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(Pathfinder) Briefly, I need help designing an intelligent weapon that gets more powerful as the wielder levels up.
In detail, one of my players is a CN cleric of Gozreh. He has made it clear that he seeks power at any cost. Last game session, the party recovered a +1 frost trident and he claimed it. My thought was to make it an intelligent weapon devoted to the demon Dagon that will increase in power as the cleric levels up. Eventually, sooner rather than later, the weapon will start trying to bring the cleric over to worship and service to Dagon in return for promises of great power. However, right now all the cleric knows is that it's a +1 frost trident that allows him to understand Aklo. The weapon's background is going to be relatively unknown to the surface world as it has been primarily in possession of underwater dwellers for the last 10,000 years. It's purpose is to destroy sin (which I think fits in with the Shattered Star Adventure Path that I am DMing) but what the weapon and Dagon won't reveal is that this means destruction of every sentient being on Golarion.
Does anyone have suggestions how to make an intelligent weapon that does this?
Scaling Magic Items (from Pathfinder Unchained)
+5 Frost Trident, Eye of the Storm
lvl 1-4: +1 weapon
lvl 5-8: +2 weapon, Water Breathing
lvl 9-12: +3 weapon, Water Walking
lvl 13-16: +4 weapon, Air Walk
lvl 17-20: +5 weapon, Stormbringer
It is permanently enchanted with a +1 Frost Enchant (leaving the other +4 ability enchants available for PC customization)
Frost Enchant: Upon command, a frost weapon is sheathed in a terrible, icy cold that deals an extra 1d6 points of cold damage on a successful hit. The cold does not harm the wielder. The effect remains until another command is given.
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The following abilities are gained as the wielder gains levels, based on the table above. If the wielder is disarmed of the Eye of the Storm weapon, any active spells/abilities continue to function for up to 5 rounds unless the Eye of the Storm is picked up.
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Water Breathing: The wielder permanently gains the ability to breathe under water, as per the spell Water Breathing. This effect can be ended or restored as a free action.
Water Walking: The wielder permanently gains the ability to Water Walk, as per the spell Water Walk. This effect can be ended or restored as a free action.
Air Walk: The wielder may cast Air Walk up to 1/day and is cast using your own cleric level as the caster level.
Stormbringer: The wielder may cast Control Winds 1/day and Chain Lightning up to 3/day, and are cast using your own cleric level as the caster level.
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Gozreh is an air/water/frost/nature deity, so I felt like these spells/abilities would be pretty fitting of a Cleric of Gozreh. You don't have to use all this unless you want to, but this is a good start :)
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Gozreh is an air/water/frost/nature deity, so I felt like these spells/abilities would be pretty fitting of a Cleric of Gozreh. You don't have to use all this unless you want to, but this is a good start :)
I was more looking at powers associated with Dagon as that is who the trident is dedicated to and whom the trident will try to sway the cleric to worship instead of Gozreh.
I second the black blade. It's an intelligent item that grows with the wielder. Should give a nice base to work from.
You could check out Cohorts and Companions, it has a section for Intelligent Magic Item cohorts
I was more looking at powers associated with Dagon as that is who the trident is dedicated to and whom the trident will try to sway the cleric to worship instead of Gozreh.
Gozreh is an air/water/frost/nature deity, so I felt like these spells/abilities would be pretty fitting of a Cleric of Gozreh. You don't have to use all this unless you want to, but this is a good start :)
Okay, would this item be a cursed item? What if it drives the Cleric towards Dagon forcefully, deceptively, or something like that?
Or would it give him immeasurable power that once he's tasted it, cannot go back?
It should be reiterated that my closest brethren are incapable of corruption, since the souls of our ambulatory compatriots drive the direction of our ethics, be that for good or ill.
The weapons of legacy from d&d 3.5 might be worth checking as well.
Okay, how about this? Remember you don't have to use all this stuff if you think it would be too powerful, or you can add more if you want this to be more powerful than it already is.
+5 Frost Trident, Right Hand of Dagon
lvl 1-4: +1 weapon, Detect Good, Detect Law
lvl 5-8: +2 weapon, Water Breathing, Water Walking
lvl 9-12: +3 weapon, Dagon's Chosen
lvl 13-16: +4 weapon, Dagon's Blasphemy
lvl 17-20: +5 weapon, Breathe of Dagon
It is permanently enchanted with a +1 Frost Enchant (leaving the other +4 ability enchants available for PC customization)
Frost Enchant: Upon command, a frost weapon is sheathed in a terrible, icy cold that deals an extra 1d6 points of cold damage on a successful hit. The cold does not harm the wielder. The effect remains until another command is given.
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The following abilities are gained as the wielder gains levels, based on the table above.
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Detect Good/Law: The wielder may cast Detect Good or Detect Law, as per the spells, at will.
