The party fighter is regularly doing twice the damage of the other party members. It may be largely due to a sword I gave him that is OP for 5e...In a fight I ramped up the CR for to compensate, the rest of the party nearly died. How can I restore balance?
I have two methods: One, if he is OP give the other players OP stuff and then they can survive alongside the Fighter. Two, make someone steal the sword stealthily and have them try to retrieve it. Make the thief also have a special object that can one time remove the attunement of someone to their magic item to allow for the Thief to steal it and then have them fight against a person who is using the weapon.
I wouldn't just "steal" the sword. I would talk to the player. Explain the problem.
I'm sure the player has enjoyed his "time in the light", but a good player will recognize it's detrimental to the party. If you can't balance encounters properly because of the item a good player should "get" that, and won't want to see the party ROFL stomped.
Put together a not OP magic weapon to replace it.
With buy-in from the player they won't feel "cheated".
Does the fighter believe in anything? Like do they have a cause? Maybe they can donate the sword to an NPC or his Faction.
Maybe he wants to make the sword a plot device, it gets stolen and the party goes searching for it. He knows they won't find it, but the party doesn't. Maybe the Big Bad needs it for something?
I just love to mess with my players in that way. What are the stats of this weapon anyway and what level is the party? Help us understand why this is really OP for their level.
I wish we knew more about what this special sword was. What if the sword in question starts taking a toll on him using it? What if every time he uses it to make an attack, you ask him to roll 1d20 and tell you the result. Then, just smile politely, make a note behind your DM screen, and then move on without explaining what's going on or why he rolled. Now, if he ever rolls a 5 or lower on an attack roll, he suddenly takes 3d10 necrotic damage and suffers a level of exhaustion as the blade sucks his energy away (if you want, you could ask for a CON saving throw to halve the damage or something).
This is just an idea... But my main point is to offer some kind of consequence for choosing to use such a strong weapon. Don't just take it away and say, "haha now try and get it back" give him a choice... "Mr. Fighter, do you want to risk using the powerful blade at the chance of losing your soul?"
I wouldn't just "steal" the sword. I would talk to the player. Explain the problem.
I'm sure the player has enjoyed his "time in the light", but a good player will recognize it's detrimental to the party. If you can't balance encounters properly because of the item a good player should "get" that, and won't want to see the party ROFL stomped.
Put together a not OP magic weapon to replace it.
With buy-in from the player they won't feel "cheated".
Does the fighter believe in anything? Like do they have a cause? Maybe they can donate the sword to an NPC or his Faction.
Maybe he wants to make the sword a plot device, it gets stolen and the party goes searching for it. He knows they won't find it, but the party doesn't. Maybe the Big Bad needs it for something?
This is pretty much what I was thinking of as well. Definitely speak with the player. With the fighter's buy-in (ideally) the sword could get destroyed or stolen or depowered and now you have a great plot device to rebuild or recover this obviously powerful sword. Or heck, a well-crafted plot could even prompt the fighter to voluntarily give up the sword to an allied king who needs a powerful weapon to lead his army into combat against an invading force. The party and the fighter would be credited and they may all receive some other sort of reward that doesn't throw the game out of balance so much. Sure he lost a magic sword, but if the party gets a small castle or manor as a reward for his contribution, maybe everyone comes out ahead.
And while Bunny talks about the fighter knowing the sword will never be found, it might instead be an issue where the sword is just overpowered at the party's current level and if this quest takes a while and the party levels up, it could be that by the time they get the sword back, it might not be as overpowered anymore. Then the fighter is reunited with his sword that now can have some extra significance to it from a storytelling standpoint. I also like what Wysperra is getting at. Such an uncommonly powerful sword may be sentient and it could be that it just hasn't figured out how to communicate with the fighter yet. And sentient weapons open the door to all kinds of fun and craziness.
I certainly understand the concern of pumping too much power into something and throwing off the party's balance. I am constantly vigilant to avoid this--possibly to the point of being too stingy with upgraded weapons.
Monks have a lot of combat utility, but don't have the raw power that a fighter possesses.
The monk will excel at more complex situations - say there is a necromancer standing behind a dozen undead - the fighter has to engage the undead and fight through them, whilst the necromancer throws spells at them - the monk is much better suited to using their mobility and taking the fight directly to the necromancer, while the fighter holds off the undead.
In short, as a DM, you can create fights that the monk will be better at, or fights that require the talents of a wizard.
Monks have a lot of combat utility, but don't have the raw power that a fighter possesses.
