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Okay so In Savah's Armory the book makes a point of saying the only magic weapon Savah has is a repeating crossbow with the name Vansaya in elven on it. When my players started getting magic items the party sorcerer decided he wanted it, and has taken both the EWP and is taking ranged feats to benefit himself. To reward this excellent roleplaying I have turned Vansaya into a Legacy Weapon. I'm posting it here for review. Be warned, it's long, I wrote it just like a legacy weapon entry
Spoilered for length
Vansaya is a rather non-descript +1 repeating crossbow. The only distinguishing feature it has is the name Vansaya inscribed on the haft of the crossbow in elven.
Non-legacy Game Statistics: +1 heavy repeating crossbow; cost 2,700gp
Omen: whenever a bolt is fired in combat a pattern of twinkling stars remains behind the bolts path for a few seconds before fading.
History
Vansaya is the name of an Elven wizard famed for her groundbreaking research. It was Vansaya who first discovered the process by which spell energy is bound to items. Many legends also paint her as a fierce warrior, one who combined spell and weapon to deadly effect. (DC 15)
Vansaya had no desire to be a warrior, an enigmatic researcher renowned for her brilliance, her refusal to work with others combined with her selective nature with who she shared her discoveries made her enemies her oblivious nature blinded her to. One day while working in her laboratory a flask slipped between her fingers and landed on the table without a sound. This fortuitous circumstance was the only warning she had that her normally quiet research lab had been magically silenced. It was enough for her brilliant mind however and acting on instinct she rushed towards the only weapon in her lab just as a group of men burst through her door. The weapon was a crossbow given to her by her father, a fine military leader who believed magic wasn’t everything an who was more aware of the intrigues caused by his daughters research than she was. Using the crossbow Vansaya was able to fend off her would be attackers, however it turned out that there was more to the assault than was immediately apparent, as she left her lab to return to her home she quickly discovered that the attackers had also been to her home and that her mate had been kidnapped. (DC18, trial by combat)
Turning her brilliant mind from the realm of research to that of investigation, Vansaya was quickly able to piece together minor clues that would have left others stymied and was able to track down the culprits of her mates kidnapping much faster than anyone would have expected or had time to prepare for, and using her spells to conceal her approach she was able to assault the headquarters of the thieves guild responsible, her sudden assault combined with her potent magical ability channeled through her crossbow overwhelmed the unprepared defenses and she soon stood with the only surviving thief. A normally sturdy man and one who thought he could handle any interrogation he soon learned that his will was not strong enough to resist the horrors conjured in his mind by her magics and his mind pushed almost to the breaking point he sobbingly confessed the names of those who kidnapped Vansaya’s mate, the very mage guild that funded her research it seemed now held her lover. (DC 25, the interrogation)
It seemed the guild impatient with waiting for her to reveal her research piece by piece, sometimes refusing to divulge anything about her discoveries for fear of the danger to society she felt they represented, had taken it upon themselves to eliminate her and give her notes to other researchers to complete, mages more amicable to revealing their discoveries. Failing that, they assumed that kidnapping her mate would give them leverage to force her to work at their command. Vansaya though knowing who held her love took to them a battle none of them expected. While they had magic equal to hers what they lacked was her martial prowess, now honed through anger and forged in violence her crossbow cut down mages where her spells broke against their wards, and soon she stood victorious her mate freed and the former guild leaders dead. Those who remained were cowed by her abilities and quickly named her the new head of the guild. Hoping to spare the world a powerful mage guild as corrupt and greedy as the one now passed, she accepted. Her new responsibilities ended her days as a research wizard however as she never found the time to delve more into the fabric of reality, and as she neared her twilight, she disappeared with her mate, many say she left to finish the research she left behind hundreds of years before, but no record exists to say what became of her. (DC 31, justice to betrayal)
Legacy Rituals
Three rituals are required to unlock all of the abilities of Vansaya.
Trial by Combat: You must defeat an opponent whose CR is equal to or greater than your level without casting a single spell, having no spell effects running, and benefiting from no magic items other than Vansaya. Cost: 1,800gp. Feat granted: Least Legacy (Vansaya)
The Interrogation: You must derive important information from an unwilling source. The target must have a good will save progression and at least 8 ranks in sense motive. You then must make them first fail a will save against a spell, then succeed in an intimidate check opposed by their sense motive. Cost: 9,500gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Vansaya)
Justice to Betrayal: You must defeat a foe (or group of foes) who has wronged you on a personal level. This foe (or group of foes) must be of a CR two greater than your level. Cost: 25,000gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Vansaya)
Wielder Requirements
Sorcerers and Wizards are the most likely to benefit from Vansaya although bards and other partial arcane casters can also benefit from the weapons properties they are unable to unlock the full potential of the weapon.
