Reading up on magic items like many I feel in love with the fantasy knockoff of a light saber, the Sun Blade. I was excited to let my players get their hands on it but they weren’t quite at the level to be running around with a rare and might magical weapon like that. So I created a less powerful but more varied version, the Hilt of Dynamism.
Seemingly a inconspicuous copper hilt belonging to a long broken weapon its vessel draws out the latent magical nature of its wielder. Each user of the Hilt of Dynamism chooses a single handed melee weapon and a damage type (elemental or physical excluding radiant and force), the hilt manifests this form as well as taking on that weapons damage die and properties. As a bonus action you can focus on the hilt to manifest the weapon or cause it to dissipate. Once the wielder has chosen the hilts form this form is permanent, never changing for that wielder.
You gain a 1+ bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon. Regardless of the form you choose the magical aura of the weapon emits a glow of dim light for 15ft. If the weapon leaves you hand, being dropped or thrown for example, it’s form gradually weakens returning to the hilt if not picked up by the end of your next turn.
I’ve already introduced this to my players and they have had a fun time passing it around to try out each persons unique form, “the goblin manifests a scimitar of green flames, the drow a spear of bitter cold, a deranged gnome with a dagger of seething necrotic energy”. I haven’t had any issues so far but I do want to refine and improve it so I can use it without worry in future campaigns. If anyone has any opinions or suggestions, or even decide to throw it into your campaign let me know your thoughts.
Seems fine on the surface. The wording could use some cleaning up.
There's no such thing as "elemental" or "physical" damage types in the rules, and if the intent is to allow anything other than force or radiant, you might as well cut that part out altogether.
Another minor problem is that it's not clear what the weapon is made of when choosing bludgeoning, piercing or slashing, or even whether it's harmful to the touch. A polearm doesn't have a hilt and in practice the wielder will want to shift their grip to different parts of the shaft. Likewise, there are longsword fencing techniques where the blade is held at the tip so the hilt can be used as a hammer, or the second hand holds the blade halfway up for more precise thrusts, and even techniques where you grab hold of your enemy's blade. It'd be handy to clarify how non-hilted weapons manifest and whether the weapon is harmful on contact.
Seems fine on the surface. The wording could use some cleaning up.
There's no such thing as "elemental" or "physical" damage types in the rules, and if the intent is to allow anything other than force or radiant, you might as well cut that part out altogether.
Another minor problem is that it's not clear what the weapon is made of when choosing bludgeoning, piercing or slashing, or even whether it's harmful to the touch. A polearm doesn't have a hilt and in practice the wielder will want to shift their grip to different parts of the shaft. Likewise, there are longsword fencing techniques where the blade is held at the tip so the hilt can be used as a hammer, or the second hand holds the blade halfway up for more precise thrusts, and even techniques where you grab hold of your enemy's blade. It'd be handy to clarify how non-hilted weapons manifest and whether the weapon is harmful on contact.
Those are some good points I'll clean it up and try to clarify some of those details. I definitely imagine the business end of this thing being dangerous to touch, and while I did intend for slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing to be options it's hard to imagine it exactly. I'd personally figure a mass if razor sharp dust for slashing or energy condensing into a solid form like spiritual weapon, cutting that down wording it into a easily digestible way I might have to think about if it needs explaining 🤔
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Reading up on magic items like many I feel in love with the fantasy knockoff of a light saber, the Sun Blade. I was excited to let my players get their hands on it but they weren’t quite at the level to be running around with a rare and might magical weapon like that. So I created a less powerful but more varied version, the Hilt of Dynamism.
I’ve already introduced this to my players and they have had a fun time passing it around to try out each persons unique form, “the goblin manifests a scimitar of green flames, the drow a spear of bitter cold, a deranged gnome with a dagger of seething necrotic energy”. I haven’t had any issues so far but I do want to refine and improve it so I can use it without worry in future campaigns. If anyone has any opinions or suggestions, or even decide to throw it into your campaign let me know your thoughts.
Seems fine on the surface. The wording could use some cleaning up.
There's no such thing as "elemental" or "physical" damage types in the rules, and if the intent is to allow anything other than force or radiant, you might as well cut that part out altogether.
Another minor problem is that it's not clear what the weapon is made of when choosing bludgeoning, piercing or slashing, or even whether it's harmful to the touch. A polearm doesn't have a hilt and in practice the wielder will want to shift their grip to different parts of the shaft. Likewise, there are longsword fencing techniques where the blade is held at the tip so the hilt can be used as a hammer, or the second hand holds the blade halfway up for more precise thrusts, and even techniques where you grab hold of your enemy's blade. It'd be handy to clarify how non-hilted weapons manifest and whether the weapon is harmful on contact.
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Those are some good points I'll clean it up and try to clarify some of those details. I definitely imagine the business end of this thing being dangerous to touch, and while I did intend for slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing to be options it's hard to imagine it exactly. I'd personally figure a mass if razor sharp dust for slashing or energy condensing into a solid form like spiritual weapon, cutting that down wording it into a easily digestible way I might have to think about if it needs explaining 🤔