How about this one - I made it myself a few years ago, and found a place to put in my current campaign a few months ago, it's been a big laugh from time to time:
Mephibosheth (Meh-fee-boh-sheth, “out of my mouth proceeds reproach”), an intelligent Iron Horn of Valhalla (semi-artefact; radiates strong conjuration): Created by a powerful frost giant; Neutral; Speaks and can read common, giant and goblin, and can communicate telepathically with whoever holds it; Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 12; Ego 7; Darkvision 60’, Listen +10, Detect Magic at will; market value 66,600 gp, weight 2 pounds. Mephibosheth is very loud-mouthed and opinionated, especially when it has summoned forth its “barbarian horde”, which it cheers on during combat. It is even loud when it thinks combat might be likely (e.g. when the group gets to a closed door). It uses detect magic near constantly, loudly broadcasting any positive results. Once per week, when its name is pronounced and it is blown by anyone with proficiency with all martial weapons or bardic music ability (a standard action), it summons 2d4 Snow Goblin Barbarians (5th level). If the blower does not qualify, they are attacked by the hoard. Otherwise, they do as the possessor of the horn commands them to until slain (DC 15 if conflict occurs), or until 1 hour has elapsed, whichever comes first. The hoard prefers to fight in a group, is brave under strong leadership, and loves to eat horseflesh.
Snow Goblin Barbarian 5: Small Construct; hd 5d12+5 (hp 43); init +1; move 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 30 ft.; AC 17 (touch 14); Greataxe +9 (1d10+4/x3) or Javelin +9 (1d4+2); Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +1; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 6; Improved Uncanny Dodge; Booming Voice (can be heard over great distances), Darkvision 60 ft.; Climb +17 (can always take 10), Hide +6, Intimidate +5, Jump +7, Listen +7, Move Silently +6, Survival +3; Power Attack (Greataxe +5, 1d10+10/x3). Rage 2/day: 53 hp, AC 15 (touch 12); Greataxe +11 (1d10+7/x3) or Javelin +9 (1d4+4); Fort +7, Will +3; Str 20, Con 17; duration 6 rounds, then fatigued for remainder of encounter: -2 Str, -2 Dex, can’t charge or run). Goods: studded leather armour, greataxe, 2 javelins. Languages: common, goblin.
There’s also a few in Complete Divine.
Another possibility is that there are a couple Oquon weapons from “War of the Wielded” from some deleted scenes that were cut for space (#149 was a tough, tough issue to scrounge for word count in!) I could ask the editors if there’s any problem associated with posting them here.
My personal theory for the relative dearth of intelligent magic items is that it’s a real devil assessing the true EL for low-mid level encounters that might include them. Their ability to perform certain acts independently makes it dangerously tough to acurately gauge their impact. They really are like extra creatures. That’s too bad because I think they’re tons of fun in-game.
-MiKe
P.S. Hastur, Mephibosheth definitely looks like an entertaining persona!
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There’s also a few in Complete Divine.
Another possibility is that there are a couple Oquon weapons from “War of the Wielded” from some deleted scenes that were cut for space (#149 was a tough, tough issue to scrounge for word count in!) I could ask the editors if there’s any problem associated with posting them here.
OOoooo, I'd be really interested in seeing any and all extra material for your adventure. I loved it, from the Highlander-esque opening scene to the ex-paladin NPC (whose name I currently forget...). I actually thought that your ex-paladin was one of the most interesting NPCs I've seen, and he had some really interesting gear that made me look at the DMG a little differently. The swords taking over was a great touch!
I did get the feeling that the adventure might have suffered slightly from having to fit around that issue's Savage Tide installment. It felt like originally the wielders of the swords might have been more individual, rather than using the same base profile, is this the case? I've also been wondering if tracking down the bad guys was originally more involved. This one adventure got me thinking on how to turn it into a whole campaign, with the PCs starting out as dupes of the Oquon and slowly finding out the history of a bloody back-alley war with innumerable casualties on both sides. The ex-paladin would make a wonderful redeemed villain, who the PCs had a chance to save or execute, according to their own morality.
My personal theory for the relative dearth of intelligent magic items is that it’s a real devil assessing the true EL for low-mid level encounters that might include them. Their ability to perform certain acts independently makes it dangerously tough to acurately gauge their impact. They really are like extra creatures. That’s too bad because I think they’re tons of fun in-game.
-MiKe
P.S. Hastur, Mephibosheth definitely looks like an entertaining persona!