The monk will excel at more complex situations - say there is a necromancer standing behind a dozen undead - the fighter has to engage the undead and fight through them, whilst the necromancer throws spells at them - the monk is much better suited to using their mobility and taking the fight directly to the necromancer, while the fighter holds off the undead.
In short, as a DM, you can create fights that the monk will be better at, or fights that require the talents of a wizard.
Also it is important to note that most spell casters are "slow" to catch up to the Martial classes. Once they reach level 7 and the Wizard learns spells like Polymorph or Black Tentacles, then the Wizard will catch up quickly.
Back in the 90s when I was playing 2e, I had a sword called the Sword of the Dales. It was a pretty nice sword, especially for someone level 6 or 7ish at the time. Anyhow, we ended up in a sewer in Zhentil Keep I believe it was, and we got attacked by a crawling hand. As usual I whipped out my sword and attacked it. I rolled, and hit. The DM gave me an out; he was like you're hitting the UNHOLY HAND with the Sword of the Dales? I was like yeah. He said "Are you sure?" At this point, I knew I was boned, but I'd already said I was doing it, so I followed through. The blue glow from the sword faded and it grew heavier in my hand.
Darned thing disenchanted my sword. I can't find a listing for the monster any more (I lost all my old books years ago), but I remember the encounter clearly. The DM showed me the listing on the Unholy Hand as I'd never seen one of those before. You might come up with a custom monster that does the same thing and disenchants his sword.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Go with the cursed route. The fighter begins to get corrupted/controlled by it acting under it's will as it sees itself superior to the fighter itself. Every time the fighter uses it roll a DC 15 wisdom check. If he beats it, the swing goes through. If not the sword does what it wants even if it means attacking the nearest thing to the fighter, such as an ally. The sword would need to be inspected/beaten in a battle of wills, or trial through combat against a magical avatar of the sword for the fighter to overcome. Or the fighter would need to accomplish feats that the sword would deem worthy for it to be used to it's full extent.
Go with the cursed route. The fighter begins to get corrupted/controlled by it acting under it's will as it sees itself superior to the fighter itself. Every time the fighter uses it roll a DC 15 wisdom check.
Taking control of a player's character is often bad for business.
Pass the player a note and that says "X are worth more exp for you if you use the sword" That way, the player does the killing of his own accord. However, it's just the sword filling his head with shite, not really giving any real benefit.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
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The party fighter is regularly doing twice the damage of the other party members. It may be largely due to a sword I gave him that is OP for 5e...In a fight I ramped up the CR for to compensate, the rest of the party nearly died. How can I restore balance?
I have two methods: One, if he is OP give the other players OP stuff and then they can survive alongside the Fighter. Two, make someone steal the sword stealthily and have them try to retrieve it. Make the thief also have a special object that can one time remove the attunement of someone to their magic item to allow for the Thief to steal it and then have them fight against a person who is using the weapon.
I wouldn't just "steal" the sword. I would talk to the player.
Explain the problem.
I'm sure the player has enjoyed his "time in the light", but a good player will recognize it's detrimental to the party. If you can't balance encounters properly because of the item a good player should "get" that, and won't want to see the party ROFL stomped.
Put together a not OP magic weapon to replace it.
With buy-in from the player they won't feel "cheated".
Does the fighter believe in anything? Like do they have a cause? Maybe they can donate the sword to an NPC or his Faction.
Maybe he wants to make the sword a plot device, it gets stolen and the party goes searching for it. He knows they won't find it, but the party doesn't. Maybe the Big Bad needs it for something?
I just love to mess with my players in that way. What are the stats of this weapon anyway and what level is the party? Help us understand why this is really OP for their level.
I wish we knew more about what this special sword was. What if the sword in question starts taking a toll on him using it? What if every time he uses it to make an attack, you ask him to roll 1d20 and tell you the result. Then, just smile politely, make a note behind your DM screen, and then move on without explaining what's going on or why he rolled. Now, if he ever rolls a 5 or lower on an attack roll, he suddenly takes 3d10 necrotic damage and suffers a level of exhaustion as the blade sucks his energy away (if you want, you could ask for a CON saving throw to halve the damage or something).
This is just an idea... But my main point is to offer some kind of consequence for choosing to use such a strong weapon. Don't just take it away and say, "haha now try and get it back" give him a choice... "Mr. Fighter, do you want to risk using the powerful blade at the chance of losing your soul?"
