[3.5] Unique Magic Weapons

[Daemonhawk]

It seems most magic weapons simply provide bonuses to the characters damage/ gives a basic special ability. What I've been looking for is a really unique magic weapon, like a sword that can switch between three forms, or a bow that can make trip attacks at a range. Anybody know where I could find these?

[Glimbur]

Some of the unique weapons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#specificWeapons) in the SRD/DMG are kind of cool. The Rod of Lordly Might (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rods.htm#lordlyMight) is kind of like a swiss army knife if Switzerland still went to war and was super magical. The Magic Item Compendium has a bunch of special weapons also, but if I remember correctly most of them are just one weapon.

[Gandariel]

The most famous one is Hank's Energy Bow, arguably the best bow around.
shoots force arrows (2d6 damage i think) AND you can use ranged power attack with it.

i don't have the link now, should be easy to find though

[Cieyrin]

The most famous one is Hank's Energy Bow, arguably the best bow around.
shoots force arrows (2d6 damage i think) AND you can use ranged power attack with it.

i don't have the link now, should be easy to find though

This one (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a).

As for unique weapons, Arms and Equipment Guide and Magic Item Compendium are major sources for weapons that do things besides hit things better. You also want to look through the setting books, especially FR like Lost Empires of Faerun and Magic and Races of Faerun.

[maysarahs]

I'm going to start with an apology because most of the sources I pull will be from Pathfinder. This is for two reasons. One is that most of Pathfinder is OGL so I feel comfortable posting the sources here for your use, and the other is that off the top of my head, two Pathfinder items immediately jumped to my head as the solution to your queries. If this advice doesn't help you at all I apologize.

With that said, assuming you are the DM, if you don't mind backporting, you could always use this (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/magic-weapons#TOC-Transformative) to model your sword that can transform into others, the fixed price means you can lower it if you want it to transform into a specific number of other weapons (that would go into houserule territory, so I can't really help on how much to lower it)

There is a nonmagical "trip arrow" (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/weapon-descriptions/ammunition/ammunition-bow-arrow-trip) in pathfinder that gives a +5 bonus to trip attempts (and automatically starts a trip maneuver when it hits) You'll have to change the rules a bit to reflect how trips work in 3.5, but the spirit of the rules is the same.

In 3.5 I have no idea if a transforming weapon exists, though I can't say I've never heard of it...
In regards to ranged tripping, Complete Warrior has a bunch of Ranged [Maneuver] feats, I'd try to check there to see if there is a feat that allows tripping.

I hope this helps even a little bit

[Xynphos]

Well there is the Swordbow, Mic 31 I believe.
It can change between a longbow and a long sword.
There is also a light and greater version.

[VGLordR2]

I think there is a Morphing weapon enhancement. I believe it can change into other weapons of the same size for a +2. It's in the MIC.

[Invader]

Look at the rules in DMG for making magic weapons and create your own. One of the things I liked best about being a DM was making unique weapons for specific players.

[nedz]

Look at the rules in DMG for making magic weapons and create your own. One of the things I liked best about being a DM was making unique weapons for specific players.

This is how you get Unique Magic Weapons.

Now there are some interesting Artifacts, Relics and what have you in various books; but they are not unique.

But key them to your miluaex not the PCs

If you key them to a PC then several things can go wrong.

The PC may die
A different PC may end up with it
It may look like favouratism
The player may think you are railroading them
The player may not like the item


Its a bit like keying your plot around a chosen one in that it has similar pitfalls.

If the item is intelligent: Do try to give them a personality, and make that a bit of a draw back.

Try to weave a side plot around it, maybe someone else wants it as a McGuffin ?

[Salanmander]

But key them to your miluaex not the PCs


If you're going to use uncommon words like 'milieu', make sure you spell them correctly so they're easy to google. =P

Anyway, that works great for non-weapon items because there aren't so many varieties. With weapons, however, this might run into the problem where most people who care a lot about their weapons have chosen a specific weapon and invested in it, at least in flavor.

Of course, you can get around this to a certain extent with aptitude weapons, and almost completely with multi-form weapons, but that might get a little silly if used repeatedly.

[lightningcat]

One of the simplist ways that I've ran across to make a magic weapon unique is to give it a unique name. It is amazing the difference between a +1 longsword and "Lightbringer" a +1 sword that glows when drawn. (Which is actually a standard ability of many magic weapons anyways.)
As a sidenote, this also implies that the weapon has a history, even if you didn't think one up for it.

I got the idea originally from the Ghostwalk setting, but it was reinforced when I started playing Exalted.

[Exirtadorri]

There was a weapon in older editions of DnD (2nd edt I do believe) that was called "The Anything Sword". This weapon was found as one type that it could always be. It was a Long sword when I found it. It always had an inherit bonus of +2. It's special ability was that it could change into ANY WEAPON you have seen...but just once. If you changed it into a scythe it would remain that way for the rest of the day but at dawn the next it would be a long sword again. The catch is that once you choose a weapon it can never be changed into that weapon again. It's quite an interesting weapon at higher levels if you raise the enchantment on it. I also believe that if you took it to 3.5 or PF you could make it the special materials. You can see that at mid to higher levels it really decreases in value cause who needs a adamantine or mithril battle axe when you could just get brilliant energy weapons. The allure is that for a much lower price at lower levels you dont have to spend all your early gold on a silver, a cold iron and a +1 weapon. Just a thought that I always wanted to elaborate on.