This is really why I've shied away from ever letting my party get their hands on an intelligent item. I got the feeling that if I did include one, it would either be like having another member in the party, or just a talking swiss army knife whose own goals and personality got shunted to the side because it made everything simpler. War of the Wielded dealt with it rather nicely by having the swords recruit the PCs to their cause. I must think of a way to include it in my game when I come out of DMing hiatus...
Ukos
I agree, an intelligent item can easily become like yet another NPC. Although, it's an NPC that doesnt have any way of moving, so it's kind of like an NPC with no arms or legs.... (?)
Mephibosheth has certainly been a source of fun in my campaign, especially at first, when we all realised just how perverted my creation was ("Blow me" were the first two words Mephibosheth ever uttered - the rest of his sentence got lost in the laughter - can't believe I didn't see that one coming!) My player wrote on his character sheet: Mephibosheth - sexually ambiguous horn. It was a number of adventures before the player actually summoned the courage to blow the horn, and it was hilarious then too because it had been built up so much that when only about 4 little goblins came out the player was like, "what, that's all? you said you'd summon a Hoard, this is, like, single digits, how's that a hoard?" - I think he was expecting dozens of goblins to some spilling out...
To be honest, the main reason I made Mephibosheth an intelligent item was because I see the Horn of Valhalla as a really expensive magic item for what it does - high gp value, but negligible actual use to a mid to high level group of PC's (no better than a mid-level summon monster spell, i.e. can help flank and distract a monster for a round or so, but not really put out any damage). So I beefed up its usefulness (free detect magic), and also effectively made its resale value zero (but comedy value priceless).
In my game, I tend to exclude the NPC's (like followers / cohorts) from role-play situations, except where strictly necessary, so Mephibosheth is the same - he only speaks up or otherwise features occasionally. Especially since the PC put the horn into his bag of holding early on, at which Mephibosheth decided to sulk for a long time, giving caustic remarks when brought out and asked to detect magic, asking when he's going to be blown next, etc. At one stage, my group had an animal companion, a paladin cohort, a rod of the python, and Mephibosheth, and only 3 PC's, so it was possible for there to be more NPCs in the group than PC's, so as I say, I tend to minimise the impact all the NPCs have and let the PC's run the show. And my players don't tend to use the horn of python rod much anyway, just where it looks like it's going to be a really tough fight and they need some help soaking up damage.
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I usually play wizards when running a PC and always ask if my familiar can be an intelligent magical item. So far I haven't had the opportunity -- I hardly ever get to run a PC anymore, but I love hearing about sentient item ideas. They can provide so much to a campaign. Thanks for the idea of an intelligent Horn of Valhalla; that's priceless.
-W. E. Ray
(Possible Spoiler alert)
Further to Ukos post, below are a few extra Oquon weapons from “War of the Wielded”. You will have to forgive me though as I can't quite format this right.
Aügrin the Ashen Maul: maul of the titans; AL CE; Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14; Speech (Common); 120 ft. vision and hearing; Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +9; Ego score 10.
Lesser Powers: bull’s strength 1/day, 10 ranks in intimidate (total modifier 12).
Appearance: This massive, solid-steel mallet is eight feet long and weighs 160 pounds.
Personality: Aügrin’s demeanor is perpetually menacing and coarse. The Oquon pattered the Ashen Maul after an Oquon Master Chief that spent four years under the charms of the Cabanite Valora before he finally had his head cleared by his comrades. During that time, to his dishonor, he spilled many military secrets. As such, while the Ashen Maul despises all Cabanites, he bears an exceptional grudge against the rapier that now bears Valora’s name.
Strong evocation; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Bigby’s clenched fist; Price 39,305 gp.
Oquon operative wielding Aügrin the Ashen Maul:
Melee Aügrin (intelligent maul of the titans) +9* (1d10+11)*
*includes bull’s strength and 1 point of Power Attack. Without the bull’s strength Aügrin’s wielder is +3 (1d10+8) when utilizing 1 point of power attack as he takes a -4 penalty for lacking the requisite 18 strength to wield a maul of the titans.
Gahn “The Shredsickle”: +1 adamantium vicious keen sickle; AL LE; Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 10; Speech (Common, Giant, Goblin, and Orc), 60 ft. darkvision and hearing; Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +8; Ego score 12.
Lesser Powers: alarm 3/day, spider climb 1/day, Gahn’s hilt has a secret compartment (Search DC 24) which acts as a type I bag of holding.
