Director of Game Design
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Relics of War Week 1 Contest Winners
Greetings everybody. With week 1 of the Relics of War “Design an Item” contest behind us, and the release of the set one week closer, we are ready to announce this week’s winner. It was not an easy choice as there were a lot of really good entries. We narrowed it down to just a few and then picked the best of the best. In the end, TWWombat’s entry of the Marshall’s blade Angeltongue is this week’s winner. The blade has a number of nifty mechanics tied to a great backstory. TWWombat will receive 1 display box of Relics of War booster packs when the set releases on November 23rd.
As an aside, we have an honorable mention to give out. Woontal’s blade for the Call of Cthulhu game was truly fantastic and shows how these cards can be used for any game system, even one that does not focus on fantasy. On behalf of the contest team, I would like to thank all of this week’s participants and I look forward to seeing all of your entries for week 2.
All of the entries for week 1 can be found on our messageboards at www.paizo.com, along with the submission and discussion threads for week 2.
Jason Bulmahn
Item Card Lead Designer
WEEK 1 Winner - TWWombat
Angeltongue (aka Kendrick's Voice)
(Built for Dungeons & Dragons - the Marshall class is found in the Miniatures Handbook)
400 years ago, just before the founding of the Empire, dozens of warring nations scarred the land. Kendrick was the warlord bard known far and wide as "The Singing General". On the eve of the Battle of Goatsford, Kendrick's scouts found the opposing warlord had hired an army of gnolls, outnumbering Kendrick’s forces five to one. He prayed to the gods saying, "Grant my army courage and I will unite the land in peace."
The gods heard him and sent help in the form of an angel with golden wings. Kendrick spent all night in his tent with the angel. Nobody knows the details of the deal they struck that night. In the morning, Kendrick was everywhere on the battlefield at once, shoring up morale and never letting his men believe that they could be defeated. Gnoll shamans cast their spells but the magical flames always died down around Kendrick and his army. Finally the angel revealed himself and turned the battle’s tide toward Kendrick.
After the battle Kendrick had a silver sword made with golden angel wings for quillons. He spent two weeks in his tent enchanting the blade after it was forged. Some say he stole the angel's tongue and infused it into the weapon. When he finished, Angeltongue never left his side. He used it to unite the land and form the Empire. Kendrick died during the final battle, but by that point he had convinced all but one of the warlords to unite and name an emperor to govern them all.
Angeltongue is a +2 Silvered Longsword of Speed which sheds a golden light out to 60’ as the daylight spell and makes a wordless angelic singing noise when swung in battle. Its wielder enjoys a +30’ bonus to base land speed, a +2 bonus to charisma, and a +5 bonus on any attempt to rally troops. Angeltongue allows an additional attack at the wielder’s highest bonus when using the full attack action. The wielder and all allies within 60’ gain a +1 sacred bonus to all saves.
In a bard’s hands, Angeltongue allows the wielder to double the range of all bardic music effects and double the number of targets affected by Inspire Greatness and Inspire Heroism.
In the hands of a marshall or any other character that can manifest auras, the radius of each of the wielder’s manifested auras is doubled to a maximum bonus of +60’. Angeltongue also allows the wielder to manifest one additional aura above the maximum normally allowed, but it loses its +1 sacred bonus to saves while the additional aura is manifested.
A character with levels in both marshall and bard can use both of Angeltongue’s special abilities simultaneously.
Strong Transmutation and Enchantment, CL 15, daylight, eagle’s splendor, expeditious retreat, greater heroism, haste, resistance, sculpt sound, creator must be a bard, 136,315 gp.
WEEK 1 Honorable Mention - Woontal
Flügel des Ruhmes (Call of Cthulhu)
In the later stages of World War II Germany dominated the majority of Europe in its relentless efforts to exert its will upon its neighbours. It was rumoured widely that the Nazi Party fostered members of dangerous sects, occultists and neopaganists, all which held court with dark forces, demons and even the Devil himself.
The Führer, Hitler, held no such interest in such religious followings, though he did focus many of his resources to the spread of "Positive Christianity", his own version of the Christian Faith.
In his search for ancient relics that would place the favour of God on him, several of his Protestantistic brethren discovered an ancient sword in an abandoned French nunnery, the tomb's entrance carved with the words 'Ailes de gloire'.
Within lie the body of a badly burnt woman, and though her death was recorded on her stone coffin as ‘1424 Mai 30’, her badly scorched flesh showed only a recent internment.
The return of Flügel des Ruhmes to Germany evoked a powerful response from Hitler, privately announcing that they had discovered “Heiliger Catherine Klinge”, the blade wielded by Joan des Bogens herself.
Hitler believed that with the blade in his possession, Europe would swiftly bow to his will, and the will of God himself. He re-named the sword Flügel des Ruhmes to show that it was a gift from God, blessing his actions.
Flügel des Ruhmes appeared only days before the invasion of Russia, and though it was never seen in his possession, the blade was always present in the background during important meetings. With the discovery of Hitler’s body, none thought much of the blade, they knew not of its importance to the man.
Flügel des Ruhmes may not the sword of the Sainly Joan of Arc, but it is not a blessing from Heaven. The blade hungers for death, feeding off the entropy created by war and the slaughter that it brings. It is an avatar of Nyarlathotep, an intelligent object whose sole purpose is to assist the downfall of humanity.
When it allows an investigate to wield it, it may add 5 magic or POW points to any resistance roll, as well as being treated as a magical weapon to defeat mythos creatures. It no doubt has other powerful abilities benefiting an Outer God, but none have been witnessed in decades.
"I'd like to thank everyone at the Academy for making this possible..."
Heh.
Seriously, thank you!
I responded to your email this morning and asked if I'd be precluded from entering for the remainder of the contest - let me know if you didn't receive my info.
"I'd like to thank everyone at the Academy for making this possible..."
Heh.
Seriously, thank you!
I responded to your email this morning and asked if I'd be precluded from entering for the remainder of the contest - let me know if you didn't receive my info.
Next time, Gadget, next time.......