Artifact drawbacks required [Archive] - Wizards Community

Artifact drawbacks required [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
krichaiushii
09-25-04, 10:31 AM Artifacts are the pinnacle of magical might. Unfortunately, the power that crafted them is not intended for mortal hands. As such, mortals suffer for their use of such great power.

That said, I have an item that needs drawbacks (and perhaps a better name). The drawbacks can be either RP in nature or mechanical in nature. Or both. Thematic would be nice. ;)

Dayfather Staff
(Dayfather being the title of a NG deity of Travel, Sun, Good, Protection, Healing - mostly worshipped by humans)

When held by Evil beings:
4 negative levels while held.
Good beings are drawn to you to recover the staff.

When held by Neutral beings:
Acts as Phylactery of Undead Turning.
Endure Elements (any) while held.
Sanctuary 1/day.
Magic Circle v. Evil 1/day.

When held by Good beings:
Acts as Phylactery of Undead Turning.
+2 sacred bonus to saves.
Endure Elements (any) while held.
Freedom of Movement while held.
Daylight 3/day.
Sanctuary 3/day.
Magic Circle v Evil 1/day.
Sunburst 1/day.
All healing spells cast by wielder are Empowered.

When held by Clerics of Dayfather:
Acts as Phylactery of Undead Turning.
Acts as Phylactery of Faithfulness.
Endure Elements (any) while held.
Freedom of Movement while held.
Divine Grace (Cha bonus to saves).
Daylight at will.
Magic Circle v Evil at will.
Sanctuary at will.
Maximized Sunburst 3/day.
All healing spells cast by wielder are Maximized.
True Resurrection 1/month – ages caster 5 yrs; 5000xp drain, too.

Potential drawbacks:

Wielder is inflicted with divine wanderlust - helping others. Wielder cannot remain in one location for greater than 1 month.

Staff (and wielder?) glows with an aura similar to that of Faerie Fire. This aura is in no way able to be extinguished.

Wielder MUST put down all undead encountered, regardless of their alignment (undead are abominations in the eyes of the Dayfather).

All undead encountered target the staff-wielder first - as they instinctively know he means their doom.

Wielder cannot strike first, unless the target is undead.

Wielder ages faster than normal - 3 months pass for his body for every 1 month that passes for the world.

Note: I intend to have True Resurrection be very difficult, due to IC religious and general flavor reasons. Hence the aging and XP cost to the caster.

I need both general drawbacks and one or two more bits of nastiness for evil beings that pick up the staff.

And a special destruction method (otherwise, the evil beings may never pick it up!).

Thanks in advance.
gbnogkfs
09-25-04, 09:22 PM the idea is certainly good if you like it (it was that way in the old Mentzer rules)... until an epic character finds out they can create an epic item with the same (almost) effects as any listed artifact...
krichaiushii
09-27-04, 06:20 AM Bump.
TheEnforcer
09-28-04, 09:50 AM I need both general drawbacks and one or two more bits of nastiness for evil beings that pick up the staff.

How about allow evil creatures a save or be blinded while wielding it? Or perhaps, the unthinkable; save or become NG forever? :D

And a special destruction method (otherwise, the evil beings may never pick it up!).

Perhaps it my need to be taken to the negetive energy plane in an Unhallowed temple, have Desecrate cast upon it, and and evil cleric of high level (perhaps epic level?) channel his negative energy around it, making a rebuking check to rebuke some ungodly high amount of HD of undead. The whole process my well be more involved for RP purposes as well, maybe taking hours or days to complete the ritual. Oh, and the one who destoys it is destoyed in the process (though that might not nesasarily be know by the destroyer). I did something like this before with a evil aligned artfact that seems to be the exact opposite (theme-wise) from your own. I hope this gives you some ideas.
Bane
09-28-04, 11:32 AM How about this for a method of destruction? If it ever touches the Shadowstaff, they both shatter?
niesl
09-28-04, 11:34 AM To me it also seems logical if the staff had a special effect against undead touching it, like a save or be destroyed or a maximized sunburst or something like that.

