[3.5] Bonded to One Weapon

[Thurbane]

If you were to try and build a character entirely around one weapon (a specific weapon, not a weapon type), how would you do it?

Yes, I know it's a sub-optimal concept.

I'm thinking Ancestral Relic/Item Familiar/Weapon of Legacy etc. all rolled into one.

Just a rough concept at this point, looking for ideas.

Cheers - T

[Dagroth]

Kensai is another pretty good class for doing this.

[OldTrees1]

Well how I would do it varies depending on how much the DM is willing to consider adaptions to existing rules (Ex: My Excalibur could be the source of my Trollblood feat that I picked at 1st level).


If adaptations are not on the table (unfortunate since they really are a good ingredient in this case), then I would consider something like this:

Race: Human(aiming for limited personal power)
Build: Warblade 5 / Kensai 2 / 3 level mix / Legacy Champion 10 (progress Kensai to 10 with dips in Warblade progression). End up as Warblade "8" / Kensai "10" with the final Warblade "level" being at IL 14-18 depending on how your DM handles Legacy Champion and initiators.

Weapon of Legacy: This would be the base item that gets anointed. It would be a masterwork weapon with non weapon legacy abilities. I don't want to crack open the book right now, but there are some acceptable choices in there and Legacy Champion will help a bit.

Leadership: A Katori(2RHD,+2LA Fiend) Marshal 1 (Motivate Cha) / Fiend of Possession 6 (Magic Item +6) cohort. They will possess the weapon and upgrade it to a +16 weapon (probably just non epic stuff) that also boosts your Cha checks and Cha skill checks.

Ancestral Relic: The most significant part, but it is defined last due to its freedom:
You get 380,000 gp worth of item. The base item of legacy will count against this, but that was already capped at 2000gp or so, thus we have a lot of wealth to spend. So you will be loading it up with a lot of ablities from the list of necessary items. Putting them on a single weapon would run into additional ability penalties and irregular item penalties. However we can still get a lot of value.

Third Eye Conceal(Mic, 120Kgp)(Mind Blank)
Hathran Mask of True Seeing(UE, 75Kgp)(True Seeing)
Phoenix Cloak(MiC, 50Kgp)(Fly Perfect at land speed)
Ring of Freedom of Movement(DMG, 40Kgp)
Tooth of Leraje (ToM, 21.6Kgp)(1/day Greater Magic Weapon +5)
Blindsighted(Und, +30Kgp weapon)(Blindsight 30ft)(Only added after made a magical weapon by signature weapon)
Base Item(up to 2Kgp)

[ShurikVch]

There are also Ancestral Daisho (of OA Samurai), Chosen Weapon of Arcane Duelist (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20030224a), Bonded Weapon of Psychic Weapon Master (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827d), and - if you accept Warcraft stuff - Runeblade of Death Knight

[Tiri]

Occult Slayer's Weapon Bond gives the bonded weapon a 1d6 damage bonus against spellcasters.

It's a mediocre class and a mediocre ability, but it's something to do with bonding to a weapon.

[CozJa]

If you want to go for the Ancestral Relic route (a good choice, if you can put the rest together with it even better...) since you are going to be good, why don't you go for Exorcist of the Silver Flame? You can enter as a Paladin4 or a Cleric1/(Something full BAB4) and it has 10 levels that give you some generic anti spirits powers, plus the ability to have your weapon of choice count as Silver, Good, Lawful, for DR, and gives +1d6 fire, +1d6 Sacred damage, plus some not so amazing abilities against ghosts and possessions and an always on Flame of "ruining the day to evil creatures".

[Flickerdart]

I worked this build out a few years back:



Step 1: Be a Psychic Warrior/Psychic Weapon Master with a crystalline Soulbound Weapon.
Step 2: Acquire enough negative levels to put you precisely at level 3. Your Soulbound Weapon now loses all magical enhancements.
Step 3: Bond with your now mundane Soulbound Weapon and get rid of your negative levels.
Step 4: Level up to 20 in whatever classes you please; make sure to have at least 20 PP and a manifester level of 20. Your Soulbound Weapon now has an enhancement bonus of +5 and can be augmented to a +10 weapon through the Call Weaponry augment.
Step 5: Meditate on your bonded weapon to grant it an additional +10 enhancement bonus through Psychic Weapon Master. Your fully augmented Call Weaponry power now summons you a +20 weapon.
Step 6: Acquire a Fiend of Possession and have it possess your weapon, which is now +26.

