Well, okay. It's a mix of things. Mainly, it plays into narrative causality--he looks more badass, people think he is, so he is. But the main inspriration was Discworld. Cohen the Barbarian is ninety years old and is in good shape...for ninety. He also wears an eyepatch. He, will, however, beat you in a fight. He's spent his whole life fighting and he's extremely, extremely proficient at it.
It's also an observation of media that eyepatches give prominent characters more power and thinking about that made me smile--in the same way that one thread where the player plotted to destroy the game, had the dwarves trying to convince the wizard to grow a beard because beards make a natural magical array which enhances spellcasting powers and that's why all the great wizards who could grow beards, wear them.
So, basically, an eyepatch that makes warriors more proficent at warrioring was the design intent. if you can think of a better way to do that, I'm open to suggestions.
Random D&D 3.X Magic Items (and one that isn't)
Moderator: Moderators
He jumps like a damned dragoon, and charges into battle fighting rather insane monsters with little more than his bare hands and rather nasty spell effects conjured up solely through knowledge and the local plantlife. He unerringly knows where his goal lies, he breathes underwater and is untroubled by space travel, seems to have no limits to his actual endurance and favors killing his enemies by driving both boots square into their skull. His agility is unmatched, and his strength legendary, able to fling about a turtle shell big enough to contain a man with enough force to barrel down a near endless path of unfortunates.
--The horror of Mario
Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath. He is a terrible person and a hack at writing and art. His cultural contributions are less than Justin Bieber's, and he's a shitmuffin. Go go gadget Googlebomb!
--The horror of Mario
Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath. He is a terrible person and a hack at writing and art. His cultural contributions are less than Justin Bieber's, and he's a shitmuffin. Go go gadget Googlebomb!
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Avoraciopoctules
- Overlord
- Posts: 8624
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:48 pm
- Location: Oakland, CA
Interesting. My first instinct is to make an item that gradually boosts the level of the character possessing it until they hit level 5. Perhaps make it Warrior/Adept class levels only and/or make the item addictive to curtail some of the most obvious abuses.
However, something given to a weak character to turn them into a higher-level and possibly-named character doesn't satisfy your "prominent character" power boost criteria. I'll go to sleep and think about it.
EDIT: I do think that a straight level increase with a cap on how far it can take a character works much better than a boost to BAB.
However, something given to a weak character to turn them into a higher-level and possibly-named character doesn't satisfy your "prominent character" power boost criteria. I'll go to sleep and think about it.
EDIT: I do think that a straight level increase with a cap on how far it can take a character works much better than a boost to BAB.
Last edited by Avoraciopoctules on Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Avoraciopoctules
- Overlord
- Posts: 8624
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 5:48 pm
- Location: Oakland, CA
Eyepatch of the Veteran (Takes up 2 Magic Item Slots)
Sometimes, mundane eyepatches used for years by skilled warriors become imbued with magical power, enhancing the combat abilities of those who wear them and pushing the weak or untrained into becoming more like the original wearers.
No matter what weapon the wearer uses, they get an Enhancement Bonus to attack and damage as if they were using a Magic weapon. In addition, they benefit from the Blindsense and All Around Vision item qualities. The wearer may opt to appear as a grizzled veteran soldier of their own race as if benefitting from the Change item quality, and if they use this as part of a disguise or bluff, they should be considered familiar with the role.
The most mysterious property of these items is their ability to gradually transform the wearers into something more resembling the figure that imprinted the patch with power, though there is a limit to how far the magic can take someone by itself. Unnamed NPCs possessing the eyepatch will typically advance in level as Warriors if it remains in their possession according to the following table (though NPCs who engage in combat or receive actual training may advance faster):
Named characters and PCs with the eyepatch may treat Fighter as a Favored Class, and they may retrain any number of existing levels into Fighter levels given an hour of downtime. Characters who gain levels through the possession of this item often become addicted to it, willing to fight to the death rather than give up the eyepatch.
Sometimes, mundane eyepatches used for years by skilled warriors become imbued with magical power, enhancing the combat abilities of those who wear them and pushing the weak or untrained into becoming more like the original wearers.