Another really kool idea that I always used before the book was published with rules were Weapons of Legecy. If you are the fighter in a group and stabbed a red dragon in the mouth as he used his breath weapon but you managed to kill it...why wouldn't that sword inherit some of that climactic and power emotion and magic? I would make that same sword a flaming weapon...or a dragon bane weapon. That would also add to the fluff of pretty much all stories. You always read of people who use their dads sword their whole lives and they dont replace it. It's not just the fact that the handle is worn perfectly to fit their hands...but because after all that weapon was exposed to it actually became worth keeping. It became a symbol. Perfect example (I cast protection from fire before saying this awful name and idea) Drizzt....same two scimitars through almost all of his 12443456 novels.

[Grail]

Just make up any special ability you want (make it unique) so that it can't be replicated and go from there.

A sword that cuts through metal armour as though it wasn't there. (Disregard an opponents AC bonus from metal armour). The sword has no other properties.

A mace that forces a fortitude save when struck or the enemy is thrown back 10' and is prone. The mace has no other properites.

A dagger that applies a doubling cube for damage if used against giants, otherwise it is treated as a normal dagger. (a doubling cube is used in backgammon and has the numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 on it).

A bow that in the hands of an elf or half elf gives the character the feats rapid-shot and multishot, even if they do not have the pre-requisites for it.

etc etc.

There is so much that can be done with magic items if you just ignore what's in the rulebook and create what you think will be fun.

Here are some custom lesser artifacts that I used in a 3.5e game. They were specific for individual characters.

PRIMORDIAL WRATH (Elocin)
----------------
This necklace of bones and teeth is an ancient and powerful tribal totem. When worn, the wearer gains a +6 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution as well as a Natural Armour bonus of +4. If the wearer rages or frenzies they gain Damage Reduction 5/- and are affected by an Elarge Person spell (caster level 20) for the duration of the rage and gain a +10 competency bonus on intimidate rolls. The damage resistance does not stack with other sources. If worn by someone without the Rage or Frenzy class ability, they lose 1 point of permananent Wisdom per day it is worn.

ARMOUR OF ETERNAL CONFLICT (Goreaxk)
--------------------------
A holy relic of Tempus, this +3 Mithral Full Plate Armour of Heavy Fortification grants Fast Healing 10 when worn by a worshiper of Tempus. Once per day, a single spell cast by a Divine Spellcaster of Tempus can be treated as though affected with the Maximised Spell Feat. This is a free action to activate. Any non-Tempus worshiper wearing this armour gains 1 negative level. If they are a divine spellcaster of another deity, they instead gain 4 negative levels.

SOULSTONE (Kerilisaria)
---------
This piece of stone, the size of a human fist is worn as an amulet held by a worn leather thong. It is all that remains of the cairn of Saint Placys, a herald for an ancient and forgotten God of Death. When worn, it provides a +2 divine bonus to all Saving Throws. When worn by a Lawful Good cleric, this amulet does 2 additional things. Firstly, the wearer becomes completely immune to all Negative Energy affects, including ability damage, energy drain etc. Secondly, should the wearer die the stone will instead shatter, instantly returning the wearer to life as though affected by a True Resurrection spell.

BLESSED ANTLERS (Elli)
---------------
Worn as a helm, this leather cap is addorned with large elk antlers and provides a -1 Armour Check Penatly. If worn by a non-druid, this headress grants it's wearer no benefits. Worn by a druid, it grants it's a +5 divine bonus to AC and the feats Augment Summoning and Natural Spell if they did not already have it (even if they would not normally qualify for them). In addition should the druid use their wildshape ability to transform into an Animal, all natural attacks are treated as +5 magic weapons. The antlers function normally even in wildshape form.

THE BLADE OF ARCHILLEON (Haderak)
-----------------------
In the hands of anyone other than an Archilleon, this normally regal looking sword functions as a Bastard Sword +2. In the hands of an Archilleon, it is a +6 Defending Keen Speed Bastard Sword that twice per day as a standard action can be commanded to take on the Bane Properties of any creature type. Creatures targetted by the Bane properties of this sword lose their Damage Reduction when struck by it. When the Bane properties are activated, the blade changes appearance slightly to match the style of weapon appropriate for the chosen creature. The blade is currently an Animal Bane (its appearance is currently a rough and serrated primitive looking weapon).

[Feytalist]

Someone mentioned Weapons of Legacy.

I'd suggest looking through the example weapons in that book, as most of the weapons have unique abilities. Spiked gauntlets that allow you to grapple as if you were one size larger, and so on (I might have just made that example up).

But I don't suggest you actually use weapons of legacy as they are written. Horrible execution of a neat concept.


And then most splatbooks have lists of named weapons with special abilities that could provide some inspiration. My personal favourite is from one of the FR books (Magic of Faerun, I think). Namarra, also called Never Sleeps. Can cast silence and floats on water. Yeah.