3.5 Stormbringer [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Tindragon

2018-02-23, 11:18 AM

I want to bring Stormbringer/Mournblade (well a close copy) into my next campaign.

Stating it out, I can handle I am thinking Keen Adamant Bastard Sword, +6 [EPIC] Human slaying (like the arrow) Fort Save DC 23 or die, acts as Gripsoul, with Unholy Power as well. It's gonna break the rules as far as being overpowered even for Epic rules, but it's more of a unique plot device, that will see very little actual action till much later...

The issue I am running into, and would like input on, is this aspect:

This powerful enchanted black blade is a member of a demon race that takes on the form of a sword, and as such is an agent of Chaos.

The whole reason for it, is I want the RACE. It's obviously very sentient, gonna have very high EGO.

I'm wondering, more do I stat it as a creature as well? Or just use Int weapon rules. And give it a race Small Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil) maybe add Construct?

It may not seem to matter, and maybe it won't, but I do like to have this stuff worked out, so that if the players get creative, they may find a viable work around. I don't want to absolutely pigeon hole them into the 'video game' option.

Going to be a member of a "Previous Age of Chaos" and be 2 of them. 1 in hands of BBEG, and 1 that is 'lost' and needs to be found to have a chance to take out BBEG which will end up being the sword itself has possessed and actually controls,
so the sword needs destroyed/killed, and I kind of want it to be that only another of these can do the job completely... still working on those specifics... but that's also why I'm wondering if I make the race type for it, so, even though they'll have no up front knowledge, maybe in my groups crazed creative manner, they can option B it, with something I hadn't thought up.

Tindragon

2018-02-27, 09:28 AM

Yeah, I actually saw all of these, have the original AD&D 1st print of Deities and Demi gods with the swords stats.

Converting the weapon, not hard.

My bigger question, and I'm leaning toward doing it, is still

This powerful enchanted black blade is a member of a demon race that takes on the form of a sword, and as such is an agent of Chaos.

Has anyone stated it as a race?

I am thinking of actually having my version be able to shift into and out of Sword shape, and be a major Demon sub type.

The Demon itself, not nearly as powerful as a Balor, or Marilith, maybe more like a soul drinking Hezrou, but lesser powered, maybe even down along the lines of Succubus, not to hard to kill in that form. However, they are far less vulnerable in sword form. As long as they get X souls per week (day?) they can maintain the nearly indestructible sword form.

I'm thinking now, a fairly generic demon, with about 8 HD, and no extra SA or SD beyond Level Drain of some sort (which they feed on) and the ability to Fee Action shapeshift to sword form. And as long they have X HD worth of souls drained, the sword form is very powerful indeed.

Say, if no souls, they are a Sword of Life Stealing, but, instead of the save to perm loose level 1 day later, they save immediately, if failed, the sword takes in the levels, once it takes in, say 20 HD in a single day, it then 'powers up' to the full stated Stormbinger, which I stated already, and much keep consuming 20HD a day to maintain that power level.

The Demon then can shift back to it's humanoid(ish) form, at any time, but is large, or even huge for a day or so as it digests the souls. But no other benefits. So the demon wants to stay in sword form, in the hands of someone who is evil, and constantly using it.

However, the demon could/would leave if the wielder doesn't use it, or if is slain, the demon could revert form, and flee, or find a new wielder.

I'm really 'thinking out loud" here, running this around my head for my next campaign.

A very few of these very ancient type of demon are left, and unable to procreate or spawn more, and one of them have found themselves a pretty warlike people to wield them, and gets fed, and stays pretty indestructible in the hands of a front line warrior general [BBEG] and possible way to confront him, could be there is an imprisoned demon, that if 'fed' would equal in power, and be able to be used to destroy the other blade.

Again, this is all high level, content. The blades Ego's are very high when fed. Along with the abilities they bestow.

