Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Necropolitan 05-18-06, 11:56 AM	I've been playing around with the idea of making artifacts a DM would ACTUALLY give a player, I mean who would willingly let a party have a Staff of the Archmagi? Now the problem with this is the SRD has absolutly no guidelines on building artifacts, and I like the idea of making 'true' artifacts, that give both benifits but have some limitation, stipulation or negitive in addition to being a righteously powerful weapon or whatnot. So I was wondering, how do you build a plausable artifact that's more then just a +4 Longsword? I need help in making a Non-epic (Because Epic weapon enhancements are just TOO insane) Artifact seem unique, but not incredably overpowered. I'd imagine Weapons of Legacy would be useful, but I'm a poor starving college boy who can either buy the 40 dollar book or pay his utilites this month. The general need for this is to make magical items 'Magic' again for some players; it's gotten to where finding a +3 Wounding Battleaxe just isn't a 'WOW that's really neat' event anymore; they can buy that from the local archmage, maybe giving the weapons and items a bit more perminancy in the game would re-instate that magic IS a 'Wow' Factor of the campaign. Thoughts? Advice? In-depth guides to building artifacts for your average player?
tarkin 05-18-06, 12:54 PM	My advice: look at the house rules Anything Goes gamers think are OK/3.0 rules outlawed and let them work for people that have the artifact. Possible ideas: 1) 1/day Grants the ability to Recharge wands/staves instantly, at 1/2 the pro rated gold and xp price, without knowing the spell. 2) Grants the ability to cast spells outside your list. 3) Allows you to Cleave on a Whirlwind. 4) Extra Standard Action each round for 10 rounds/day (3.0 Boots of Speed). 5) Allows you to take multiple AoO for opponents moving: 1 per 5ft 6) Never be surprised 7) Use Full strength for off hand weapon 8) auto-reloading crossbows, self stabilizing - allowing two handed firing at no penalties, using full BAB. 9) Huge Sword useable by Medium person, no penalties to hit in main hand.
Necropolitan 05-18-06, 01:03 PM	My advice: look at the house rules Anything Goes gamers think are OK/3.0 rules outlawed and let them work for people that have the artifact. Possible ideas: 1) 1/day Grants the ability to Recharge wands/staves instantly, at 1/2 the pro rated gold and xp price, without knowing the spell. 2) Grants the ability to cast spells outside your list. 3) Allows you to Cleave on a Whirlwind. 4) Extra Standard Action each round for 10 rounds/day (3.0 Boots of Speed). 5) Allows you to take multiple AoO for opponents moving: 1 per 5ft 6) Never be surprised 7) Use Full strength for off hand weapon 8) auto-reloading crossbows, self stabilizing - allowing two handed firing at no penalties, using full BAB. 9) Huge Sword useable by Medium person, no penalties to hit in main hand. Mmm, yeah that's a staple of artifact devices; but I'm looking for a framework for balence, I can invent all sorts of nifty things like that. Such as, would it be possable for a non-epic artifact to break the +10 barrier with non-epic enchantments? For example: creating an evil sentient weapon, +4 Greater Wounding Vorpal Bastard Sword, a +13 weapon? Perhaps for Artifacts I can apply the Epic-level rules with non-epic enhancements, you think?
mvincent 05-18-06, 01:28 PM	artifacts a DM would ACTUALLY give a playerDeck of Many Things. The general need for this is to make magical items 'Magic' again for some players; it's gotten to where finding a +3 Wounding Battleaxe just isn't a 'WOW that's really neat' event anymore; they can buy that from the local archmage, maybe giving the weapons and items a bit more perminancy in the game would re-instate that magic IS a 'Wow' Factor of the campaign.Unique, interesting magic items that were still completely balanced might be: 1) Intelligent magic items (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/intelligentItems.htm) 2) Cursed items (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/cursedItems.htm) that are still very useful (may have an acceptable drawback or requirement). 3) Several magic items combined into one, which is allowed via this rule (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm): "A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions." "If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character’s body the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%" 4) Simply has a nifty name and/or history. Maybe it was created by or named after one of the player's previous PC's (or a well known NPC... possibly a villian).
Necropolitan 05-18-06, 01:34 PM	Good God, the Deck of Many things. I'm having PTSD flashblacks. :weep: I'm actually looking to 'stick' a character with a weapon, Thus why I wanted to use Weapons of Legacy, I like the idea of a weapon's power progressing with the character, keeping it mystical and magical to the character, and also preventing the "DEAR GOD! you just sold the best weapon you could possably get because it didn't LOOK magical!?" Scenairo when they run across a fnacy glowing +3 longsword. Maybe I've just played with too many stupid PCs in my time.
mvincent 05-18-06, 01:52 PM	would it be possable for a non-epic artifact to break the +10 barrierNo. But why are you concerned whether the item is classified as epic or not? If you are introducing artifacts, you likely aren't concerned about the costs anyway (i.e. artifacts don't have listed costs). If you are concerned about balance... well, not sure how trying to reclassify something will help that. If you do want something more powerful without being epic, you could probably add abilities from other (non-weapon) magic items, or from the intelligent item special ability charts.
Necropolitan 05-18-06, 01:57 PM	No. But why are you concerned whether the item is classified as epic or not? If you are introducing artifacts, you likely aren't concerned about the costs anyway (i.e. artifacts don't have listed costs). If you are concerned about balance... well, not sure how trying to reclassify something will help that. If you do want something more powerful without being epic, you could probably add abilities from other (non-weapon) magic items, or from the intelligent item special ability charts. Oooh, the Lifedrinker's negitive level ability calls to me. My biggest issue to trying to scale the power without WoL; I considered building a 'template' sort of with special abilties for the artifact, or artifiacts: similar to Half-Outsider spell-like ability progression, the bonuses, poweres, etc increase as the character gains levels, within conditions that apply to the item (Only carries said weapon, must give up 2 pemrinant points of Con, etc) Again, I'm simply trying to work-around lacking a rulebook.
Nani? 05-18-06, 10:58 PM	I would use fairly "normal" items that are powerful enough to want the players keep but have some drawbacks. Think "Lord of the Rings" and everything a little ring of invisiblity can be. I would also go the 101 wacky cursed items thread on the mature boards (why it's not hyperlinked, and at this point not "wacky" per se) and start on page 8 or 9. There are some wonderful artifact level ideas. Two of mine are the Soul Mirror (easily alterable) and the Bluffstone (bonuses on bluffs, so good you may start to believe your own lies) . All the Best, Nani?