Hail Adventurers! I have a strange question to ask of you all;
Thrall, Son of Thokk, had just lost his (left) arm, during a fight against "The Sons of Gruumsh". As a DM, I am the one to arbitrate what happens, and Thrall (Austin out of character) has asked me if he could somehow get a bionic arm!? Now, in this era of my campaign, the Gnomes in the Enforcers are the best in Alyria, and have such skills to create one! Unfortunately, I don't know how this would effect my campaign...
SO! How would a mechanical arm/leg/etc affect someone's character, and the game itself?!
Hail Adventurers! I have a strange question to ask of you all;
Thrall, Son of Thokk, had just lost his (left) arm, during a fight against "The Sons of Gruumsh". As a DM, I am the one to arbitrate what happens, and Thrall (Austin out of character) has asked me if he could somehow get a bionic arm!? Now, in this era of my campaign, the Gnomes in the Enforcers are the best in Alyria, and have such skills to create one! Unfortunately, I don't know how this would effect my campaign...
SO! How would a mechanical arm/leg/etc affect someone's character, and the game itself?!
I don't know about a bionic arm, but didn't one of the Dragonlance characters have a silver hand or something? It was magically formed to work similar to his real hand, but I think it was stronger or something.
I would hazard that should such a thing be possible, it would probably have to be made of mithral or adamantine and would grant a +1 or +2 (respectively) bonus to strength. The reason for this is that any 2nd level cleric with a heat metal spell - or any mage with an electricity spell - would have the ideal circumstances in play to harm that PC.
You probably also need to look into unintended possibilities - like that fact that the arm is not truely part of the body now but in fact is an animated object. I think the other way you could go would be to introduce the half-golem templete to the character since the work is already done for you. That might lead to a whole other ball of wax, or can of worms, you might be happier not considering, but the option still exists wihtin the rule to do it.... Hmmm, I went off topic.
Depending on how the new arm fits the character will determine how the character will act. Was he triaged by the gnomes because there were no priests around to grow his arm back? Does he resent being a freak with a metal arm or not? Etc.
How it affects your campaign is entirely up to you, but I would guess that aside from a few odd glances from commoners and a few awkward moments during role-play it would all balance out in the long run. So long as it doesn't require vast resorces to repair (it wouldn't necessarily heal on its own), nor becomes a heavy burden on the PC (it shorts out every time it gets cold or electricuted or submerged in water) then any minor quirks would at worse inject some different situations into your campaign.
There are a host of novels that you could reference that might give you some idea a how to play a newly re-constructed human that you might wish to pass along. Weis & Perrin did a space opera series called the Star of the Guardians (I think) that featured a cyborg. Teen Titans (the comic, not the 'toon) staple Cyborg is more of a brooding guy. Steve Austin is certainly a cool kat, but he didn't really have the type of BBG enemies and the magical resorces they can bring to the table to match his increased abilities.
just a thought.
Director of Narrative
|
I seem to recall Forgotten Realms material in 2ndEd having drow craftsmen creating artificial limbs, but can't for the life of me recall where. The precedent is certainly there in fantasy worlds. (most recently in FMA)
You can have it affect your game as much or as little as you like depending on the complexity of the arm. If this were my game I would have the prosthetic be purely mechanical/alchemical.
If you created an arm witht no powers besides being an arm it won't unbalance the game its just a variation on getting the limb magically regenerated and should probably cost about that much, though the spells themselves would be different.
If you want to make it more than just a replacement limb then it sould be in line with the wealth tables and the appropriate costs for the item you create need to be calculated. If you don't take it overboard it should be fine. Just figure out what item slot you want it to take (ring or glove IMO) or price it double for not occupying a slot.
Hope that helps with your question.
I would opt for regeneration - 910gp plus artificial adjustments (10gp*spell level*caster level).
There are some grafts and things in books:
Arm of the Ancestor (Magic of Eberron) - 8,500 gp - a deathless arm that gives +1 damage, climb, swim, grapple; grant fast healing once an hour. But you take permanent -2 Dex for having an unfeeling arm.
Warforged Armblade - 2,300gp - attached +1 bastard sword
Warforged Battlefist - 2,600gp - +1 fist natural slam attack 1d8
igi
I had a epic human rouge in the Forgoten Realms setting once that had a clock work arm that had a built in gurot wire and theives tools. It could feel just as if it were alive. The DM that allowed it treated it as a magic item that could be inchanded or inhansed if need be but at the expence of money equal to a wonderis item. I am not sure what magic item because the game all but lasted one seasion and we never played again. He gave me the stats that I could make a slam attack of 1d6+1 and 1/2str with +1 attack.
I could have sworn that there are magical arms and such in one of the source books. I think it was the DMG 3.5 that had an artifical arm in it. But then again I coudl be wrong.
as for artifical limbs I would say just have them craft one for him, that would be very interesting to see.
later
That was from The Drow of the Underdark pages 91 and 92.
In 2e, both the Drow and the surface elves (Complete Elves Handbook) had the ability to make mithril prosthetics. For the most part, they functioned just like a normal arm. The elves tended to view a single prosthetic as something worthy of modest respect; sacrifice in the course of duty. More than that was seen as "Too clumsy to be alive".
If I were to have them in my own game - published examples aside - I'd give them the following treatment:
* Prosthetic - The limb is not a Graft. While magical, it is attached by a special harness and not bound to the body. As such, no 'sacrifice' is required.
* Fully Functional - The limb is identical in function in every way as the original. It can feel, move naturally, and in no way hinders the character.
* Magic Item - The limb is treated as a magic item that doesn't take up a body slot. Indeed, as a prosthetic it allows the character to benefit from those body slots that would otherwise be lost due to the absence of the original limb. While it /can/ be further enchanted, the cost is doubled as befits a Wondrous Item that doesn't take a body slot.
* Vulnerable to Sunder - Unlike the original limb, the prosthetic may be Sundered like any other item. Doing so does not actually injure the character, but does inflict the normal penalties for missing the limb in question.
I'd probably allow an arm a slam attack based on the creature's size. Not sure what I'd charge. Probably base it on material used though.