Dilemma: Intelligent weapon or just magical iron?

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I don't know if I should give my Player Intelligent with their own personality, it's own history. Because two of the players have loathed a Npc, just because they were suposed the guide gim through the hunted wood, and he didn't want to fight a Bone Golem (he didn't have any level of any Core Character Class) so I don't know how they will react to a Intelligent sword. Your opinion?

[ March 24, 2003, 22:45: Message edited by: Taluntain ]

 

Give them a realy annoying but useful one. And a manipulative one at that. If they throw it away get your NPC ro take it and then the characters will get realy jealous. The you have an entire new side quest

 

Oh yes! Make a annoying one that they can't just throw away, but one that only changes owners if the sword feels the new owner will appreciate it more. This can give you loads of fun as the PCs try to get rid of the sword.

**remember the DMs credo: "We're not out to kill them, just to make their lives miserable"**

 

Here are a couple of ideas for annoying but useful weapons.

My DM once gave our Ranger a +3 Longsword that sang whenever it was drawn. Stealth went out the window with that thing. Tha Ranger hated the fact that it took him an action to draw the weapon (and he refused to take the Quickdraw feat), so he would always have his weapons out as we went down the hall. He didn't want to get rid of the sword because it had such a great bonus on it. It was great, "Zeak is sneaking through the hall / He's coming to get you / Tip toe, tip toe / Hurry Orc you better go!" If you use this idea, I suggest making the bonus on the sword at least 1 greater than any other magic weapon in the party.

Secondly, there was a book series called "The Wanderings of Wuntvor." In this book, Wuntvor as an apprentice wizard you carried a magical sword that was tired of combat and bloodshedding, plus it was vain enough that it hated to get dirty. Well, everytime Wuntvor wanted to use the sword, he pretty much had to negotiate with it (using Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate) so that it would come out of its scabbard. And even if it did come out, if Wuntvor didn't 'convince' it enough, the sword would cause itself to miss so that it wouldn't get dirty (or bloody).

Lastly, my DM once gave our Fighter a magical longsword called 'Knicker' (this one wasn't intelligent, but you can make it that way). Knicker ALWAYS hit, not attack roll necessary. You couldn't even fumble with the thing. Just one prolem, it would only do 2 points of damage, refardless of you STR penalty/bonus. Needless to say, the Fighter dumped it. But...my Gnome sorceror picked it up because he sucked at melee and even though he wasn't proficient with it, it always hit. Maybe this one isn't as annoying as the other two, but the looks on the players faces would be priceless.

As you can tell from my descriptions, I play 3E, but there is no reason you can't use these tactics in 2E.

 

I play 3E, well that's not a bad idea... This week-end I watched Blair Witch Project 1-2 Sacry Movies, The wedding singer and the Godfather... I now have some...idea...

a Evil magical sword who "want" to be destroid because he his tired of being controlled by goddie people... "Somebody killllll meeeeee, put an arrow in my hilt"

 

I got one, make Lilicor, with an even bigger ego, and make him an item required for the quest.

 

I know it's a little off-topic, but I made a really great intelligent item once. It was only for high-level stuff (+5 vorpal longsword). It had an Ego of 35 or so. Basically it lived to kill wizards. The wielder didn't need to eat, sleep, even breathe. He could cast passwall at will, and fly for one hour a day. The only problem: The sword is insane, and blames said insanity on wizardry. Any time the sword's owner comes up against a spellcaster, friendly or no, the user had to make a really high Will Save or succumb to the sword's will, ripping through the poor S.O.B. like a hot knife through butter.

Needless to say, I haven't used it yet. But you could give 'em that! That wouldn't overbalance the campaign at all!