Behold! The Omega Star! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Behold! The Omega Star! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Raynx
02-21-08, 09:32 PM Hi. I've developed an idea for an artifact in my campaign world and need some help fleshing it out and putting the blasted thing together.
Obviously, it's called the Omega Star. The composition is undecided (crystal/alien metal/unidentified substance, I don't know...), but the image is clear:
http://www.creased.com/origami/art/images/red_omegastar.jpg
Now then, here are my mechanical ideas:
I'll start with an effect resembling that of the Moaning Diamond (shifting/disintegrating earth, lots of earth), tack on a scrying ability, and give it the option of using the earth disruption ability through the scrying field.

It is basically a doomsday device. Obviously, I don't want to actually destroy the world. The PCs are going to have to stop the villain before that happens, of course, but I want to present a threat significant enough to pressure even low epic level characters to take to the cause of stopping it.

Note: The above image is NOT my own. I googled Omega Star. It's an origami model. And yes, actually, I have a couple of them sitting around my room. If need be, I'll make another one for appropriate coloration/size.
tyrecian
02-22-08, 12:18 AM I would make it intelligent and evil, if you want to keep it out of the players hands...

or you could make it good, so that the BBEG has to dominate it every time he uses it. I have found that opposing alignment artifacts make a great way in which to offer parties the ability to solve the end game battle in a variety of ways... :)

Either way, you dont want a doomsday device necessarily running rampant in your campaign, and sometimes once you build these things it just becomes to easy to kill the party. THe players start asking themselves "Why aren't we dead? cause the DM's cheating!"

Wall of stone and the transmute line are nice effects as well for moving. Most importantly this thing should be able to call forth some kind of earth elemental, maybe even a crew of lower ones and a "foreman" type elemental lord. Depends on the level. A doomsday device is no holds barred, disintegrate might be a good choice as well (only on inanimate objects for theme)...

also since its all points and such, perhaps you can have each point do certain things, and have puzzles to figure them out... That way the PCs might not be able to figure out how to use the elementals and then voila they can at a certain point, discoverring that point 24 does this with the command word "zarfarmarcar!"

Also i have a tendency to hide things in plain sight with my BBEGs, so that the PCs when they invade might see a number of stars on a chandelier, or altar... this way, they have to investigate a little, and the BBEG can reasonably flee (knowing that he might be able to muster a reproach force in time to save his artifacts)...

This thing definately should have a dragon protector... its just too classic... I am DARMON! Protector of the Omega Star! (leaps up into the air, transforms into a dragon from his elven form, extending all his limbs outwards in an X) It just sounds so anime!

If you are keeping it that size, it would fit nicely into the pummel of a magic sword... that way when the PCs detect magic they will be baffled at the lich carrying a longsword that detects powerful and forbidden magic, but doesn't yield to identify easily anything other than a longsword +2.

at any rate, the weilder of this should live in an earthen cave whereby he can use the artifact to activate his many earth traps while the party has to deal with his minions! Falling rocks, pit traps into spikes, earth elementals flanking, ground becoming rough terrain as its muddy, reflex saves to get trapped in stone, stone walls surrounding casters, etc. Fun for the whole battle, without having to necessarily waste his own powers (use up the days worth of powers in the artifact, and then start working the party with his own :D ouch that is always so hurtful...).
zapogee
02-24-08, 05:50 PM What if at the very end the bad guy tries to fire it off as the players rush in and darn thing just dosent work? Maybe hums and wobbles around a bit, then cracks in half.
The legends of its awesome destructive power were all wrong! Still have to kill the bad guy, though.

Won't need mechanics then and no worries what happens to it. Have some powerful epic spell to give it the aura of some other artifact-level school of magic (evocation).

Or this one is the decoy for any foolish enough to use it. Now, the cat's out of the bag and some other bad guy is looking for the real one.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Raynx 02-21-08, 09:32 PM	Hi. I've developed an idea for an artifact in my campaign world and need some help fleshing it out and putting the blasted thing together. Obviously, it's called the Omega Star. The composition is undecided (crystal/alien metal/unidentified substance, I don't know...), but the image is clear: http://www.creased.com/origami/art/images/red_omegastar.jpg Now then, here are my mechanical ideas: I'll start with an effect resembling that of the Moaning Diamond (shifting/disintegrating earth, lots of earth), tack on a scrying ability, and give it the option of using the earth disruption ability through the scrying field. It is basically a doomsday device. Obviously, I don't want to actually destroy the world. The PCs are going to have to stop the villain before that happens, of course, but I want to present a threat significant enough to pressure even low epic level characters to take to the cause of stopping it. Note: The above image is NOT my own. I googled Omega Star. It's an origami model. And yes, actually, I have a couple of them sitting around my room. If need be, I'll make another one for appropriate coloration/size.
tyrecian 02-22-08, 12:18 AM	I would make it intelligent and evil, if you want to keep it out of the players hands... or you could make it good, so that the BBEG has to dominate it every time he uses it. I have found that opposing alignment artifacts make a great way in which to offer parties the ability to solve the end game battle in a variety of ways... :) Either way, you dont want a doomsday device necessarily running rampant in your campaign, and sometimes once you build these things it just becomes to easy to kill the party. THe players start asking themselves "Why aren't we dead? cause the DM's cheating!" Wall of stone and the transmute line are nice effects as well for moving. Most importantly this thing should be able to call forth some kind of earth elemental, maybe even a crew of lower ones and a "foreman" type elemental lord. Depends on the level. A doomsday device is no holds barred, disintegrate might be a good choice as well (only on inanimate objects for theme)... also since its all points and such, perhaps you can have each point do certain things, and have puzzles to figure them out... That way the PCs might not be able to figure out how to use the elementals and then voila they can at a certain point, discoverring that point 24 does this with the command word "zarfarmarcar!" Also i have a tendency to hide things in plain sight with my BBEGs, so that the PCs when they invade might see a number of stars on a chandelier, or altar... this way, they have to investigate a little, and the BBEG can reasonably flee (knowing that he might be able to muster a reproach force in time to save his artifacts)... This thing definately should have a dragon protector... its just too classic... I am DARMON! Protector of the Omega Star! (leaps up into the air, transforms into a dragon from his elven form, extending all his limbs outwards in an X) It just sounds so anime! If you are keeping it that size, it would fit nicely into the pummel of a magic sword... that way when the PCs detect magic they will be baffled at the lich carrying a longsword that detects powerful and forbidden magic, but doesn't yield to identify easily anything other than a longsword +2. at any rate, the weilder of this should live in an earthen cave whereby he can use the artifact to activate his many earth traps while the party has to deal with his minions! Falling rocks, pit traps into spikes, earth elementals flanking, ground becoming rough terrain as its muddy, reflex saves to get trapped in stone, stone walls surrounding casters, etc. Fun for the whole battle, without having to necessarily waste his own powers (use up the days worth of powers in the artifact, and then start working the party with his own :D ouch that is always so hurtful...).
zapogee 02-24-08, 05:50 PM	What if at the very end the bad guy tries to fire it off as the players rush in and darn thing just dosent work? Maybe hums and wobbles around a bit, then cracks in half. The legends of its awesome destructive power were all wrong! Still have to kill the bad guy, though. Won't need mechanics then and no worries what happens to it. Have some powerful epic spell to give it the aura of some other artifact-level school of magic (evocation). Or this one is the decoy for any foolish enough to use it. Now, the cat's out of the bag and some other bad guy is looking for the real one.