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View Full Version : Thoughts about weapon enchantments? Transferring to other weapons? (3.5)



huttj509
2010-03-19, 04:00 PM
Ok, so general issue is one of my players uses an atypical weapon (war fan, I just statted it as a refluffed shortsword that does slashing rather than piercing, and if she wants to conceal it I'll add some circumstance bonuses or something).

In terms of finding magical loot, it seems a bit contrived if , say, in addition to a rapier that the rogue can use (relatively common), a scimitar the druid can use when not in rawrbear form (fairly common), and some magic armor (light armor all generally common), there's a magic war fan.

So what I'm considering is setting up some system to transfer magical enhancements from one weapon to another. NPC based, really, none of the chars is big on crafting feats.

For example: Skilled wizards/clerics might be able to transfer an enchantment straight from one weapon to a masterwork or better weapon. Not sure of details yet.

Other option: Sell what ye find for half price and buy a new weapon. Though this cuts down on the legendary feel of finding, say, a minor named sword with backstory, and transferring its abilities to a new weapon.

Was basically wondering if others had run into something similar and had thoughts.

subject42
2010-03-19, 04:06 PM
Generally speaking, I'll have an artificer or crafter offering transferal services in every large city.

The transfer ritual usually requires the PC's to go on a scavenger hunt to find the necessary components, but that's just because my players like side quests.

Adonis1x23
2010-03-19, 05:42 PM
Have you looked into augment crystals from the MIC? It's basically what you are talking about, but much simpler.

cfalcon
2010-03-19, 07:15 PM
Years ago I stumbled upon something I've used ever since- the Tura gem. In my games, characters have an "element", and one of the minor benefits is that if you use a Tura gem matching your element (Earth, Water, Air, Fire), you get a small secondary benefit (usually +1 to damage). I have a color associated with each element.

Magical weapons are pretty rare in my games for this reason, though it's still possible to create them (and they still show up from time to time). A masterwork weapon created with a space for a tura gem costs as much as a normal masterwork weapon, and then you can basically attach your tura gem as a full round action (though normally you'll have it in the weapon).

Now, this has some downsides. The magical weapon becomes less common, and that hurts the flavor some. The players are usually able to bring their most effective stuff to bear on a problem, which makes some things (like X bane) more effective than is intended.

The upsides are so good that I'm never going back, however. Here are the mechanical upsides:
1- Gems are compact and feel closer to something that is part of a character.
2- You can put a rust monster on the field without having acid thrown on your face IRL.
3- If you allow Sundering, you can actually make a sundering enemy, and PCs who master somehow bashing their opponents blades to pieces aren't the hated enemies of the other PCs.
4- Players who use a rare weapon aren't hated on by the system.
5- Enemies who use a rare weapon do not result in eye rolling because no one knows how to use a $EXOTIC_BADGUY_WEAPON.
6- Characters who go out werewolf hunting will be bringing their best enchants with them while they go hunting, not an alchemical silver weapon with nothing else of note.
7- Fighters who specialize in a wide variety of arms tend to have that wide variety of arms available and up to snuff, instead of having a clutch weapon that gives a small benefit in some rare situation be fully ignored, as normally occurs if its merely masterwork but their normal weapon is + lots.

By having different colors of Tura gems, I solved the problem where they were all just referred to by their plusses. I also allow them to be ritually destroyed to help empower an existing gem with a fraction of their bonus, as part of a player upgrading their gem.

Do make sure that you make the effort to sell the players on the gems. Describe them, make them visually unique.

dragonfan6490
2010-03-19, 09:02 PM
These Tura gems, are they like the weapon augmentation crystals? Could you explain them a bit more? I'm quite intrigued.