Advantages as "Enchnatments" or artifacts?

Colarmel · 09-29-2016, 01:32 PM

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.

09-29-2016, 01:32 PM	#5
Colarmel Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Northeast Kansas	Re: Advantages as "Enchnatments" or artifacts? 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.