I'd go with having the rest of the party earn better loot too.
If you don't want to go that route, in the middle of a fight, have the sword start talking.
"Yes! more blood for the blood god! More death for Khorne!"
Have it build up so eventually it starts to talk out of combat. "Yes, that one! THAT child! Khorne demands the blood of the innocent!"
You can then add a side quest to purify or destroy the weapon.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
It's a +2 greatsword that deals +1d8 force damage. >_< It was a gift from a fey lady in exchange for three tasks done, so maybe the deal goes sour....
This is pretty much what I was thinking of as well. Definitely speak with the player. With the fighter's buy-in (ideally) the sword could get destroyed or stolen or depowered and now you have a great plot device to rebuild or recover this obviously powerful sword. Or heck, a well-crafted plot could even prompt the fighter to voluntarily give up the sword to an allied king who needs a powerful weapon to lead his army into combat against an invading force. The party and the fighter would be credited and they may all receive some other sort of reward that doesn't throw the game out of balance so much. Sure he lost a magic sword, but if the party gets a small castle or manor as a reward for his contribution, maybe everyone comes out ahead.
And while Bunny talks about the fighter knowing the sword will never be found, it might instead be an issue where the sword is just overpowered at the party's current level and if this quest takes a while and the party levels up, it could be that by the time they get the sword back, it might not be as overpowered anymore. Then the fighter is reunited with his sword that now can have some extra significance to it from a storytelling standpoint. I also like what Wysperra is getting at. Such an uncommonly powerful sword may be sentient and it could be that it just hasn't figured out how to communicate with the fighter yet. And sentient weapons open the door to all kinds of fun and craziness.
I certainly understand the concern of pumping too much power into something and throwing off the party's balance. I am constantly vigilant to avoid this--possibly to the point of being too stingy with upgraded weapons.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
What sort of level is the party?
That's a decent weapon for levels 10-15 I'd say, but it depends on the campaign.
One other thing to remember - it depends on what the rest of the party are - don't forget that fighters are supposed to be good at fighting. :)
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If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Er...six...
The other PC's were a wizard and a monk. The monk should be able to match him in combat, no?
The sword is cursed. The fey lady is trying to control him with it.
Monks have a lot of combat utility, but don't have the raw power that a fighter possesses.
The monk will excel at more complex situations - say there is a necromancer standing behind a dozen undead - the fighter has to engage the undead and fight through them, whilst the necromancer throws spells at them - the monk is much better suited to using their mobility and taking the fight directly to the necromancer, while the fighter holds off the undead.
In short, as a DM, you can create fights that the monk will be better at, or fights that require the talents of a wizard.
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
Also it is important to note that most spell casters are "slow" to catch up to the Martial classes. Once they reach level 7 and the Wizard learns spells like Polymorph or Black Tentacles, then the Wizard will catch up quickly.
Thanks, all.
Back in the 90s when I was playing 2e, I had a sword called the Sword of the Dales. It was a pretty nice sword, especially for someone level 6 or 7ish at the time. Anyhow, we ended up in a sewer in Zhentil Keep I believe it was, and we got attacked by a crawling hand. As usual I whipped out my sword and attacked it. I rolled, and hit. The DM gave me an out; he was like you're hitting the UNHOLY HAND with the Sword of the Dales? I was like yeah. He said "Are you sure?" At this point, I knew I was boned, but I'd already said I was doing it, so I followed through. The blue glow from the sword faded and it grew heavier in my hand.
Darned thing disenchanted my sword. I can't find a listing for the monster any more (I lost all my old books years ago), but I remember the encounter clearly. The DM showed me the listing on the Unholy Hand as I'd never seen one of those before. You might come up with a custom monster that does the same thing and disenchants his sword.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Go with the cursed route. The fighter begins to get corrupted/controlled by it acting under it's will as it sees itself superior to the fighter itself. Every time the fighter uses it roll a DC 15 wisdom check. If he beats it, the swing goes through. If not the sword does what it wants even if it means attacking the nearest thing to the fighter, such as an ally. The sword would need to be inspected/beaten in a battle of wills, or trial through combat against a magical avatar of the sword for the fighter to overcome. Or the fighter would need to accomplish feats that the sword would deem worthy for it to be used to it's full extent.
Taking control of a player's character is often bad for business.
Pass the player a note and that says "X are worth more exp for you if you use the sword" That way, the player does the killing of his own accord. However, it's just the sword filling his head with shite, not really giving any real benefit.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale