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In a partially homebrew campaign with players who have never played a tabletop RPG, to make things more enjoyable, I am bringing their character ideas to Pathfinder. However, one player wanted to make a monster hunter from the game series, Monster Hunter. His weapon of choice would be a Charge Blade. I decided to make it a scaling magic weapon. This is the prototype. If you aren't familiar with the Charge Blade or Monster Hunter, your input is still very valuable.
Price 3,000
Slot none; CL 4th; Weight 15 lbs.
Aura strong transformation; Scaling wonder
This massive weapon looks like large shield that can sheath its sword but when drawn, can take on another form. When drawing a Charge Blade, it can take the form of a greataxe or as a longsword and heavy steel shield. While wielded, you can change the Charge Blade to its other form as a swift action. Taking a form is a mechanical function of the weapon and is not magical. You sheath the shield when sheathing the longsword at no additional time. When in greataxe form, due to its uneven weight and size, your speed is reduced as if you had medium encumbrance and cannot be wielded in one hand, regardless of abilities. Being a size bigger than the Charge Blade will still let you wield it in one hand.
2nd Level: All forms of the weapon are masterwork.
4th Level: The weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus to the shield and greataxe.
6th Level: When the longsword hits, the weapon gains one charge, regardless of damage. You can spend all of your charges to boost your weapon as a swift action. If boosted while in shield form, the weapon grants a +2 shield bonus to AC. If boosted in greataxe form, the weapon deals an additional +2 damage. These boosts last for a number of rounds equal to the number of charges spent.
Alternatively, you can spend all charges when making an attack with the greataxe form to make a super burst. If you do, make your attack roll as normal. If the roll is higher than the target's touch AC, the target takes 1d10+2 force damage for each charge spent, even if the greataxe attack is a miss.
During a full attack, you may switch forms once as a free action. At the end of your turn, the weapon loses all unspent charges. Making a shield bash consumes 1 charge and adds +2 to damage if a charge was consumed. The weapon can hold 1 charge.
When in shield form, as a standard action, you can make a charge strike with the longsword. If the attack roll beats touch AC, regardless of whether the attack hit or not, the weapon gains 2 charges. Charges gained this way don't count as charges for the weapon's charge limit and last until the end of your next turn.
8th Level: The weapon gains a +2 enhancement bonus to the shield and greataxe. The longsword gains a +1 enhancement bonus.
11th Level: The weapon can hold 2 charges. A charge strike adds 3 charges. Boosting is now a +3 bonus.
12th Level: The weapon gains a +3 enhancement bonus to the shield and greataxe. The longsword gains a +2 enhancement bonus.
16th Level: The weapon gains a +4 enhancement bonus to the shield and greataxe. The longsword gains a +3 enhancement bonus. It can also hold 3 charges and a charge strike adds 4 charges. Boosting is now a +4 bonus.
20th Level: The weapon gains a +5 enhancement bonus to the shield and greataxe. The longsword gains a +4 enhancement bonus. It can hold any number of charges for a minute after gaining its first one. A charge strike adds 5 charges.
I don't know what damage type to make the burst. I don't know what to make for price and construction. I was also thinking of making a clause about being able to hit (but not damage) swarms to gain charges and burst can damage swarms.
The 6th level bonus seems to be pretty powerful compared to the rest, so maybe split up the number of charges it can hold. Monster Hunter characters are pretty much immortal (dragon breath to face, multiple times, and still alive?) so their equipment is pretty up there.
Maybe at 6th level it can hold a single charge, and every 3 levels after 6th it can hold another charge (maximum of 3 charges at 12th level).
As far as damage type goes, have it be physical damage (treat like a weapon strike) but if the weapon is enchanted with an element such as cold or fire, it deals that damage type. To compensate for resistance, let them add the energy damage enchantment's damage die as well.
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The 6th level bonus seems to be pretty powerful compared to the rest, so maybe split up the number of charges it can hold. Monster Hunter characters are pretty much immortal (dragon breath to face, multiple times, and still alive?) so their equipment is pretty up there.
Maybe at 6th level it can hold a single charge, and every 3 levels after 6th it can hold another charge (maximum of 3 charges at 12th level).
As far as damage type goes, have it be physical damage (treat like a weapon strike) but if the weapon is enchanted with an element such as cold or fire, it deals that damage type. To compensate for resistance, let them add the energy damage enchantment's damage die as well.
At 6th level, it can only hold one charge, increasing every five levels then "unlimited" at level 20, which is probably way too much. I wrote that in, right?
It's a scaling magic weapon so you can't add other magic enhancements or abilities. Maybe pick physical or an element at level 6 for burst damage?
I wrote it so that the charge blade acts like a charge blade by that level and as a style of fighting.
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Forgot to add, there's also the Kineticist...some of the infusions and powers and such may give the thematic feel.
I meant enhancement...not necessarily enchantment. For general power level, duration, scope, ideas to brainstorm with and so forth.
Other factors to consider are the type of game / campaign. You looking for novas, all-day fighting, 4-5 encounters a day (standard game assumption)?
Umm... Let's assume this guy is supposed to fight all day. For his monster hunter, I thought a Freebooter Trapper Ranger would emulate a hunter best due to its traps, party teamwork, connection with nature, and still combat focused.
