm-users.
Shock javelin
Knowledge (nature) ranks
6: The weapon attracts lightning, giving its enhancement bonus to any saves the wielder makes against effects which deal electricity damage or have the [Electricity] descriptor.
11: As a standard action, the weapon may be thrown as a bolt of lightning. This transforms the attack into a line 40ft long per point of weapon enhancement. Anything under this line receives the weapon's damage, with a Reflex save for half. If the weapon deals any effects on a hit, it applies to all opponents who fail their save, unless the effect calls for its own save, in which case it is made normally. Effects that apply on critical hits apply on a natural 1 on the save instead. The weapon returns to its wielder's hand at the end of the attack.
16: As a standard action, you may transform yourself into lightning, which rushes you towards a location of your choosing before reforming you, fritzing everyone and everything in your way. This functions like a dimension door spell, except that everything in a straight line from your current to your final location is dealt 1d6 electricity damage per character level, with a Ref save for half.
21: As a standard action, you can transform your body into a leaping bolt of lightning. You may strike a target within Close range, dealing 1d6 electricity damage per character level, with a Fort save for half. Subsequently, you may leap to a secondary target within Close range of the first one, but deal half the damage dice. You may repeat this as many times as you choose, halving the damage dice each time, to a minimum of 1d6 damage. You reform into your body adjacent to the last target.
Life-Drinker
An axe which hurts its users as much as they hurt others.
Vicious great-axe
BAB
3: Every time you successfully hit and deal damage with the weapon, you heal a number of hit points equal to your Cha mod.
8: You may increase the benefits of the level 3 ability of vicious by up to a number of d6s equal to your character level, in return for receiving a like number of d6s in additional nonlethal damage.
13: Each successful hit with the weapon bestows a negative level on the target, with a Fort save negating it.
18: When you successfully reduce an opponent to 0 or fewer hp with this weapon, you may use an immediate action to activate a heal effect, as the spell, on yourself.
Luck Blade
This kukri is blessed with the powers of good fortune.
Defending kukri
Character level
3: Whenever you make a reroll, you may add your Cha modifier to the result of the second roll.
8: Once per hour, you may reroll any d20 roll you make. The second result stands.
13: Any re-roll that gives a minimum score (such as a 1 on a d20) gives an average result instead (a 10 on a d20).
18: Once per day, you may use wish as the spell. You may only make 'free' wishes with this spell.
Sun Blade
Made by clerics of Pelor, this weapon is very much liked by halflings.
Flaming bastard sword
BAB
3: As a standard action, you may use scorching ray, as the spell.
8: While in sunlight, or any effect that mimics it, the weapon deals damage as if it were two size categories larger. Additionally, the user may use his Cha bonus to determine weapon damage instead of his Str bonus.
13: You are considered to be under a constant sunbeam spell.
18: As a full-round action, you may use mass heal, as the spell.
Trident of Warning
A powerful tool for those who often treat with sea beings.
Water-hating trident
Knowledge (geography) ranks
6: You can speak to all aquatic beings as if you had a language in common, even if they are of animal intelligence.
11: You can determine the location, depth, kind and number of all aquatic beings within 100ft per character level. You must still make appropriate Knowledge checks to gain more information about them as normal. You also gain a swim speed equal to your land speed.
16: You may use dominate monster, as the spell, but only against aquatic beings.
21: You may use tsunami, as the spell.
World Reaper
The world may burn, but you shall feast.
Ghostbuster scythe of sharpness
Knowledge (the planes) ranks
6: Your first attack each round with the weapon ignores DR and hardness.
11: You ignore the critical hit and/or sneak attack immunity of creatures when attacking with the weapon.
16: As a swift action, you can cut a portal to any plane, identically to the transport option of gate. The portal remains for 1 round before collapsing.
21: As a standard action, you can cut loose the fabric of reality in a 90ft arc (two-dimensional cone). All creatures and unattended objects in the area are subject to a disintegrate spell, but it is subject to a Reflex save instead of a Fort save.
As ever, any and all comments and critiques are very welcome. This was a long time coming, but as ever, veekie, ubernoob and Bigode deserve big thanks for their time in dealing with my endless insanity.
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TarkisFlux
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Post by TarkisFlux » Mon May 04, 2009 10:29 pm

I'll go over the properties in a bit, but this stood out:

> ... Note that simply sheathing a weapon or putting armour in a backpack won't stop it being 'yours' - there must be a conscious decision on the part of the character to reject the item. None of these apply to consumables.

