Murdrak
Bust :(
A player in my game proposed this artifact. I'd like to hear what people think before I talk to him about it. Quoting from his email,
"Dark Becomings" (name subject to change it will probably have something to do with a spider). I have had an idea for an artifact for a long time. The Artifact is detailed below, but it is basically an altered Soulsteel Chain Daiklave (from the first age not the Underworld... completely) and altered in that it is smaller but faster (I took the damage down and in exchange took the speed down. I also made the weapon one handed so it could be almost whip like at times). So the idea is an artifact that is nearly interdemensional (probably tied to Elsewhere). Just like the regular artifact, the Chain Diaklave can be a small sword or seperate into I guess what it is statted as(Scroll of the Monk p.159). The creator of this weapon was also a master of Ebon Shadow Style. As you can see below it would be cool if the weapon could impart the style so the character wouldn't have find a sifu. See Stats below:
Speed Acc. Dmg. Def. Rate Mins. Attune Cost Tags
4 +2* 4L +2 2 SAME 10 ***** M,R
Creation Note: A five dot artifact should be significant enough that it helps define your character. I don't think I went over board with the powers. To sum them up: 1) Like a minor inverse of the Daiklave of conquests power where all enemies lose VALOR number of dice from all attack pools but not quite as cool. 2) Just allows a wielder to have a decent ranged attack included with the blade. 3) I don't think a powered down simulation of an extra action charm is excessive. 4) A cool and I don't think too powerful area attack. 5) The Soulsteel part is cool. I could go either way really due to the rate issue but I thought the idea I had about the chorus is cool and it works with the back story to Ebon Shadow.
POWERS
1) BITE FROM THE DARK - due to the quasi interdemensional properties of the artifact it can cause wounds to a person by striking their shadows. (Magic - when the blade strikes a shadow it may at the will of the user convey the attack to the appropriate location on the creator of the shadow by opening basically creating a wormhole to the specific location based upon the shadow. In Game Mechanism - (a)generally this causes opponents to have a -2 external DV penalty against attacks b/c they have to move their shadows as well as their bodies or over extend to parry a part of their shadow; (b) all attacks are piercing - even though the armor would show up in the shadow the armor is less effective because of shadow hits. © This also allows it to strike immaterial targets. NOTE: I tried to generalize the powers to all attacks, so that in game I wouldn't be ONLY attacking shadows to gain the best benefits... allows for a better role-playing on my part, speeds up the game a bit, and mechanically there is no real difference. The immaterial target part just seems to make sense give the extra dimensional nature of the weapon.
2) LONG FANG STRIKE: When detached, the blade of the artifact can be thrown 50 yards. This counts as a use of the weapon for flurrying purposes therefore the attack keeps all bonuses etc. from the stat bar. Due to the nature of the weapon, when thrown into a shadow within 50 yards of the wielder, it can re-emerge from a second shadow no further away than 50 yards and travel an additional 50 yards - a wielder cannot leap-frog extra distance from this maneuver - any charms used to increase distance can increase the first and third distances. The target of the attack must be perceived in all manners which would usually allow for an attack. Like with the shadow strike, the blade travels interdemensionally and reappears out of the chosen shadow within range. Extra chain is stored in Elsewhere and accessed by a number of links that are half in Creation and half in Elsewhere. In-game Mechanism: This is a thrown attack with normally a 150 yard range or 350 yard range with the triple distance attack charm that follows all the rules of a normal thrown weapon attack - no sending the chain around corners or something unless the target is normally a valid target.
3) EIGHT EYES: To many observes the artifact can almost be in multiple places at once... well that is because it almost can. When crafted the artificer created the weapon with a total of eight blades. Seven of the blades, with their own accompanying chain, rest in elsewhere while one of their brothers sits in Creation. All are attached to the hilt through various points in the large base link. Whenever the blade is detached from the hilt, with the expenditure of essence, the weilder can call forth the other blades to make separate attacks from the depths of nearby shadows. In-Game Mechanics: I tried to copy "Striking Serpent Speed" from the exalted book except this is an attack extra action ability (thrown or martial arts). One still needs to role essence x2 to see how many attacks one can get but it is capped at eight. The mote expenditure is 5m the shadow the attack originates from must be within 50 yards. NOTE: Ebon Shadow does not have an extra action charm so I figured I would confront this weakness in a weapon designed for the style.