No matter what weapon the wearer uses, they get an Enhancement Bonus to attack and damage as if they were using a Magic weapon. In addition, they benefit from the Blindsense and All Around Vision item qualities. The wearer may opt to appear as a grizzled veteran soldier of their own race as if benefitting from the Change item quality, and if they use this as part of a disguise or bluff, they should be considered familiar with the role.
The most mysterious property of these items is their ability to gradually transform the wearers into something more resembling the figure that imprinted the patch with power, though there is a limit to how far the magic can take someone by itself. Unnamed NPCs possessing the eyepatch will typically advance in level as Warriors if it remains in their possession according to the following table (though NPCs who engage in combat or receive actual training may advance faster):
| Level | Time until level-up |
| 1 | 1 day |
| 2 | 3 days |
| 3 | 1 week |
| 4 | 1 month |
| 5 | [eyepatch no longer helps] |
Named characters and PCs with the eyepatch may treat Fighter as a Favored Class, and they may retrain any number of existing levels into Fighter levels given an hour of downtime. Characters who gain levels through the possession of this item often become addicted to it, willing to fight to the death rather than give up the eyepatch.
I was bored and wanted to make the joke.
The Pretty Penny
Major Artifact
The Pretty Penny is a small copper coin of such astounding beauty and polish, it may be exchanged for anything the bearer wants. Land, power, wealth, items, lives, freedom, behavior. The 'seller' has no choice in refusing it. The Pretty Penny is just that gorgeous.
The bearer will get what he wants in exchange for the Pretty Penny. As such, it has been the subject of many, many power plays, stolen, recovered, lost, found, hidden, found, and the cause of so much chaos it's called the Bad Penny, as well. You may think the person being traded the Pretty Penny for their possessions would be unhappy with the trade, but the fact is they're in possession of the Pretty Penny and they can go find what they want and trade for it, the exception being whatever they gave in exchange for the penny.
The person 'selling' their stuff must have way to understand the trade--common language, pantomine, whatever--and must not be mindless.
Scholars tracking its history have theorized it has some will of its own, as it moves around and causes a lot of chaos and refuses to stay lost and once fell through a sphere of annihilation with no discernible harm. They agree it's not going away any time soon.
Trying to cease possession of the coin without trading it--by means of burying it, throwing it away, stashing it somewhere, so etc. means it will turn up in your pockets the next time you check them. Or in your possessions some way or another.
If the coin is stolen from its current rightful possessor, it has a 50% chance of coming back to him within a day or two. Flip a coin--heads it comes back, tails it doesn't. If it does return, it just turns up like you'd tried to cease possession of it--it just shows up. Even if it doesn't return immediately, it tends to show up sooner or later. It seems to note who wants it and find its way to them.
The Pretty Penny
Major Artifact
The Pretty Penny is a small copper coin of such astounding beauty and polish, it may be exchanged for anything the bearer wants. Land, power, wealth, items, lives, freedom, behavior. The 'seller' has no choice in refusing it. The Pretty Penny is just that gorgeous.
The bearer will get what he wants in exchange for the Pretty Penny. As such, it has been the subject of many, many power plays, stolen, recovered, lost, found, hidden, found, and the cause of so much chaos it's called the Bad Penny, as well. You may think the person being traded the Pretty Penny for their possessions would be unhappy with the trade, but the fact is they're in possession of the Pretty Penny and they can go find what they want and trade for it, the exception being whatever they gave in exchange for the penny.
The person 'selling' their stuff must have way to understand the trade--common language, pantomine, whatever--and must not be mindless.
Scholars tracking its history have theorized it has some will of its own, as it moves around and causes a lot of chaos and refuses to stay lost and once fell through a sphere of annihilation with no discernible harm. They agree it's not going away any time soon.
Trying to cease possession of the coin without trading it--by means of burying it, throwing it away, stashing it somewhere, so etc. means it will turn up in your pockets the next time you check them. Or in your possessions some way or another.
If the coin is stolen from its current rightful possessor, it has a 50% chance of coming back to him within a day or two. Flip a coin--heads it comes back, tails it doesn't. If it does return, it just turns up like you'd tried to cease possession of it--it just shows up. Even if it doesn't return immediately, it tends to show up sooner or later. It seems to note who wants it and find its way to them.