I get the desire to bond swords or crap to people and let them put them down, but this looks like if an item is stolen it's still mine until I make a conscious decision to let it go or bind something else. So I get to keep it from working for the new owner until I feel like letting them enjoy it or have to bind something else. Is that intentional?
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Post by koz » Mon May 04, 2009 10:32 pm

Yeah, good catch, Tarkis. That's not my intention at all. What I really wanted to say was that 'sheathing a sword is OK, but if it gets nixed, it's not yours after a minute is over'. Not entirely sure how to word that, either... goddamn assignments.
Everything I learned about DnD, I learned from Frank Trollman.

> Kaelik wrote:You are so full of Strawmen that I can only assume you actually shit actual straw.

> souran wrote:...uber, nerd-rage-inducing, minutia-devoted, pointless blithering shit.

> Schwarzkopf wrote:The Den, your one-stop shop for in-depth analysis of Dungeons & Dragons and distressingly credible threats of oral rape.

> DSM wrote:Apparently, The GM's Going To Punch You in Your Goddamned Face edition of D&D is getting more traction than I expected. Well, it beats playing 4th. Probably 5th, too.

> Frank Trollman wrote:Giving someone a mouth full of cock is a standard action.

> PoliteNewb wrote:If size means anything, it's what position you have to get in to give a BJ.

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Post by IGTN » Mon May 04, 2009 11:30 pm

Most of your weapon properties are underpowered compared to those already in the BoG draft. All of the Major weapons there (coming online at around level 13-ish, probably) have an on-hit save or die. That's about the power level where things should be.
The Axiomatic level 3 power sucks compared to Anarchic. Anarchic gives you the all-in-one weapon (need reach? Need a specific damage type? Need close-in? Need a bow?), but Axiomatic just makes your weapon sunder resistant, which was taken out of the game. Forcecage is also not very good; it seriously lasts one round against anything you care about, although the lack of a save makes it worthwhile, I suppose. You'll want to modify the spell; specify barred or solid, and probably that it completely encloses the hit creature's space and no more, then make it on-hit, not on-crit. Same for Temporal Stasis and Prismatic Spray. Also the level 8 damage bonus could be higher.
Channelling 3 is useless too. Seriously, a 1st-level spell for +2 damage for one round?. Gish spell slots are expensive except for specialized gish classes; wasting them like that is not good. It should be a new ability, not more damage on an old ability. Maybe an ability to penetrate spell-based defenses or something.
3: As a swift action, you may sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot of any level. If you do, your attacks with this weapon ignore all ongoing spell effects of the same level or lower for one round. This includes indirect effects such as Displacement. If you cannot see the caster, you must target the right square, but then ignore alll concealment granted by ignored spell effects.
18 might do better with a Spell Turning effect added.
Cleaving: Basing the save DC on CHA makes no sense. I'd change this to STR. The ability to attack everyone around you is available at a far lower level than 13 through feats. Knockback is also not good as an automatic weapon effect. 3 isn't a new ability, it's just doing the same thing better. Fix that. Rewrite the whole thing.
Maybe 3 gives you the wolf's trip ability, 8 gives you the ability to launch people that you trip, 13 gives all of your attacks a secondary target, but doesn't allow you to attack a secondary target more than once, and 18 launches people, then knocks them out.
Defending is a turtle weapon. 3 gives you seriously very little reason not to use Expertise 1 all the time. 8 invalidates shields completely (seriously, your weapon is a shield two points better than a tower shield, and you can even have this on your armor spikes). 13 needs to specify if the bonus is shared or moved. 18, likewise, is just numbers.
Flaming and Frost both suck. Ignoring the CHA-based DC on Flaming 3, which just sucks, adding 1d6 damage is not a cool ability at level 8; the damage output should be higher, or you should add the Burst then, too, or something. Flame Blade is a second-level spell. It is not a level-appropriate ability for the 18th level on a weapon. At that level, the weapon should be killing people to death in a single hit. Maybe at level 18 it should be able to cast Maximized Meteor Swarm as a swift action following a hit, with all meteors impacting the target hit and not affecting the wielder. Maybe the wielder should be immune or resistant to fire, too. Put that in as a level 13 ability. Frost needs something similar, but I'm not sure what spell is best there. Maybe Temporal Stasis, maybe Flesh to Ice.
Ghostbuster is good right up until level 13, when it turns to crap. Gravestrike is cheap. Make it give you something cool, there. Maybe move the 18 ability there. Also, 18 (now 13) should refresh duration on new hits. Let's replace 18 with something that destroys all undead who have less than, say, 150 hit points remaining after being struck with it.
The 13 and 18 abilities of Hater weapons also suck. 18 should simply kill (as, say, Finger of Death. Ability damage is a shitty mechanic. Apply straight penalties to something and say they stack, instead. Alternately, since Enervation is totally six levels ago for the casters, handing it out on every attack would not be out of line.
Holy sucks. Making a weapon (or stick) shed light forever is a 2nd-level spell; it's not a major item property even at level 3. Once again, Anarchic has the best level 3. Level 13 is decent. An angel's protective aura is not that great for a level 18 ability. It does make people (by which I mean did make me) look it up, though. If you change it so that it's not the same mechanic, it just does the same thing (maybe somewhat better), that might work better.
Merciful just sucks. Level 3 isn't actually bad, although maybe instead make it so that you just take no penalties when you strike for nonlethal damage. Level 8 is not a level 8 ability; I gave it to Cleaving at level 3. Level 13 is not good either (Cleaving 8), and I don't see it as particularly "merciful." Level 18 just sucks; Stun-on-hit (not crit) is a level 1 class feature for monks, and going from on-hit, save to on-crit, no save is about even (maybe actually bad); it's also available to feats at level 6. Rewrite the last three abilities, or sweep this power under the rug and pretend you never wrote it. Here, I'll get you started:
8: Any creature you hit with this weapon must make a Will save or be dazed for one round, plus one round per five points on your Base Attack Bonus beyond the first.
Throwing is decent, although I'd get rid of the 13 ability and move the 18 ability down; maybe at 8 I'd give the ability to make combat maneuvers as though you were in melee. I'd also give the option of several areas (line to 5 increments, cone to two, or burst to one, for instance), and make attack rolls instead of saves, although that's just personal preference. The 18 ability, once again, should be more destructive, although since it's on an AoE power, it doesn't need to be save or die. Damage or stunlock would go well on it, though.
Thundering 8 should do more damage. Thundering should have the ability to deafen somewhere. Thundering 18 is thematic with all of your other energy type 18s, which aren't very good. Also, seriously, "a column of noise"? It should probably have a save or die there. It's also got the same problems as Flaming and Frost.
Sharpness is decent, except at 13. Wraithstrike is a second level spell that is better than this in every way: swift instead of move, one round instead of one attack. 18 shouldn't need a natural 20, maybe just make it be save or die on hit against crit-vulnerable targets. That way it doesn't invalidate the level 8 ability.
Shock has the same problems as all of your other energy types. 18 should do more damage, or be a general proc on hit (seriously casting a 6th-level direct damage spell 4 times a round at level 18 is no big deal).
Speed is good, although it's final ability was given two levels earlier by Blitz.
Unholy needs to explain what it means by shedding darkness "but the wielder is excluded." Can others still see you in the dark? Do you just get darkvision that can see through it? It has the same problems all of the other aligned types have. Also Bestow Curse is a very general spell; replace it with something more specific (a specific curse, for instance, or Poison). The level 18 ability could easily just be a single-target Blasphemy (value added, probably. Enervation + Blasphemy, for example), or Finger of Death, or Trap the Soul. Also, using an ability twice for a save DC is bad and RNG-smashing.
Vicious should get full Wounding (2 points) at level 8. Increasing your crit multiplier here looks like a filler ability, so you should probably get rid of it and replace it with something cool (damage inflicted cannot be healed, for example, or a temporary half effect from healing spells). 18 is actually pretty good, although I'd take the save off if it only procs on crit.
Last edited by IGTN on Mon May 04, 2009 11:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Orion
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Post by Orion » Mon May 04, 2009 11:58 pm

