So my DM has blessed my character (a 3rd-level Skald Halfling with the Resourceful trait) with a magical instrument case that allows me to randomly pull out one of eight magical instruments. I can't pull out more than one at a time, and they each last until their 'goals' are complete (they're flavoured as at least semi-intelligent, kind of like a Bladebound's Black Blade). We're looking for some advice, since we don't want supremely OP weapons (they'll be used more as actual instruments anyway, but there's a reason I got a halfling with the Resourceful trait), but don't want them to be useless at higher levels either. I considered having them be an XP sink and their own levels, wherein I can siphon some XP and level them up to increase their power, but I want to explore other options.
The current list of instruments I can summon from the magical case are: Grand Piano, Violin, Accordion, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, Bass Drum, Trumpet. Each instrument has disadvantages, advantages, and its own goal. For example, for the bass drum:
- Advantage: Increases bonuses dealt by inspired rage by 1 per item level.
- Disadvantage: -4 to Stealth, Acrobatics, Climb and Swim checks.
- Goal: This is a war drum. The wielder of the drum must defeat at least one enemy in battle while wielding the drum (does not require opponent's death, simply unequivocal victory) before it can be banished.
That's by no means final, but it gets the idea across. There are other stereotypes I want to play up; I'd like the guitar to deal bonus electric damage if used in combat so it's an 'electric' guitar; the flute could give bonuses to Handle Animal checks (a la Pied Piper), and the grand piano is too big to move without a DC25 strength check.
So to be clear on the question; is there any existing framework I can use for creating items that can level along with the character using them? I'm also looking for any fun/flavourful suggestions for goals/advantages/disadvantages for the individual instruments.
There's a system for scaling magical items in PF Unchained. It looks like it's intended for weaker items than this, but it's a start.
I'll see what I can come up with by way of suggestions later.
My first advice would be to rethink your instruments a bit. I would have all of them be mobile and able to be easily carried by a single person, and I would also go for more medieval/renaissance instruments rather than modern ones.
The 3.5 Magical Item Compendium had several instruments that had the ability to produce certain spell effects a number of times per day. With 8 instruments I would consider having one for each school of magic, and if you wanted it to 'scale' progressively higher levels of spells could be unlocked. So early an instruments could have a single 1st level spell, then 2 of that spell, then 2 of the first and one of a second, similar to how casters progress in spells. One advantage of this idea that it would make it easy to make all of the instruments different, but equally powerful.
I'd probably change the 'goal' to something a little harder, but giving a benefit rather than removing a penalty. For example, with your drum I'd probably change it to 'defeat an opponent single handedly while wielding the drum' and if you succeed I could see that where the bonus to inspired rage comes in (although probably only +1, but perhaps lasting the rest of the day). In theory if you could accomplish all 8 goals for all the instruments in a single day, I could see having some pretty good bonuses, but I'd make it difficult enough that that would be unlikely.
To prevent it from being too powerful, I'd probably have the spell slots (i.e. x first, y second etc.) tied to the case, not the individual instruments, so if you used all your level one on the drum, you wouldn't have any level one spells when you pulled out the flute.
I probably wouldn't have any limit on putting away an instrument, but once it was put back you couldn't get that particular one again until the next day.
There's a system for scaling magical items in PF Unchained. It looks like it's intended for weaker items than this, but it's a start.
I'll see what I can come up with by way of suggestions later.
Thanks for the replies. The scaling magical items page is very interesting, though I'm curious what makes you say it's meant for weaker items? The wondrous-level items seem pretty powerful, unless I'm wrong and they are actually weaker than items of equivalent level.
@Dave Justus, I may change up the instruments a bit but part of the fun for our group is the unexpected challenges; if I open the instrument case and a grand piano falls out and flattens a goblin, that's just awesome.
Your magic school idea is great; having each instrument be attuned to one specific school would make things easier and cooler. Your point about the goals is good too; I think completing all 8 should have a big reward, given that it'd be really tricky to do in one day.
I'm not sure I want to limit it to just spells though; for example, the +1 bonus to inspired rage isn't a spell that I know of, so I wouldn't have a way of granting that. For another example, the Crystal Tiara on the scaling items page has a really good mix of spell and non-spell effects.
I'm going to go have a look at groups of 8 things in fantasy; could be that provides some good flavour/effect inspiration for what each instrument could do.
As a 3rd level character you'd have a maximum of 900 gp value in the item. If you compare that to Sleeves of Many Garments, say, you'd probably get an instrument case which could produce masterwork but non-magical instruments. The war drum alone would be worth a lot more.
The example wondrous items mostly start at higher levels, and start off very weak. (Bat Cloak: Fashioned of dark brown or black cloth, this cloak resembles gigantic bat wings. It allows its wearer to hang upside down from the ceiling like a bat.)
As a 3rd level character you'd have a maximum of 900 gp value in the item. If you compare that to Sleeves of Many Garments, say, you'd probably get an instrument case which could produce masterwork but non-magical instruments. The war drum alone would be worth a lot more.
