Magic Weapons in Project Eternity

[Tauron]

"Tauron's walking stick"

 

*Aura of Elements - extra damage for elemental magic + protection from elements (active on equip) - 15% chance of Spontaneous Combustion/Freeze/Shock at casting (random elemntal spell...possibility to attract lightning during storms) Elemental focus reduces chance down to 5% and Elemental Mastery removes it completly.

*Concentration/Focus + (number)

 

*Improved Channeling - less mana consuption (%), reduces casting time /if no mana/ recall of used memorised spells (how many and what lvl, depnds on char lvl and skills maybe), halves casting time of non memorised spells? (active on equip)

 

*Instant *Phasing/demension door/teleport - enters narrow mirage archway as it instantly closes glimmering. - Tauron always has quick exit if needed be :D (I like more idea of bending/curving spacetime to make wormhole like portal through another demension or something, than teleportation...which supposedly means ripping all atoms apart and putting them all together somewhere else...Gross! *shudders*) - Once per day, must be charged?

 

 

Was that too much? What enchantments or improvments would you like to see on equipment and how much?

Edited February 8, 2013 by Tauron

[Jarmo]

I'm maybe a rare example of someone who just doesn't give a toss about the item backstories.

Those are to me just  blah. blah, blah, blah.. scroll..scroll.. oh... it's a +1 club.

 

Some exceptions, like when you go down an ancient elven tomb, read some inscriptions of this long dead monarch,

read of his downfall and then when you find the sword in his sarcophagus, still pulsating with holy anger..

 

That kind of backstories are fine, but reading the same story off the package in a local weapon store, not the same thing.

[TRX850]

^^ That reminded me of a suggestion.  How about putting the weapon/item stats at the top of the description, and the backstory under it?

 

I like some backstory, but once I've read it, all I need to know is the stats when I right-click.

[Shadenuat]

Bring magic back into magical things. Some possible tricks, for weapons:

- Unusual circumstances you find weapon at (classic example: sword in stone with a STR check).

- Positive properties of magical weapon could only be learned empirically (classic example: you cut things with nice elvish sword, but when you meet orcs it starts burning of white light on itself and makes them flee on each strike).

- The same can go for negative properties too (an evil companion would be burned by blessed weapon and drop it on the ground).

Of course, not every weapon should be an intelligent soul cursed into twisted metal form with a bag of scripted effects and tricks to bite the player in the ass (if he's too lazy to actually read important discriptions on the items); but a few artifacts of conciderable power which have their own place in the gameplay would really help to get away from +1 swords.

[nikolokolus]

I've always been a sucker for magical weapons/items in stories that come with some nasty negative side-effects, especially the more powerful they get (i.e. Elric's Stormbringer, the Eye and Hand of Vecna, etc.).

 

I think it's also better to skip with the whole "+n thingamabob" item name for lower level "magical" items; I think it's better to use words like "masterwork" or the name of a particular smith or region -- Toledo swords, Damascus Steel, etc. -- to give a non-artifact special item flavor

[JFSOCC]

Indulging Nikolokolus, a weapon with some nasty side effects, the more powerful it gets.

 

Pain.

Pain is a copper/copper-green dagger with an elegant swirling line design for the hilt, and a simple piece of clean folded steel for the blade

 

Pain thrives on pain.

It causes pain to both wielder and target. Half the damage done to its target is also suffered by the wielder (making this an excellent weapon for monks)

For every 10 damage it does or its wielder suffers, it gains +1 damage for the next 30 seconds. (so for example doing 300 damage to an enemy would give it +45 damage, 30 for the 300 to the enemy, and 15 for the 150 damage you suffer)

There's also a 10% chance that the pain it causes, causes the wielder to cramp up the grip on the dagger and stresses the arm that wields it, when this happens the attack fails and the wielder suffers half the damage Pain would have caused.

 

When Pain's wielder becomes 'badly injured' Pain thrives on the exquisite pain and becomes 30% more effective. Every hit now has an 8% chance of knocking the wielder out cold.

Edited February 10, 2013 by JFSOCC

[TrashMan]

The Penetrator - a magical mace with a long, thick shaft, resembling a club. Deals extra damage and causes sh**** and fear in target - if the target is attacked from behind.

 

 

The Nerf Bat - a club that has a 50% chance on each hit to reduce a random attribute or skill of the victim by 1.

