WEAPONS
This section probably needs to be subdivided, The Bow and Quiver of Anxiety Since the arrow is stuck in the target, it usually allows no saving throw.
Whoreslayer This is a longsword with a seven foot long blade. The blade is nearly invisible,
looking like little more than a strand of spiderweb. The hilt is black, polished steel with no
distinctive markings. The hilt also acts as the scabbard, for the blade retracts into it with the
touch of a button. ( The hiltscabbard works as a modified portable hole of sorts made for the purpose)
This blade, will, quite simply, cut through ANYTHING, even magical effects, and do so effortlessly.
(The blade is not made of matter, not made of energy, and not made of magic. It is fashioned from a
curious non-substance known to only a few as Residua Magica. More on this below, but for now just know
that the sword is not magical and cannot be affected by any magic not made especially for the purpose
of manipulating Residua Magica. Such magic is virtually nonexistent.) This sword is an awesome weapon. Think of a 7' lightsaber without the glow. It can slice through a man
completely with an effortless wave of the hand. He won't even know he's injured until he twists the wrong way
and falls apart. There isn't even any blood or pain until then. Walls will crumble just as easily. This weapon
can wreak havoc on your campaign for a short time, but the PCs will get rid of it soon enough. Even your most
power-crazed munchkin, who would rather lose his arms than this sword, will eventually see the wisdom in trying
to destroy this accursed thing. The creation of this sword was an accident. RESIDUA MAGICA Well, that's it for MY contributions, so send me YOURS!
The Discus of Perseus The Hammer of Sareth zin Mirtoc Only a priest or paladin of Yrcanaus, "the hammer of might", can effectively wield this holy weapon. It's powers will not function for anyone else. Only a follower of Yrcanaus ( who is of course Good ) may safely carry the hammer. Anyone else of Good alignment will receive a slight electrical
shock at the merest touch of the hammer. This shock will do no real damage, but will get the point across to the insolent. Neutral people will get a shock inflicting 1d4+4 points of damage. The evil fare much worse, taking 1d8+8 points of damage which leaves the offending body part permanently
scarred.
This mithril maul was constructed by Saint Mirtoc at the command of Yrcanaus. The haft is of the sturdiest oak. The Powers: Staff of Chaotic Damage ( I had to change the name a bit ) Particularly cruel GM's may wish to have some unpleasant effect befall the wielder on a roll of 6, to make him pay for the gift of inflicting that much damage.
Of course, other abilities may be bestowed upon the item.
Barring that, though, there are no other magical qualities, and this weapon carries no "plusses" whatsoever. It is considered as a magical weapon only when carried by a character of chaotic alignment.
Otherwise, it is just a stick that gets no saving throws and cannot strike targets which can only be affected by magical weapons. The Savage Blade The Blade of Flame & Frost
and probably will be someday, but for now please
sort through it to find what you need.
This longbow is fashioned from gold-layered bone of indeterminate origin,
and strung with mastodon hair. It radiates a strong magic. The quiver is layered in gold leaf, and is obviously meant to accompany the bow.
The bow conferrs a hefty plus to hit, and arrows fired from it also gain a cumulative bonus.
In short, it is nearly impossible to miss the target.
Too bad. It's quite addictive.
The thing about this set is that which gives it it's name. The user has no idea
of WHAT will happen when the arrow is launched. It is a gamble to fire it anyway,
since it takes TEN of the user's hit points to shoot, but the risk is compounded
by the fact that, although the target is most likely toast, the user and his friends
could wind up in more trouble than they were in at the start of the battle
There are twenty possible effects that can occur as a result of firing it.(roll 1d20 below)((you could of course alter this
number by making your own chart)) All of the arrows in
the quiver look identical, and when one is fired, the quiver generates a replacement.
It is impossible to identify the arrows by any means! Any attempt to try will cause the
quiver to cease functioning. Normal arrows shot by the bow have no plusses or effects.
This is a very nasty weapon which should either be guarded with incredible zeal,
or first used by an NPC against the party, many of whom will surely die.
This sword is the first example of a magical item made from Residua Magica known in existence.
It cannot be broken or bent or dulled by even so much as a wish. The hiltscabbard is also quite indestructable.
The hilt is the magic part of the sword, not the blade. The hilt is intelligent, but does not communicate to
it's awake or alert wielder. It communicates telepathically only when it's wielder is asleep, tired, or
otherwise open to subconcious suggestion.
This abomination is insane, but is quite convinced that it is of Lawful Good alignment. So convinced, in fact,
that that is what it's alignment will be detected as.
