(3.5) Weapon "Curse" Opposite of Bane (P.E.A.C.H.)

[DracoDei]

Pretty simple idea. What if someone wants to make a weapon that WON'T work very well on certain creatures? Good for evil (or even some good) overlords who don't share a creature type with the common targets of the segment of their soldiers who are issued magical weapons. Also good (but perhaps more expensive), for "reversed" Holy/Unholy/Axiomatic/Anarchic (although the ones that are designed to be teh phail against chaotic individuals would probably be a little less common).

The first question then becomes what level of countering is required to make this reasonable?

Two levels exist:

What the GM might prefer so as to make it a trade-off (much like the Paladin CAN grab the BBEG's sword out of its sheath at his side if he rolls enough natural 20's on dexterity type checks, and go to town on the BBEG, he will just be taking a negative level for it).
What the creator would wish, which might be more along the lines of "This should probably be worse than the average kitchen knife against the wrong sort of target."



Options I have thought of include:

No enchantments apply. It probably doesn't even count as a magic weapon for purposes of bypassing the creatures DR.
Enhancement bonuses apply as negatives instead of positives. Energy effects (flaming, frost, shocking, etc) lash out at the weilder any time they make an attack that succeeds as a touch attack (even if it isn't enough to actually count as a true hit).
See Back Biter spell from Complete Arcane.
Negative levels... maybe LOTS of negative levels.
Simply always inflicts no damage and no effects requiring damage on the "untarget" alignment/creature type.

[Epsilon Rose]

That kind of item could be moderately (read incredibly) annoying if found in loot. Especially if you aren't running magic mart.

[Tyndmyr]

Options I have thought of include:

Enhancement bonuses apply as negatives instead of positives. Energy effects (flaming, frost, shocking, etc) lash out at the weilder any time they make an attack that succeeds as a touch attack (even if it isn't enough to actually count as a true hit).
Simply always inflicts no damage and no effects requiring damage on the "untarget" alignment/creature type.


Something like this. Using it in a flaw like fashion is interesting, but as flaws need to be worse than feats, so should the negative be worse than the gain...otherwise, it is too easy to manipulate for power gain.

If it's say, Giant-Cursed, it counts as -1 toward the enchantment value of the weapon, but cannot harm Giants at all.

This makes it fairly tempting for a weapon builder, especially for armorers of an army...so some minor additional negative is needed. Perhaps a specific reagent or something, to justify why the entire elf army isn't carrying Elf-Cursed swords.

[DracoDei]

That kind of item could be moderately (read incredibly) annoying if found in loot. Especially if you aren't running magic mart.
There are worse curses for a weapon in the DMG, but I do also see this as a possible point. Not sure really.

Something like this. Using it in a flaw like fashion is interesting, but as flaws need to be worse than feats, so should the negative be worse than the gain...otherwise, it is too easy to manipulate for power gain.

If it's say, Giant-Cursed, it counts as -1 toward the enchantment value of the weapon, but cannot harm Giants at all.

This makes it fairly tempting for a weapon builder, especially for armorers of an army...so some minor additional negative is needed. Perhaps a specific reagent or something, to justify why the entire elf army isn't carrying Elf-Cursed swords.
Actually, I am very much tempted to INCREASE the creation cost, while SLIGHTLY reducing the market price (drawbacks on magic items are usually a percentage off, and I don't think that a -1 on the cost chart is the right way to go).

[Mulletmanalive]

A better name might be "boon"

[DracoDei]

A better name might be "boon"
True. I hadn't really settled on a name yet. Don't think most of the drawbacks/curses that a magic weapon can have in the DMG have names per se, but that works. Only tricky bit is that it might sound like it gets extra bonuses when weilded by a member of that type.