"Elite Weapons" - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

"Elite Weapons"

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
volcanon2
Feb 26, 2009 13:53:37 So say we have a superior weapon (for example, an executioner's axe).

What sort of bonus would I give to a superior weapon designed by an elite craftsman (aside from it being mastercraft?). Typically the best of the best for weapons in the real world were somewhat better than the standard fare. Maybe just up it by a dice, quadruple the price, and make it completely unusable for those who don't have the specializating feat?
#2
rikiji
Feb 26, 2009 14:01:01 What edition? 3.5 has rules for this - in 4E it would probably be best to just give it an enhancement bonus and refluff it to be from workmanship instead of magic.
#3
trailfoot
Feb 26, 2009 14:05:52 I'd say that nearly anything a PC past about level 5 uses is likely to be crafted by a master. You don't often see Joe Blacksmith's sword turned into a +2 flaming.

A masterwork weapon will be prettier, and more likely to be enchanted (since wizards don't throw their residuum at ugly weapons). Those are your benefits. "Masterwork" is the baseline, but the usability difference between "Joe Blacksmith" and "Domingo Montoya" isn't big enough to create a mechanical bonus for Domingo or a penalty for Joe.
#4
volcanon2
Feb 26, 2009 15:14:06 Hi, sorry. It's for 4th. Maybe I can just adapt the 3rd rules, if anybody can paraphrase them for me.

Basically I'm looking for the difference between "mastercraft" and "best money can buy, made by the best with the best materials", which is often somewhat large. Kind of like Bob the "bestest blacksmith ever" only made one, and spent his entire life to make it the "bestest weapon ever".
#5
rikiji
Feb 26, 2009 16:25:45
Hi, sorry. It's for 4th. Maybe I can just adapt the 3rd rules, if anybody can paraphrase them for me.

Basically I'm looking for the difference between "mastercraft" and "best money can buy, made by the best with the best materials", which is often somewhat large. Kind of like Bob the "bestest blacksmith ever" only made one, and spent his entire life to make it the "bestest weapon ever".

By definition, what you're creating is going to be unique, so it might be along the lines of an artifact (or it might simply be a really good weapon - by definition just about every epic tier weapon meets the criteria you're defining). It might have some special properties and an enhancement bonus, but there's no reason for changing the base statistics of the weapon.
#6
trailfoot
Feb 26, 2009 16:49:01
By definition, what you're creating is going to be unique, so it might be along the lines of an artifact (or it might simply be a really good weapon - by definition just about every epic tier weapon meets the criteria you're defining). It might have some special properties and an enhancement bonus, but there's no reason for changing the base statistics of the weapon.

This.

It's possible that the weapon would have gained some magical properties just from the care and skill put into it. In much the same way that a martial character - a concept that is traditionally considered non-magical in D&D - gains blatantly supernatural powers in the higher tiers, so too might an incredibly skilled blacksmith, to the point where the items he makes gain magical properties simply from being made by him.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 volcanon2 Feb 26, 2009 13:53:37	So say we have a superior weapon (for example, an executioner's axe). What sort of bonus would I give to a superior weapon designed by an elite craftsman (aside from it being mastercraft?). Typically the best of the best for weapons in the real world were somewhat better than the standard fare. Maybe just up it by a dice, quadruple the price, and make it completely unusable for those who don't have the specializating feat?
#2 rikiji Feb 26, 2009 14:01:01	What edition? 3.5 has rules for this - in 4E it would probably be best to just give it an enhancement bonus and refluff it to be from workmanship instead of magic.
#3 trailfoot Feb 26, 2009 14:05:52	I'd say that nearly anything a PC past about level 5 uses is likely to be crafted by a master. You don't often see Joe Blacksmith's sword turned into a +2 flaming. A masterwork weapon will be prettier, and more likely to be enchanted (since wizards don't throw their residuum at ugly weapons). Those are your benefits. "Masterwork" is the baseline, but the usability difference between "Joe Blacksmith" and "Domingo Montoya" isn't big enough to create a mechanical bonus for Domingo or a penalty for Joe.
#4 volcanon2 Feb 26, 2009 15:14:06	Hi, sorry. It's for 4th. Maybe I can just adapt the 3rd rules, if anybody can paraphrase them for me. Basically I'm looking for the difference between "mastercraft" and "best money can buy, made by the best with the best materials", which is often somewhat large. Kind of like Bob the "bestest blacksmith ever" only made one, and spent his entire life to make it the "bestest weapon ever".
#5 rikiji Feb 26, 2009 16:25:45	Hi, sorry. It's for 4th. Maybe I can just adapt the 3rd rules, if anybody can paraphrase them for me. Basically I'm looking for the difference between "mastercraft" and "best money can buy, made by the best with the best materials", which is often somewhat large. Kind of like Bob the "bestest blacksmith ever" only made one, and spent his entire life to make it the "bestest weapon ever". By definition, what you're creating is going to be unique, so it might be along the lines of an artifact (or it might simply be a really good weapon - by definition just about every epic tier weapon meets the criteria you're defining). It might have some special properties and an enhancement bonus, but there's no reason for changing the base statistics of the weapon.
#6 trailfoot Feb 26, 2009 16:49:01	By definition, what you're creating is going to be unique, so it might be along the lines of an artifact (or it might simply be a really good weapon - by definition just about every epic tier weapon meets the criteria you're defining). It might have some special properties and an enhancement bonus, but there's no reason for changing the base statistics of the weapon. This. It's possible that the weapon would have gained some magical properties just from the care and skill put into it. In much the same way that a martial character - a concept that is traditionally considered non-magical in D&D - gains blatantly supernatural powers in the higher tiers, so too might an incredibly skilled blacksmith, to the point where the items he makes gain magical properties simply from being made by him.