Edited February 11, 2013 by TrashMan

[JFSOCC]

I like the nerf bat.

--

Winterstorm baton

 

the winterstorm baton is a baton with small metal sphere on each end, clamped by what appears to be a metal braid (which is the shaft of the baton) the sphere is icy cold and has constant small electrical discharges.

Does extra crushing/blunt/cold/electrical damage

there's an 12% chance of stunning a target on hit for 3 seconds. and a 25% chance on a critical hit to stun the target for 10 seconds.

 

Winterstorm baton allows you to use disarm as if you have the feat.

Edited February 11, 2013 by JFSOCC

[TRX850]

"Scourge of the Deep"
- Barbed whip crafted from (depending on scale) Kraken or huge Jellyfish tentacle.
- On Hit: X% Darkness, Y% Poison, Z% Pain.

- Granted Feats: Improved Disarm / Trip.

- Cold Resistance: 10
 

[TrashMan]

Apparently I made a typo when writing shock...one extra c.

 

And yet, the typo is oddly appropriate.

[JFSOCC]

Defacer

 

Claw dagger

Does Acid/slashing damage

On hit 22% chance of 1 permanent charisma damage

On hit 22% chance of 1 permanent intelligence damage

 

Used by the same Cabal which employs the Madness Assassin The Defacer is designed specifically to ruin the political career of anyone lucky enough to survive the Cabal's attempt on their life. If you can't make your opponents dead, at least you can make them ugly and stupid.

Edited February 15, 2013 by JFSOCC

[Nonek]

The Bitter Tongue.

 

There is a sect of female Ciphers who have long be-devilled the world, and this is their weapon, a potent unarmed combat technique with which they can fight without even lifting a hand. This vocal technique passed from mother to daughter over many generations has principally been used only on family members, specifically sons whom the users have given their daughters to marry, and whom they consider to be unworthy. It will at first fatigue the target as the endless stream of insults and sarcasm drains their stamina, it will then lead to the opponents party turning on each other in battle, at the third stage the Cipher will cause the target to be abandoned by his party members and be cursed with either alcoholism, rampant lust, massive weight loss or berserk rage. The final stage of the word assault will curse the opponent with penury, so that he loses all goods and moneys.

 

A lesser form of this technique is used by the Bene Gesserit of Dune.

[Aqaba]

"Aki no kaze no bokuto"

bokuto are the wooden swords used to train samurai or in this case monks This bokuto was carved from a wery thick wood, oiled and inbued of the souls of the master  monks training the newbies.

It's a sword, but it makes crush damage instead of slash damage. If wielded by a monk, he can canalize his "ki" in the sword making a range attack or double the damage in a close attack

[JFSOCC]

undulating staff

 

Deals either fire damage, acid damage, cold damage, piercing damage, slashing damage, blunt damage, vampiric damage, spirit damage or magic damage. This is completely random between each strike

On a critical hit instead of doing extra damage, the staff has one of the following results, also completely at random

Knockdown, disarm, stun, slow, daze, blind, damage armour, interrupt on the next two hits, summon lesser ally (random animal)

 

If held by a druid, all critical hits also produce summer lesser ally (random animal) (on top of the special effect)

If held by a ranger chances for a critical hit triple.

If held by a barbarian All critical hits cause knockdown (on top of the special effect)

If held by any other class, no critical hits can be made.

[maggotheart]

Bloodsteel weaponry

 

These magical weapons were developed by Monks centuries ago, before the various Monk orders became unified and banned the practice of forging Bloodsteel. There are a rare few insular sects that still produce it in defiance of the Strictures (such as the Brotherhood of the Black Lotus) but those weapons rarely fall into the hands of outsiders. With most of the ancient Bloodsteel weaponry destroyed, such weapons are now exceedingly rare. In fact, even using Bloodsteel weaponry is a serious offense in some places, and especially so to most Monk factions, among whom it is forbidden by the Strictures.

 

Bloodsteel is forged in blood and is enchanted to literally drink it. Those who wield it must give up a portion of their Life (n% lower maximum life) to fuel the powers of the weapon. Once charged up from drinking the users blood, the steel becomes red and seems to burn with intense heat. When striking an enemy, the steel is able to drink the enemies blood as well and converts a portion of Life damage inflicted to the user. The heat of the blade causes additional FIRE damage to enemies and such wounds are known to be extremely painful. The user is not harmed by the heat and actually perceives no difference in temperature, and this immunity extends to his clothes and even his scabbard (or equivalent depending on the weapon) so the weapon can be sheathed and not harm allies or start any fires. (alternatively, it could require a special scabbard to contain it..)