[Thurbane]

Race: Human(aiming for limited personal power)
Build: Warblade 5 / Kensai 2 / 3 level mix / Legacy Champion 10 (progress Kensai to 10 with dips in Warblade progression). End up as Warblade "8" / Kensai "10" with the final Warblade "level" being at IL 14-18 depending on how your DM handles Legacy Champion and initiators.

This looks like the best/easiest path for my purposes. Throw in Ancestral Relic and Item Familiar.

[Venger]

Step 1: Be a Psychic Warrior/Psychic Weapon Master with a crystalline Soulbound Weapon.
Step 2: Acquire enough negative levels to put you precisely at level 3. Your Soulbound Weapon now loses all magical enhancements.
Step 3: Bond with your now mundane Soulbound Weapon and get rid of your negative levels.
Step 4: Level up to 20 in whatever classes you please; make sure to have at least 20 PP and a manifester level of 20. Your Soulbound Weapon now has an enhancement bonus of +5 and can be augmented to a +10 weapon through the Call Weaponry augment.
Step 5: Meditate on your bonded weapon to grant it an additional +10 enhancement bonus through Psychic Weapon Master. Your fully augmented Call Weaponry power now summons you a +20 weapon.
Step 6: Acquire a Fiend of Possession and have it possess your weapon, which is now +26.

that's a great trick. not sure how easy it would be, but throwing stealsteel into the mix so you could be your own FoP would be pretty amusing too.

[Soranar]

I did something similiar to that once, I used an elvencraft bow (lets you melee with it)

Since I obtained weapon specialization from my prestige class (justice of weald and woe) it gave me a bonus in melee and ranged attacks.

[OldTrees1]

This looks like the best/easiest path for my purposes. Throw in Ancestral Relic and Item Familiar.

Thanks

Ancestral Relic was also detailed in that post but I think it I should go more in depth here:

Effects placed in weird slots cost +50%
Effects other than the most expensive cost +50%
Things that are both are either +100% or +125%(I presume the latter)

Weapon of Legacy: Our base item must be under 4000gp and since I don't intend it to be the most expensive part, it suffers the +50% penalty. If it is not normally on a weapon then it will be a +125% penalty total. That limits us to to 2666gp or 1777gp respectively.

Base item: Masterwork Glaive of Armor +1(as per Bracers of Armor +1)
1000*2.25+300+8=2558gp although it is only priced at 1308gp before we start anointing it as our ancestral relic to install a new primary effect.

I still don't know what legacy abilities to grant this item but I know they will not affect the Weapon or "Bracer of Armor" sections of the item.

Our Kensai Signature Weapon ability increases the weapon to a +10 (+1 and +9 worth of specials) and our Fiend of Possession increases our Bracers to a +7 (well, +1 and +6 worth of specials)

Finally back to the Ancestral Relic part: We are limited by 380,000 gp market value and we suffer +50% and +125% penalties for most of these additions but they make our :
Third Eye Conceal(120K x1.5 = 180K)
Hathran Mask of True Seeing(75K x2.25 = 168.75K)
Phoenix Cloak(50K x2.25 =112.5K)
Tooth of Leraje (21.6K x2.25 = 48.6K)
Blindsighted(30K x1.5 = 45K)
Banner of the Storm's Eye(15K x2.25 = 33.75K)
Dimension Stride Boots(2K x2.25 =4.5K)
Bracers of Protection + 1(1K x2.25 = 2.25K)
Masterwork Glaive(308)
Total: 378,308gp out of Ancestral Relic's 380,000gp

Result:
We have a +1(with +9 in specials) Glaive that also:
Acts as Bracers of Protection +1
and Soulfire(Immunity to Death Effects, Energy Drain, and Negative Levels)
and Energy Immunity(Immunity to 1 energy type, the Fiend can change this selection)
Protects us with Mindblank
Gives us perfect flight at our land speed
Gives us Blindsight 30ft
Renders us and everyone within 15ft Immune to Fear and Stun
Let's us teleport 20ft 5/day as a Standard Action
AND has 20th level legacy abilities

Excalibur go cry your heart out because the competition is in town!

[Dagroth]

Thanks

Ancestral Relic was also detailed in that post but I think it I should go more in depth here:

Effects placed in weird slots cost +50%
Effects other than the most expensive cost +50%
Things that are both are either +100% or +125%(I presume the latter)

Weapon of Legacy: Our base item must be under 4000gp and since I don't intend it to be the most expensive part, it suffers the +50% penalty. If it is not normally on a weapon then it will be a +125% penalty total. That limits us to to 2666gp or 1777gp respectively.

Base item: Masterwork Glaive of Armor +1(as per Bracers of Armor +1)
1000*2.25+300+8=2558gp although it is only priced at 1308gp before we start anointing it as our ancestral relic to install a new primary effect.

