Monday, April 25, 2011

The Magic Item Reset (III): Weapons

 
Having explained why and how I designed a standalone set of magic items to replace the existing ones in D&D 4E, I can proceed to show them to you. Here are the magic weapons.

Note: These items are intended to be used instead of the official ones, rather than alongside them. They should present a complete and varied, if small, array of abilities for PCs of all kinds. Whether or not I succeeded in that task is a different matter ;)
 
It should also be taken into account that the items have been designed with the item rarity system (introduced in the Rules Compendium) in mind. I believe they present the best (and only) attempt at exploiting the potential of this system, to date. In case you hate item rarity for whatever reason, you can still use them with the old rules, with a couple of caveats. In particular, rare items are (definitely!) not balanced with non-rare items, and should be dropped altogether. In addition, some uncommon items may be problematic in multiples due to spammable encounter or daily powers.
 
The item stat block has been slightly modified from the one presented in the books, for brevity and clarity.
 
Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.


Magic Weapon - Level 1+ Common Weapon
Lvl 1 (+1); Lvl 6 (+2); Lvl 11 (+3); Lvl 16 (+4); Lvl 21 (+5); Lvl 26 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus

Throwing Weapon - Level 2+ Common Weapon
Lvl 2 (+1); Lvl 7 (+2); Lvl 12 (+3); Lvl 17 (+4); Lvl 22 (+5); Lvl 27 (+6)
Requires: Melee weapon
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d4 damage per plus
Property: This weapon counts as a heavy thrown weapon with a range of 3/6

Mage’s Weapon - Level 2+ Common Weapon
Lvl 2 (+1); Lvl 7 (+2); Lvl 12 (+3); Lvl 17 (+4); Lvl 22 (+5); Lvl 27 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Property: When making a weapon basic attack with this weapon, you can use your highest ability modifier instead of the one you would use normally for the attack roll.
(Your modifier for the damage roll is still determined as usual)

Winged Weapon - Level 2+ Common Weapon
Lvl 2 (+1); Lvl 7 (+2); Lvl 12 (+3); Lvl 17 (+4); Lvl 22 (+5); Lvl 27 (+6)
Requires: Ranged or thrown weapon
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus, and the target is knocked prone if it is flying
Property: Ranged and area attacks with this weapon deal extra damage equal to its enhancement bonus to creatures that are flying.

Healing Weapon - Level 3+ Common Weapon
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: You or an ally within 5 squares can spend a healing surge.
Property: When you hit with a weapon attack with this weapon, you or an ally within 5 squares gain a power bonus to healing surge value equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus until the end of your next turn.

Vicious Weapon - Level 3+ Common Weapon
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d12 damage per plus

Energy Weapon - Level 4+ Common Weapon
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Special: Choose one of the following damage types when the weapon is created: Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, or Thunder.
Critical: +1d10 damage of the chosen type per plus.
Power (At-will): Minor Action. All damage dealt by weapon attacks with this weapon is of the chosen type. You can dismiss this effect as a free action.

Overwhelming Weapon - Level 4+ Common Weapon
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d4 damage per plus, and the target is pushed one square per plus.
Property: You gain a +1 untyped bonus to the distance you push, pull or slide creatures with weapon attacks using this weapon.

Defending Weapon - Level 2+ Uncommon Weapon
Lvl 2 (+1); Lvl 7 (+2); Lvl 12 (+3); Lvl 17 (+4); Lvl 22 (+5); Lvl 27 (+6)
Requires: Melee weapon
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: 1d4 per plus, and you gain a +2 untyped bonus to all defenses until the end of your next turn.
Power (Encounter): Minor action. You don't grant combat advantage until the start of your next turn.

Extending Weapon - Level 3+ Uncommon Weapon
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
Power (Encounter): Minor action. Until the end of your next turn, the reach of this weapon increases by 1, and the range of this weapon increases by 5.

Snap Shot Weapon - Level 3+ Uncommon Weapon
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Requires: Ranged weapon
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Power (Encounter). Opportunity Action. Trigger: An adjacent enemy provokes an opportunity attack from you. Effect: Make a ranged basic attack with this weapon against the triggering enemy.

Rending Weapon - Level 4+ Uncommon Weapon
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: You make a basic attack with this weapon as a free action. You gain an untyped bonus to the attack and damage roll equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus.

Feinting Weapon - Level 4+ Uncommon Weapon
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 damage per plus.
Property: When you miss with a weapon attack using this weapon, you gain a power bonus equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus on your next damage roll against the target.

