[DF] request for build advice: ridiculous magic weapon

[Dammann]

I have an NPC in my campaign with a magic morningstar that I want to make sort of ridiculously awesome. The weapon acts like an ordinary one for the first time that the user attacks a target with it, but with some visual effects (sparks). The second time the user attacks with it, the damage is doubled, and the knockback is doubled again. The third time a user attacks a target, the damage is once again doubled, and there is a linked lightning attack (I was thinking 4d). The item is also Fine, Oversized, and Silver Coated.

I realize that what I am describing is a very overpowered weapon, and that it shouldn't probably fall into the hands of a PC if I want to avoid discarding monsters as a threat. The idea is that this is an ancient named weapon that has been passed down, father to son, for hundreds of years, while the men in this line went around acting like Gilgamesh, getting into adventures and making trouble.

Should I stat this weapon as a character? What enchantments or modifiers would the hive mind suggest to stat this as equipment?

[Refplace]

Stat it as you described it.
No need ot write up the enchantments or such if it is a unique item.

[Nymdok]

Well, Id be more interested in finding out why it gets handed down.

An Ever increasing number of side effects each time its used?

After the Nth use its revealed to be nothing more than a bit of wood iwth a nail in it coated in silver paint. The rest is enchantment that must be 'recharged' by the person who's been using it. (NOTE:This shoudl be something hefty. Years of Life, Virility, Potentcy, Sanity etc.)

It immediately becomes useless in the hands of anyone married/stable. Itsa a +3 mace of 'Sow your wild oats then grow up and settle down'. Can only be recharged by severe hangovers, STDs, Crazy exes, Debt, and other such 'young people problems'.

Nymdok

[Dammann]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Stat it as you described it.
No need ot write up the enchantments or such if it is a unique item.

I suppose that is true. Who cares what it costs; it is a priceless artifact. It was (figuratively and hyperbolically) created at the dawn of time and the legends surrounding it are so numerous that sorting out the truth is a lost cause.

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Consider using the rules for Melee weapons from Power-Ups 4.

That's a good idea- if this thing is going to have any hope of being balanced, PU4:10 is the place to start.

Originally Posted by Nymdok

Well, Id be more interested in finding out why it gets handed down.
-snip-

I must admit that I had been thinking of this as simply an exotic heirloom. Your suggestions that it is linked to "young people problems" is compelling, though. The NPC with this weapon definitely suffers from those.

The fluff/story behind this is that the NPC's father went out and got himself killed, and the son has just reclaimed the weapon. These guys are the chiefs of a barbarian tribe, but they are not very attentive leaders, and mostly go around generating legends instead of implementing prudent governance. Dad or Grandpa or Mom is actually running things. Maybe that is a form of geas. They cannot stay home and be responsible until they pass on the weapon.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Dammann

That's a good idea- if this thing is going to have any hope of being balanced, PU4:10 is the place to start.

I'm going to assume that this is a ST 20 character, it is isn't you're going to need to adjust that statistics:

Magical Morningstar

• First Attack: Sparks (Nuisance Effect, sheds sparks, -5%) [0 points*] (+0 points)
• Second Attack: Crushing Attack 4d+6 (Doubled Knockback, +20%; Linked, +10%; Mana Sensitive, -10%) [+34 points] + Modified Crushing Damage (Doubled Knockback, +20%; Linked, +10%; Mana Sensitive, -10%) [+6 points] (+8 points*)
• Third Attack: Crushing Attack 12d+6 (Doubled Knockback, +20%; Linked, +10%; Mana Sensitive, -10%) [+102 points] + Burning 4d (Link, +10%; Mana Sensitive, -10%; Surge, Arcing, +100%) [+40 points] + Modified Crushing Damage (Doubled Knockback, +20%; Linked, +10%; Mana Sensitive, -10%) [+6 points] (+148 points)

* Treated as a alternate ability, original cost was 40 points.

Total cost is going to be 156 points as a advantage. You could convert that to a cash cost using points for money (it would cost about $78,000). Cost of the morningstar plus your proposed modifiers would be: $1,440. It would weigh 9 lbs.

Statistics would thus be:

Damage: sw+6 cr Reach: 1,2 Parry: 0U Weight: 9 ST: 18

• First Attack: 4d+6 crushing with follow-up silver effect.
• Second Attack: 8d+12 crushing double knockback with follow-up silver effect.
• Third Attack: 16d+24 crushing double knockback linked 4d burning arcing surge with follow-up silver effect.

There is no exact modifier for requiring a attack take place before another (that I am aware of) - but you can fudge it as a GM and say its a feature of the item itself (not to far-fetched in and of itself).

Hope that helps.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Another thought occurs to me that you could create this as a Metatronic Generator.

[Dwarf99]

Stat it as a character, multiply by 25 FP, multiply by the price per FP as given in GURPS Magic.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Dammann

I have an NPC in my campaign with a magic morningstar that I want to make sort of ridiculously awesome. The weapon acts like an ordinary one for the first time that the user attacks a target with it, but with some visual effects (sparks). The second time the user attacks with it, the damage is doubled, and the knockback is doubled again. The third time a user attacks a target, the damage is once again doubled, and there is a linked lightning attack (I was thinking 4d). The item is also Fine, Oversized, and Silver Coated.

I realize that what I am describing is a very overpowered weapon, and that it shouldn't probably fall into the hands of a PC if I want to avoid discarding monsters as a threat. The idea is that this is an ancient named weapon that has been passed down, father to son, for hundreds of years, while the men in this line went around acting like Gilgamesh, getting into adventures and making trouble.

Should I stat this weapon as a character? What enchantments or modifiers would the hive mind suggest to stat this as equipment?

Consider using the rules for Melee weapons from Power-Ups 4.