I still don't know what legacy abilities to grant this item but I know they will not affect the Weapon or "Bracer of Armor" sections of the item.

Our Kensai Signature Weapon ability increases the weapon to a +10 (+1 and +9 worth of specials) and our Fiend of Possession increases our Bracers to a +7 (well, +1 and +6 worth of specials)

Finally back to the Ancestral Relic part: We are limited by 380,000 gp market value and we suffer +50% and +125% penalties for most of these additions but they make our :
Third Eye Conceal(120K x1.5 = 180K)
Hathran Mask of True Seeing(75K x2.25 = 168.75K)
Phoenix Cloak(50K x2.25 =112.5K)
Tooth of Leraje (21.6K x2.25 = 48.6K)
Blindsighted(30K x1.5 = 45K)
Banner of the Storm's Eye(15K x2.25 = 33.75K)
Dimension Stride Boots(2K x2.25 =4.5K)
Bracers of Protection + 1(1K x2.25 = 2.25K)
Masterwork Glaive(308)
Total: 378,308gp out of Ancestral Relic's 380,000gp

Result:
We have a +1(with +9 in specials) Glaive that also:
Acts as Bracers of Protection +1
and Soulfire(Immunity to Death Effects, Energy Drain, and Negative Levels)
and Energy Immunity(Immunity to 1 energy type, the Fiend can change this selection)
Protects us with Mindblank
Gives us perfect flight at our land speed
Gives us Blindsight 30ft
Renders us and everyone within 15ft Immune to Fear and Stun
Let's us teleport 20ft 5/day as a Standard Action
AND has 20th level legacy abilities

Excalibur go cry your heart out because the competition is in town!

You kinda-sorta want it to be a +3 item (from Kensai/Fiend) to fit a Greater Weapon Crystal...

[OldTrees1]

You kinda-sorta want it to be a +3 item (from Kensai/Fiend) to fit a Greater Weapon Crystal...

What Greater Weapon crystal were you thinking of? You could make it a +3 weapon with +7 in specials but you would want to keep the Fiend on magic armor I would wager.

[rel]

A few ideas:

The Item Familiar feat might help.

Make your weapon from riverine so it is harder to damage.

Get someone to cast Kissed by the Ages on your weapon so it is indestructible as long as you live and you can always find it again. You are also as immortal as a warforged or elan (not very).
This is too pricy for 1st level but mechanically not amazing so see if your GM will give it to you for free, for a feat, for starting a level behind, for a flaw or something like that.

[Dagroth]

What Greater Weapon crystal were you thinking of? You could make it a +3 weapon with +7 in specials but you would want to keep the Fiend on magic armor I would wager.

A Greater Truedeath Crystal makes it Ghost Touch, +1d6 vs. Undead and allows Crits & Sneak Attacks vs. Undead.

A Greater Demolition Crystal is +1d6 vs. Constructs, overcomes DR as Adamantine and allows Crits & Sneak Attacks vs. Constructs.

Greater Crystal of Adamant Weaponry adds +10 Hardness.

Greater Crystal of Life Drinking heals you 5 points every hit (if you're injured) up to a maximum healing of 50 points per day.

And you can swap them out.

[OldTrees1]

A Greater Truedeath Crystal makes it Ghost Touch, +1d6 vs. Undead and allows Crits & Sneak Attacks vs. Undead.

A Greater Demolition Crystal is +1d6 vs. Constructs, overcomes DR as Adamantine and allows Crits & Sneak Attacks vs. Constructs.

Greater Crystal of Adamant Weaponry adds +10 Hardness.

Greater Crystal of Life Drinking heals you 5 points every hit (if you're injured) up to a maximum healing of 50 points per day.

And you can swap them out.

A Lesser Truedeath Crystal only misses out on Sneak Attack and Criticals. You probably would have a Lesser Truedeath Crystal for the Ghost Touch effect.

A Lesser Demolition Crystal only misses out on Sneak Attack and Criticals. Although you would need to overcome many types of DR so you will probably have a general Dr solution already.

A Lesser Adamant Weapondry is Hardness +5. I see no reason to lose 2 points of special abilities just to get a tiny bit more hardness.

A Lesser Life Drinking is 3 per attack for 30 per day. Wrathful Healing is a +3 ability(so it costs +1 more than upgrading to a +3 and using a Greater Crystal) but easily outpaces +2hp per swing (max +20hp per day).

Those were good candidates to consider, but I don't think their Greaters are that much of an improvement over their Lessers for it to be worth it.