4)CRUEL WEB PATTERN: With a burst of essence the wielder casts the blade of the artifact into his own shadow and from the darkness around the wielder erupts in cascade of dark essence chains, harpooned from one shadow to another in a web pattern, which bind those within the area. In Game Mechanics: by spending 5 motes the wielder can make a clinch attack (making the weapon Rate 1) against everyone within Essence x5 yards radius. The wielder can exclude up to one person per point of permanent essence. The wielder uses his or her Essence + Martial Arts to make the clinch. Damage is calculated at 4L + Essence + Extra successes. The chains only do damage the first round they are created and after that they can only bind a target after the first round. The chains are made of a dark material spun from essence which lasts for a scene, for all purposes save rigidity simulates silk; and occupy the shadow portals for the scene (so it cannot be used again and again
in the same area). Those bound who break free shatter the bonds that hold the essence and turn the chains to ash. Movement through the area where the chains occupy is reduced to a quarter. NOTE: My intent with this ability is to provide an ability to take care of extras.
5) WAILS OF THE WILLING: The artifact was crafted before the deathlords, before they used soulsteel as the material of choice for their deathknights - when there were no deathknights. Therefore this weapon was created with Solar Exalted in mind; and it was created from the souls of the willing. Willing in that a number of cult members dedicated to the deeds of the Ebon style were willing to forever have their souls bound into the artifact to enable it to carry unique attributes. This weapon is one of the earliest soulsteel creations, ironically created to protect the Unconquered Sun's decree. Only in the hands of a Solar Night Caste will the trapped souls of artifact, r chorus, recognize their master and obey his or her bidding. Thus when the blade is separated from the hilt it will return to the hilt at the will of the master. The weapon will recognize what shadows the master wishes it to leap from and will obey. In short the ancient cultist have not
forgotten their obligation by becoming the chorus. In-game Mechanics: the weapon effectively becomes a soulsteel chain daiklave that can only be wielded by Night Caste Solars. Like all the thrown artifacts the blade, when detached or thrown, comes back to the hilt instantly on command. The attunement cost is 10 motes. NOTE: I would also like the weapon to have some sort of intelligence that can teach Ebon Shadow form. Perhaps over the millennia the numerous consciousness hammered into the metal, through single mindedness and single dedication, have become some sort of hive mind, the chorus... speaks in "we" rather than I when it whispers etc..
Some feed back from other GMs on what they would say to a player proposing this for their new character. Its balance, appropriateness as a five dot artifact, how well each piece is designed, etc.
"Dark Becomings" (name subject to change it will probably have something to do with a spider). I have had an idea for an artifact for a long time. The Artifact is detailed below, but it is basically an altered Soulsteel Chain Daiklave (from the first age not the Underworld... completely) and altered in that it is smaller but faster (I took the damage down and in exchange took the speed down. I also made the weapon one handed so it could be almost whip like at times). So the idea is an artifact that is nearly interdemensional (probably tied to Elsewhere). Just like the regular artifact, the Chain Diaklave can be a small sword or seperate into I guess what it is statted as(Scroll of the Monk p.159). The creator of this weapon was also a master of Ebon Shadow Style. As you can see below it would be cool if the weapon could impart the style so the character wouldn't have find a sifu. See Stats below:
Speed Acc. Dmg. Def. Rate Mins. Attune Cost Tags
4 +2* 4L +2 2 SAME 10 ***** M,R
Creation Note: A five dot artifact should be significant enough that it helps define your character. I don't think I went over board with the powers. To sum them up: 1) Like a minor inverse of the Daiklave of conquests power where all enemies lose VALOR number of dice from all attack pools but not quite as cool. 2) Just allows a wielder to have a decent ranged attack included with the blade. 3) I don't think a powered down simulation of an extra action charm is excessive. 4) A cool and I don't think too powerful area attack. 5) The Soulsteel part is cool. I could go either way really due to the rate issue but I thought the idea I had about the chorus is cool and it works with the back story to Ebon Shadow.
POWERS
1) BITE FROM THE DARK - due to the quasi interdemensional properties of the artifact it can cause wounds to a person by striking their shadows. (Magic - when the blade strikes a shadow it may at the will of the user convey the attack to the appropriate location on the creator of the shadow by opening basically creating a wormhole to the specific location based upon the shadow. In Game Mechanism - (a)generally this causes opponents to have a -2 external DV penalty against attacks b/c they have to move their shadows as well as their bodies or over extend to parry a part of their shadow; (b) all attacks are piercing - even though the armor would show up in the shadow the armor is less effective because of shadow hits. © This also allows it to strike immaterial targets. NOTE: I tried to generalize the powers to all attacks, so that in game I wouldn't be ONLY attacking shadows to gain the best benefits... allows for a better role-playing on my part, speeds up the game a bit, and mechanically there is no real difference. The immaterial target part just seems to make sense give the extra dimensional nature of the weapon.
