Seems to me that this weapon is just crying out to be an artifact. I love the new 4E artifact rules and this is the chance to stick one into my campaign.
The PCs found Alakast in last night's session but at the moment all it is being for them is a +2 weapon with the property of converting to being whatever type of weapon is most favourable to the wielder. Hence for Spellmason it was a staff, whereas for the rogue in my party who currently carries it, it's appearing as a rapier.
I'm thinking that as soon as the rogue hits a demon with it, it will become a demonslaying weapon (see Manual of the Planes). There is also the Demonbane properties to consider here. Also Chaow Weave from the Adventurers Vault will be useful.
So, I'm going to build this artifact this week and I'll post my final version here. Meanwhile do any of you 4E people out there have any comments on this and what I might want to add in?
Cheers
Blakey
Here's my first stab at Alakast as an artifact:-
What the Players Know at the Start
ALAKAST
Heroic Level Artifact.
Forged from the quintessence of the Elemental Chaos, Alakast was created to be an anathema to demons. It glimmers with white flecks of energy from the Astral Sea and is inscribed with holy prayers and runes. This powerful weapon is the bane of all demonkind.
Weapon: Staff (see Property below).
Property: Alakast will instantly take the shape of whichever weapon is most beneficial to the wielder. It is that weapon for all intents and purposes.
Enhancement: +2 attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +2d8 damage, or +2d10 damage against demons.
Property: You gain resist 2 to damage dealt by demons.
Power (At-Will): Free Action. Use this power when you hit a creature that has the demon keyword with this weapon. The demon does not benefit from variable resistance until the start of your next turn.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you attack a demon with this weapon. Gain a +5 power bonus to the attack roll and ignore any resist value the demon has.
(Note that due to being an artifact Alakast's Daily power does not count towards the normal limit of item dailies you are allowed to use each day).
As soon as you wield Alakast you become aware of a seething hatred towards demons and escpecially towards those demons of the Demonskar. You are aware of an intense desire to destroy them all, and can sense an overwhelming desire for the destruction of Nabthatoron, the Lord of the Demonskar.
You are instantly aware that helping Alakast with this goal will cause it to grant you even more power against the demons of the Demonskar, but failing to do so will result in its disapproval and the removal of power that it grants you.
DM's Info
Goals of Alakast
Concordance
Currently: 5 (normal)
Score Attitude
16-20 Pleased
12-15 Satisfied
5-11 Normal
1-4 Unsatisfied
0 Angered
Concordance modifier
Owner gains a level ----------- +1d10
Owner kills a demon ----------- +1
Owner kills a demon in the Demonskar ------------ +2
Owner kills Nabthatoron ------------- Move on.
Owner knocked out by a demon ------------ -1
Owner knocked out in the Demonskar --------------- -2
Owner knocked out by Nabthatoron -------------- -3
Every month the wielder does not kill a demon ------------ -1
Concordance Changes to Alakast
PLEASED (16-20)
The weapon's enhancement bonus rises to +4. Critical damage is likewise incrased to 4 dice.
You gain resist 5 to damage dealt by demons.
SATISFIED (12-15)
The weapon's enhancement bonus rises to +3. Critical damage is likewise increased to 3 dice.
You gain resist 3 to damage dealt by demons.
NORMAL (5-11)
Alakast encourages you to seek out and fight demons, especially those from the Demonskar.
UNSATISFIED (1-4)
Lose the daily power of Alakast.
ANGERED (0)
Lose the daily power of Alakast.
Lose the At-Will power of Alakast.
The artifacts enhancement bonus drops to +1.
Special: You are -5 to hit and damage against all demons.
Any comments?
Blakey
Well, for those that care, this seemed to work well last night. They killed tonnes of demons and Alakast's position shifted to "Satisifed" and thus he became a +3 weapon with associated goodness.
I'm thinking that when he becomes a +4 fully fledged weapon I'm going to have to add something Nabthatoron-specific because even at 12th level, which the party should be when they go back to the Demonskar again and when I'm planning on having Nab confront them, he'll still squish them.
So, the question is, what power can I give Alakast when he's pleased which will make him able to bring Nab down to the party's level?
Any suggestions? I'm thinking the main issue is that a glabrezu demon as written in 4E is a 23rd level monster and that the party, being about 12th level will simply struggle with his LEVEL difference. His defenses and attacks will be too high. I don't want Alakast to boost the wielder as no one else will have this weapon so it follows that he's going to have to reduce Nab's power somehow.
This is what I'm thinking:
Daily Power (Standard Action): Range 10.
If the target is Nabthatoron it takes the following penalty till the end of the encounter:
-10 to all attacks.
-10 to all defenses.
This effectively gives him -10 levels bringing him to 13th level elite, but doesn't adjust his damage so he's still going to hit like a truck. I'm hoping this should balance the fight with him nicely and if he's struggling a bit he can always summon some demons into help him out.
Thoughts?