Appearance: The Shredsickle is serrated all along its inner edge, the teeth of which appear to vibrate when in combat.
Personality: Patterned after a grizzled Oquon veteran of several campaigns, Gahn is a practical, no-nonsense killer. Although he has lost track of the number of Cabanite wielders he has slain, he knows that whatever the number is, it is decidedly not enough.
Strong transmutation; CL 12th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, enervation, keen edge; Price 33,500 gp.
Oquon operative wielding Gahn the ‘Shredsickle’:
Melee Gahn the ‘Shredsickle’ (intelligent +1 adamantium vicious keen sickle) +6 (1d6+3/19-20 plus 2d6)
*Footnote: The original Gahn was the stubborn Oquon commando on p.27 that the Cabanites recruited Lady Akanara to assassinate. As she was ultimately quite successful, there’s a bit of a rivalry there between those two weapons as well.
**Footnote: During the original playtest, during the four-way fight in the Marshalling Dome, Gahn was the one weapon with the sense to focus in on eliminating the Kogoloxen. We had to be careful, because he proved to be really quite good at finding its flank. One solution is to have Larcos Dengrim (the ex-paladin) make use of his Shield Other spell to protect the Kogoloxen and keep it in the fight in the Marshalling Dome until the monster's job is done. This however, increases the chance that Larcos will sacrifice himself to end the war.
Smolderspike: +2 flaming longsword; AL NE; Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 10; Speech (Auran, Common and Ignan), 120 ft. vision and hearing; Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +7; Ego score 9.
Lesser Powers: pyrotechnics 1/day (smoke cloud version only), 10 ranks in Listen (total modifier 12).
Appearance: When drawn, thick trails of black smoke waft from this searing hot blade.
Personality: Quiet and sullen, Smolderspike treats his mission to slay all Cabanites with the utmost solemnity.
Strong transmutation; CL 10th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, fireball, pyrotechnics; Price 31,815 gp.
Oquon operative wielding Smolderspike:
Melee Smolderspike (intelligent magical longsword) +6 (1d8+7/19-20 plus 1d6 fire)*
*includes 1 point of Power Attack
*Footnote: Smolderspike was part of an Oquon team which, depending on events, might track the PCs to the Corroded Caves and attempt to ambush them after they try to leave with the Kogoloxen in their ironwood cage. If so, it becomes imperative that the PCs do not let Smolderspike get word of Larcos' plot to the other blades.
This one adventure got me thinking on how to turn it into a whole campaign, with the PCs starting out as dupes of the Oquon and slowly finding out the history of a bloody back-alley war with innumerable casualties on both sides. The ex-paladin would make a wonderful redeemed villain, who the PCs had a chance to save or execute, according to their own morality.
I loved reading that. The original genesis of the adventure was from an old campaign with a similar theme that I never got the chance to run. If such a game takes place, please let me know how it works out.
-MiKe
Wasn't there an adventure a while back with an intelligent animated rope as a minor villain? That one cracked me up. He was utterly ruthless, a base, irredemable creature- but he was a ROPE whose main goal was to find ways to increase his length and therefore power. It makes me chortle, even now.
I am going to tie this adventure into my Waterdeep series. I know my players will be beside themselves with all the magic swords for them to use until....I tell them they have to destroy them. I might actually get some dice or books thrown my way. Thank you Michael for this great adventure and the extra info. I did think the Oquon were a little under staffed in the weapon department.
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This one adventure got me thinking on how to turn it into a whole campaign, with the PCs starting out as dupes of the Oquon and slowly finding out the history of a bloody back-alley war with innumerable casualties on both sides. The ex-paladin would make a wonderful redeemed villain, who the PCs had a chance to save or execute, according to their own morality.I loved reading that. The original genesis of the adventure was from an old campaign with a similar theme that I never got the chance to run. If such a game takes place, please let me know how it works out.