Keen Weapon - Level 5+ Uncommon Weapon
Lvl 5 (+1); Lvl 10 (+2); Lvl 15 (+3); Lvl 20 (+4); Lvl 25 (+5); Lvl 30 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 damage per plus.
Property: When making a weapon attack with combat advantage, this weapon scores critical hits on a roll of 19-20.
  Level 25: the critical hits are scored on a roll of 18-20.

Weapon of Light and Shadow - Level 3+ Rare Weapon
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d8 necrotic and radiant damage per plus. Until the end of the encounter, all damage dealt by your weapon attacks with this weapon is radiant and necrotic.
Power (At-Will): Choose radiant or necrotic. Your weapon attacks with this weapon gain that keyword, and all damage dealt by them is of the chosen type.
Property: When you hit with a radiant weapon attack with this weapon, an ally adjacent to the target gains temporary hit points equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus. When you hit with a necrotic weapon attack with this weapon, you gain temporary hit points equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus.

Energy Burst Weapon - Level 4+ Rare Weapon
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Special: Choose one of the following damage types when the weapon is created: Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, or Thunder.
Critical: +1d12 damage of the chosen type per plus to the target and all enemies adjacent to it.
Property: You gain resist 5 against the chosen damage type.
  Level 15: Resist 10.
  Level 25: Resist 15.
Power (At-will): Minor Action. All damage dealt by weapon attacks with this weapon is of the chosen type. You can dismiss this effect as a free action.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. Until the end of the encounter, weapon attacks with this weapon deal an extra d6 damage of the chosen type.
  Level 15: d10 damage.
  Level 25: 2d6 damage.

Vorpal Weapon - Level 5+ Rare Weapon
Lvl 5 (+1); Lvl 10 (+2); Lvl 15 (+3); Lvl 20 (+4); Lvl 25 (+5); Lvl 30 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d12 damage per plus.If you rolled a natural 18, 19 or 20 on the attack roll, you deal+2d12 damage per plus, and roll a d20. On a roll of 18-20, the enemy takes double damage from the critical hit.
Property: When you bloody an enemy with a weapon attack with this weapon, the enemy makes a saving throw. If it fails, the enemy is crippled until the end of the encounter. Choose an effect: while crippled, the enemy is slowed, or it takes a -4 penalty to damage rolls.
  Level 15: -7 penaly.
  Level 25: -10 penalty.

 


8 comments:

  1. (Bloody system gave me an error on my previous comment attempt. Trying again.)

    I love your rares. They're iconic without being overpowered.

    Drop the d4 damage. If it's worth reduced crit damage, it's worth something awesome instead of damage. The Overwhelming weapon could be profitably uncommon, and have crits bash enemies into walls for non-trivial (d12 per square of forced movement that a wall or other obstacle prevents) extra damage. Situational, but it fits the weapon.

    Throwing should be the same way: it should have more range than a charge. If no crit damage, then it should be level 1. Otherwise it should have normal crit damage.

    Healing could probably be a useful weapliment.

    In any event. These are excellent and I may find an excuse to use them in a game. Thanks.

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  2. I like how you've limited the amount of Daily powers. Overall this list is very well thought-out, and I look forward to reading your take on implements.

    One suggestion I would make is to have 1 or 2 options that cater to weapliment users. Without an Alfsair Spear my Sentinel would have to maintain a separate weapon and implement. While this isn't game-breaking (dual-wielders usually do it, since double weapons tend to deal less damage), it does put certain builds at a disadvantage. Besides the fact, I've always liked the flavor of the Alfsair Spear (from the sidebar in AV2), and the item's far from overpowered.

    I'd also like to mention that a short, user friendly list like this was inevitably going to be left out of the official system rules. WotC likes to release a lot of material so they can sell more books. They also like to give all of their books a wide appeal, and that means including items that other classes might use in PHBs, for example. This exacerbates the problem for players because not only do they now have to wade through vast quantities of "filler" items in the Adventurer's Vaults, but almost every "crunch" book also has a section with magic items that might contain what you're looking for.

    Your abbreviated list is certainly a step in the right direction. Personally, I'd like to see the magic item system officially overhauled. All previously published items would be void (that would piss off a lot of customers that paid for the content though). The filler would be disregarded, and the design of new items would be very similar to what you've done on this blog (less Daily powers, consolidating energy types into one entry, everything as universal as possible). Then ONE Item Compendium would be published, so all of the game's items are in one organized source. Release this as a reduced-cost (or free) PDF to appease those who bought the previous AVs (since those books are now useless). And honestly, in order for the rarity system to really be used something like this needs to happen anyways.