More frightening, it is fanatically convinced that it's quest and cause is just, right, and necessary.
Can anything ever be more dangerous?
So what's the catch?
Ideally, this sword will come into the game when the party finally catches up to your city's version of Jack-
The-Ripper, who has been murdering prostitutes with reckless abandon all over the town or countryside.
His sword, which is difficult to recognize as such, makes a handy weapon for the job. All he has to do is
walk past his victim with the blade sticking out on a collision course and keep on walking, being half a
block away when she dies horribly, often before witnesses and in broad daylight!
In combat, the party will probably suffer a loss or two before figuring out what the heck is killing them.
After subduing the villain, someone will probably keep the blade, not knowing that is was
the very cause of the Ripper's reign of terror.
As the new owner tires or sleeps, he will soon hear a soothing, yet very compelling voice. This voice is happy
to have such a fine new friend, one more worthy of doing "what must be done". After the first week of getting
aquainted, the voice will begin to brainwash the lucky owner of the sword.
There is a 5% chance, increasing by 5% more with each passing night, that the wielder will come to agree with
the voice in that "prostitutes spread disease, ruin families, lead to blackmail and violence, put money in the coffers
of the crimelords while sapping it away from honest folk", and the like. The time for action is NOW!
At this point the PC will begin to walk the streets, searching for prey. He can't help himself. He knows that
THEY MUST DIE, and no force on earth will stop him from doing what must be done. It's for the best, really.
There is no saving throw.
The only hope is to discard Whoreslayer before it is too late. The cure requires the simultaneous casting of Cureall, Heal, & Wish by three very high level casters.
Ovis, who made the thing, misunderstood the order to create a HORSE slayer for use by a midget against invading mounted troopers.
Oops.
Many GM's won't want to even consider what may happen if the knowledge of this stuff gets loosed upon their worlds.
This is fine. Simply treat the blade of Whoreslayer as a PLANE OF BISECTION spell made permanent and with 100% magic
resistance.
Otherwise, you may wish to send your PCs on a quest to find Ovis or Elminster, the only living magists who understand
the stuff, so that they may destroy the vile sword.
Residua Magica is the spent, inert, magically oxidized stuff left over from an expired magical effect.
It is not matter, energy, or magic, and is immune to these things, being able to pass through them effortlessly.
Special magic is needed to manipulate it in any way. It cannot be enchanted in any way, and is nonconductive.
It is also rare. It took over 100 years for Ovis to collect enough of it to make this weapon, and that was from a
concentrated effort. The special magic needed to manipulate it must be cast at precisely the monent another spell fades.
The secret of those special magics is not one a PC will be able to pry out of anyone who knows it.
Not that a suit of armor made from the stuff could even be possible, but such armor would be impenetrable
and nearly weightless. Oh, one last thing: Whoreslayer's blade is weightless, being only about as thick as
a spiderweb. It is as easy to carry and swing as a flashight. It is quite possible that there will be a few
injuries within the party as the new owner tries to get used to this...
submitted by:Belgarius Mourngrym
This bronze throwing discus is no sport model. It has the image of medusa, a symbol of Perseus, etched onto the upper surface. Three-fourths of the edge is curled in order to provide a good grip, but the remaining edge is honed
to a +3 razor's sharpness.
This weapon inflicts 1d6+3 damage to a single target, and can be thrown at only one target per round. On a to-hit roll of natural 20, there is a 25% chance that it will sever a head or limb. Otherwise, the affected appendage will be incapacitated
by the weapon's slashing and bludgeoning hit. Any strength bonuses of the thrower will also apply to the damage inflicted. Enchanted at +3, the weapon can be used against targets which can be hit only by magic weapons. The discus can be effectively hurled
up to 60 feet, but is useless against targets closer than 10 feet from the thrower, unless under the specific conditions described below.
The Discus has another enchantment, and that is the ability to return to the thrower's hand like a boomerang. Unfortunately, there is no enchantment to guarantee the safety of the catcher. There is, if the user is not proficient with this weapon, a 25% chance that
the user's fingers will be severed if unprotected. The user does not have to try to catch it, however, and may allow it to harmlessly pass by to land 5 feet behind him/her. It may be possible to maneuver an enemy into this spot while the Discus is airborne. Although the Discus
can only be purposefully thrown at one target, it may well strike someone else on the return trip. However, any strength bonuses of the user will not add to the damage inflicted by this magical flight.