Suggestion for drawback: you must slay at least one undead creature per week/month or else the staff acts like one step worse (for example: if a cleric of the Dayfather doesn't slay a undead in a week it acts like being carried by a good being instead of a cleric of the Dayfather)

Suggestion for destruction: put it on the Altar of Darkness/into the Pit of the Night/other dark place and let a Sphere of Annihilation/Umbral Blot (sp? I mean the epic all-consuming thing) consume it while a darkness spell is centered on the staff. It has to be destroyed by something dark (I assume that darkness is the opposite of the Dayfather)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
krichaiushii 09-25-04, 10:31 AM	Artifacts are the pinnacle of magical might. Unfortunately, the power that crafted them is not intended for mortal hands. As such, mortals suffer for their use of such great power. That said, I have an item that needs drawbacks (and perhaps a better name). The drawbacks can be either RP in nature or mechanical in nature. Or both. Thematic would be nice. ;) Dayfather Staff (Dayfather being the title of a NG deity of Travel, Sun, Good, Protection, Healing - mostly worshipped by humans) When held by Evil beings: 4 negative levels while held. Good beings are drawn to you to recover the staff. When held by Neutral beings: Acts as Phylactery of Undead Turning. Endure Elements (any) while held. Sanctuary 1/day. Magic Circle v. Evil 1/day. When held by Good beings: Acts as Phylactery of Undead Turning. +2 sacred bonus to saves. Endure Elements (any) while held. Freedom of Movement while held. Daylight 3/day. Sanctuary 3/day. Magic Circle v Evil 1/day. Sunburst 1/day. All healing spells cast by wielder are Empowered. When held by Clerics of Dayfather: Acts as Phylactery of Undead Turning. Acts as Phylactery of Faithfulness. Endure Elements (any) while held. Freedom of Movement while held. Divine Grace (Cha bonus to saves). Daylight at will. Magic Circle v Evil at will. Sanctuary at will. Maximized Sunburst 3/day. All healing spells cast by wielder are Maximized. True Resurrection 1/month – ages caster 5 yrs; 5000xp drain, too. Potential drawbacks: Wielder is inflicted with divine wanderlust - helping others. Wielder cannot remain in one location for greater than 1 month. Staff (and wielder?) glows with an aura similar to that of Faerie Fire. This aura is in no way able to be extinguished. Wielder MUST put down all undead encountered, regardless of their alignment (undead are abominations in the eyes of the Dayfather). All undead encountered target the staff-wielder first - as they instinctively know he means their doom. Wielder cannot strike first, unless the target is undead. Wielder ages faster than normal - 3 months pass for his body for every 1 month that passes for the world. Note: I intend to have True Resurrection be very difficult, due to IC religious and general flavor reasons. Hence the aging and XP cost to the caster. I need both general drawbacks and one or two more bits of nastiness for evil beings that pick up the staff. And a special destruction method (otherwise, the evil beings may never pick it up!). Thanks in advance.
gbnogkfs 09-25-04, 09:22 PM	the idea is certainly good if you like it (it was that way in the old Mentzer rules)... until an epic character finds out they can create an epic item with the same (almost) effects as any listed artifact...
krichaiushii 09-27-04, 06:20 AM	Bump.
TheEnforcer 09-28-04, 09:50 AM	I need both general drawbacks and one or two more bits of nastiness for evil beings that pick up the staff. How about allow evil creatures a save or be blinded while wielding it? Or perhaps, the unthinkable; save or become NG forever? :D And a special destruction method (otherwise, the evil beings may never pick it up!). Perhaps it my need to be taken to the negetive energy plane in an Unhallowed temple, have Desecrate cast upon it, and and evil cleric of high level (perhaps epic level?) channel his negative energy around it, making a rebuking check to rebuke some ungodly high amount of HD of undead. The whole process my well be more involved for RP purposes as well, maybe taking hours or days to complete the ritual. Oh, and the one who destoys it is destoyed in the process (though that might not nesasarily be know by the destroyer). I did something like this before with a evil aligned artfact that seems to be the exact opposite (theme-wise) from your own. I hope this gives you some ideas.
Bane 09-28-04, 11:32 AM	How about this for a method of destruction? If it ever touches the Shadowstaff, they both shatter?
niesl 09-28-04, 11:34 AM	To me it also seems logical if the staff had a special effect against undead touching it, like a save or be destroyed or a maximized sunburst or something like that. Suggestion for drawback: you must slay at least one undead creature per week/month or else the staff acts like one step worse (for example: if a cleric of the Dayfather doesn't slay a undead in a week it acts like being carried by a good being instead of a cleric of the Dayfather) Suggestion for destruction: put it on the Altar of Darkness/into the Pit of the Night/other dark place and let a Sphere of Annihilation/Umbral Blot (sp? I mean the epic all-consuming thing) consume it while a darkness spell is centered on the staff. It has to be destroyed by something dark (I assume that darkness is the opposite of the Dayfather)