kgauck
08-26-2006, 04:37 AM
I've started using a new way to apportion magic weapons which I think I will make more fundamental to how characters get magic weapons and certain other permanent magic items.
Once a character is due a treasure of a magic item by virtue of his great deeds, rather than neccesarily loot it from the corpse of some slain being, some ancestor brings his ancestoral weapon to you in a dream, in spectral form, or through some strange event. At some point a weapon might be replaced by a better weapon as the ancestors arrange a swap.
Consider, at 3rd level Jowan Bhaine recieves a mysterious dream in which his great grandfather comes to him and bestows his sword, Redouted, and when Jowan awakes, the sword lays at his feet. At 5th level, a stranger meets him at a crossroad and begs him to buy a quality bow from him so his family might eat that evening. Upon inspection later that evening, the bow appears to possess strong magic. Later still, an old carving of a long dead ancestor is brought down from an attic with the exact appearance of the man who sold him the bow. At 7th level, a secret is revealed that an old family heirloom rests in a vault, and that only a true heir of old Eselde, in blood and courage could possess the weapon. Jowan passes the test and takes possesion of the weapon. A drealm comes to Jowan in which his great grandfather praises the prowess of Jowan and requests the return of Redoubted, now that Jowan has the much better sword of old Eselde. He requests it be placed at the foot of his scarcaughogus. Once there it cannot be moved again without powerful dispelling or the agreement of its ancient owner. At 10th level, his mother tells Jowan of a strange vision she had in the parkland behind Bhainehouse and when unraveled, the vision explains how to obtain a ring of great power from a family tomb.
There are several interesting effects this has. First it ties the magical item to the bloodline of the wielder. This seems very much in the spirit of BR. Second, it allows for making permenant magical items rarer. Third it allows for making an exitsing posession more powerful as an ancestor, dream, or discovered historical record reveals that a keyword unlocks a new power in an existing item. Fourth, it creates an incentive to return some found treasure to rightful owners, making friends of families or spirits. Fifth, it can make some found treasure an unwilling posession, which can have interesting consequences. Sixth, interesting parallels can be created, even post facto, with ancestors.
Certainly not every permenant magical item has to be ancestoral. If party spellcasters, or powerful allies and patrons desire, they might craft a new object for a hero. Some objects may have lost their tie to a former owner, or actually had a falling out with an owner and prefer to be discovered by the PC.
Certainly you can create a family arsenal without giving PC's access to the whole thing with one key. Even if all the items are present in one great tomb, some may not be class appropriate, others may be unsuitable. Perhaps one ancestor was a noble, and knightly character like your own PC, and finds you worthy to carry his ancient lance after a town is saved from a terrible creature. Another ancestor might have been a rogue whose short sword cut short the life of many an honest courtier in the struggle for power in the duchy. A noble PC might not want to associate with such a weapon, employ its powers, nor win the approval of the cunning ancestor who distains the PC's alignment, character, and nobility.
Weapons can be crafted to be a highly desirable reward for a PC without explanations of how a paladin got a sword of justice from an evil sorcerer.
I also like to describe that special powers of a weapon or object as reflections of blood powers of the former wielder. A sword may include the power to detect lies once per day, just as old Ciaran had the blood power to detect lies. Did old Ciaran imbue the weapon with a touch of his bloodline upon his death, is the spirit of old Ciaran being summoned when this power is activated and his advice being given in so subtle a form, or is there some other explanation?
Kenneth Gauck
kgauck@mchsi.com
Once a character is due a treasure of a magic item by virtue of his great deeds, rather than neccesarily loot it from the corpse of some slain being, some ancestor brings his ancestoral weapon to you in a dream, in spectral form, or through some strange event. At some point a weapon might be replaced by a better weapon as the ancestors arrange a swap.
Consider, at 3rd level Jowan Bhaine recieves a mysterious dream in which his great grandfather comes to him and bestows his sword, Redouted, and when Jowan awakes, the sword lays at his feet. At 5th level, a stranger meets him at a crossroad and begs him to buy a quality bow from him so his family might eat that evening. Upon inspection later that evening, the bow appears to possess strong magic. Later still, an old carving of a long dead ancestor is brought down from an attic with the exact appearance of the man who sold him the bow. At 7th level, a secret is revealed that an old family heirloom rests in a vault, and that only a true heir of old Eselde, in blood and courage could possess the weapon. Jowan passes the test and takes possesion of the weapon. A drealm comes to Jowan in which his great grandfather praises the prowess of Jowan and requests the return of Redoubted, now that Jowan has the much better sword of old Eselde. He requests it be placed at the foot of his scarcaughogus. Once there it cannot be moved again without powerful dispelling or the agreement of its ancient owner. At 10th level, his mother tells Jowan of a strange vision she had in the parkland behind Bhainehouse and when unraveled, the vision explains how to obtain a ring of great power from a family tomb.
There are several interesting effects this has. First it ties the magical item to the bloodline of the wielder. This seems very much in the spirit of BR. Second, it allows for making permenant magical items rarer. Third it allows for making an exitsing posession more powerful as an ancestor, dream, or discovered historical record reveals that a keyword unlocks a new power in an existing item. Fourth, it creates an incentive to return some found treasure to rightful owners, making friends of families or spirits. Fifth, it can make some found treasure an unwilling posession, which can have interesting consequences. Sixth, interesting parallels can be created, even post facto, with ancestors.
Certainly not every permenant magical item has to be ancestoral. If party spellcasters, or powerful allies and patrons desire, they might craft a new object for a hero. Some objects may have lost their tie to a former owner, or actually had a falling out with an owner and prefer to be discovered by the PC.
Certainly you can create a family arsenal without giving PC's access to the whole thing with one key. Even if all the items are present in one great tomb, some may not be class appropriate, others may be unsuitable. Perhaps one ancestor was a noble, and knightly character like your own PC, and finds you worthy to carry his ancient lance after a town is saved from a terrible creature. Another ancestor might have been a rogue whose short sword cut short the life of many an honest courtier in the struggle for power in the duchy. A noble PC might not want to associate with such a weapon, employ its powers, nor win the approval of the cunning ancestor who distains the PC's alignment, character, and nobility.
Weapons can be crafted to be a highly desirable reward for a PC without explanations of how a paladin got a sword of justice from an evil sorcerer.
I also like to describe that special powers of a weapon or object as reflections of blood powers of the former wielder. A sword may include the power to detect lies once per day, just as old Ciaran had the blood power to detect lies. Did old Ciaran imbue the weapon with a touch of his bloodline upon his death, is the spirit of old Ciaran being summoned when this power is activated and his advice being given in so subtle a form, or is there some other explanation?
Kenneth Gauck
kgauck@mchsi.com