If an enemy should manage to catch the Discus, perhaps losing some fingers in the process, then the Discus will regard him/her/it as it's new owner, returning to that entity until caught by yet another. The Discus must be thrown in the classic style unless the target is only
40 feet away or closer. Then it can be thrown backhanded. If the Discus is not thrown correctly, then it's powers cannot activate, and it is effectively non-magical. Finally, a dex check should probably be made for "called shots" along with a regular "to-hit" roll. There is once again a 25% chance that the target hit (limb, rope, lamp, etc..) will be severed.
Submitted by: James Renn
This Holy Hammer of Hurt was made for clerics of one particular god--Yrcanaus. It has a nifty range of powers which increase with the level of the wielder, a handy trait in any enchanted item. For this design feature,
I hereby bestow upon Mr. Renn my first Award for innovative, balanced, and sensible design in a weapon intended for long-term use by one character. Congratulations James!
Using this as an example, it should be easy to design hammers for the clerics of other gods as well.
By the way, there are other categories in which awards may be bestowed, and these shall surely be revealed as more and more submissions are posted. I plan to announce the annual winners in gaming magazines like Dragon and Knights of the Dinner Table, so keep those submissions coming!
It is immune to all but divine flames, and makes all saves at a bonus of +5.
The striking faces are plain and unadorned, but the sides are engraved with images and Dethek runes.
On one side is the image of an anvil superimposed with a vertical maul. ( this is St. Mirtoc's heraldric device ) the runes above it read: "Sareth zin Mirtoc" above the image and "Hammerbearer and Shieldcrafter" below. The opposite side has the image of two crossed mauls, heads in chief, that is, at the top.
Above are the runes spelling "Evil Shall Perish", with "At My Touch" below the image.
This hammer has permanently enchanted with a modified Spiritual Hammer spell. As such it has bonuses to hit and damage which are increased with the level of the wielder, to wit:
1st - 6th level = +1 to hit and damage
7th - 12th lvl = +2 to hit and damage
13th level & up = +3 to hit and damage
At the will of the wielder, the hammer will emit a pale silver light as the spell
Three times a day the hammer can Detect Evil 10' radius for one entire turn, glowing when near the evil source
The hammer also grants a bonus to the wielder's saving throws at the same rate as it's hit and damage bonuses per level.
Once per day the hammer can unleash a Flame Strike spell with a bonus of +1 damage per level of the wielder.
Finally, this weapon does double damage to undead. The total amount of damage, after all bonuses/penalties are factored in, is doubled.
Submitted by:Leif Silverblade
This magical staff works only when used by characters of chaotic alignment. Whenever a successful "to hit" roll is made, roll a d6. The damage dice
used to calculate the damage is determined by that d6 roll thusly:
1=d4dmg
2=d6dmg
3=d8dmg
4=d10dmg
5=d12dmg
6=d20dmg
Submitted by: Daro Silverwood
This bastard sword conferrs upon the user the ability to change self four times per day!
Also, once per day it can drain an additional 1d10 hit points from a target when a successful to-hit roll is made.
However, these abilities are not what give the sword it's nasty reputation.
Once per day, the sword, upon making a successful hit, may absorb the soul of the target. It can store up to three souls at a time. Any more souls taken will displace the first of the three being held.
What happens to that soul? It is transferred into the new victim! That's right, this sword has the ability of making ( rather painful ) soul transpossessions!
However, that's not the worst of it.
Should the wielder decide to use it in this way, once per day one of the captured souls can be "injected" into a victim whose soul is intact. The inner turmoil this causes inflicts 1d8 extra points of damage that round.
( TELUSTIS HERE--- if the victim is not then slain, then my guess is that the conflict between the two battling souls will drive the victim completely mad and eventually destroy him )
The sword has no "plusses, and is only magical in regard to being able to make saving throws and hit targets which can only be hit by magical weapons.
The effects this sword has upon the undead can only be imagined, but are probably rather horrible. Maybe a ghost can be captured? What of the soul who finds itself suddenly inside the rotting corpse of a zombie?
Submitted by: Stacy Armstrong
Radiating no magic even if detected for, this plain longsword is a weapon in conflict. It acts as both a
+3 frostbrand in all respects and as a +3 flamebrand in all respects. This dual aspect of the weapon
conceals its true nature. Its powers only become known when used against a fire or ice using creature.
Cursed, perhaps only by the double nature of its magic, the wielder will have alternating chills and hot
flashes. These can be dangerous in weather extremes, such as excessive sweating eventually causing
hypothermia in a cold clime. Furthermore, the owner is somehow linked to the weapon and will know the
direction of its whereabouts if it is lost and will not willingly give it up.