Vansaya’s Wielder Requirements
Able to cast arcane spells
Spellcraft 5 ranks
Wielder HP Will save Spell Slot
Level/ Loss/ Penalty/ Lost/ Abilities
5th/ -/ -/ -/ Spell Storing
6th/ -/ -/ 1st/ Spell Property: Magic Missile
7th/ -/ -1/ -/ -
8th/ -/ -/ 2nd/ Spell Property: Reduce Person
9th/ 2/ -/ -/ -
10th/ -/ -/ 3rd/ Spell Property: Acid Arrow
11th/ -/ -2/ -/ Dual Spell Storing
12th/ -/ -/ 4th/ Spell Property: Ghoul Touch
13th/ 2/ -/ -/ -
14th/ -/ -/ 5th/ Spell Property: Dispel Magic
15th/ -/ -3/ -/ -
16th/ -/ -/ 6th/ Dual Spell Property
17th/ 2/ -/ -/ Spell Property: Suggestion
18th/ -/ -/ 7th/ -
19th/ 2/ -/ -/ Empowered Spell Storing
20th/ -/ -/ 8th/ Spell Storing: Phantasmal Killer
Legacy Item Abilities
All of the following are legacy Item abilities of Vansaya.
Spell Property (Su): When a spell with which you have a spell property is stored in this weapon, bolts fired from it will gain abilities similar in nature to the spell stored. If you release the stored spell, the bolt fired will still benefit from the properties, however any saves made vs. the spell will be in addition to and separate from the save vs. the spell property. Once released, no further bolts will benefit from a spell property until a new spell is stored. A spell providing a spell property is expended after being stored for 24 hours and a new spell must be cast into the now empty store to benefit from any properties. You may only benefit from one spell property at a time even if you are able to store multiple spells, if you are already benefiting from a spell property and you wish to benefit from a new spell property the spell providing the current property must be released before the new spell will provide it’s property.
Magic Missile: while Magic Missile is stored bolts strike against touch AC and half the damage dealt is force damage.
Reduce Person: While Reduce Person is stored creatures struck get a will save as if the spell had been cast with the DC increased by 1 for each point of damage dealt. If the target fails the save all weapon damage opponent deals for 1 minute is treated as 1 size category smaller.
Acid Arrow: A creature struck while Acid Arrow is stored takes an additional 2d4 acid damage during their following turn. This damage interrupts any actions the opponent is performing although it does not prevent the action it may require penalties or checks dependant on the action.
Ghoul Touch: A creature struck while Ghoul Touch is stored gets a save as if the spell had been cast. If the target fails this save it is paralyzed until the end of your turn and dazed until the beginning of your next turn.
Dispel Magic: A creature struck while Dispel Magic is stored gets a will save DC= 10+ relevant caster stat at time of storage+3. If failed the highest level magical effect on the target is suppressed for 3 rounds. If the highest level magical effect is already suppressed for whatever reason, this spell has no effect.
Suggestion: When storing this spell give a one word command (i.e. run, drop, defend, sleep, etc.). While this spell is stored creatures struck get a save as if the spell had been cast. If the target fails the save they will interpret the command and obey to the best of their ability so long as the command does not put them in mortal danger. For example a creature struck while drop is the command might drop its current weapon to draw another, might drop to it’s knees for boosted defense against ranged attacks, or may drop its shield to fight two handed, but it won’t drop everything held if it leaves them defenseless. Creatures without intelligence or otherwise unable to understand the command (such as constructs or animals) are unaffected by this ability.
Phantasmal Killer: A creature struck while Phantasmal Killer is stored must make a will save as if the spell had been cast. If failed the subject takes 2d6 damage and spends the round cowering and defending itself (total defense)from the horror only it can see.
Dual Spell Storing (Su): You may store two spells in this weapon at the same time. When you strike a creature you may choose to release one or both spells as a free action.
Empowered Spell Storing (Su): 3/day you may store a 4th level spell in Vansaya.
Dual Spell Property (Su): You may benefit from two spell properties at the same time if both spells stored are ones that provide spell properties.
Please feel free to comment on balance at given levels, whether it's worth the associated costs etc. While I didn't follow the building rules to the letter, I think I've struck a pretty decent balance, oppinions and comments positive and negative encouraged and welcome.
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thanks for responding, I'm not necessarily looking for anything to change unless it's to replace an ability that's either gonna be too strong or two weak, even then I'd prefer recomendations to be within a similar vein as to the ability replaced.
some unrelated notes. I used one spell from each school of magic except divination, my figuring was that it mimiced the thoughts on magic during her time (as far as I can recal during the time of the runelords divination wasn't a pursued field) also adjusting a divination to weaponization isn't that easy. I'd like to keep that theme, so if anyone thinks a certain spell power is bad suggestions for a replacement power from the same school would be greatly appreciated.
Design by Comittee powers activate!
and sorry about the crappy formating for the table.
The ability to make touch attacks when Magic Missile is stored seems a bit too good to me, especially since it comes so early.
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The ability to make touch attacks when Magic Missile is stored seems a bit too good to me, especially since it comes so early.
Sixth level to deal 1d10+1 is too much? I know it'll hit consistently, but it doesn't scale and there's no way to improve the damage, at least not before tenth level, not to mention that if he doesn't take the precise shot feat (which requires point blank shot) he'll be at -4 firing into melee. and it still costs him a spell per day or more if he wants actually use the spell storing property to full effect. Not saying it's not yet, but I mean, compare to a sixth level warlock, aren't they dealing 2d6 to 3d6 damage as a touch attack at that level for free?
