I’ve been thinking up this symbiotic weapon but need some help fleshing it out. Essentially it is like a living weapon, only it is a bug. The bug attaches to the character’s arm. On a hand-hand attack it would activate and cause 1d? piercing damage (above the damage caused normally) with a stinger shooting out of it, and then 1d? (This damage being of a lower die than the initial strike) slashing or piercing damage for each strike after that. It will only do initial piercing damage again after a short or long rest. I think it should grow with the player, or maybe independently based on how many strikes or kills it assists with(???). As it gets stronger and the player gets stronger it conveys greater benefits. But there has to be a detriment to the character for using a symbiotic weapon. Does it shoot its stinger at people the character is leery of (even when the character doesn’t intend it to) possibly ruining a diplomatic moment? Does it impose a boon to the enemy it strikes, such as causing it to go into a rage, after x-number of rounds? It would cause damage or exhaustion or some kind of penalty or combination of penalties to remove it, that penalty getting worse the longer it is with the character. Any thoughts? Tips? Similar items anybody has created in the past? Thanks!
Oh, there's a lot you can do with this. I like the idea of having something like a living creature attached that makes you stronger in some way.
Here's how I would use it... I'd say treat it as an off-hand weapon, so you can't use it with two-hand weapons.
After landing a melee attack, you can use a bonus action to have the Bug bite the opponent, dealing 1d4 damage. The target creature must then make a DC12 Constitution Check... on a Fail your strength increases by 1 for 1 hour. If the damage from the Bug kills the oppoenent, target creature automatically fails this check. You can gain up to 4 Strength in this manner, and your strength may exceed 20. After the hour completes, you suffer 1 point of exhaustion.
The item should be considered cursed, since that's the easiest way to explain why it can't simply be removed.
I'm also thinking it should give Disadvantage on Persuasion checks while equipped, since you have a big gross bug monster attached to your arm.
I'm not sure how to handle the idea of it growing. Maybe after it lands a set number of kill strikes it increases in damage dealt by 1d4 or something. I think that part needs some balancing, though.
Not a bad idea. I was also thinking that the weapon may have its own alignment and goals. Maybe it is the last of its kind and trying to find a way to reawaken its "bloodline" or "people". I was imagining it as some form of caterpillar, except larger. And maybe as it gets stronger it grows larger, up to the size of the forearm, and then goes to chrysalis form or cocoon stage, and final form it emerges and leaves the host, imbuing the host with some altered form of the benefits its gave while attached.
Perhaps it is cursed, but imagine if out of the legs or the body it grew these tendrils that bound around the arm, and two that came from the head of the creature that actually embedded into the arm (natural anesthetic in the bug numbs the area overnight for attachment without character realizing it?). If it is removed right away, no real side effects. If it is left in place, over time more tendrils bind it down and more embed in the character. If removed later, the character takes psychic or poison or some form of damage due to creature releasing hormones/toxins into bloodstream. Maybe there is some kind of psychic link between the item and the character, or maybe the item has some way to form crude words and convey thoughts?
Disadvantage on persuasion checks is an interesting tie-in. I hadn't thought of that. Better cover that bad boy up with some rags.
Oh sure, makes sense for it to be treated as a sentient being... sentient equipment aren't unheard of in D&D.
It doesn't necessarily need to be actually magically cursed, but I was thinking more along the lines of treating it under the rules of a Cursed item... you can't unequip it after wearing it, and attempts to unequip could have consequences for the player. Maybe when it's first found it appears to be a bracer made out of chitinous material, but after being attuned and worn for a night it hatches and fuses to the body.
