Advantages as "Enchnatments" or artifacts?

[Jaware]

Alright guys and girls, I once again consult the collective on matters that I wish to know and or understand.

I was driving home when I got a thought for a neat idea for a boss monster for a current high fantasy that's borderline cinematic.

The idea was for a swordsman of untold skill and prowess on the battlefield. He was said to be (insert lengthy explanatory here).

Anyway. Long story short. I wanted his sword to be legendary. Or something akin.

The idea came as a "what if I could...."

My thought was have the sword (a katana) be a fine or very fine depending, weapon. It was beautifully made and fancy etc. but the part that really sets it apart from every other sword is the blade. It looks to be made from scales of some great beast. They are almost as big as a mans thumb overlapping and wickedly shaped. But they are just a part of the sword blade. They don't do anything in particular on their own besides make the blade recognize able to people that know the "old tales."

In combat when the sword is used, the user can spend 1 FP and activate its ability. What it does is shroud the sword in a negative aura for the rest of the users turn. When it lands in a foe, after cutting through Dr and into flesh, the scales on the blade ruffle from it and rake through the victim. This action in turn causes the victim to suffer from the hemophilia disadvantage for X amount of time.

Game mechanics, I would assume this would be built just like an advantage. With the various modifiers to make it a follow up with blood agent, accessibility with this weapon, and. Gadget can be stolen etc or something along those lines.

But how would one put a price on such a weapon?

What if the PCs want to try and make their own weapons similarly. Like maybe a dagger of striking str+2 or something similar.

Also I was thinking of making it impart a disadvantage on the user as well. Maybe bloodlust, or callus, or sadism or something to suite. Like maybe a whip that has vicious thorn blades of some vicious venom of some ancient thing would cause the victim to lose hp normally and Hp/Fp after so many doses of posion had been applied. But doing so would cause the user to suffer from delusions and sadism or something.

If the players couldn't make one, but could find them, I would have to have some sort of reason why they exist but couldn't be recreated (easily). Maybe an ancient God, or evil, or demon, or what have you was tricked into sealing it's soul into the blade or object (could be armor or a shield) and doing to is to difficult to do nowadays.

Another example is a weapon made by some sort of the sealing of some sort of vampire arch fiend into a weapon. Then used by its arch enemies to help them in their cause to defeat the other undead. Aka, a leech "enchantment" as a follow up to any weapon strike made with it. But the blade doesn't want to help its user if it's user is a slayer or similar, so a will roll to force it to comply is required.

Or maybe some weapon holding a deity of trickery and shenanigans that turns the blade invisible. Or all the other limitless possibilities that the good ole gurps advantages give rise to.

So, after all of that, does it sound to broken to make/use? Does it sound like something that can be done in a balanced way? Etc?

[Gnome]

If you're looking for a way to grant advantages through a magic item but you still want the PC to pay points for it, see Gadget Limitations (B116-117). If you don't want to charge points for it, that's fine too. The PC finds the item and it does whatever it does!

As far as whether a particular magic item is "balanced," the point system is supposed to help with that (with lots of GM oversight), so charging CP through Gadget Limitations might be the way to go if you're looking for point balance, and especially if the PCs are creating their own such items.
"Game balance," which has never been all that well-defined in my mind, is very campaign-dependent and requires the GM and players to come to some understanding of what they think is "fair."

In old-school rpgs, over-the-top game-breakingly powerful magic items such as vorpal swords, holy avengers, staffs of wizard power, etc. are traditional. See DF6, DF8, and DF Treasures 1&2 for GURPS examples of these kinds of things.

[Jaware]

Originally Posted by Gnome

If you're looking for a way to grant advantages through a magic item but you still want the PC to pay points for it, see Gadget Limitations (B116-117). If you don't want to charge points for it, that's fine too. The PC finds the item and it does whatever it does!

As far as whether a particular magic item is "balanced," the point system is supposed to help with that (with lots of GM oversight), so charging CP through Gadget Limitations might be the way to go if you're looking for point balance, and especially if the PCs are creating their own such items.
"Game balance," which has never been all that well-defined in my mind, is very campaign-dependent and requires the GM and players to come to some understanding of what they think is "fair."

In old-school rpgs, over-the-top game-breakingly powerful magic items such as vorpal swords, holy avengers, staffs of wizard power, etc. are traditional. See DF6, DF8, and DF Treasures 1&2 for GURPS examples of these kinds of things.

That works. As far as balanced, I was referring to balanced as in gives equal bonuses as disadvantages.

Like for instance, the katana hemophilia sword. It does its thing, but at the same time, if it's used more than say... 25 times in a day, it imparts something like bloodlust and delusions on the user.

And then maybe the sword speaks to them the more times they use it. And then when the user falls uncontious, the sword offers them an out. It offers to lend them it's power for a price. If the user bites, they are revived with full hp, and certain advantages and disadvantages, their body changes causing structural damage after combat is over, etc and bloodlust, callus, they turn hostile to anyone around them they lose control of their character etc. And they bleed 1 FP a turn until it's drained and then they revert back. To KO state. Laying in a pile of bodies. Inconviently forced to reap what they've sown.

