Fouredged Sword
2010-12-17, 12:34 PM
Ok, I have had an idea for a long time about a dnd game, but I have yet to run it. The idea is a story told as a series of legends about various holders of two magic swords. There are three legends. The Lady of the Red blade, The Master of the Blue Blade, and the Swordsman of the Gods.
The lady is a good character who takes up the cursed Red Blade when her home city comes under attack by an invadeing army. The Master of the Blue blade follows the rise to domination of a evil ruler who used the Blue Blade to gain power. Finaly the Swordsman of the Gods is the final story with a great hero who finds and wields both blades at once to gain great power.
I need help stating the artifacts.
One of the central points of the blades is that they give power, but extract a price. One used without the other leads to imbalance in the person who wields it. The two blades respond to willpower and grant bonuses that scale with the penelty you accept.
Here is my rough idea.
Red Blade - this blade apears to be made from red glass with an onxy hilt and crossguard. The blade can apper as anything from a knife to a greatsword, but remains light and easy to wield in one hand at all times. When not held by a wielder it apears as the last form it took. It reverts to a knife when picked up by a new user.
The wielder may resize the sword as a swift action and the blade has difrent effects at the various sizes.
sizes
Knife - All stats as a kinfe except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Can be wielded two handed
+1d4 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+2 Str divine bonus
+2 Wiz divine bonus
+2 con divine bonus
-1 int divine penelty
-1 dex divine penelty
- 1 cha divine penelty
Short Sword - all stats as short sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Can be wielded two handed
+1d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+4 Str divine bonus
+4 Wiz divine bonus
+4 con divine bonus
-2 int divine penelty
-2 dex divine penelty
user takes 1 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
long Sword - all stats as long sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Counts as a light weapon, can be wielded two handed.
+2d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+6 Str divine bonus
+6 Wiz divine bonus
+6 con divine bonus
-3 int divine penelty
-3 dex divine penelty
-3 cha divine penelty
user takes 2 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
bastard Sword - all stats as bastard sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Counts as a light weapon, can be wielded two handed.
+3d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+8 Str divine bonus
+8 Wiz divine bonus
+8 con divine bonus
-4 int divine penelty
-4 dex divine penelty
-4 cha divine penelty
user takes 3 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
great Sword - all stats as short sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Counts as a light weapon, can be wielded two handed.
+4d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+10 Str divine bonus
+10 Wiz divine bonus
+10 con divine bonus
-5 int divine penelty
-5 dex divine penelty
-5 cha penelty
user takes 4 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
more to come later, but I am intrested in hearing the thoughts of the playground. I will post the whole of it later, but the Blue Sword is much the same except the bonuses and penelties are switched, and the sword grants fast healing in the same amounts as the Red Sword causes damage.
Thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of these artifacts and what I should keep in mind if I play a solo game with the player having one or both swords.
The lady is a good character who takes up the cursed Red Blade when her home city comes under attack by an invadeing army. The Master of the Blue blade follows the rise to domination of a evil ruler who used the Blue Blade to gain power. Finaly the Swordsman of the Gods is the final story with a great hero who finds and wields both blades at once to gain great power.
I need help stating the artifacts.
One of the central points of the blades is that they give power, but extract a price. One used without the other leads to imbalance in the person who wields it. The two blades respond to willpower and grant bonuses that scale with the penelty you accept.
Here is my rough idea.
Red Blade - this blade apears to be made from red glass with an onxy hilt and crossguard. The blade can apper as anything from a knife to a greatsword, but remains light and easy to wield in one hand at all times. When not held by a wielder it apears as the last form it took. It reverts to a knife when picked up by a new user.
The wielder may resize the sword as a swift action and the blade has difrent effects at the various sizes.
sizes
Knife - All stats as a kinfe except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Can be wielded two handed
+1d4 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+2 Str divine bonus
+2 Wiz divine bonus
+2 con divine bonus
-1 int divine penelty
-1 dex divine penelty
- 1 cha divine penelty
Short Sword - all stats as short sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Can be wielded two handed
+1d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+4 Str divine bonus
+4 Wiz divine bonus
+4 con divine bonus
-2 int divine penelty
-2 dex divine penelty
user takes 1 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
long Sword - all stats as long sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Counts as a light weapon, can be wielded two handed.
+2d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+6 Str divine bonus
+6 Wiz divine bonus
+6 con divine bonus
-3 int divine penelty
-3 dex divine penelty
-3 cha divine penelty
user takes 2 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
bastard Sword - all stats as bastard sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Counts as a light weapon, can be wielded two handed.
+3d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+8 Str divine bonus
+8 Wiz divine bonus
+8 con divine bonus
-4 int divine penelty
-4 dex divine penelty
-4 cha divine penelty
user takes 3 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
great Sword - all stats as short sword except
wieldable by anyone regardless of weapon proff - the will alone directs the sword.
Counts as a light weapon, can be wielded two handed.
+4d6 unresistable/ingoreing DR divine damage
+10 Str divine bonus
+10 Wiz divine bonus
+10 con divine bonus
-5 int divine penelty
-5 dex divine penelty
-5 cha penelty
user takes 4 hp damage per turn. He may prevent this damage in any way, but may heal it at any time.
more to come later, but I am intrested in hearing the thoughts of the playground. I will post the whole of it later, but the Blue Sword is much the same except the bonuses and penelties are switched, and the sword grants fast healing in the same amounts as the Red Sword causes damage.
Thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of these artifacts and what I should keep in mind if I play a solo game with the player having one or both swords.