 

The configurations of the remaining weapons are limited to traditional Monk martial designs.

Edited February 18, 2013 by maggotheart

[Lephys]

^ Strangely enough, after getting its fill of blood, a Bloodsteel weapon would then cauterize the wounds with its heat, would it not? I mean, at that point, it's already "fed," so it's not really a flaw or anything. Just thought it was kind of funny, in a way.

[maggotheart]

^ Strangely enough, after getting its fill of blood, a Bloodsteel weapon would then cauterize the wounds with its heat, would it not? I mean, at that point, it's already "fed," so it's not really a flaw or anything. Just thought it was kind of funny, in a way.

 

Can't let good blood go spurting off all willy nilly, can we?

[JFSOCC]

that'd be wasteful.

 

The Waster

 

Musket, causes bleeding wounds, cripple, interrupts spellcasting, has a 50% chance on hit to remove one buff from the target and a 50% chance to reduce the strength and constitution by 2 each. Slow firing rate.

While firing the wielder of the Waster cannot be targeted by friendly spells

Edited February 19, 2013 by JFSOCC

[mcmanusaur]

Ugh. The less of this we get in the game, the happier I'll be. I don't know who ever decided that inflated, enchantment-stacked magical weapons were fun, but it always bothers me in a game that a perfectly good non-magical sword is worth chump change. Because you know, there's an infinite supply of those.

Edited February 20, 2013 by mcmanusaur

[JFSOCC]

We use our technology today to get the most out of our weaponry, why wouldn't people try to get the most out of magic and have magically upgraded weaponry? In a world where magic exists, that only makes sense

 

Killer smoke bomb.

A smoke bomb filled with extracts of Moonbloom plants A grenade weapon, those affected by the smoke experience blurred vision, lethargy, hallucinations, and minor life drain until the smoke clears.

[mcmanusaur]

We use our technology today to get the most out of our weaponry, why wouldn't people try to get the most out of magic and have magically upgraded weaponry? In a world where magic exists, that only makes sense

 

Killer smoke bomb.

A smoke bomb filled with extracts of Moonbloom plants A grenade weapon, those affected by the smoke experience blurred vision, lethargy, hallucinations, and minor life drain until the smoke clears.

 

And thank the gods there is no technology today as unbalanced and catch-all as magic. My issue is that in these games the magical upgrades are invariably many times more important than the actual weapon itself. The value of the weapon itself is reduced to its mere potential as a vessel of magical enchantments. Furthermore, it's just an excuse for the abilities of melee fighters to catch up with the otherwise unbalanced abilities of mages, although the warriors are usually either unable to enchant their own weapons, or they can when it doesn't really make sense. A warrior should be defined by which weapon he chooses, his style of wielding that weapon, and perhaps a little in the way of hardware upgrades, not mostly by the three different magical enchantments that the weapon dropped with. Not to mention the fact that actually well-made and non-magical weapons are decently hard to come by and therefore valuable in realistic societies (but imagine making gamers work to obtain not just their last weapon but also their first weapon- of course that would never fly), rather than non-magical weapons being the kind of loot that players won't even bother carrying to sell because they're worth so little. TL;DR magic sucks.

[JFSOCC]

Hey I'm all for low-key magic. A low level magic setting would be fantastic. And I certainly believe the bulk of the power should come from character skill, not the weaponry. Still, I enjoy a diverse and interesting amount of weapons, even magical ones. And I have faith in the development team that they'll strike the right balance between core weapon power and modular additions of magic upgrades.

[TRX850]

Magic and magic weapons are a legacy of the old PnP era though, where adventures were designed from the top down, rather than the bottom up.  Meaning, a DM would place creatures and obstacles in a setting, with one or more goals for the players to achieve. And eventually, magic was needed to overcome mid-to-high level enemies with supernatural resistances, like trolls, constructs, and demons for example. So the acquisition of magic and magic weaponry became more of a design necessity than a simple reward scheme. If P:E is designed from the bottom up, with characters and their journeys in mind, then low-level magic would make more practical sense. However, I imagine there will be a little of both design philosophies. And more.