I was thinking about how to balance that ability, preferably with point stuff

[dfinlay]

Originally Posted by Jaware

That works. As far as balanced, I was referring to balanced as in gives equal bonuses as disadvantages.

Like for instance, the katana hemophilia sword. It does its thing, but at the same time, if it's used more than say... 25 times in a day, it imparts something like bloodlust and delusions on the user.

Note that this isn't balanced in the sense you described as having it is strictly better than not having it (assuming you know what it does and have control over your actions, since you can default to not using it (net zero from having it) and only use it when using it is worth it. That said, it's a powerful magic item. Owning it should probably be better than not. In general, the way you stat items is to say "It does X" and move on, though requiring characters to buy gadget limitations can make sense in certain contexts.

[Colarmel]

If you want to have an evil sword, design it as a character. I think Thaumatology has rules on this. Secretly roll a contest of wills each time your players use it. Include comments like "you feel a surge of pleasure as you cut the goblins throat. You like this sword." But don't tell them why this is happening. Or, if your players are absorbed enough in pursuing power at any cost, tell them something more obvious, "A primeval dread clutches as your heart as you put the sword to its deadly purpose."

Getting the swordsman PC who uses it after the fight to let go of it can be an adventure in itself. If you're going to give a PC an artifact that turns him evil, make sure he has a chance at redemption.

Letting your players know the dangers of it and how to use the thing safely means the dangers don't really matter, probably your players will say, "Oh. Okay. I can use this 25 (way too many) times a day, and then switch to my normal sword." To have the PCs counting uses of the incredibly powerful evil sword is miles outside of the dramatic and genre conventions that make evil swords interesting.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Jaware

if it's used more than say... 25 times in a day, it imparts something like bloodlust and delusions on the user.

A very close description of the Corruption mechanic in GURPS Horror. Those rules include a Limitation for abilities which can cause Corruption. How fast you can cleanse accumulated Corruption and what it takes to do so you might tinker with, as the details will affect the flavor of the setting.

[Jaware]

Originally Posted by Colarmel

If you want to have an evil sword, design it as a character. I think Thaumatology has rules on this. Secretly roll a contest of wills each time your players use it. Include comments like "you feel a surge of pleasure as you cut the goblins throat. You like this sword." But don't tell them why this is happening. Or, if your players are absorbed enough in pursuing power at any cost, tell them something more obvious, "A primeval dread clutches as your heart as you put the sword to its deadly purpose."

Getting the swordsman PC who uses it after the fight to let go of it can be an adventure in itself. If you're going to give a PC an artifact that turns him evil, make sure he has a chance at redemption.

Letting your players know the dangers of it and how to use the thing safely means the dangers don't really matter, probably your players will say, "Oh. Okay. I can use this 25 (way too many) times a day, and then switch to my normal sword." To have the PCs counting uses of the incredibly powerful evil sword is miles outside of the dramatic and genre conventions that make evil swords interesting.

That sounds like something that I can work with. Though I'm not thinking of it as an evil sword just one that likes to be used. And preferably released however possible. But it sounds like something that I can work around. The concept isn't set in stone yet. It's just a concept still.

I wasn't planning on making them aware of its dangers. I was planing on letting them figure it out as they go... Probably by trial and error.... Muahahahaha, but that's aside of the point. I wasn't planning on making the user evil per say. Just more of a killer instead of a goody two shoes. For instance the bloodlust and callous. The sword just wants to be used. It had been sealed away for so long that now it wants to taste battle and spread its wings so to speak. Regardless of who uses it. As long as it is used then it's happy.

[Jaware]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

A very close description of the Corruption mechanic in GURPS Horror. Those rules include a Limitation for abilities which can cause Corruption. How fast you can cleanse accumulated Corruption and what it takes to do so you might tinker with, as the details will affect the flavor of the setting.

That sounds like a very interesting mechanic. I'll have to drag up that book from where ever, I don't remember if I have it or not.... But I'll get my hands on it some way.

I do like the way that works though. It could nicely work out how it does its deal to make the user want to, or feel the need to, use it...

I like it. I appreciate it my friend.

[Jaware]

So far I've gotten pretty much all that I need. Though the only thing that I haven't gotten a good in depth response on is just the regular bits.

Like. If one of the characters walks into an enchanting shop and wants his shortsword enchanted with striking strength +2, how do I price it?

Or armor enchanted with lifting strength +3, or what have you?

I would assume that there's some correlation between point cost of the advantage and how much money it would cost.

[Jaware]

Oh, and I just thought of another piece that could go well with a cursed sword.

What if the sword gave you X skill with the weapon as long as you held it, or added say +X or X/2 to a cap of say 18 or so to their skill if they already have said skill.

That would make them more inclined to use it over a "normal" weapon. Cause they can use it, or they can use it better than a normal weapon. And then it has all these cool features attached to it.

And how would I make a skill X enchantment?

I want to say I read an article about turning skills to advantages in a pyramid article not to long ago...

Maybe that can be converted to money in some way similar to the other "points to money" from the striking str +2 or what have you?