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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other [3.5] New Weapon Ability: Shadow-Forge (or change weapon to anytype, material, size )



Sarethus
2016-09-12, 08:14 AM
Could some kind people review this ability I am giving a Weapon of Legacy and give some feedback? (Intended player really hates the golf-bag syndrome).
Shadow-Forge:

Summary:
The weilder of this weapon may reforge this weapon into any shape, size or material they desire. They merely require time, skill (Weapon-crafting) and a good releationship with the weapon to do so.

Mechanics:

I am basing this weapon on three seperate abilities:

Sizing (MIC pg 43 price 5,000 gp): Change size of weapon as swift action.

Morphing (MIC pg 39 price: +1): Change weapon into another of the same size & type as a standard action.

ShadowStriking (Tome of Magic pg 155 price: +3): Automatically emulate alignment/material etc to overcome damage reduction.

Total will be a +4 ability (with an additional 5,000 gp added in.)

Combined the above abilities should allow a wielder to change their weapon to any other weapon or size or material they desire.

However the Shadow-Forge ability will have one restriction: The Wielder's Weapon-Craft skill.

Shadow-Forge (Least) [Morphing & Sizing]: As a Full turn action, the wielder of this weapon may make a weapon-craft skill check to make the particular type of weapon they want. Changing the size of the weapon adds an addition +2 to the DC for every step away from the current size. To make an Exotic weapon for example, they would have to make a weapon-craft vs a Base DC of 18. If they were changing the size by one step at the same time, the DC would be 18 + 2 for a total of +20.

If a craft check fails then the weapons stays as is, unless it is a critical failure in which case the weapon becomes useless (cannot damage anything) for one hour.

Shadow-Forge (Lesser): At this stage the wielder may now customise their weapon with a standard action (although they can take more time if they choose) with special qualities such as Serrated +5 DC, Razor-sharp +6 DC, Fuller +5 DC etc (Most of these are mentioned in Dragon 358). The base DC for these changes is 20 with the DC of the specific change being added then. Multiple special qualities may be chosen at the same time with their DC being cumulative as long as they do not contradict each other (DM's decision is final.)

Example: Wielder has a medium basic weapon which they want to make into a medium martial weapon with a fuller and a razor sharp edge. To craft a martial weapon normall requires a DC 15 but as the wielder is adding special qualities the base DC changes to 20. Then add the DC for the specific abilities like so:

DC 31 = 20 (Base for abilities) + 6 (Razor-sharp) + 5 (Fuller).

If they wanted to change the weapons size from Medium to Huge then that would be an additional +4 DC (2 step size change).

Note: Changes are an all or nothing deal. If you wish to craft a Razor-sharp Long sword with a Fuller then you have to craft it all at once and cannot first craft a long sword then add a fuller and then make it razor sharp.

Shadow-Forge (Greater) [Shadow-Striking]: At this stage the weapon may automatically change alignment/material to match the damage reduction of the enemy they hit. The wielder may now make craft checks as a swift action (although they may take longer if desired). A wielder may also manually change the material of the weapon or add a template to the weapon.

In order to add a template, the wielder must meet all the requirements of that template (Race, location etc) with the base DC going up to 25.

In order to manually change the material of the weapon, the wielder must make a craft check with +1 DC for every 1000 gp that material adds to the cost. For example an andamintine weapon adds 3000gp to the cost of the weapon so it adds +3 DC to the weapon-craft check.

Note: The automatic ability of Shadow-Striking overwrites the Shadow-Forge Material ability unless the wielder specifically chooses otherwise. In other words a weapon cannot benifit from being made of two materials at the same time. If fighting a Werewolf for example, the Shadow-Striking ability will automatically change the material to silver unless the wielder specifies otherwise. If the wielder chooses not to change the weapon material then they do not automatically overcome the werewolf's damage reduction.

So what do you guys think? Is too much for the price or too little? Would you guys take it over carrying a golf bag?

Sarethus
2016-09-20, 02:50 AM
*BUMP*

Been about a week, could some kind soul please give some feedback or should I just toss this idea in to a dumpster?

Zaydos
2016-09-20, 10:34 AM
It doesn't have a price listed, unless you just mean +4 and 5000 GP which I'd say too pricey. You usually don't need morphing or sizing*, and shadowstriking is usually not worth it over transmuting (transmuting doesn't overcome DR until the next round). That said I'm not too familiar with Dragon #358 (that's the modrons one isn't it? I picked up the modrons one just for the modrons) and the ability to add those on the fly might more than compensate.

Sarethus
2016-09-20, 05:41 PM
Thanks for the response Zaydos.

You were right, the total price is : +4 and 5000 gp ( +5000 gp Sizing +1 Morphing + 3 Shadowstriking).

Well the weapon modifications by themselves are not worth that much but it's the ability to manually change the material of the weapon that I can see having issues when it allows a user to change their weapon to a Heavy Weapon made out of Platinum or Gold which would raise the size of it's damage die. Example: 1d4 weapon becomes 1d6. 1d8 or 1d10 weapon becomes 2d6.

Regarding price though, do you think it is better to reduce the price of Morphing to some gp value or is Shadowstriking better as a +2 Ability?

Zaydos
2016-09-20, 06:12 PM
My actual advice would be give them morphing for free with the other two. I mean they're all edge case enchantments and don't really have a cumulative effect on power. That said, yeah I'd make morphing not a +1 value in general. I mean it's useful (it obviates the need to take XWP Spiked Chain and to buy a bow), but it's a standard action in combat (making it significantly worse), and Sizing already does the main function of morphing (switch your enchanted weapon from a reach weapon to a non-reach weapon). Now there's fun stuff you can do with the abilities other than that, but again it's a standard action that is usually in combat. At the greater you make it a swift action which is much more usable but it's still mostly redundant with sizing (ok it completely obsoletes sizing at that point).

As for shadow-striking I've found transmuting tends to be better for its price. Transmuting is usable at +2, Shadowstriking is strictly better than Transmuting, but +3 is a lot more of an opportunity cost than +2 and the advantage is small. In this case I'd say make it about +3-1/2 total (including sizing) would probably work, but it really is a guestimate and a how much is the golf bag used in your game? How much is being adamantine, silver, and cold iron at once worth it in your game? I mean if you fight 90% demons and never fight devils or constructs it's absolutely not worth +2 much less +3.

Sarethus
2016-09-23, 05:07 AM
Thanks again for the reply Zaydos,

So I'll change the overall price of the enchant to +3 & 5,000 gp (Sizing) & 5,000 gp (Morphing).

Does that sound about right to you?

Regarding Shadowstriking, player really wants to keep his hand on one one weapon through out his career. Sort of family-heirloom type of thing (and he hates the golf bag syndrome) so I am designing this for him. As as the enemies go well all I can say they will vary through out the campaign.

khadgar567
2016-09-23, 05:56 AM
Thanks again for the reply Zaydos,

So I'll change the overall price of the enchant to +3 & 5,000 gp (Sizing) & 5,000 gp (Morphing).

Does that sound about right to you?

Regarding Shadowstriking, player really wants to keep his hand on one one weapon through out his career. Sort of family-heirloom type of thing (and he hates the golf bag syndrome) so I am designing this for him. As as the enemies go well all I can say they will vary through out the campaign.
much simple way to create master key of weapons metaline and morphing and maybe sizing you have one weapon transforming every weapon you need with any metal you need