Artifact five ideas I need help with

[Gtroc]

So I am working on an artifact 5 grand daiklaive called Perthion the Bloodletter(lettor? I do not know), and I have a few I deas for powers and would like some input on them.


Bloodletting: when wounded by the sword bleed out dramatically and swiftly(1HL per Tick). exalts, when wounded, cannot will the blood to stop and must make a medicine roll (diff equal to damage taken per wound)


Facing the Horde: opposing forces gain no benefit from magnitude versus the wielder of the sword.


Dawns Recurring Shadow: negates two dice of multiple action penalties when flurrying.


is that too powerful? not powerfull enough? does it need tweeking? I would be much obliged for any thoughts on the matter.

 

[Ker'ion]

The way I see it, none of those powers are related, making it seem more of a blanket to cover a random set of extra powers that the character wants.


That, and I think that the roll to stop the bleeding should be a Resistance roll, not a Medicine roll.

 

[Brickwall]

The way I see it, none of those powers are related, making it seem more of a blanket to cover a random set of extra powers that the character wants.
That, and I think that the roll to stop the bleeding should be a Resistance roll, not a Medicine roll.

Seconded on both accounts. Themes are important.

 

[Arthur]

I like it. The theming would be great, though. Oh, and the bleeding ability might be is too strong.

 

[Gtroc]

I do not like the resistance roll, as it still makes the exalts able to(basically) will their wounds closed. I will likely stick with medicine. as for theme, I figured this would be a sword to kill hordes of anything. the lone warrior standing against the armies of his enimies, or staanding tall against the mightiest warriors. I want it to be a weapon that causes actual fear(rather than forcing a fear effect). when ones enimies have to change the way they fight because they do want to get hurt.


as to the bloodletting being too powerful. how so? in what way? how would you change it, or what would you replace it with?


thank you for your input so far.

 

[Ker'ion]

If you wish to keep the weapon as it is, then it's an N/A Artifact.


Take the 10 point Merit and be done with it.


If you want the level 5 to stick, you must realize that you CANNOT revoke the ruling that a supernatural being can stop their bleeding with a successful Resistance roll. Though the damage taken as a diff on the roll makes it much more difficult to stop the bleeding.


And the bloodflow should be more like 1 HL per (the target's permanent Essence) Ticks, as the magical nature of their bodies tries to slow the damage done to their body. With a max HL damage from each blow equal to the weilder's permanent Essence.

 

[Arthur]

If you wish to keep the weapon as it is, then it's an N/A Artifact.
Take the 10 point Merit and be done with it.


If you want the level 5 to stick, you must realize that you CANNOT revoke the ruling that a supernatural being can stop their bleeding with a successful Resistance roll. Though the damage taken as a diff on the roll makes it much more difficult to stop the bleeding.


And the bloodflow should be more like 1 HL per (the target's permanent Essence) Ticks, as the magical nature of their bodies tries to slow the damage done to their body. With a max HL damage from each blow equal to the weilder's permanent Essence.

Ker'ion read my mind and explained my point. Ecco.

 

[Gtroc]

If you want the level 5 to stick, you must realize that you CANNOT revoke the ruling that a supernatural being can stop their bleeding with a successful Resistance roll. Though the damage taken as a diff on the roll makes it much more difficult to stop the bleeding.


And the bloodflow should be more like 1 HL per (the target's permanent Essence) Ticks, as the magical nature of their bodies tries to slow the damage done to their body. With a max HL damage from each blow equal to the weilder's permanent Essence.

I was unaware that the resistance roll was sacrosanct(sp?). I know that there are rules to magic(I.E. no raising the dead that sort of thing) I was unaware that a supernatural creature willing wounds closed was one of those hardwired rules of creation. If this is indeed true, than could you give me the book and page number of the ruling? also maybe I described the power incorrectly, exalts do not bleed out a HL per anything. that is an effect for mortals. the exalts instead have to treat their wounds AFTER the battle like a mortal. though the HL per [essence] ticks is way more powerful than what I was going for, I kind of like it. we'll see. I am not trying to be argumentitive(though I realize that by arguing I am doing so) I just like to fully understand how that particular power breaks creation on par with the eye of autochthon.

 

[Brickwall]

Not every N/A Artifact is on par with the Eye. In fact, none of them are. Simple, N/A means More than Five, because you can't get it without story fiat.


Also, I'd recommend comparing this thing's power to the daiklave at the end of the 2e corebook that's made for mass combat. If it's more powerful than that, tone it down.

 

[Arthur]

Or take a look at the Wonders of the Lost Age book.


By the way, try to remember we are giving suggestions. You are not forced to take any of them. There is no rule that states that you can't do that. If you like it and so does your ST, have fun! We just say it's unbalanced.


@Brickwall: Kind of. The Defense Grid and the Five-Metal Shriek are pretty impressive =P

 

[Brickwall]

Yeah, but not even close to the Eye in power. Nothing really is, since the Eye can basically do anything, if I recall.

 

[Gtroc]

Or take a look at the Wonders of the Lost Age book.
By the way, try to remember we are giving suggestions. You are not forced to take any of them. There is no rule that states that you can't do that. If you like it and so does your ST, have fun! We just say it's unbalanced.


@Brickwall: Kind of. The Defense Grid and the Five-Metal Shriek are pretty impressive =P

I have examined the wonders of the lost age many times, and that is what makes me wonder what it is about that power that strikes you as over powered. I am not being snarky, I amm merely trying to understand your stand point on that power. I appreciate the feed back that has been given, I am merely stating that the only explanation for it being overpowered is the statement that you cannot do it because it changes a rule slightly. I am not saying you do not have a valid point, I am saying that I would like to understand your point before I can decide whether I agree with it or not.


as a side note what is the correct spelling of sacrosanct? am I right on the spelling? maybe it's not even a word, did I make it up? ...hmm...now I am unsure.

