PF black blade goals and personality

[Asteron]

I am running a Kingmaker game and one of my players is playing a Tiefling Magus with the blade bound archetype (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/magus/archetypes/paizo---magus-archetypes/bladebound). They just hit 3rd level, but I am drawing a blank on the personality and goals of the black blade that he will get.

The player is new to D&D and hasn’t played his character any particular way. The only quality that he has shown is the penchant to execute prisoners (they took Happs alive in the first encounter and when interrogating him, Happs stated that banditry was the best job he’d ever had and he wasn’t likely to want to stop it any time soon. The player immediately stated that he ran his rapier through the guys neck, which was in line with the charter that was given.) The player himself has shown a desire to have his character be the Royal Enforcer of the Kingdom that’s to come. I was thinking that the blade could have the goal to bring law and order to chaotic lands, but have him be sort of amoral where lives are concerned (very much LE.) I’m not sure how its personality should be, however. Any thoughts?

Also, how do you handle interaction with intelligent items in your games? Previously, I had just written notes down on an index card and passed it to the appropriate player, but I tend to get distracted and that falls by the wayside very quickly. Any thoughts on how I should handle that?

[GilesTheCleric]

Why not let the player determine its personality? You could give it one or two quirks (it enjoys being rolled around in dew-covered grass, or it can't help but think about volcanoes every few days then becomes depressed while it thinks of its kin who might have been lost), the let the character decide how to roleplay it and have it match his own character's personality.

I recommend this type of method so that you can mostly forget that it's there, and not have your party or yourself feel like the weapon is forcing the character to make unwanted choices, and you're also not as responsible for role-playing it if the player decided on the personality.

Edit: you could also ask the player to choose someone else in the group to create its personality with, and have that person roleplay it (this could get out of hand with the wrong group, but it also helps keep more players involved in roleplay rather than turning into a one on one with the GM). You'll know best if your group dynamic is appropriate for this, though.

[Geddy2112]

A black blade will share the alignment and some of the personality of the wielder. As for the rest, it's up to you. At the very least, the blade should have a similar "bring order by force" mentality, but the rest is up to you. It could be shy, absentminded, chatty, talk in strange metaphors or be incredibly frank and dry. Talk to your PC/make a personality the PC can befriend. Friends don't always get along, but they should usually see the world in a similar way. As for communication with an intelligent object-if it can only speak to the wielder telepathically, don't have the item expressly communicate unless the PC asks. You can answer most questions as "the blade says X" but roleplay out anything serious. I see no problem with just openly talking it out, unless its something super secret that the player does not want anybody else to know. Handle those things outside of session through text/email/whatever.

[Psyren]

Roleplaying Intelligent items is fairly easy - they are very single-minded to carrying out their purpose. They care little for practical considerations, social conventions or moderation. An evil orcish axe that wants you to kill all elves is not going to care much about the fact that one of your party members is an elf (which can make falling under the axe's Dominance dangerous) Even when the wielder is dominant, the item will frequently share its opinion until ordered to be quiet, and even that will only work for a time.

If you're stuck for a personality, you can use the DMG or Ultimate Campaign to roll one up for it, or for its previous owner if you want it to have had one.

[Asteron]

I'll try to work with him to come up with something, but it will be hard since he brand new to D&D and isn't the most enthusiastic roleplayer. He is pretty ambivalent to anything that would require work outside of the sessions.

[Psyren]

I'll try to work with him to come up with something, but it will be hard since he brand new to D&D and isn't the most enthusiastic roleplayer. He is pretty ambivalent to anything that would require work outside of the sessions.

Heh, you can actually use that. The player is a shrinking violet, and the intelligent item keeps berating him to get involved in the decision-making more and be more assertive. And of course if it ever gains dominance it pulls him into the spotlight by force.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

What is this player's alignment? The sword should be tailored to him, first and foremost. He is giving up his class features for it. I'd say ask him what he would want in a sword. It should be complimenting his desires. If he wants to be Royal Enforcer, maybe the blade wants to eliminate fey, or kill assassins or somesuch. It's an ally, in much the same way a familiar or animal companion is.