Water Breathing: The wielder permanently gains the ability to breathe under water, as per the spell Water Breathing. This effect can be ended or restored as a free action.
Water Walking: The wielder permanently gains the ability to Water Walk, as per the spell Water Walk. This effect can be ended or restored as a free action.
Dagon's Chosen: While wielding this weapon, you gain half your level as DR/good and DR/cold iron (Max: DR10/good & DR10/cold iron), and a swim speed of 40ft. Furthermore, you gain a +4 to Diplomacy, Bluff, Intimidate, Perception and Sense Motive against any creature with the aquatic sub-type. You gain the same bonus when dealing with anyone who is a member of Dagon's Cult.
Dagon's Blasphemy: You may cast each of these spells 1/day as a spell-like ability using your cleric level as the caster level: control water, control weather, desecrate, unhallow, unholy blight, greater dispel magic.
Breathe of Dagon: Once per day as a standard action, the wielder can exhale a 60-foot cone of inky blackness. Underwater, this cone manifests as black ink, while above water it manifests as a thick cloud. Creatures in the area have their vision obscured as if they were in complete darkness. Darkvision does not allow someone to see through the ink or smoke, but true seeing does. The ink or smoke persists for 1d4 rounds, but dissipates in 1 round in areas with aquatic currents or high winds. Any creature in the breath weapon’s area must succeed at a Will save (DC:10 + 1/2 level + Primary Modifier) or gain 1 negative level. Any creature that enters the ink or cloud, or ends its turn inside it, must succeed at another Will save to avoid further level loss.
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This item is cursed. Once the wielder has slain any creature with this weapon (an actual killing blow), the curse sets in. Once cursed, if the wielder discards the weapon, he begins losing 1d2-1 (minimum 0) Con every day (no save) until he receives a Miracle, Wish, or similar spell powerful enough to break the curse (subject to GM discretion).
Additionally, while wielding the weapon, the wielder must touch the ocean (or salt water) once every 24 hours, or become fatigued for 24 hours (touching salt water will immediately cause the wielder to become un-fatigued or un-exhausted), and becoming exhausted for 24 hours on the following day if he has still not touched salt water. If the wielder has not touched salt water after 24 hours of being exhausted, he begins to lose 1d4 Con per day (No save).
As far as being an intelligent item, the weapon has it's own agenda for Dagon, and seeks to curse people, turning them into faithful followers or if they die from the curse, they become enslaved to Dagon as scum beneath scum forever.
Or something :P
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Ryze Kuja, that is freaking awesome!!! I swear you were reading my mind or something. I did like the inky blackness ability that Dagon has but I didn't know how to include that in the weapon or what other abilities to pair with it. I love what you have suggested!!!
I have read the need to touch salt water somewhere and was thinking about including that as well.
Your post really got my creative juices flowing on this. I hope you don't mind if I tell you what I'm thinking.
So, Dagon will tell the cleric that all he (Dagon) wants is to rid the world of sin, but what he means is basically kill everyone because everyone is a sinner. In fact, research will show that the trident once belonged to a Shoanti warchief from 10,000 years ago. The warchief used the trident to protect his tribe from the warriors and minions of one of the Runelords, who were, of course, dedicated to sin. Thus, it will be apparent that the weapon is intended to destroy sin.
However, what is really happening is that every creature that the trident kills has their soul sent to Dagon's realm in the Abyss instead of whatever plane they were supposed to go to, thus swelling the ranks of Dagon's realm and making him more powerful. The warchief from 10,000 years ago was betrayed by the weapon in the end because he didn't want to expand his tribe's area and keep killing in order to do so. Dagon took him as his servant and made him an incubus, then bound him to the Lady's Light. This ties in to a storyline that has been developing in Chapter 2 of the AP where an incubus in the Lady's Light has been tormenting and helping the party so that they would defeat the BBEG and free him.
Near the end of the AP, the party will have to defeat the spirit of a good powerful mage who was killed in a coup thus binding his spirit to his tower. If the trident defeats the spirit, which I'm sure will happen (hehe), the wizard's spirit will end up as one of Dagon's minions as well. The wizard's god, who I have intended to help the party in small ways through the AP, will then have to try to get the party to rescue the wizard from Dagon. In the process, the cleric will discover what his weapon has really been doing and will have to decide what to do about that. If he joins the battle to free the wizard, probably taking his trident with him (which the incubus will even suggest), he will end up with a battle with the trident's intelligence. However, the incubus (former wielder of the trident) will step in (trying to do the right thing) and, in some way, end up as the spirit now inside the trident.
I know this is a long ways off and my ideas can totally change depending on how this plays out, but its a great jump off point I think.
So, thank you so much for the help. In your honour, I'm going to name the weapon after you and let the player know where the name comes from. I'm just not sure what Ryze Kuja is going to mean. Maybe something like Ocean Warrior or something.
Haha, that's awesome!