I think it would make sense to have like... 4 separate forms that it gradually takes over time. Starts as a seemingly normal bracer, hatches into a caterpillar, then the cocoon state, and finally the hatched form. I'd say you could take the basic stats from it for each form, but maybe add increased powers, but more drawbacks as well. Like... at each moment of growth it increases the damage dealt as well as increasing the DC for the strength absorption, but gives more damage to charisma. Maybe even with the final form you have to make a Strength saving throw after absorbing strength or lose health each time its used... so that using it more makes it easier to avoid the damage, but that also means more chances to take damage in the first place. Maybe after the final form is completed the creature leaves, but the player is left with a permanent strength boost and no downsides. A big reward at the end for taking the effort to raise the creature and bond with it.
lol maybe the creature becomes a familiar at the end as well? Although I think that depends on what kind of personality you think it should have... would it be an evil entity intent on consuming more, or would it be more like an innocent creature that happens to survive by bonding with a host?
You are right, it doesn't need to be cursed, but I can see it working in parallel to a cursed item with that persuasion check disadvantage.
I really like the idea of the chitinous bracer as the first form. That would be pretty awesome. So maybe instead of greater damage on attack, it first gives a boost to AC because of the protection it offers. That is what lures in the wearer at first to keep it on. After it starts to metamorphose, the form becomes more distasteful to those around the wearer. This is when it becomes dangerous to remove. Maybe if it is removed it finds a new host and vows revenge on the original host (spider-man/venom style). Maybe there are two of them (twins), and if one is rejected or doesn't attach itself in time, it takes it as a slight and vows revenge on the other or on the other and the host. Could become a plot line in the story.
Maybe, if this is a legendary weapon in-development through the game, the final phase of the creature leaves the host, and not only gives a boost to strength, but also a memorial of its presence throughout the time they spent together in the form of the PC developing a stinger of his own that manifest's like Daken's (Woverine's son) 3rd claw. Out of the front or back of the wrist or hand. Causes piercing and poison damage on failed CON save. Massive poison damage in this phase since the other effects of the creature, whatever they might be, are removed with the creature's departure. I'm thinking this is a just pre-BBEG development. Level 19-20 stuff.
What do you think?
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I’ve been thinking up this symbiotic weapon but need some help fleshing it out. Essentially it is like a living weapon, only it is a bug. The bug attaches to the character’s arm. On a hand-hand attack it would activate and cause 1d? piercing damage (above the damage caused normally) with a stinger shooting out of it, and then 1d? (This damage being of a lower die than the initial strike) slashing or piercing damage for each strike after that. It will only do initial piercing damage again after a short or long rest. I think it should grow with the player, or maybe independently based on how many strikes or kills it assists with(???). As it gets stronger and the player gets stronger it conveys greater benefits. But there has to be a detriment to the character for using a symbiotic weapon. Does it shoot its stinger at people the character is leery of (even when the character doesn’t intend it to) possibly ruining a diplomatic moment? Does it impose a boon to the enemy it strikes, such as causing it to go into a rage, after x-number of rounds? It would cause damage or exhaustion or some kind of penalty or combination of penalties to remove it, that penalty getting worse the longer it is with the character. Any thoughts? Tips? Similar items anybody has created in the past? Thanks!
Oh, there's a lot you can do with this. I like the idea of having something like a living creature attached that makes you stronger in some way.
Here's how I would use it... I'd say treat it as an off-hand weapon, so you can't use it with two-hand weapons.
After landing a melee attack, you can use a bonus action to have the Bug bite the opponent, dealing 1d4 damage. The target creature must then make a DC12 Constitution Check... on a Fail your strength increases by 1 for 1 hour. If the damage from the Bug kills the oppoenent, target creature automatically fails this check. You can gain up to 4 Strength in this manner, and your strength may exceed 20. After the hour completes, you suffer 1 point of exhaustion.
The item should be considered cursed, since that's the easiest way to explain why it can't simply be removed.
I'm also thinking it should give Disadvantage on Persuasion checks while equipped, since you have a big gross bug monster attached to your arm.
I'm not sure how to handle the idea of it growing. Maybe after it lands a set number of kill strikes it increases in damage dealt by 1d4 or something. I think that part needs some balancing, though.