The example wondrous items mostly start at higher levels, and start off very weak. (Bat Cloak: Fashioned of dark brown or black cloth, this cloak resembles gigantic bat wings. It allows its wearer to hang upside down from the ceiling like a bat.)
Ahh I see. Well, the scaling is a good guide anyway, even if I end up making a higher level of it. I definitely want the items to have some powers at my level, even if they're not spectacular (after all, that's the point of them leveling up). But they should be useful.
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I've had a few more thoughts which I wanted to share; I'm almost definitely going with the one instrument per magical school idea, and I've been trying to find other groups of 8 both within Pathfinder (and D&D) lore and outside of that. So far I've realised that I can use one alignment combination per instrument too, so the necromancy-attuned instrument could be one of the three evils (or be a good-aligned object for a change, insisting that the dead deserve another chance at life). I also found the spell Numerological Evocation which maps elements to schools rather nicely. There's... actually not that many more 8-grouped things in Pathfinder, so I think the alignment + schools + elements will make for a good base.
With giving the instruments alignments, it could play into their effects and goals. The evil ones might help debuff enemies (within their school of magic of course), while the good ones might give bonuses to myself and allies. For example, the war drum could be a chaotic good-aligned item, hence the improved inspiring rage bonuses. However I'm not sure what school of magic I'd tie that into. Transmutation, for transforming the music to be even more inspiring? That works for illusion too though; making the music seem better even though it's not.
I think I also have to break down the effects. Each instrument should; change my inspiring rage in some way, give a bonus of some sort to associated spell school, and possibly have an effect when used as a weapon (coming back to the electric guitar). And also have an activated ability that could occur when I play the instrument (e.g. playing the grand piano makes people want to fall asleep or something similar).
I'll have more ideas later, and there's things I need to clarify with my DM; for example, if the benefits of an instrument occur before I reach its goal, or only some activate post-goal, or all of them do and the goal is just a condition for banishment.
For the war/bass drum, rage spells come under enchantment. CG sounds right.
A grand piano feels like it should be LN - complicated machinery. As a school try abjuration, it stays put and may need defences.
In a book I read once a violin was made of human bone and cursed. It's a natural for NE and necromancy.
The electric guitar has to be evocation and sounds CN.
Trumpets get associated with archons which makes them LG. As they're used to herald arrivals, maybe conjuration?
If flutes are used in the Pied Piper sense then LE has to be their alignment. Since enchantment's taken, illusion could have related effects.
Accordions are evil by their very sound. CE is the worst kind of evil. Demons and so on are associated with transformation which corresponds to transmutation.
Saxophones are NG by a process of elimination, and it doesn't sound wrong for them. Divination is the last school, ditto.
For the war/bass drum, rage spells come under enchantment. CG sounds right.
A grand piano feels like it should be LN - complicated machinery. As a school try abjuration, it stays put and may need defences.
In a book I read once a violin was made of human bone and cursed. It's a natural for NE and necromancy.
The electric guitar has to be evocation and sounds CN.
Trumpets get associated with archons which makes them LG. As they're used to herald arrivals, maybe conjuration?
If flutes are used in the Pied Piper sense then LE has to be their alignment. Since enchantment's taken, illusion could have related effects.
Accordions are evil by their very sound. CE is the worst kind of evil. Demons and so on are associated with transformation which corresponds to transmutation.
Saxophones are NG by a process of elimination, and it doesn't sound wrong for them. Divination is the last school, ditto.
Those are some awesome suggestions. I'm particularly liking the idea of the evil bone violin; clearly it's time to make some undead dance an Irish jig. The trumpet -> archon -> conjuration angle is terrific. At first I didn't see the Pied Piper effect as illusion, more enchantment, but if the images it conjures are alluring enough for people and animals to follow, it works too. The transmuting accordion is a weird idea, but it's also the instrument which transforms the most during use, so I can see it. The only instrument which isn't really inspiring is the NG divining saxophone, so I'll have to see if I can find a better instrument for that slot.
@Lady-J thanks for those ideas, I'll try to work them in to the alignment framework for each instrument too.
Assuming I go with those instrument-alignment combos, the tricky part now is to give them all goals and powers. I'll ponder that and report back when I have more ideas.
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@Dave Justus, I may change up the instruments a bit but part of the fun for our group is the unexpected challenges; if I open the instrument case and a grand piano falls out and flattens a goblin, that's just awesome.
I'd caution that it is awesome once.
If it becomes 'ok, one in 8 chance of an autokill, lets hope for the piano' as the go-to strategy, it might be less awesome.
I just think that issues of not being able to move with and have room for the item you pull out will complicate your game in ways that won't actually be fun.
If, for example, your Grand Piano had a goal similar to what you originally posted for the War Drum, and it was brought out in a place that it couldn't be moved from (say a room with normal sized doors) then you would be stuck. Nothing to defeat so can't dismiss it, no way to move it, what happens now?