-MiKe
Thanks for the extra material Mike. Its nice to see some rivalries between individual weapons. I can imagine there being plenty of invective if a PC wielding Gahn came up against a Cabanite with Lady Akanara, or when Augrin finally gets to sunder Valora :)
I'm taking a break from DMing at the moment (having a tendriculos chow down on two PCs in two rounds, and turning a third one to the dark side a week earlier, will do that...), so maybe I'll have a think in more detail about running "War of the Wielded" as a mini-campaign for when I get back into it. I'd probably start off at 1st or 2nd level and introduce the PCs to a deliberately "weak" Oqoun weapon who could try and recruit them. Maybe start off with the Oqoun scattered and trying to reorganise against a new Cabanite offensive! Having the PCs meet wielders of other Oqoun weapons would be a good chance to show them in action without every level 3 PC having 4 different intelligent items :)
Hmmmm, I quite fancy running with the Highlander duel theme for a bit. A bunch of mysterious corpses turning up. Rumours of illegal duels, with illegal betting taking place on the side, going on around the Sasserine Arena. A noble's house being broken into and nothing but a pair of antique, and presumably worthless, weapons being sold. Then the PCs getting dragged in, either by getting caught up in the duels or investigating the robberies. Before they know it, Cabanite soldiers are attacking them wherever they go and the talking swords, which used to be so handy, are trying to dominate them.
And somewhere in all that, Larcos pops up to warn them that the nice new toy they've got, which so far hasn't uttered a word, is "not just a toothpick, you know"...Perhaps he could play "puppet master" for a while, by recruiting the PCs to look into a few different incidents, whilst trying to prevent the swords from finding out that he's back in the city. Do you have any thoughts?
Ukos
Can someone be good enough to give me a brief summary of the various weapons involved in War of the Wielded? Not their motivations etc, just what they are? My #149 hasn't arrived yet, but tonight's session will probably be my last chance to plant one with the PCs before I start running the module.
FWIW, we're playing Savage Tide, and the group will be at Kraken's Cove next session. I was going to replace Kigante's rapier with a suitable weapon from WotW to kickstart things, if, as i understand it, the module begins when the PCs obtain one of the weapons. PCs are a cleric (wields morningstar), samurai (his ancestral katana), scout (bow and spear), wizard (staff), and dragon shaman (ancestral dwarven waraxe).
Cheers
Wasn't there an adventure a while back with an intelligent animated rope as a minor villain? That one cracked me up. He was utterly ruthless, a base, irredemable creature- but he was a ROPE whose main goal was to find ways to increase his length and therefore power. It makes me chortle, even now.
Freehold,
I think you might be referring to Sosias, an intelligent rope of climbing and entanglement from “Home Under the Range” in Dungeon issue #134. I’m glad people remember him!
Hmmmm, I quite fancy running with the Highlander duel theme for a bit. A bunch of mysterious corpses turning up. Rumours of illegal duels, with illegal betting taking place on the side, going on around the Sasserine Arena. A noble's house being broken into and nothing but a pair of antique, and presumably worthless, weapons being sold. Then the PCs getting dragged in, either by getting caught up in the duels or investigating the robberies. Before they know it, Cabanite soldiers are attacking them wherever they go and the talking swords, which used to be so handy, are trying to dominate them.
And somewhere in all that, Larcos pops up to warn them that the nice new toy they've got, which so far hasn't uttered a word, is "not just a toothpick, you know"...Perhaps he could play "puppet master" for a while, by recruiting the PCs to look into a few different incidents, whilst trying to prevent the swords from finding out that he's back in the city. Do you have any thoughts?
Yes, an investigation of stolen antique weapons is a really solid hook. While the PCs might be suspicious, only later will they be able to properly connect it to the rash of dueling throughout the city. (Wish I’d thought of it . . .)
I am going to tie this adventure into my Waterdeep series. I know my players will be beside themselves with all the magic swords for them to use until....I tell them they have to destroy them. I might actually get some dice or books thrown my way. Thank you Michael for this great adventure and the extra info. I did think the Oquon were a little under staffed in the weapon department.
Thanks David! Best wishes with the Waterdeep series!
I’m not surprised some material couldn't make the final cut, there’s so much good stuff that has to get packed into Dungeon before its final days. I was just happy they were able to find room for the adventure at all.
-MiKe
Hi Michael, was Sosias a homage to Piers Anthony's Sos the Rope by any chance? It's a book that's been languishing unread on my bookshelves for many a year.
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Hmmmm, I quite fancy running with the Highlander duel theme for a bit. A bunch of mysterious corpses turning up. Rumours of illegal duels, with illegal betting taking place on the side, going on around the Sasserine Arena. A noble's house being broken into and nothing but a pair of antique, and presumably worthless, weapons being sold. Then the PCs getting dragged in, either by getting caught up in the duels or investigating the robberies. Before they know it, Cabanite soldiers are attacking them wherever they go and the talking swords, which used to be so handy, are trying to dominate them.