Stormbringer/Mournblade 3.5
Small Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)

Keen, Adamant, Bastard Sword +6 [EPIC] d10 17-20 (x2)
Chaotic Evil. Chr 40, Wis 30, Int 14
Telepathy
Primary:
Wielder has free use of Improved Initiative
Wielder has free use of Blind-Fight
Cure light wounds (1d8+5) on wielder 1/day
Wielder has free use of evasion
Extraordinary:
Haste (wielder only, 10 rounds)
Globe of invulnerability
Heal
Awesome Powers:
Bull’s strength (wielder only; intensified; +10 enhancement bonus to Strength)
Stoneskin (wielder only; extended; 400-minute duration)
Gate (special, can only call upon the lesser deity Arioch who may or may not answer, as he is a previous age god who has had no access to this plane in several Ages)
Greater Slaying, Humanoid- Human:
This weapon is keyed to a particular type or subtype of creature. If it strikes such a creature, the target must make a DC 20 Fortitude save or die (or, in the case of unliving targets, be destroyed) instantly. Note that even creatures normally exempt from Fortitude saves (undead and constructs) are subject to this attack. When keyed to a living creature, this is a death effect (and thus death ward protects a target). To determine the type or subtype of creature the arrow is keyed to, roll on the table below.
A greater slaying arrow functions just like a normal slaying arrow, but the DC to avoid the death effect is 23.
Strong necromancy; CL 13th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, finger of death (slaying arrow) or heightened finger of death (greater slaying arrow); Price 2,282 gp (slaying arrow) or 4,057 gp (greater slaying arrow); Cost 1,144 gp 5 sp + 91 XP (slaying arrow) or 2,032 gp + 162 XP (greater slaying arrow).

Gripsoul: instead of dealing additional damage on a critical hit, the weapon imprisons the victim in a gem set in the pommel of the sword as per a binding spell heightened to 16th level (DC 30). The same is true of any blow that would otherwise kill a foe or knock him or her unconscious. Only one creature can be so held, but the wielder can release the bound soul at any time with a command word.

{SPECIAL – the blade can store up to 20HD at a time, it ‘consumes’ HD at a rate of 1 per hour. Once the full HD of any soul is fully consumed, that being can not be raised by anything less than direct divine intervention. Souls/HD are consumed in order they are taken in}
Caster Level: 27th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, binding; Market Price: 1,856,500 gp; Cost to Create: 934,500 gp + 28,440 XP.
Unholy Power
This weapon is evil-aligned and this bypasses the corresponding damage reduction. When a weapon of unholy power strikes a good target, this power erupts forth and deals +3d6 points of bonus unholy (evil) damage to the target, and the target gains one negative level (Fortitude DC 23 to remove 24 hours later). On a successful critical hit it instead deals +6d6 points of unholy (evil) damage and bestows two negative levels (or +9d6 and three negative levels if the critical multiplier is ×3, or +12d6 and four negative levels if the critical multiplier is ×4).
The weapon bestows three negative levels on any good creature attempting to wield it. These negative levels remain as long as the weapon is in hand and disappear when the weapon is no longer wielded. These negative levels never result in actual level loss, but they cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) while the weapon is wielded. Bows, crossbows, and slings with this special ability bestow the unholy power upon their ammunition. This special ability does not stack with the nonepic unholy special ability.
Caster Level: 23rd; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, unholy word; Market Price: +8 bonus.
The sword MUST consume 20HD per day (midnight to midnight) or it will revert back to a Sword of Life Stealing, until it consumes 20HD in one day.

It could be that Balor and Marilith covet these as well, but because very few make it to the prime material to take mortal souls very often, this demon prefers mortal wielders, as it can manipulate and control them.

However, if such a potent demon would get to come to the Prime, the sword may forsake any current mortal wielder, in lieu of a Balor or Marilith, while they stay on the prime.

Obviously, being wielded by anyone with skill, this thing is deadly and overpowered, but again, thinking this is content for 14-16+ characters, I'm looking for possible other weaknesses (shy of wish/miracle).

Do I allow it to be able to forced out of blade form? With a very high Greater Dispel Magic? Or make it a bit more complex than that? The party is good, so being able to even utilize one of these, is actually, mostly out of the question. I'm thinking I could just use standard Sunder rules, and maybe they go that route with another adamant powerful blade, but being artifact strength, it explodes like a Staff of Magi.

Taking this weapon out, is likely gonna be key, to taking out the BBEG, really, the weapon is the BBEG, in the hands of a potent evil warrior (even Duskblade).

I'm looking for thoughts, ideas, out of the box here.