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  3. Re d4 crits: I wanted to try these out as a way to make enchantments with a minor drawback compared to regular Magic Weapons. I like how they keep low level stuff like Throwing Weapon from being a straight upgrade over Magic Weapon, without crippling it. Also, it seemed appropriate for weak crit effects that didn't warrant dropping extra damage altogether, like Overwhelming or Defending Weapon.

    On Throwing Weapon: The range is deliberately kept very short, because otherwise this enchantment easily obsoletes real thrown weapons and even ranged ones. I don't see the (unfavorable) comparison with charge range as that important, because this still has plenty of applications, such as the PC getting slowed/immobilized, attacking flying monsters and, of course, exploiting ranged powers with fullblades and Mordenkrads. ;)

    As for weapons/implements, my policy was going to be to keep each enchantment strictly for weapon or implement powers, but allow a single item to have both a weapon enchantment and an implement enchantment. So you could, say, have a staff that is both a Vorpal Weapon +1 and an Implement of Ruin +1 (flavor justifications are left as an exercise to the reader). It does mean that weapliment users require an extra item to be competitive, but on the other hand they also get to use an extra slot's worth of options. At any rate, I think that most characters can benefit from a secondary weapon, be it a thrown weapon for melee combatants, or a melee weapon for casters/archers, so it's not such a huge difference.

    As for why we don't see this kind of short lists as official material, it's clear that the business model lends itself to system clutter, but I think the devs have missed a great opportunity both for the game and for their business plan. Rather than invalidating previous material, or mindlessly piling more stuff to it, what I'd like to see is standalone item sets, not unlike Magic: The Gathering expansions. It's really the same thing they did with Essentials for every other part of the game: release something that can be played on its own, but also combines well with the rest of the game. You'd need to waste a bit of space on basic stuff like +1 Magic Weapons, but could be an attractive product both for people who want more stuff, and for those who want less.

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  4. I would really like to use this in my game, so I can't wait to see what you have prepared for the other item slots! Wonderful work, and so much easier to digest than what is currently being offered.

    You might change the action type of extending weapon to free action, as it would make it easier to use with classes that need their minor actions nearly every turn like some leader/defender classes and it wouldn't really overpower the item either. Also, you forgot to assign an action speed to the at-will power of weapon of light and shadow.

    Great job, love love love your work!

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  5. This makes me want to run a brand new campaign. With fully random treasure drops. I bet it'd work quite well with a list like this ^.^

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  6. I think you went way too far on Vorpal Weapons. Though, my own Fixing Solos rules makes the "Crippled" effect less of an issue at least. Still, +2d12 damage per plus? That's more than Bloodiron Weapons. And those are ridiculous! And a chance for the final damage being DOUBLED?

    Sleep + Vorpal Weapon Coup De Grace. I just did 300 damage, thus instantly killing a 600 HP enemy. I hope you're happy!

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  7. I don't like the vicious property: it's way too weak for most characters (certainly in heroic). By epic it looks OK, but basically, that makes it a niche weapon - and that's something that suggests it shouldn't be common.

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  8. Vicious is not all that impressive, and it's not for all characters, but I believe it has a clear niche. There are not many weapon enchantments to improve a character's offense, and Vicious is the cheapest one, and the only one available at common. Single-minded offensive players should be interested in its damage boost, small as it may be, even at lower heroic levels.

    On the other hand, at paragon and higher levels it does get much more interesting. I have tried to balance all non-rare crit boosting weapons so that they all remain viable. Keen is easily the most powerful, but it's also a very costly enchantment, and one that doesn't stack well with certain crit-related paragon paths. Rending only works for characters with great basic attacks, but it offers the added flexibility of damaging a different target on a crit, and is slightly more affordable. Vicious doesn't offer as much raw power, but works great for characters with an expanded crit range, upgrades faster, and doesn't take up an uncommon slot, so I think it's far from a terrible choice.

    Of course, Vorpal tends to trump most of these. I've gone over the numbers, and think I'm satisfied with vorpal's behavior under normal circumstances (even for Daggermasters, Avengers, and other crit-specialized PCs), but not with auto-crits such as those granted by Divine Oracle or Coup de Grace. I'll probably reword it to reflect that.

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