Skill bonus items shouldn't scale. Make them a flat +5.
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IGTN
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Post by IGTN » Tue May 05, 2009 2:30 am

> Boolean wrote:Skill bonus items shouldn't scale. Make them a flat +5.

Why? All the other RNG bonuses scale, and that part is straight out of the book of gears. Absurd skill bonuses are part of the balance point, I think.
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ubernoob
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Post by ubernoob » Tue May 05, 2009 2:57 am

I've given Sinister my suggestions over MSN, but IGTN has already hit a lot of points.
In general though, I'd like to only see one "special" (either a property or the special stuff for the specific weapons, but not both) active at any given time.
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Orion
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Post by Orion » Tue May 05, 2009 7:19 am

The book of Gears made the Skill bonus 1 per level, not one per two levels as in your post. And that's frankly pretty much necessary. I mean under your proposal A level 6 adventurer (6 being as high a level as many groups even want to go) is getting seriously a +3 to the skill. That's the same as the old insulting Skill Focus that nobody took, and it's equally insulting as a magic item.
Seriously that's not enough to make you as good at an untrained skill as a 1st-level character and it isn't enough for one trained character to get the edge on another one with better stats. At lower levels the bonus is even more clownshoes.
Now in order to give vaguely worthwhile bonuses at lower levels, the F&K one gets completely ridiculous. +20 skill bonuses aren't good for the game and should just not happen. So while we're stuck with scaling bonuses to hit and AC because of the quadratic progression of monster stats, the old D&D skill system really isn't salvageable. Tanks need 50+ AC so we need those +6 amulets in the game, but there's really no reason we should want anyone throwing +70 skill checks around.
Just make it a solid +5.
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