And somewhere in all that, Larcos pops up to warn them that the nice new toy they've got, which so far hasn't uttered a word, is "not just a toothpick, you know"...Perhaps he could play "puppet master" for a while, by recruiting the PCs to look into a few different incidents, whilst trying to prevent the swords from finding out that he's back in the city. Do you have any thoughts?Yes, an investigation of stolen antique weapons is a really solid hook. While the PCs might be suspicious, only later will they be able to properly connect it to the rash of dueling throughout the city. (Wish I’d thought of it . . .)
At the moment, I'm looking at tying There Is No Honour in with War of the Wielded. Lavinia gives any heroic PCs a maiden in distress to rescue, and Vanthus is suitably villanous to actually attempt to use the Cabanites for his own end. I'll start off exactly as TIHN, with Lavinia recruiting the PCs to help her out. Meanwhile, Rowyn Kellani has got tied up with the Cabanites, via a Wielded stolen from her mother, and the Lotus Dragons are being used by the Cabanites to fund their resurgent war. They're also using the thieves to "liberate" other Cabanites, and Rowyn has delberately recruited Vanthus because his family are in possession of one of the Wielded. I think that having him break into his own home, terrorise his sister, and then take a worthless antique sword should help cement him as an originally petty villain, who quickly becomes something more. The Oquon would make a "gift" of Sabrehawk to the PCs to aid with their assault of the Lotus Dragon hide outs.
At some point in all of this, I need to fit in the investigation of stolen weapons and rampant illegal dueling. I'm gonna re-read some of Nik Logue's Eberron adventures, as they seem to deal with investigative adventures quite well and this is well beyond my DMing experience.
Having re-read Home On the Range over the weeked, I'd like to tie that in to. I was thinking about having the lost urgrosh be the dwarven mage-smith who helped make the Wielded and Sosias be a polymorphed Cabanite blade. The PCs would be sent to the dwarves to either find out more of the history of the war, or on a Oquon mission to recover Triage. This part might go more smoothly if by this point Lavinia has picked up another sword in the house that turns out to be an Oquon. The final showdown would have Vanthus turning up to make a personal enemy out of the PCs by leading the tieflings against them. I might be better off restricting the campaign more to Sasserine, though, and having an Oquon-obsessed Lavinia directing the PCs in some progressively more morally-dubious tasks.
I quite like the idea of the campaign's final showdown being Vanthus duel-wielding a pair of Cabanites with Sosias wound around his torso!
Ukos
War of the Wielded was a great adventure. The whole thing was just really creative: rom intelligent magic items driving the plot, a good but downfallen paladin, capturing a monster, and a fight in a spa. Nice job, Mike.
There was also a Dungeon issue which included an intelligent magic mirror that created clones of people.
Got to love item NPC's: Ever since I discovered the intelligent floating lanterns in Dungeonscape, I've been working on incorporating one as the main villain. ;)
I also took a little liberty with the weapon alignments, and made the Oquon more Neutral with good intentions, and the Cabanites Evil with Neutral leanings. One of my PC's is currently trying to convince Sabrehawk to sacrifice his brethren to the Rust Monster to end the war, so he can keep the blade post adventure. :)
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There was also a Dungeon issue which included an intelligent magic mirror that created clones of people.
Ah, Glimmerpane! He'll be a recurring master villain in my Eberron campaign, once the PCs get around to going to Xen'drik.
Truly an awesomely unique master villain! My intelligent Hand of the Mage (which retained some of it's former "owner"'s powers) pales in comparison.
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Ok, this may not completely match your request, but 1st edition modules were ripe with intelligent weapons. The lost caverns of Tsojcanth had one of the best I'd ever seen. The final chamber was the home of an 8th level vampiric fighter named Drelzna (coincidentally Igwwilv's daughter & Iuz 1/2 sister). Drelzna' sword doesn't translate to 3.5 perfectly, but here are its original 1st edition stats:
Bastard Sword +4 (intelligence 17, ego 20, Alignment CE)
Special Purpose: Slay LG Clerics
Special Power: Paralysis (hold person?)
detect good, magic, and invisibilty at will.
Fly 3/ day (as spell)
Telepathy, read magic and read languages (as spell)
Speaks common, Hill Giant, Minotaur & Chaotic Evil (back when there were these silly alignment languages)
I updated the sword to 3.0 and in an evil campaign, it completely dominated one of our 1/2 orc henchmen (a female Fighter 5/Rouge 5). Since the main characters couldn't use it and were afraid I would have a rival buy the sword if they sold it(i would), they gave it to her.
