Re: {kjd-exp} Bound Magic Items

Marcel Beaudoin <marcel.beaudoin@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
in rec.games.frp.dnd, Keith Davies <keith.davies@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:slrnf87sqc.5tk.keith.davies@xxxxxxxxxxxx:

<snip>


This is where I run into trouble. What else is required? Trapping
a soul like this is normally a rather high-level spell, but I want
the process to be available relatively early. By the time you can
cast the really high-level spells, meeting item prerequisites is
usually pretty easy, so there's no real benefit to doing this, and
it doesn't fit the feel I'm looking for.

Keeping in mind that I am relatively inexperienced, here are my
suggestions, that may be possibly completely useless.

I welcome the comments. Even if I don't use them they may trigger
something I will.

Perhaps there is a specific additional ingredient required when
crafting a magic item that uses a bound creature vs a spell. It may be
specific to the "feature" that you are trying to get. Coal (or
something burnable) for fire, an icicle for cold, felt for
electricity, that sort of thing.

This is largely abstracted in the RAW item creation system. I'm already
adding complexity to it by requiring (or rather, by allowing) the use of
specific creature types to make the process 'easier'. Where 'easier'
may be defined as 'possible when it wasn't before'; I don't mind making
it less convenient for the crafter. After all, you *are* getting to do
something you wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

The amount could vary depending on how much of the feature you are
trying to get into it. Perhaps also the quality. Coal for a simple 1d6
flaming damage, a feather from a phoenix for 3d6.

Heh. Out of curiousity I looked up the 'official' phoenix. CR24, large
magical beast. Not of the fire subtype, nor with any resistance or
immunity to fire (beyond what SR35 gives it). This rather surprised me.

A couple of things come to mind that can help. Making the process a
possibly bad idea is one of them.

. if a bound item like this is broken or disenchanted, the bound
creature is released. And it may be pissed.
. the bound item is intelligent (this may or may not be desired; if
you have a willingly bound creature this is probably in your
favor, as long as your goals are aligned, but an unwillingly bound
creature would likely fight it).
. the item may be susceptible to /dispel evil/ (assuming a demon) or
/dismissal/ (assuming a bound extraplanar creature). This makes
it a little more fragile than normal.

Maybe something in the middle of the options you have above. If the
creature was bound against its will, perhaps there is a % chance that
there is some spillover onto the wielder of the weapon.

This is, I think, readily handled with normal intelligent item rules.
The balorsword (sword with a bound balor brought up in IRC) has a *base*
ego of 37: 22 from ability score bonuses, 3 for communications, 12 for
lesser and greater powers (and assuming a special purpose). This is
*before* enhancement bonuses and weapon qualities.

.... not too practical for non-epic characters. OTOH, actually pinning
down a balor *to* bind it (or talking it into the deal) is pretty epic
action anyway.


An astral deva, OTOH, could give a pretty decent weapon if you could get
it to agree to serve (a good creature is highly unlikely to choose to
bind an angel, but it's not impossible -- a neutral character might
choose to in order to make a holy sword... but odds are good an
'appropriate' wielder could be readily talked into going to sort out the
crafter, so it's probably not a stunningly good plan).


Keith
--
Keith Davies "History is made by stupid people
keith.davies@xxxxxxxxxxxx "Clever people wouldn't even try
keith.davies@xxxxxxxxx "If you want a place in the history books
http://www.kjdavies.org/ "Then do something dumb before you die."
-- The Arrogant Worms
.

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