The ability to make touch attacks when Magic Missile is stored seems a bit too good to me, especially since it comes so early.Sixth level to deal 1d10+1 is too much? I know it'll hit consistently, but it doesn't scale and there's no way to improve the damage, not to mention that if he doesn't take the precise shot feat (which requires point blank shot) he'll be at -4 firing into melee. and it still costs him a spell per day or more if he wants actually use the spell storing property to full effect.
It may not be good for your player's character in particular, but in the hands of a specialist using Deadly Aim (potentially from very far away, since it's so easy to hit) it seems pretty good.
EDIT: Scratch that -- Deadly Aim specifically doesn't work with touch attacks.
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I learned that the spell slot loss isn't cumulative like I thought it was, so I think I may need to add a caster level penalty.
Or do you guys think 8hp and a -3 to will and an 8th level spell is enough of a penalty for a weapon that stores two spells granting properties one of which can be a level higher than a spell storing weapon normally allows?
Okay so In Savah's Armory the book makes a point of saying the only magic weapon Savah has is a repeating crossbow with the name Vansaya in elven on it. When my players started getting magic items the party sorcerer decided he wanted it, and has taken both the EWP and is taking ranged feats to benefit himself. To reward this excellent roleplaying I have turned Vansaya into a Legacy Weapon. I'm posting it here for review. Be warned, it's long, I wrote it just like a legacy weapon entry
Spoilered for length** spoiler omitted **...
Where are the rules for Legacy weapons located? I like the looks of this but I need more context to completely understand it.
Thanks!
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Okay so In Savah's Armory the book makes a point of saying the only magic weapon Savah has is a repeating crossbow with the name Vansaya in elven on it. When my players started getting magic items the party sorcerer decided he wanted it, and has taken both the EWP and is taking ranged feats to benefit himself. To reward this excellent roleplaying I have turned Vansaya into a Legacy Weapon. I'm posting it here for review. Be warned, it's long, I wrote it just like a legacy weapon entry
Spoilered for length** spoiler omitted **...
Where are the rules for Legacy weapons located? I like the looks of this but I need more context to completely understand it.
Thanks!
In the book weapons of legacy, it's a WotC 3.5 book that held the rules for creating magic items that gain strength as the player levels up. However, it got generally bad reviews because the largest section of the book, the actual legacy weapons that they wrote up are generally really poor and not worth the sacrifices you make (a really good example of terrible design is the Caput Mortuum which makes you give up a bunch of stuff then just gives you a weapon you could litterally buy). But if you ignore the sample weapons and use the rules to build custom weapons like the one I posted here, it's an awesome book (I got it in PDF form and printed it out sans that whole chapter lol)
In the book weapons of legacy, it's a WotC 3.5 book that held the rules for creating magic items that gain strength as the player levels up. However, it got generally bad reviews because the largest section of the book, the actual legacy weapons that they wrote up are generally really poor and not worth the sacrifices you make (a really good example of terrible design is the Caput Mortuum which makes you give up a bunch of stuff then just gives you a weapon you could litterally buy). But if you ignore the sample weapons and use the rules to build custom weapons like the one I posted here, it's an awesome book (I got it in PDF form and printed it out sans that whole chapter lol)
So according to the table you loose hp's, and spell slots, and have a will save penalty as you go up in levels, so that this weapon can work?
Are these affects cumulative? It's seems pretty harsh.
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In the book weapons of legacy, it's a WotC 3.5 book that held the rules for creating magic items that gain strength as the player levels up. However, it got generally bad reviews because the largest section of the book, the actual legacy weapons that they wrote up are generally really poor and not worth the sacrifices you make (a really good example of terrible design is the Caput Mortuum which makes you give up a bunch of stuff then just gives you a weapon you could litterally buy). But if you ignore the sample weapons and use the rules to build custom weapons like the one I posted here, it's an awesome book (I got it in PDF form and printed it out sans that whole chapter lol)So according to the table you loose hp's, and spell slots, and have a will save penalty as you go up in levels, so that this weapon can work?
Are these affects cumulative? It's seems pretty harsh.
Only the HP penalty is cumulative. The spell slot penalty and will save penalty represent the total, so at 20th level you have a -3 to will, -8 HP, and are short one 8th level spell slot. In return you have a spell storing weapon that can hold 2 4th level spells released as free actions if you hit one of which also imparts its property on every bolt fired until release, or a 4th level spell and a lower level spell both of which impart that ability, say combining magic missile with phantasmal killer so that you hit on a touch attack deal 1d10+1 damage (half force) and the creature has to make a save or take additional damage and cower for the round taking no actions on every single bolt you shoot. and then you could also release both spells on the enemy hit for added oomph, though you'd then have to re-cast spells into the weapon to get any properties. Granted it's not as powerful as a single 8th level spell, but to do it all day like a fighter, it's pretty useful kind of like the ultimate reserve feat.
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Yay, The player finally unlocked vansaya least legacy ritual. He is now level 7 and is super excited to start shooting up enemies with his now magic missle stored Vansaya.
Learn the party's harrowing tale here