[Lephys]

And thank the gods there is no technology today as unbalanced and catch-all as magic. My issue is that in these games the magical upgrades are invariably many times more important than the actual weapon itself. The value of the weapon itself is reduced to its mere potential as a vessel of magical enchantments. Furthermore, it's just an excuse for the abilities of melee fighters to catch up with the otherwise unbalanced abilities of mages, although the warriors are usually either unable to enchant their own weapons, or they can when it doesn't really make sense. A warrior should be defined by which weapon he chooses, his style of wielding that weapon, and perhaps a little in the way of hardware upgrades, not mostly by the three different magical enchantments that the weapon dropped with. Not to mention the fact that actually well-made and non-magical weapons are decently hard to come by and therefore valuable in realistic societies (but imagine making gamers work to obtain not just their last weapon but also their first weapon- of course that would never fly), rather than non-magical weapons being the kind of loot that players won't even bother carrying to sell because they're worth so little. TL;DR magic sucks.

I actually agree with everything, except the flawed conclusion that magic is the problem. Since we make up all the rules for it every time we implement it within a game world, I don't see how it could be the reason it's "unbalanced and catch-all".

 

I say make magical effects add more utility than potency (weapon fire being more useful in its ability to ignite things, which a sword edge can't do, rather than dealing more damage than a sword edge, etc.). And make the quality of non-magical weapons more significant. Not "I watched some people build a house with wood in a stupid way that didn't work well at all, and therefore we should all abandon trying to build houses with wood."

 

 

An example that comes to mind, of how to take potency-based magical effects from existing games and make them more utility/tactic-based:

 

Vampirism. Usually it just steals life relative to the damage of the sword. Basically, the more you hit things with the sword, the more health you steal. Well, what if a vampiric weapon only stole life upon a kill, and the amount of life (percentage, maybe, to account for tiny goblins AND huge trolls?) it stole was based on the number of times it was stricken by that weapon?

 

You could use counters that increase the lifesteal percentage (for when it actually dies), or it could simply deal "vampiric damage" as a separate damage type. When the enemy dies, it could simply award life based on the total amount of vampiric damage it had accumulated.

 

So, basically if you're fighting a 700HP troll, you're not actually going to get healed at all until you take it down (the more effectively you take down the troll, the sooner/more-often your weapon will steal health), and you're not going to get 30% of the troll's health stolen if everyone else did all the work and you just poked it once or twice with your vampiric weapon. Alas, the usefulness of the enchantment is based upon your character's martial prowess.

 

 

Basically, I would love for magical weapons to do DIFFERENT things, rather than BETTER things. I think the non-magical base weapon quality, along with your character's skill (and the player's at effectively utilizing the character's abilities) should be the only things that determine the potency/effectiveness of weapons.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Lephys

[maggotheart]

The First Lead Shot

 

Long ago this land was a Magocracy ruled by a council of powerful wizards and their immortal leader, known as the Archmage. The Archmage was a tyrant, treating non magic users as chattel, and mages constantly fought to win a place on his council, bringing war and strife to much of the world.

 

Though he was hated by the people and there were many assassination attempts, the Archmage was protected by a powerful magical veil that protected him from all weapons. Rebellions were crushed, and the suffering was great. The need to figure out a way to pierce the veil and kill the Archmage spurred the development of the first Flintlock Pistol. It was designed by human engineers, manufactured by Dwarves in secret and smuggled into the Archmages citadel by elves friendly to the cause.

 

The pistol was given to a Godlike assassin, who was to be presented before the Archmage. When the time came, the weapon had its first field test, effectively removing the top half of the Archmages skull and completely wiping out his comically surprised expression. In the ensuing chaos, the assassin slipped away with the pistol but the Lead Shot bullet that killed the Archmage was embedded in the throne and declared a Relic of the rebellion.

 

Since that time, the bullet has been found to possess some amazing properties. It is apparently indestructible, and no pistol has ever misfired when loaded with it. It will pass through any armour or magical protections, inevitably reaching flesh and bone: perfect for assassinations. The bullet glows faintly with a soft white light in the dark, and there is tiny dwarvish rune scratched onto it. It can always be recovered when fired to be used again.

 

The bullet has had a storied history, being plundered from the ruins of the First Empire, resurfacing among the Orlan on the coasts, falling into the hands of the dread pirate Rob the Hateful and eventually returning to the inland countries whence it originated. It is currently on display in the great museum of the Capitol.