Looking over the weapon crystals:
Lesser/Greater Crystal of Return for Quickdraw & 30ft summon & maybe the returning property
Lesser Truedeath for Ghost Touch
Lesser Demolition & Lesser Fiendslayer can bypass DR/Adamantine and DR/Good however that does not cover enough DRs to bypass a more general solution.

[Dagroth]

The Metalline enchantment will change the weapon's metal type to whatever you need at the time.

Also, don't underestimate the power of +3 to hit... unless you can cast Greater Magic Weapon (Extended or Persisted). Especially if you've got Power Attack.

[Lord Haart]

Druids get a surprising amount of spells that affect a quarterstaff. Not just Shillelagh, one i remember has been giving free entangles on enemies hit, and there are enough of them that the main problem is getting them cast without a pre-buffing session. Years ago, i've toyed with an idea of a Druid/Swordsage with a Cleric dip and Divine Metamagic for awesome staff-smacking, with Vow of Powerty since it doesn't hit druids that hard and it was thematic for the character i had in mind.

[OldTrees1]

The Metalline enchantment will change the weapon's metal type to whatever you need at the time.

Also, don't underestimate the power of +3 to hit... unless you can cast Greater Magic Weapon (Extended or Persisted). Especially if you've got Power Attack.

Normally one gets a Tooth of Leraje to boost it to +5. I tried to fit that into the weapon itself via Ancestral Relic but it didn't quite fit.

[Venger]

Druids get a surprising amount of spells that affect a quarterstaff. Not just Shillelagh, one i remember has been giving free entangles on enemies hit, and there are enough of them that the main problem is getting them cast without a pre-buffing session. Years ago, i've toyed with an idea of a Druid/Swordsage with a Cleric dip and Divine Metamagic for awesome staff-smacking, with Vow of Powerty since it doesn't hit druids that hard and it was thematic for the character i had in mind.

the spell is called entangling staff.

[shaikujin]

Weapons of Legacy have a restriction that it cannot be further enhanced further using regular processes such as item creation feats. (I don't have the exact wording right now)

I'm wondering if the consensus is that using Item Familiar/Ancestral Relic/Kensai would be a legal method to bypass the above restriction?

As a munchkin, I'm hoping yes.

[Thurbane]

Weapons of Legacy have a restriction that it cannot be further enhanced further using regular processes such as item creation feats. (I don't have the exact wording right now)

I'm wondering if the consensus is that using Item Familiar/Ancestral Relic/Kensai would be a legal method to bypass the above restriction?

As a munchkin, I'm hoping yes.

That would definitely be good to know!

Also, wondering if there is any way you can use PaO or another method to change a weapon from steel to adamantine or riverine after it's creation (i.e. when I could afford it)?

[Seerow]

As an aside, it's really hard to go wrong with a Staff as a bonded weapon. At least if you are planning to Gish or use UMD at all

Points in its favor:
1) It's a double weapon. Want to TWF? It works. Want to Two-Handed Power attack? It works. Want to throw a wand chamber in your weapon? Why not two instead?
2) It's bludgeoning. So by mid levels Greater Mighty Wallop means its damage dice at least comparable to just about any bladed weapon.
3) It can be enchanted as a Staff, spells are good!
4) It can be used with Eliservs School, which is basically free channel spell while TWFing with a Staff, and free bonus damage based on charges in your staff. Win!
5) It can be enchanted as a Runestaff. Remember how spells are good? Well spontaneously casting spells without charges is better! Not sure how this interacts with UMD, but if you're Gishing this is the best.
6) If you are going the Caster route, Wizard provides Imbue Staff, which gives lots of extra minor perks to a staff you bond with.

[ShurikVch]

Druids get a surprising amount of spells that affect a quarterstaff.Not just Druids - staves are traditional tools of Wizards and Sorcerers.
Imbued Staff variant rule from Dragon #338 allow to get Familiar-like benefits from the staff, and unlocks access to feat chain:
Enchant Staff - allow to cast one of your spells as SLA 1/day
Imbued Defense - while casting defensively, you get Wis to AC (in addition to Dex)
Imbued Strength - when attacking with the staff, use Wis mod. for bonus to damage (instead Str)
Invest Spell - by losing 1 spell slot, you get SLA 3/day
Recharge Staff - you may expend prepared spell/slots to add charges back into your Imbued Staff

[The_Iron_Lord]

I don't think anybody has mentioned this: there's a Paladin ACF that replaces their mount with a summonable weapon. It is the same weapon always, and would definitely fit with the "bonded to one weapon" idea, I think...You could stack feats/a PrC as desired, though if you lose to many Pally levels, you won't get as much power out of the weapon...

EDIT: It's in one of the Dragon magazines...not sure which one.