Hi guys, I'm a relatively new dm and i want to make a really really powerful weapon that if used a lot makes the user go mad. I didn't really find anything like this online and I don't really know how it would work that's where i need help.
I'm reading the wheel of time series right now and the idea came from there. (The magic there is called the source and the type of source that males use is tainted. The main character is prophesized to go mad because of the taint on the source. He has a sword that makes him as powerful as 10 or maybe a 100 male source user.) I want to make a homebrew weapon based on this that maybe my sorcerer player (whose magic is also "tainted" (wild magic)) could get somehow. Sure he could kill off dozens of enemies at once but maybe he gains a "point of madness" when he does that. How would you guys build this cursed magic weapon? Or any suggestions on stats and exact dmg it would do? Could be a little game breaking that's the point. But then the price he pays has to be high too i think. The one is the series is just a focus i think. He channels the source through it and calls down lightning and stuff so that's kind of what i need it to be i think. But i have no clue where to even start.
The concern in anything like this is balance. This weapon is a powerful macguffin, and so risks making the sorcerer so powerful that they outshine everyone else. The next question is, in what sense do you want them to "go mad"?
The assumption (I never could chew through the Wheel of Time books) is that this madness is supposed to ultimately consume the person and leave them alone and insane, or perhaps obsessed with the power of the sword?
The Gamblers Blade (I think it's called) allows you to choose +1-3 on your attacks for the day, but deducts the same amount from your death saving throws. You could potentially make something similar...
Each time you attack with this weapon or use it as a spellcasting focus, you can choose to apply a bonus of 1-3 to your attack and damage rolls for the attack or spells. The sword has 10 charges to manage that reset on a long rest, so that the player believes that this is why they need to manage it - expend 1-3 charges to add this much to attack and damage this turn. Each time it is fully depleted in a day, it gains 1 maximum charge.
When they have expended 50 charges, they start feeling the effects of the curse - they will no longer willingly part with the weapon. When they have used 100, they will not use any other weapon. When they have used 150, any turn after they use the sword, they roll for confusion When they have used 200, they become mad.
Something like that, so it marks a slow progression. You can adjust this depending on how quickly you want them to fall to madness, and what effects you want your madness to cause!
I really like this but i still would like to make it a little game breaking and something grand. I know addig 3 to rolls is really good but not exactly the grandness i was hoping to achieve. But you got my imagination running with this thank you! The other members of the group also will have things that make them stand out and be powerful because i was kind of hoping for an epic campaign so that they get hooked and it seems to work so far. They're first time players. I'll work something out and maybe put it in a different post ask some experts if it's really really op or just a little.
One thing to consider - especially with first time players - is what really is the cost of going mad? Not to the character, but to the player.
Cause most of the time, it just means you roll up a new character. So this has little downside at all - be godlike for a few sessions and then move on to another character.
But if you decide that no, you want the player to feel punished too, then they're just going to have a few really good sessions and then a few really boring/unpleasant sessions.
This is why you don't see a lot of "godlike" items in D&D, and most of the ones that do exist (Artifacts) have built-in features that make them temporary. They don't really work out in the long term. If you're just doing a few sessions, great. But otherwise I'd be careful with this.
IMO the only way to make this kind of thing work mechanically and narratively, is if the "cost" in terms of madness is that that PC hero becomes an NPC villain. So sure the player can be god-like for a session or two then has to get a new character, but a month or two later the line the players have to deal with the insane former-PC and find a safe way to dispose of the god-like power before it is used to destroy the world.
So you do something like :
God-sword
This ultra powerful weapon contains enough magic to become a god, but its power is tainted, destined to corrupt its wielder. You can use this an action to channel the power of this sword and kill one creature of your choice that you can see that is within 120 ft of you. When used in this way, roll a d20, if the result is less than the CR of the creature you killed you are stricken by madness : your alignment shifts to Chaotic Neutral and you gain the flaw: "I see all other humanoid as irrelevant distractions from my one true purpose: to fulfill my destiny and release the full power of the God-sword". After 2d4+5 days your alignment shifts to Chaotic Evil and you must abandon the party and become an NPC controlled by the DM.
