Kol Korran
2009-06-18, 04:20 PM
Edit: changed the items due to recommendation
first of all, if your character make be called Vip, Grey, Andrea, Riardis or Matt, then close this thread. it will only ruin thigns for you guys.
ok, so the story is this- the party have gone through some hardships, and is reaching a unique settlement where they will be given unique items. the items purpose is:
1) i wanted to add something more special than just the random items. these items are supposed to be with the characters through most (if not all) their career. the item will gain powers- the bonuses will increase, the existing powers will become more powerfull, and they may gain more powers.
2) they are a part of the chacater, and reflect on it. depending on the choices the characters make, and what adventures they go thorugh, the items will evolve differently.
3) not sure yet, but they might even develop intelligence and partial personalities of their own. still unsure about that.
4) of course there are plot and campaign issues tied to the items, but i won't get into that here.
so. i've talked with the players (and i know them myself), and each one has given me the major points of importence for their character. i've tried to shape the items on that basis, with my aim is an item equeling power level 6-7 approximatly. all items daily powers require a healing surge to activate. this is part of the "blood magic" that was needed to create them, so that stays, unless someone can give me another idea. i'm realy unsure they are balanced well, so here we go:
the first character is a highly religious dragonborn paladin. he is the unofficial leader of the party. a very able combatant, his roleplay focuses on him as a holy warrior against the specific evils in this campaing world. he also focuses on his dragon heritage (cold subtype dragons), and assisting his allies as much as possible. so i present to you. so i made a sort of a "sword of light"
Vip's Sword
Enhancement: +1 to Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Property: This weapon can shed bright or dim light up to 20 squares. You control the brightness and range of the light.
Property: You can use this weapon as a holy symbol. It adds its enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls when used in this manner.
Power (At-Will ✦ Radiant): Free Action. All damage dealt by this weapon is radiant damage. Another free action returns the damage to normal.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Allies (and yourself) in a close burst gain a power bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the enhancement bonus of the weapon. Sustain minor up to 3 rounds.
i think that i may have added to many at will powers. too much? not enough? what do you say?
the second guy is a drow rogue. a bastard of a character, aiming to kill, and make fun of his enemies as he does so (think Belkar, just a team player)
Grey's dagger
Enhancement: +1 to Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 necrotic damage per plus, and 5 ongoing necrotic damage (with a -2 for the ongoing saving throws)
Property: if you make an attack while hidden and miss you stay hidden.
Property: the range of the dagger increases to 10. long range increases to 15
Power (Daily ✦ Necrotic): Free Action. When you hit an opponent, spend a healing surge to activate this ability. If you do so, you can immediately change the hit into a critical hit (including the effects of this weapon)
i realy think i haven't done enough for him. sure, he gets one bombastic hit per day, but still... feels lacking.
the third is a drow bard, playing heavily on the role of the bitch seductress. she wanted some sort of jewellery, instead of an implemenet. i thoought some sort of exotic head band, perhaps with a veil, i'm unsure. was a bit stuck about this item as well. added some entirely custom power which i think she would like, the item is a sort of a headband of telepathy.
Andrea's head band
Property: +1 to charisma skill checks and insight.
Property: the bearer can has telepathy with allies. They must be up to 5 squars away.
Power (daily ✦Psychic): minor action. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Cha vs will, area blast 1 range 10. Hit: targets are dazed (save ends)B]
this item too feels a bit... empty. thoughts? also, can anyone think of a suitable name for this piece of jewelery?
the fourth guy i didn't get much input from. he plays a human fighter with an odd build, focusing fire on himself but being mostly effective in opportunity attacks. the player likes to help others, and avoid the spot light, but is realy, realy defense focused. this item was hashed up from properties of different other items.
Matt's armor
Enhancement: +1 AC
Property: Whenever a critical hit is scored against you, roll1d20. On a result of 16–20, the critical hit becomes a normal hit.
Power (At-Will): Minor Action. Use this power when you are adjacent to an ally who is subject to an effect that a save can end. The ally is no longer affected, and you now have the effect. You cannot make a saving throw against this effect until the end of your next
[B]Power (Daily): Minor Action. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Until the end of the encounter, you gain resistance 3 to untyped damage (normal damage).
um, i feel quite ok with this item. a bit bland, but very befitting the them. ideas for improvment?
the last player is the most problematic of all. playing an eladrin wizard, he is the joker of the party, with a very lapsing memory, always forgetting his powers and so on. the character itself is, of course, an amnesia case... i tried to build the item focusing on memory themes, and adding a bit of protection since he got hit alot. added properties from stuff of defense and mnemonic stuff, plus an daily power i thought people might enjoy, and that might lead to interesting situations
Riadris staff
Implement (Staff )
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: +1 to all defenses
Property: when preparing spells for the day, you can choose to remember both spells from one daily or utility level. This way you can use either, but when you use one of them you immediately have expanded the other as well.
Power (Daily): minor. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Intelligence vs. will. range 10. Hit: the target can only use it's at will powers (save ends, -2 for the saves).
what do you say folks? fitting our absentminded wizard?
so good people of the forum, since this is the first time i'm doing this, and the first time i'm DMing 4E, do you think this items are balanced with each other? if not, what should i change? are they too powerfull? or are they just ill built?
all advice is welcomed.
