So I have an idea for a character who carries around an un-attuned weapon and I'd like some help fleshing out the character and the weapon. So, the character is the daughter of this great, legendary, beloved hero to the people. His exploits have earned them a life in the lap of luxury, so she's grown up celebrated and rich leading to her becoming kinda lazy and spoiled. Her father has trained her but she never took it seriously and now he's basically kicked her out to go help people and become a better person. Her father did give her his legendary weapon (I'm thinking a glaive) and told her that she needs to become worthy of it because only their family can use it. It would probably just be a regular glaive until she's deemed worthy and can attune to it.
So here's where I'd like some help: 1. What kind of stats should this weapon have? And what attunement requirements should it have besides some vague "be heroic" stuff? 2. I figure the weapon is created or blessed by some god. I was thinking of making her a Dragonborn so maybe it's from Bahamut? Not sure, but any ideas on good races/gods/reasons for this weapon to exist would be appreciated. 3. What would be some good stat ideas? I think her charisma and intelligence would be pretty high from going to parties with the high society and reading books instead of training. What about proficiencies and things? Also what would be a good alignment for someone selfish like her? She's not a total jerk, just kinda spoiled and bratty and not used to the adventuring life.
Any help would be appreciated since I'm still new, and let me know if this weapon stuff should go in the Homebrew category or something.
The glaive doesn’t make the warrior; the warrior makes the glaive. So over the course of her career, she has to literally forge the weapon herself, level by level. Talk with your DM and come up with an idea for an item that scales up in power with you.
Fizban's has dragon horde weapons, and Wildemount has vestiges of divergence. Both are examples of weapons that can power up as the character develops depending on different factors. Maybe check those for inspiration, and, obviously, check with your DM about it. Starting with a magic weapon -- if you start at level 1 -- can be quite overpowered. In its initial state, it should probably just be a really nice-looking glaive that is otherwise the stock PHB glaive.
You could also reskin class features. Her class abilities could be activated only when she uses the weapon. Leveling up could be gaining access to new weapon features. For example, if battle master fighter is your class, the maneuvers could be activated weapon abilities. This could be bad if you get separated from the weapon, though.
For anything else, talking with your dm is most important. It’s up to them whether this is viable in your campaign or not and what features it can get. As a dm, I would be open to something like this, in fact, I’m actually running something similar. My caveat is that I have complete control over what the features are and when they are activated. The weapon serves as a measure of the paladin’s god’s approval of the character’s actions and the character’s devotion to their goals. It’s also a helpful way to incorporate their backstory into the campaign. Your dm might feel similarly, or they might allow you to determine the features, but the most important thing is checking with them first.
What if the weapon's power is to absorb the likeness of other weapons? Every third level, you unlock a point of potential in the blade, which can be used to absorb another weapon of the same type. Then you can switch the active effects as a bonus action, giving you a bit more strategy in combat. If it sounds unbalanced, you could also add a limit to how many times you can change the weapon per short or long rest.
3.5e had legacy weapons that are what your describing. They start simple and grow in power on a regular basis. You start by defining the final version of the weapon then break those abilities down into a pattern 5 abilities? Something simple but useful at L1 ( say provides light on command for 1 hr (30’ bright +30’dim) then gains another ability every 5 levels: L5: +1 magic weapon L10: +1D6 extra damage each hit L15: +2 magic weapon L19 ( so you can use it for a level or 2): +2 Dragonslayer glaive.
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So I have an idea for a character who carries around an un-attuned weapon and I'd like some help fleshing out the character and the weapon. So, the character is the daughter of this great, legendary, beloved hero to the people. His exploits have earned them a life in the lap of luxury, so she's grown up celebrated and rich leading to her becoming kinda lazy and spoiled. Her father has trained her but she never took it seriously and now he's basically kicked her out to go help people and become a better person. Her father did give her his legendary weapon (I'm thinking a glaive) and told her that she needs to become worthy of it because only their family can use it. It would probably just be a regular glaive until she's deemed worthy and can attune to it.
So here's where I'd like some help: 1. What kind of stats should this weapon have? And what attunement requirements should it have besides some vague "be heroic" stuff? 2. I figure the weapon is created or blessed by some god. I was thinking of making her a Dragonborn so maybe it's from Bahamut? Not sure, but any ideas on good races/gods/reasons for this weapon to exist would be appreciated. 3. What would be some good stat ideas? I think her charisma and intelligence would be pretty high from going to parties with the high society and reading books instead of training. What about proficiencies and things? Also what would be a good alignment for someone selfish like her? She's not a total jerk, just kinda spoiled and bratty and not used to the adventuring life.
Any help would be appreciated since I'm still new, and let me know if this weapon stuff should go in the Homebrew category or something.
The glaive doesn’t make the warrior; the warrior makes the glaive. So over the course of her career, she has to literally forge the weapon herself, level by level. Talk with your DM and come up with an idea for an item that scales up in power with you.
Fizban's has dragon horde weapons, and Wildemount has vestiges of divergence. Both are examples of weapons that can power up as the character develops depending on different factors. Maybe check those for inspiration, and, obviously, check with your DM about it. Starting with a magic weapon -- if you start at level 1 -- can be quite overpowered. In its initial state, it should probably just be a really nice-looking glaive that is otherwise the stock PHB glaive.
You could also reskin class features. Her class abilities could be activated only when she uses the weapon. Leveling up could be gaining access to new weapon features. For example, if battle master fighter is your class, the maneuvers could be activated weapon abilities. This could be bad if you get separated from the weapon, though.
For anything else, talking with your dm is most important. It’s up to them whether this is viable in your campaign or not and what features it can get. As a dm, I would be open to something like this, in fact, I’m actually running something similar. My caveat is that I have complete control over what the features are and when they are activated. The weapon serves as a measure of the paladin’s god’s approval of the character’s actions and the character’s devotion to their goals. It’s also a helpful way to incorporate their backstory into the campaign. Your dm might feel similarly, or they might allow you to determine the features, but the most important thing is checking with them first.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
What if the weapon's power is to absorb the likeness of other weapons? Every third level, you unlock a point of potential in the blade, which can be used to absorb another weapon of the same type. Then you can switch the active effects as a bonus action, giving you a bit more strategy in combat. If it sounds unbalanced, you could also add a limit to how many times you can change the weapon per short or long rest.
3.5e had legacy weapons that are what your describing. They start simple and grow in power on a regular basis. You start by defining the final version of the weapon then break those abilities down into a pattern 5 abilities? Something simple but useful at L1 ( say provides light on command for 1 hr (30’ bright +30’dim) then gains another ability every 5 levels:
L5: +1 magic weapon
L10: +1D6 extra damage each hit
L15: +2 magic weapon
L19 ( so you can use it for a level or 2): +2 Dragonslayer glaive.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.