The 6th level bonus seems to be pretty powerful compared to the rest, so maybe split up the number of charges it can hold. Monster Hunter characters are pretty much immortal (dragon breath to face, multiple times, and still alive?) so their equipment is pretty up there.
Maybe at 6th level it can hold a single charge, and every 3 levels after 6th it can hold another charge (maximum of 3 charges at 12th level).
As far as damage type goes, have it be physical damage (treat like a weapon strike) but if the weapon is enchanted with an element such as cold or fire, it deals that damage type. To compensate for resistance, let them add the energy damage enchantment's damage die as well.At 6th level, it can only hold one charge, increasing every five levels then "unlimited" at level 20, which is probably way too much. I wrote that in, right?
It's a scaling magic weapon so you can't add other magic enhancements or abilities. Maybe pick physical or an element at level 6 for burst damage?
I wrote it so that the charge blade acts like a charge blade by that level and as a style of fighting.
Sorry, reading it at work made my brain think it was different than it was.
My suggestion is to cap it at three charges (as it is in the game), and at 6th level give it either the flaming, frost or shocking weapon enhancement to the sword and axe forms (must be the same on both), or the player may choose to forgo any of them and the weapon instead gains the Keen property on the axe and sword forms.Just giving the weapon scaling +x is kinda boring as a player, so the option to make a few choices is always fun.
As far as class, Trapper Ranger fits pretty well. Hunters are skilled in many survival skills, they can track monsters over large areas, and work well (hopefully) as part of a group.
Might I suggest the Craft (alchemy) skill for him as well as smoke sticks, alchemist fire, and thunder stones are all very reminiscent of Monster Hunter.
That is cheep for what it dose so I would suggest to make it cost 500 GP and have it so it can change from the shield mode and the axe mode with it enchant as a double weapon (one for the sword and axe and the other for the shield) changing modes is a free action chosen at the beginning of your turn
and then add the enchant of
Charge: when you hit with this weapon it gains one charge point to the maximum of 1. as a swift action you can spent a charge point to do one of the following :
when welding a shield your shield gets a +2 enhancement bonus this stacks with any existing bonuses up to a maximum of +10
when wielding a weapon in two hands
your weapon gets a +2 enhancement bonus this stacks with any existing bonuses up to a maximum of +10
alternatively you can spend all renaming points to do massive damage
your blade lets of immense power if your attack roll is higher than the opponents touch ac then your blade deals 1d10 + 2 force damage per point spent the sword has no need to hit your opponent for this to activate
at the end of the round all points left in the blade are reset to 0
Faint conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, rage, shield, ; Price +2 bonus.
Greater Charge
this dose what Charge dose but the Charge pool increases to a maximum of 3
Faint conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, rage, shield, ; Price +3 bonus.
this would make it more reasonable for the things that it gives
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That is cheep for what it dose so I would suggest to make it cost 500 GP and have it so it can change from the shield mode and the axe mode with it enchant as a double weapon (one for the sword and axe and the other for the shield) changing modes is a free action chosen at the beginning of your turn
and then add the enchant of
Charge: when you hit with this weapon it gains one charge point to the maximum of 1. as a swift action you can spent a charge point to do one of the following :
when welding a shield your shield gets a +2 enhancement bonus this stacks with any existing bonuses up to a maximum of +10
when wielding a weapon in two hands
your weapon gets a +2 enhancement bonus this stacks with any existing bonuses up to a maximum of +10alternatively you can spend all renaming points to do massive damage
your blade lets of immense power if your attack roll is higher than the opponents touch ac then your blade deals 1d10 + 2 force damage per point spent the sword has no need to hit your opponent for this to activate
at the end of the round all points left in the blade are reset to 0
Faint conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, rage, shield, ; Price +2 bonus.
Greater Charge
this dose what Charge dose but the Charge pool increases to a maximum of 3
Faint conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, rage, shield, ; Price +3 bonus.this would make it more reasonable for the things that it gives
My only problem is that these don't match how the charge blade works in Monster Hunter. Pricing was a guess since I was going to let the player start with a Charge Blade.
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Sorry, reading it at work made my brain think it was different than it was.
My suggestion is to cap it at three charges (as it is in the game), and at 6th level give it either the flaming, frost or shocking weapon enhancement to the sword and axe forms (must be the same on both), or the player may choose to forgo any of them and the weapon instead gains the Keen property on the axe and sword forms.
Just giving the weapon scaling +x is kinda boring as a player, so the option to make a few choices is always fun.As far as class, Trapper Ranger fits pretty well. Hunters are skilled in many survival skills, they can track monsters over large areas, and work well (hopefully) as part of a group.
Might I suggest the Craft (alchemy) skill for him as well as smoke sticks, alchemist fire, and thunder stones are all very reminiscent of Monster Hunter.
In the game, Charge Blade actually has 5 charges. Maybe I should put it at that so he can gain charges on bonus attacks like haste.
If a character is putting all of his gold into upgrading his armor and weapon, at what levels does his weapon reach the next enhancement, whether it's +1 or ability?
And luckily, we have an Alchemist in the party.