2) LONG FANG STRIKE: When detached, the blade of the artifact can be thrown 50 yards. This counts as a use of the weapon for flurrying purposes therefore the attack keeps all bonuses etc. from the stat bar. Due to the nature of the weapon, when thrown into a shadow within 50 yards of the wielder, it can re-emerge from a second shadow no further away than 50 yards and travel an additional 50 yards - a wielder cannot leap-frog extra distance from this maneuver - any charms used to increase distance can increase the first and third distances. The target of the attack must be perceived in all manners which would usually allow for an attack. Like with the shadow strike, the blade travels interdemensionally and reappears out of the chosen shadow within range. Extra chain is stored in Elsewhere and accessed by a number of links that are half in Creation and half in Elsewhere. In-game Mechanism: This is a thrown attack with normally a 150 yard range or 350 yard range with the triple distance attack charm that follows all the rules of a normal thrown weapon attack - no sending the chain around corners or something unless the target is normally a valid target.
3) EIGHT EYES: To many observes the artifact can almost be in multiple places at once... well that is because it almost can. When crafted the artificer created the weapon with a total of eight blades. Seven of the blades, with their own accompanying chain, rest in elsewhere while one of their brothers sits in Creation. All are attached to the hilt through various points in the large base link. Whenever the blade is detached from the hilt, with the expenditure of essence, the weilder can call forth the other blades to make separate attacks from the depths of nearby shadows. In-Game Mechanics: I tried to copy "Striking Serpent Speed" from the exalted book except this is an attack extra action ability (thrown or martial arts). One still needs to role essence x2 to see how many attacks one can get but it is capped at eight. The mote expenditure is 5m the shadow the attack originates from must be within 50 yards. NOTE: Ebon Shadow does not have an extra action charm so I figured I would confront this weakness in a weapon designed for the style.
4)CRUEL WEB PATTERN: With a burst of essence the wielder casts the blade of the artifact into his own shadow and from the darkness around the wielder erupts in cascade of dark essence chains, harpooned from one shadow to another in a web pattern, which bind those within the area. In Game Mechanics: by spending 5 motes the wielder can make a clinch attack (making the weapon Rate 1) against everyone within Essence x5 yards radius. The wielder can exclude up to one person per point of permanent essence. The wielder uses his or her Essence + Martial Arts to make the clinch. Damage is calculated at 4L + Essence + Extra successes. The chains only do damage the first round they are created and after that they can only bind a target after the first round. The chains are made of a dark material spun from essence which lasts for a scene, for all purposes save rigidity simulates silk; and occupy the shadow portals for the scene (so it cannot be used again and again
in the same area). Those bound who break free shatter the bonds that hold the essence and turn the chains to ash. Movement through the area where the chains occupy is reduced to a quarter. NOTE: My intent with this ability is to provide an ability to take care of extras.
5) WAILS OF THE WILLING: The artifact was crafted before the deathlords, before they used soulsteel as the material of choice for their deathknights - when there were no deathknights. Therefore this weapon was created with Solar Exalted in mind; and it was created from the souls of the willing. Willing in that a number of cult members dedicated to the deeds of the Ebon style were willing to forever have their souls bound into the artifact to enable it to carry unique attributes. This weapon is one of the earliest soulsteel creations, ironically created to protect the Unconquered Sun's decree. Only in the hands of a Solar Night Caste will the trapped souls of artifact, r chorus, recognize their master and obey his or her bidding. Thus when the blade is separated from the hilt it will return to the hilt at the will of the master. The weapon will recognize what shadows the master wishes it to leap from and will obey. In short the ancient cultist have not
forgotten their obligation by becoming the chorus. In-game Mechanics: the weapon effectively becomes a soulsteel chain daiklave that can only be wielded by Night Caste Solars. Like all the thrown artifacts the blade, when detached or thrown, comes back to the hilt instantly on command. The attunement cost is 10 motes. NOTE: I would also like the weapon to have some sort of intelligence that can teach Ebon Shadow form. Perhaps over the millennia the numerous consciousness hammered into the metal, through single mindedness and single dedication, have become some sort of hive mind, the chorus... speaks in "we" rather than I when it whispers etc..
Some feed back from other GMs on what they would say to a player proposing this for their new character. Its balance, appropriateness as a five dot artifact, how well each piece is designed, etc.