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Hi guys, I'm a relatively new dm and i want to make a really really powerful weapon that if used a lot makes the user go mad. I didn't really find anything like this online and I don't really know how it would work that's where i need help.
I'm reading the wheel of time series right now and the idea came from there. (The magic there is called the source and the type of source that males use is tainted. The main character is prophesized to go mad because of the taint on the source. He has a sword that makes him as powerful as 10 or maybe a 100 male source user.) I want to make a homebrew weapon based on this that maybe my sorcerer player (whose magic is also "tainted" (wild magic)) could get somehow. Sure he could kill off dozens of enemies at once but maybe he gains a "point of madness" when he does that. How would you guys build this cursed magic weapon? Or any suggestions on stats and exact dmg it would do? Could be a little game breaking that's the point. But then the price he pays has to be high too i think. The one is the series is just a focus i think. He channels the source through it and calls down lightning and stuff so that's kind of what i need it to be i think. But i have no clue where to even start.
The concern in anything like this is balance. This weapon is a powerful macguffin, and so risks making the sorcerer so powerful that they outshine everyone else. The next question is, in what sense do you want them to "go mad"?
The assumption (I never could chew through the Wheel of Time books) is that this madness is supposed to ultimately consume the person and leave them alone and insane, or perhaps obsessed with the power of the sword?
The Gamblers Blade (I think it's called) allows you to choose +1-3 on your attacks for the day, but deducts the same amount from your death saving throws. You could potentially make something similar...
Each time you attack with this weapon or use it as a spellcasting focus, you can choose to apply a bonus of 1-3 to your attack and damage rolls for the attack or spells. The sword has 10 charges to manage that reset on a long rest, so that the player believes that this is why they need to manage it - expend 1-3 charges to add this much to attack and damage this turn. Each time it is fully depleted in a day, it gains 1 maximum charge.
When they have expended 50 charges, they start feeling the effects of the curse - they will no longer willingly part with the weapon.
When they have used 100, they will not use any other weapon.
When they have used 150, any turn after they use the sword, they roll for confusion
When they have used 200, they become mad.
Something like that, so it marks a slow progression. You can adjust this depending on how quickly you want them to fall to madness, and what effects you want your madness to cause!
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Hi, thanks for the suggestion!
I really like this but i still would like to make it a little game breaking and something grand. I know addig 3 to rolls is really good but not exactly the grandness i was hoping to achieve. But you got my imagination running with this thank you! The other members of the group also will have things that make them stand out and be powerful because i was kind of hoping for an epic campaign so that they get hooked and it seems to work so far. They're first time players. I'll work something out and maybe put it in a different post ask some experts if it's really really op or just a little.
One thing to consider - especially with first time players - is what really is the cost of going mad? Not to the character, but to the player.
Cause most of the time, it just means you roll up a new character. So this has little downside at all - be godlike for a few sessions and then move on to another character.
But if you decide that no, you want the player to feel punished too, then they're just going to have a few really good sessions and then a few really boring/unpleasant sessions.
This is why you don't see a lot of "godlike" items in D&D, and most of the ones that do exist (Artifacts) have built-in features that make them temporary. They don't really work out in the long term. If you're just doing a few sessions, great. But otherwise I'd be careful with this.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
IMO the only way to make this kind of thing work mechanically and narratively, is if the "cost" in terms of madness is that that PC hero becomes an NPC villain. So sure the player can be god-like for a session or two then has to get a new character, but a month or two later the line the players have to deal with the insane former-PC and find a safe way to dispose of the god-like power before it is used to destroy the world.
So you do something like :
God-sword
This ultra powerful weapon contains enough magic to become a god, but its power is tainted, destined to corrupt its wielder. You can use this an action to channel the power of this sword and kill one creature of your choice that you can see that is within 120 ft of you. When used in this way, roll a d20, if the result is less than the CR of the creature you killed you are stricken by madness : your alignment shifts to Chaotic Neutral and you gain the flaw: "I see all other humanoid as irrelevant distractions from my one true purpose: to fulfill my destiny and release the full power of the God-sword". After 2d4+5 days your alignment shifts to Chaotic Evil and you must abandon the party and become an NPC controlled by the DM.