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Brauron
2009-08-09, 11:14 AM
I'm building the villain for my current campaign -- he's a Half Blue Dragon Hobgoblin, Duskblade 10, armed with a Greatsword as his primary weapon. I'm giving myself 88,000 GP to work with.

Working on his magic items, I want his sword to be pretty nasty. Something that, when it hits a PC, makes the group go, "Oh, no."

So I'm going through my books and compiling a list of weapon enchantments. I'm thinking all total his weapon should be a +4.

Some of the enchantments I'm looking at so far are Vicious, Wounding, and Maiming (Miniatures handbook, randomizes the critical hit multiplier). Any other enchantments that just scream "Savage, brutal villain"?

paddyfool
2009-08-09, 12:00 PM
Hmm. The party (probably) wouldn't know what the specific abilities of the weapon are until they kill your hadrahobo to get it. So if you want it to be scary, just describe it as a seriously scary sword, for instance "his great and jagged-edged blade may only be perceived dimly through an aura of darkness ... and, you somehow sense, hunger". Of course, they'll probably then suspect it's either cursed, evil and intelligent, or both; but why not play with their minds a little?

dspeyer
2009-08-09, 12:23 PM
You really want to horrify your PCs? The sword was carved from the scales of an ancient rust dragon. Any armor he hits, any sword he parries, rusts as if from contact with one.

I have no idea what the cost of such a weapon would be. You're the DM -- make something up.

hamishspence
2009-08-09, 12:31 PM
There are already Rust Cubes in Complete Scoundrel- to metal item- 1d6 damage on contact, another 1d6 each round for the next two rounds, ignore hardness, can be fired from a sling- work otherwise as if they were sling bullets.

And the Rust Monster Larvae want in the same book.

BoVD and Spell Compendium have Fleshgrinding, Unapproached East has Diseased, and there are probably other disturbing weapon properties out there.

RTGoodman
2009-08-09, 01:31 PM
There's always the "prebuilt" magic weapons - in particular, maybe the sword of life-stealing (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#swordofLifeStealing)or something along those lines. It sucks that it only works on a crit, but maybe make it keen to bump the crit range to 17-20.

Thurbane
2009-08-09, 04:38 PM
Just FYI, Maiming got hit with the big nerf stick in the MiC, so be clear which version you are using...

Brauron
2009-08-09, 09:39 PM
Thurbane -- the version in the Miniatures Handbook.

Actually, given the description I'm writing of the sword -- jagged, gnarled metal, caked with the gore of countless dead...Diseased might be a good idea.

"OK, he hits you for [X] damage...and now I need you to make a fortitude save against Tetanus."

Berserk Monk
2009-08-09, 09:43 PM
I'd go with any of the following:

-wounding
-vicious
-unholy

arguskos
2009-08-09, 10:01 PM
You want a brutal, Evil weapon? Go with a +1 vile fleshgrinding wounding greatsword.

Vile is from the Book of Vile Darkness, as is Fleshgriding. Vile means that the weapon deals an extra 1 point of vile damage, which is very difficult to heal. Fleshgrinding means that when you hit them with the weapon, you can command it to "grind" for 5 rounds. It will auto-damage them as if you hit them with it, and it frees your hands to do other stuff, like cast some brutal spells.

Add a custom enchantment to it that lets you speak the weapon's name and it will return to your hands, and you have a BEAST.

Just cast vampiric touch, hit them for massive damage (hopefully, a crit), and command it to grind for five rounds. Use those rounds to blast them with brutal spells, and once they're up, use the custom ability to get it back and do it to someone else!

quick_comment
2009-08-09, 10:08 PM
Make the weapon out of the horn of a unicorn or something pure like that. Make it obvious that this is not a pure weapon. Maybe he tore the horn right out of a unicorn's head.

Brauron
2009-08-09, 10:10 PM
Add a custom enchantment to it that lets you speak the weapon's name and it will return to your hands, and you have a BEAST.


Good to see I'm not the only one who names enchanted weapons. The fantasist in me wails in despair when my players say "OK, I take my +1 Holy Longsword..." instead of, say..."OK, I take Goldheart, my +1 Holy Longsword..."

My one DM power trip this campaign may be, since their weapons are likely to be upgraded soon, have the Dwarven smith-mage tell them, "Ach! Ah cannae improove these weapons wi'out knowin' their names!"

arguskos
2009-08-09, 10:12 PM
Good to see I'm not the only one who names enchanted weapons. The fantasist in me wails in despair when my players say "OK, I take my +1 Holy Longsword..." instead of, say..."OK, I take Goldheart, my +1 Holy Longsword..."

My one DM power trip this campaign may be, since their weapons are likely to be upgraded soon, have the Dwarven smith-mage tell them, "Ach! Ah cannae improove these weapons wi'out knowin' their names!"
Hah! Same here my friend. I tend to name my weapons, if they are more than just a basic +1 whatever. If my character has had them for more than five minutes and they are decently magical, they've got a unique name.

Though, what did you think of my suggestion for the blade?

Limos
2009-08-09, 10:29 PM
Hah! Same here my friend. I tend to name my weapons, if they are more than just a basic +1 whatever. If my character has had them for more than five minutes and they are decently magical, they've got a unique name.

Though, what did you think of my suggestion for the blade?

I had a greatsword named Big Bertha once. And twin shortswords called Slicer and Dicer.

deuxhero
2009-08-09, 10:40 PM
I'd go with any of the following:

-wounding
-vicious
-unholy

I second wounding.

Also doesn't MIC or somewhere have bracers that let you wield larger weapons as though you had powerful build?

If he wasn't a spell caster I would suggest the cursed Berserking property.

AslanCross
2009-08-09, 11:46 PM
Brutal Surge: Send those suckers flying. A number of times per day you can make a bull rush attempt at your regular bonus +2, and you don't have to move with it. You simply fling the PCs away.

Bloodfeeding: Even more damage. The weapon gains a blood counter every time it deals damage; each lasts an hour. Maximum 10 counters. When you attack, you can spend up to 5 counters. Each counter spent gives +2 damage.

Both are +1 properties. See Magic Item Compendium.

Xenogears
2009-08-10, 04:22 AM
Combine fleshgrinding with another one from BoVD that I can't remember. It allows whoever has the sheathe to speak a command word to have it attack the current wielder (for critical damage I think...). The description even suggests combining it with fleshgrinding so that when its done grinding (or they pull it off of them) it twists in their hands and stabs them again for massive damage.

Quietus
2009-08-10, 04:53 AM
I'll second, third, or whatever Vicious and Unholy. If your party is primarily Good aligned, and you go with a +1 Vicious Unholy greatsword (with an intimidating name; That's probably the best way to make magic weapons special in any game!).. you end up striking as though with a +3 greatsword that does 6d6+1.5x str, while if they get THEIR hands on it, they suck negative levels and aren't nearly as effective. Sure, he takes 1d6 points every time he hits with it, but when you're throwing around small fireballs as your melee attack, a d6 isn't that much.

Sawtooth, +1 vicious unholy greatsword

On seeing it : Even just a glance at this sword is enough to send shivers down your spine, as you realize it is forged from a tooth torn in one piece from a dragon's mouth. The edges are jagged, no doubt once used to hold prey in place as they were shaken to death in it's previous owner's might jaws.. and where <hobgoblin> holds it, you can see the edges biting into his own flesh, though he seems to take this in stride.

When first hitting someone : You can feel the sharp edges of the sword tearing into your flesh, the sword itself seeming to tear hungrily at you to rip out an even large chunk than it normally would have. With a sneer, <hobgoblin> wrenches it free of your body, bits of your blood spattering across his face, which he hungrily licks away, readying himself for another blow.

Xenogears
2009-08-10, 05:33 AM
Make the weapon out of the horn of a unicorn or something pure like that. Make it obvious that this is not a pure weapon. Maybe he tore the horn right out of a unicorn's head.

See this just makes me disturbed. Because of the optional spell component (or something like that) in the BoVD that required you to remove a horn from a living unicorn and use it to violate someone before it got its magical powers....

peacenlove
2009-08-10, 06:13 AM
Combine fleshgrinding with another one from BoVD that I can't remember. It allows whoever has the sheathe to speak a command word to have it attack the current wielder (for critical damage I think...). The description even suggests combining it with fleshgrinding so that when its done grinding (or they pull it off of them) it twists in their hands and stabs them again for massive damage.

Masterslaying you mean :smallbiggrin:

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2009-08-10, 06:26 AM
Switch it to a Falchion made from Kaorti Resin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031014a) for a base threat/crit of 18-20/x4. Make it Keen or give him Improved Crit and the players will be super-worried the first time he gets a critical hit. I'd make it Keen, Thundering, Shocking Burst just for flavor, since it probably doesn't need anything more.

Xenogears
2009-08-10, 06:31 AM
Masterslaying you mean :smallbiggrin:

Yes, yes I do. I seem to have misplaced my source of all evil. The one that is bound in flesh and demon bones however so I couldn't check

But yes it would make a great item. Especially since the masterslaying property is almost useless for the players to have since the DM knows that they have it and the ability relies on the enemy not knowing.

Brauron
2009-08-10, 06:34 AM
Though, what did you think of my suggestion for the blade?

For the most part, I like it. I think I might pass on Vile damage though; sounds like more bookkeeping to me :smallwink:


Sawtooth, +1 vicious unholy greatsword

On seeing it : Even just a glance at this sword is enough to send shivers down your spine, as you realize it is forged from a tooth torn in one piece from a dragon's mouth. The edges are jagged, no doubt once used to hold prey in place as they were shaken to death in it's previous owner's might jaws.. and where <hobgoblin> holds it, you can see the edges biting into his own flesh, though he seems to take this in stride.

When first hitting someone : You can feel the sharp edges of the sword tearing into your flesh, the sword itself seeming to tear hungrily at you to rip out an even large chunk than it normally would have. With a sneer, <hobgoblin> wrenches it free of your body, bits of your blood spattering across his face, which he hungrily licks away, readying himself for another blow.

That's...that's beautiful. Sadly, the party is less Good-aligned and more Neutral-aligned, at least along that axis...heh, maybe make the weapon Axiomatic, since the PCs are all Chaotic...although, I am trying more for things in keeping with the BBEG in general, as opposed to custom-tailored to beat down the PCs.


Switch it to a Falchion made from Kaorti Resin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031014a) for a base threat/crit of 18-20/x4. Make it Keen or give him Improved Crit and the players will be super-worried the first time he gets a critical hit. I'd make it Keen, Thundering, Shocking Burst just for flavor, since it probably doesn't need anything more.

Heh, I'd originally armed the BBEG with a Great Falchion (Sandstorm, 1d12 18-20/x2) and planned to Keen it, but then I thought, "I don't want to completely destroy the PCs..."