 

[Quchu]

Sacrosanct is a real word and it's spelled that way, yes.


As for the explanation of those powers, you could have it that it's made of ragged Labyrinth ore/incomplete Soulsteel and Black Jade, trying to drink in as much souls and blood as possible so it would become whole, yet, by design, it is unable to clutch onto its prey. All it does is leave a marsh wet with blood and flooded by angry spirits. Attuning to the Bloodletter supernaturally compels the wielder to murder, preferrably in large numbers, and its desire for completion sends itself toward living victims, giving that bonus for mass combat and flurries, and so on. Something like that.


Though disregard me if you've already gotten something down. >_>

 

[Gtroc]

I am working on the story and description, right now it is the mechanics that I am a bit uncertain of. once I get those the rest of the description will fall into place. thank you for the advice though, and I like the description, even if I do not use it here, consider it yoinked.

 

[The zombie cat]

One health level per tick is cruel, targets will frequently take 4 or 5 damage before they get an action in which to stop the bleeding (well I would time my actions that way). I would say one health level each time they take an action (before there action takes effect) they may stop the bleeding with a miscellanies action stamina + resistance dif damage +1 or another character may stop the bleeding with a miscellanies action and intelligence + heal dif damage – actions (you can use heal on yourself but with a penalty), if the wound isn’t treated well after battle it will leave a nasty scar on even the exalted, with a stunt this could impose -1 to str, dex, stam or aperance (this is a crippling effect that can be negated with a medicen roll within half an hour of the wound being inflicted) you can never impose more than -1 to a stat using this weapon.


Obviously mortals don’t get the resistance rolls, but then mortals don’t often survive being hit by a grand diclave


Is that nasty enough for you.


Edward

 

[Brickwall]

I have examined the wonders of the lost age many times, and that is what makes me wonder what it is about that power that strikes you as over powered.

Sadly, WotLA has magitech, which is very different from those artifacts that do not rely on that arcane practice, and simply have their power locked in, permanently. The lack of a Repair rating changes an artifact entirely. Compare it to other 5-dots in Oadenal's Codex. At least two of them are weapons, so that should help.

 

[Arthur]

I don't know about the others, but my personal explanation is the fact that is doesn't give a chance for many creatures to survive. Anything without medicine is probably dead if it touches the blade. You hit Bull of the North with it? He dies. You hit a Tyrant Lizard with it? He dies too. You hit any other exalt without medicine? He dies. And their die quick, too, loosing about 3-5HLs/action...

 

[cyl]

Yow,


I think you should let the Stam+Res roll be, but augment the difficulty to moderate (3 suxx), that should force the weaker exalts to spend willpower, and won't affect the lucky strongers ones.


Also, 1HL per tick is reaaaaaally hardcore, 1 HL every 5 ticks is much more reasonable.

 

[Gtroc]

to restate, as aparently I was still not entirely clear, the 1 HL per tick is for MORTALS only. the exalts do not bleed out during combat. they have the medicine roll instead of the resistance roll AFTER combat. much like a normal mortal has to do.


I agree that the way you are looking at it the power is god awful, but I think I may have been misunderstood.

 

[NamelessJoe]

ok so heres my take on it bucause i dont feel like lurking for now


i would say the mortal blead out is cool the exault bleeding as a mortal is worth 2-3 dots


the facinging hords i would 3dot power "i am mass combat" is pretty sweet


the extra action is only like a 2 dot boost equivalant to a 2 dot harthstone i would say


since artifact is exponecinal(sp?) not liner i would say this is a 4-5 sword


grand diaklave makes it valed for 5 dots


if it were a leiniar system it would be inthe 6-7 dots but then we could go upto 10 dots

 

[NateDojo]

Bloodletting: when wounded by the sword bleed out dramatically and swiftly(1HL per Tick). exalts, when wounded, cannot will the blood to stop and must make a medicine roll (diff equal to damage taken per wound)

That means that any mortal who takes even a nick from the blade will bleed out in about seven seconds, three if they're an extra. That is incredibly powerful and cheapens lives significantly. That right there would probably push a three dot artifact to five.

Facing the Horde: opposing forces gain no benefit from magnitude versus the wielder of the sword.

I don't really see how this one uses any sort of... anything to work. Is it super-huge so as to let the wielder strike anybody in the unit, or super-broad so that no one can flank the wielder? It seems more like it's thrown in for power than to make it cool. It might make sense if it was a bo-sword or whatever they're called, the double-bladed staves, but I think that would boost the defense rating rather than mean that five thousand swordsmen rushing the wielder had no advantage in numbers.

Dawns' Recurring Shadow: negates two dice of multiple action penalties when flurrying.

Once more, I'm not sure how this fits into anything, especially when everyone else has to fight the wielder one-on-one. Keep the multiple action penalty and just take specialties to cut down on it.

is that too powerful? not powerfull enough? does it need tweeking? I would be much obliged for any thoughts on the matter.

Way too powerful. Pick a theme, such as either super-quick, allowing extra actions; super-powerful, able to slay mortals quickly; or great for mass combat, causing all formations to become "disordered" (Drill 0, -1 Magnitude) from the shock and awe that the blade and its use instills.

 

[Ker'ion]

Way too powerful. Pick a theme, such as either super-quick, allowing extra actions; super-powerful, able to slay mortals quickly; or great for mass combat, causing all formations to become "disordered" (Drill 0, -1 Magnitude) from the shock and awe that the blade and its use instills.

Ooh! I like it!
Yoink!