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Not a bad idea. I was also thinking that the weapon may have its own alignment and goals. Maybe it is the last of its kind and trying to find a way to reawaken its "bloodline" or "people". I was imagining it as some form of caterpillar, except larger. And maybe as it gets stronger it grows larger, up to the size of the forearm, and then goes to chrysalis form or cocoon stage, and final form it emerges and leaves the host, imbuing the host with some altered form of the benefits its gave while attached.
Perhaps it is cursed, but imagine if out of the legs or the body it grew these tendrils that bound around the arm, and two that came from the head of the creature that actually embedded into the arm (natural anesthetic in the bug numbs the area overnight for attachment without character realizing it?). If it is removed right away, no real side effects. If it is left in place, over time more tendrils bind it down and more embed in the character. If removed later, the character takes psychic or poison or some form of damage due to creature releasing hormones/toxins into bloodstream. Maybe there is some kind of psychic link between the item and the character, or maybe the item has some way to form crude words and convey thoughts?
Disadvantage on persuasion checks is an interesting tie-in. I hadn't thought of that. Better cover that bad boy up with some rags.
Any other thoughts?
Oh sure, makes sense for it to be treated as a sentient being... sentient equipment aren't unheard of in D&D.
It doesn't necessarily need to be actually magically cursed, but I was thinking more along the lines of treating it under the rules of a Cursed item... you can't unequip it after wearing it, and attempts to unequip could have consequences for the player. Maybe when it's first found it appears to be a bracer made out of chitinous material, but after being attuned and worn for a night it hatches and fuses to the body.
I think it would make sense to have like... 4 separate forms that it gradually takes over time. Starts as a seemingly normal bracer, hatches into a caterpillar, then the cocoon state, and finally the hatched form. I'd say you could take the basic stats from it for each form, but maybe add increased powers, but more drawbacks as well. Like... at each moment of growth it increases the damage dealt as well as increasing the DC for the strength absorption, but gives more damage to charisma. Maybe even with the final form you have to make a Strength saving throw after absorbing strength or lose health each time its used... so that using it more makes it easier to avoid the damage, but that also means more chances to take damage in the first place. Maybe after the final form is completed the creature leaves, but the player is left with a permanent strength boost and no downsides. A big reward at the end for taking the effort to raise the creature and bond with it.
lol maybe the creature becomes a familiar at the end as well? Although I think that depends on what kind of personality you think it should have... would it be an evil entity intent on consuming more, or would it be more like an innocent creature that happens to survive by bonding with a host?
Watch Crits for Breakfast, an adults-only RP-Heavy Roll20 Livestream at twitch.tv/afterdisbooty
And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
Sorry its been so long since I revisited this.
You are right, it doesn't need to be cursed, but I can see it working in parallel to a cursed item with that persuasion check disadvantage.
I really like the idea of the chitinous bracer as the first form. That would be pretty awesome. So maybe instead of greater damage on attack, it first gives a boost to AC because of the protection it offers. That is what lures in the wearer at first to keep it on. After it starts to metamorphose, the form becomes more distasteful to those around the wearer. This is when it becomes dangerous to remove. Maybe if it is removed it finds a new host and vows revenge on the original host (spider-man/venom style). Maybe there are two of them (twins), and if one is rejected or doesn't attach itself in time, it takes it as a slight and vows revenge on the other or on the other and the host. Could become a plot line in the story.
Maybe, if this is a legendary weapon in-development through the game, the final phase of the creature leaves the host, and not only gives a boost to strength, but also a memorial of its presence throughout the time they spent together in the form of the PC developing a stinger of his own that manifest's like Daken's (Woverine's son) 3rd claw. Out of the front or back of the wrist or hand. Causes piercing and poison damage on failed CON save. Massive poison damage in this phase since the other effects of the creature, whatever they might be, are removed with the creature's departure. I'm thinking this is a just pre-BBEG development. Level 19-20 stuff.
What do you think?