After easily dominating her (she had no chance in an ego struggle), she ran off under the sword's control. Months later they heard stories about the charismatic new orc prophetess calling herself One-Eye's Handmaiden. (a sort of Joan-of-Orc) The genius level intellect in the blade with centuries of experience provided her with access to strategies far beyon typical orc fare. Also the ability to fly and speak telepathically enabled her to cow many superstitous orcs. The sword took a ho-hum henchman and turned her into a real power to be reckoned with. She eventually raised a large orc horde that wrecked havoc in the area of the PC's interests.
I'll try to post again later with the official 3.5 translation of this item and also an original item that is my personal favorite - an intelligent Rod of Wonder I developed.
The 'Ling
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sorry for the double post. Here's the rod as mentioned above:
Lavendar the Magnificent (Rod of Wonder - value: 46,100gp)
Int: 17, Wis: 10, Chr: 17, Ego:12 , Alignment: CN
Speaks and reads: Common, Draconic, Dwvarvish, and Giantish. Also can communicate through telepathy.
Powers: Detect Magic at will, Spellcraft 10 ranks, Locate Object 3/day, and Minor Globe of Invulnerability 1/day
Personality: Lavendar is an egotistical, greedy rod with a taste for the finer things in life. If you have ever read the Harry Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, think Bob. Lavendar often triggers his powers in pursuit of treasure, using them to find hidden items in the party's vicinity. Lavendar will then telepathically inform his owner of the opportunity to seize the item before the party knows of it. If his owner is weak willed, refusal to follow his requests can result in an ego battle. Lavendar claims to be a highly acomplished arcane parctitioner, but the random nature of the rod's effects show the innacuracy of these claims.
Finally, if Lavendar wins an ego battle with his owner, he will rarely dominate them. Rather, Lavendar will withhold his function until certain demands are met. His demands can vary wildly, but often involve him being provided ostentatious accessories. (think gold bangles or chimes attached to the rod.) In short, Lavendar is a useful, but extrodinarily annoying item.
Well, there it is. I drove my party nuts with this item. For every time that its capabilities helped the party, it hindered or annoyed them on another occasion.
Hi Michael, was Sosias a homage to Piers Anthony's Sos the Rope by any chance? It's a book that's been languishing unread on my bookshelves for many a year.
Miph-not-melf,
Coincident I think. I hadn’t heard of it, but I just googled it and I think I’ll have to read it now!
There was also a Dungeon issue which included an intelligent magic mirror that created clones of people.
That’s gotta be the mage-hating mirror Glimmerpane, Hal’s awesome Critical Threat article in Dungeon #127. I’m with the Mad Arab on this, I loved it’s subtle, gradual take-over agenda.
-MiKe
P.S. Thanks DMFTodd! Hopefully “War of the Wielded” can find a home in your awesome index.
ny Idea's on how you will get the party to destroy all weapons?
I think if I run this game my party will try to keep as many weapons as they can, giving them an enourmous treasure....
Any idea's on this?
I also wanna include this adventure in the Savage Tide, So I think I will try to get on eitem in the hands of the Party...
I’ll take a shot at that. . .
The temptation to keep at least a few weapons will be great, and admittedly the consequence of an imbalanced game can be damaging. This is particularly so where some party members have souped-up magic weapons and become more powerful than their wealth-by-level guideline while other PCs do not have that advantage.
There are a couple of major reasons though, why keeping the weapons is a seriously bad idea:
1. The weapons can (almost) dominate a PC and force their actions (DMG p. 271). Players hate this. Sooner or later they will fail a saving throw and be looking for a vat of acid to toss the weapon.
2. Some of those weapons just don’t shut-up (particularly Hoardcutter or Princessa Cathandra, the Unseen Edge). If the PCs don’t conform to their agenda, ultimately there will be words. Few players willing take abuse when they have alternatives.
3. If the weapons are not in control and their agenda is not being advanced, they simply withhold their powers.
The counterpoint to the above is that inexperienced players may not appreciate this at the key point in the adventure where there is an opportunity to destroy all the weapons with the Kogoloxen. The DM might consider imparting some of these either through Larcos Dengrim, or by demonstrating how fickle some of these weapons can be early on. If all else fails, it’s a fun lesson to teach a player as they clean-up their mistake.
-MiKe
[P.S. Total Tangent to sorta return to the original thread topic:] I once ran a short-lived sub-plot where the PC was desperately trying to get rid of a psychotic magical blade which claimed to be in love with him. It was like a loadstone though, it kept popping back up on his person. Yikes!
