So I wanted the items at the end of the Brinewall legacy to have a bit of a zing, a resonance with the characters and I think I've come up with something relatively workable.
The items are regular magic tools (a belt of strength for the monk, a keen scimitar for the paladin, a magical suit of O-Yoroi armor for the Samurai e.t.c.) but the kami that resides within each item is willing to take sacrifices!
Basically what this means is that the items can be upgraded as if by crafting by "sacrificing" an appropriate amount of gold (half the purchase price) to the kami.
None of the characters are crafters, so this makes each item really special I think, something that will grow as quickly as they do.
Opinions?
prototype00
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theres been a few ideas on this section regarding "upgradable" magic items for the party, this is the first with the Kami in it though, interesting idea. you might want to come up with a different hook though, I always pictured the Kami as not interested in material wealth...maybe a donation to charity :) good deeds to travelers along the path of the agaheni, freeing slaves at asvig's farm, support of the temples/shrines at kalsgard, restoring the desnan burial grounds in the yeti caves, clearing the gardens at the house of withered blossoms (this forum has a thread with many garden encounters that were dropped from the book)
While roleplay rewards are good and all, I wanted to keep the decision to upgrade (and what to upgrade to) within the hands of the characters (as it would be with regular magic items).
Besides, in every Shinto temple, there is a massive donation box at the front, so the Kami are not necessarily uninterested in sacrifice. The money is secondary, in this case I think, more the intent (and action) to grow the abilities of the Kami imbued in the item. Faith and works if you will.
prototype00
I really like the idea of a Kami in the items. Instead of sacrificing gold, perhaps the PCs need to sacrifice Xgp worth of some items the Kami are interested in. That way the PCs must spend the gold, but the Kami get something more interesting than just gold. You could even make an encounter or side quest out of getting the appropriate items.
I really like the idea of a Kami in the items. Instead of sacrificing gold, perhaps the PCs need to sacrifice Xgp worth of some items the Kami are interested in. That way the PCs must spend the gold, but the Kami get something more interesting than just gold. You could even make an encounter or side quest out of getting the appropriate items.
Ooh, I like that idea. So the items are going to be the following (The Kami are basically going to be Tukumogami, the spirit of the item in question, so I wonder what they are going to like?)
By the way, if you are playing in my pathfinder game, (that means you, Norrin, Sahan and Shinji) shoo!
A Scimitar +1 Keen (I basically traded out the +1 returning starknife for this) that has the Tien Symbol of Truth on it. This one for the paladin of Seranrae
- I figure this one wants holy writ or relics, or a particularly elaborate blessing of some description.
A Diadem of Alluring Charisma +2 set with blue sapphires. This one is for the Summoner. (Who is obsessed with the colour blue for some reason)
- Blue gems, blue gems and more blue gems.
An O-Yoroi +2 with the Kaijutsu clan crest on it. This one is for the Samurai retainer of Ameiko
- Hmmm, not really sure of this one.
A scaled Belt of Giant Strength+2 for the vicious/survival of the fittest Monk/Saurian Shaman Druid.
- Probably the remains of dangerous prey, to prove the supremacy of the might of the Saurian Shaman.
But what do you think?
prototype00
They're not bad, but eventually, they'll become redundant items at higher levels.
I like the idea of having kamis dwell within them, and it's not too different that what my items had. They were all low level items, but all got boosts with back story elements once they hit the ancestral land of Minkai.
What I gave:
- Headband of +5 Perception for the rogue (should've made it +2) that covers the eyes and has one kanji character representing a creature of the Tien zodiac. Eventually shown to be from a set of 12 zodiac headbands for servants of Abadar (split over Tian-Xia) whose job is to encourage the prosperity of their respective country/area. Also grants "favored terrain: Minkai" as a ranger of equivalent level, and "sees" kamis when nearby and can speak with them.
- Kimono +2, glammered. A set of clothes that can look like anything else and usable by monks or wizards/sorcerers since they are regular clothes. Once in Minkai, revealed to belong to a bodyguard and grants a dervish dancer's battle dances (performance equal as bard of half level, or normal if bard).
- Original and translated copy of the Tayagama (epic poems against the oni). Bard's gift, and each time he uses his performance to inspire his allies, onis receive and equal penalty. Recently discovered that the original copy had bardic masterpieces in it (spell like abilities in exchange for performance rounds). Samples: Tayago's Matchless Katana = Mass Keen Weapon; Fan of Masquerade = Mass Alter Self; Floating Stones = Mass Water Walk; Besemon Approaches = Song of discord 60' radius; Ruko's Storm = Tsunami spell.
- Non-magical : samurai code and training manual for katana (fighters) = free katana weapon proficiency or weapon focus if already learned and the basis to train in the samurai class (no asian flavored PCs back then)
Until the druid character left the group I also had a jade egg with pictures of Tian-Xia animals that duplicated Augment Summoning.
They're not bad, but eventually, they'll become redundant items at higher levels.
Here I disagree, the items I have chosen are all core-proficiency items for the classes in question (weapons/armor/statboosting), and they can make the items better as if by craft magic arms armor/ wondrous items by themselves.
Why do you see them being redundant? If they find another weapon, they can sell it and use it to boost this current one, at half the price! Who wouldn't do that?
I like the idea of having kamis dwell within them, and it's not too different that what my items had. They were all low level items, but all got boosts with back story elements once they hit the ancestral land of Minkai.
What I gave:
- Headband of +5 Perception for the rogue (should've made it +2) that covers the eyes and has one kanji character representing a creature of the Tien zodiac. Eventually shown to be from a set of 12 zodiac headbands for servants of Abadar (split over Tian-Xia) whose job is to encourage the prosperity of their respective country/area. Also grants "favored terrain: Minkai" as a ranger of equivalent level, and "sees" kamis when nearby and can speak with them.- Kimono +2, glammered. A set of clothes that can look like anything else and usable by monks or wizards/sorcerers since they are regular clothes. Once in Minkai, revealed to belong to a bodyguard and grants a dervish dancer's battle dances (performance equal as bard of half level, or normal if bard).
- Original and translated copy of the Tayagama (epic poems against the oni). Bard's gift, and each time he uses his performance to inspire his allies, onis receive and equal penalty. Recently discovered that the original copy had bardic masterpieces in it (spell like abilities in exchange for performance rounds). Samples: Tayago's Matchless Katana = Mass Keen Weapon; Fan of Masquerade = Mass Alter Self; Floating Stones = Mass Water Walk; Besemon Approaches = Song of discord 60' radius; Ruko's Storm = Tsunami spell.
- Non-magical : samurai code and training manual for katana (fighters) = free katana weapon proficiency or weapon focus if already learned and the basis to train in the samurai class (no asian flavored PCs back then)
Until the druid character left the group I also had a jade egg with pictures of Tian-Xia animals that duplicated Augment Summoning.
I like the ideas, but giving class abilities seems off to me somehow.
prototype00