EDIT: changed the items due to recommendations.
first of all, if your character make be called Vip, Grey, Andrea, Riardis or Matt, then close this thread. it will only ruin thigns for you guys.
ok, so the story is this- the party have gone through some hardships, and is reaching a unique settlement where they will be given unique items. the items purpose is:
1) i wanted to add something more special than just the random items. these items are supposed to be with the characters through most (if not all) their career. the item will gain powers- the bonuses will increase, the existing powers will become more powerfull, and they may gain more powers.
2) they are a part of the chacater, and reflect on it. depending on the choices the characters make, and what adventures they go thorugh, the items will evolve differently.
3) not sure yet, but they might even develop intelligence and partial personalities of their own. still unsure about that.
4) of course there are plot and campaign issues tied to the items, but i won't get into that here.
so. i've talked with the players (and i know them myself), and each one has given me the major points of importence for their character. i've tried to shape the items on that basis, with my aim is an item equeling power level 6-7 approximatly. all items daily powers require a healing surge to activate. this is part of the "blood magic" that was needed to create them, so that stays, unless someone can give me another idea. i'm realy unsure they are balanced well, so here we go:
the first character is a highly religious dragonborn paladin. he is the unofficial leader of the party. a very able combatant, his roleplay focuses on him as a holy warrior against the specific evils in this campaing world. he also focuses on his dragon heritage (cold subtype dragons), and assisting his allies as much as possible. so i present to you. so i made a sort of a "sword of light"
Vip's Sword
Enhancement: +1 to Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Property: This weapon can shed bright or dim light up to 20 squares. You control the brightness and range of the light.
Property: You can use this weapon as a holy symbol. It adds its enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls when used in this manner.
Power (At-Will ✦ Radiant): Free Action. All damage dealt by this weapon is radiant damage. Another free action returns the damage to normal.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Allies (and yourself) in a close burst gain a power bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to the enhancement bonus of the weapon. Sustain minor up to 3 rounds.
i think that i may have added to many at will powers. too much? not enough? what do you say?
the second guy is a drow rogue. a bastard of a character, aiming to kill, and make fun of his enemies as he does so (think Belkar, just a team player)
Grey's dagger
Enhancement: +1 to Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 necrotic damage per plus, and 5 ongoing necrotic damage (with a -2 for the ongoing saving throws)
Property: if you make an attack while hidden and miss you stay hidden.
Property: the range of the dagger increases to 10. long range increases to 15
Power (Daily ✦ Necrotic): Free Action. When you hit an opponent, spend a healing surge to activate this ability. If you do so, you can immediately change the hit into a critical hit (including the effects of this weapon)
i realy think i haven't done enough for him. sure, he gets one bombastic hit per day, but still... feels lacking.
the third is a drow bard, playing heavily on the role of the bitch seductress. she wanted some sort of jewellery, instead of an implemenet. i thoought some sort of exotic head band, perhaps with a veil, i'm unsure. was a bit stuck about this item as well. added some entirely custom power which i think she would like, the item is a sort of a headband of telepathy.
Andrea's head band
Property: +1 to charisma skill checks and insight.
Property: the bearer can has telepathy with allies. They must be up to 5 squars away.
Power (daily ✦Psychic): minor action. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Cha vs will, area blast 1 range 10. Hit: targets are dazed (save ends)B]
this item too feels a bit... empty. thoughts? also, can anyone think of a suitable name for this piece of jewelery?
the fourth guy i didn't get much input from. he plays a human fighter with an odd build, focusing fire on himself but being mostly effective in opportunity attacks. the player likes to help others, and avoid the spot light, but is realy, realy defense focused. this item was hashed up from properties of different other items.
Matt's armor
Enhancement: +1 AC
Property: Whenever a critical hit is scored against you, roll1d20. On a result of 16–20, the critical hit becomes a normal hit.
Power (At-Will): Minor Action. Use this power when you are adjacent to an ally who is subject to an effect that a save can end. The ally is no longer affected, and you now have the effect. You cannot make a saving throw against this effect until the end of your next
[B]Power (Daily): Minor Action. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Until the end of the encounter, you gain resistance 3 to untyped damage (normal damage).
um, i feel quite ok with this item. a bit bland, but very befitting the them. ideas for improvment?
the last player is the most problematic of all. playing an eladrin wizard, he is the joker of the party, with a very lapsing memory, always forgetting his powers and so on. the character itself is, of course, an amnesia case... i tried to build the item focusing on memory themes, and adding a bit of protection since he got hit alot. added properties from stuff of defense and mnemonic stuff, plus an daily power i thought people might enjoy, and that might lead to interesting situations
Riadris staff
Implement (Staff )
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: +1 to all defenses
Property: when preparing spells for the day, you can choose to remember both spells from one daily or utility level. This way you can use either, but when you use one of them you immediately have expanded the other as well.
Power (Daily): minor. spend a healing surge to activate this ability. Intelligence vs. will. range 10. Hit: the target can only use it's at will powers (save ends, -2 for the saves).
what do you say folks? fitting our absentminded wizard?
so good people of the forum, since this is the first time i'm doing this, and the first time i'm DMing 4E, do you think this items are balanced with each other? if not, what should i change? are they too powerfull? or are they just ill built?
all advice is welcomed.
EDIT: changed the items due to recommendations.