He jumps like a damned dragoon, and charges into battle fighting rather insane monsters with little more than his bare hands and rather nasty spell effects conjured up solely through knowledge and the local plantlife. He unerringly knows where his goal lies, he breathes underwater and is untroubled by space travel, seems to have no limits to his actual endurance and favors killing his enemies by driving both boots square into their skull. His agility is unmatched, and his strength legendary, able to fling about a turtle shell big enough to contain a man with enough force to barrel down a near endless path of unfortunates.
--The horror of Mario
Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath. He is a terrible person and a hack at writing and art. His cultural contributions are less than Justin Bieber's, and he's a shitmuffin. Go go gadget Googlebomb!
--The horror of Mario
Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath. He is a terrible person and a hack at writing and art. His cultural contributions are less than Justin Bieber's, and he's a shitmuffin. Go go gadget Googlebomb!
New Discworld Item
The Governess' Poker
When you're a child, the world is... not exactly simple... but... stark. There is White, and there is Black. The only shades of grey one finds is in the natures of the White and Black. However, the strongest magic anywhere lies in the hearts and minds of children. You may face snarling manticores, fire breathing dragons, and hideous gorgons, but they are as nothing to the terror evoked by those creatures seen by children, which lesser governess' threaten with to discourage certain behaviours.
The Scissor Man, the Creature That Lurks Under Your Bed, The Cellar, and even the Dresser. These monsters frighten, terrify, and seek to devour children.
How interesting, then, that the very belief that calls these foul beasts into being also bestowed a simple fire poker with the power to defeat them.
The Governess' Poker is a simple fireplace poker, but with a very great power. It may strike the terrors of night, and drive them away. It allows it's bearer to see invisible, and the benefits of true seeing, and otherwise pierces the powers of obfuscation that monsters use to hide from the world, even granting the ability to Detect Evil. It is magic, and in fact deals damage as a morningstar (1d8, x2).
However, it only works on monsters.
Against Evil creatures, it strikes as if it's enhancement were three points higher. Against neutral targets, it is little better than a normal fire poker (1d6, x2, -4 improvised weapon). Against Good targets, it passes straight through, leaving the creature unharmed.
The Governess' Poker
When you're a child, the world is... not exactly simple... but... stark. There is White, and there is Black. The only shades of grey one finds is in the natures of the White and Black. However, the strongest magic anywhere lies in the hearts and minds of children. You may face snarling manticores, fire breathing dragons, and hideous gorgons, but they are as nothing to the terror evoked by those creatures seen by children, which lesser governess' threaten with to discourage certain behaviours.
The Scissor Man, the Creature That Lurks Under Your Bed, The Cellar, and even the Dresser. These monsters frighten, terrify, and seek to devour children.
How interesting, then, that the very belief that calls these foul beasts into being also bestowed a simple fire poker with the power to defeat them.
The Governess' Poker is a simple fireplace poker, but with a very great power. It may strike the terrors of night, and drive them away. It allows it's bearer to see invisible, and the benefits of true seeing, and otherwise pierces the powers of obfuscation that monsters use to hide from the world, even granting the ability to Detect Evil. It is magic, and in fact deals damage as a morningstar (1d8, x2).
However, it only works on monsters.
Against Evil creatures, it strikes as if it's enhancement were three points higher. Against neutral targets, it is little better than a normal fire poker (1d6, x2, -4 improvised weapon). Against Good targets, it passes straight through, leaving the creature unharmed.
Cuz apparently I gotta break this down for you dense motherfuckers- I'm trans feminine nonbinary. My pronouns are they/them.
Winnah wrote:No, No. 'Prak' is actually a Thri Kreen impersonating a human and roleplaying himself as a D&D character. All hail our hidden insect overlords.
FrankTrollman wrote:In Soviet Russia, cosmic horror is the default state.
You should gain sanity for finding out that the problems of a region are because there are fucking monsters there.
So, what's your current Discworld tally? I mean, how many have you read?
He jumps like a damned dragoon, and charges into battle fighting rather insane monsters with little more than his bare hands and rather nasty spell effects conjured up solely through knowledge and the local plantlife. He unerringly knows where his goal lies, he breathes underwater and is untroubled by space travel, seems to have no limits to his actual endurance and favors killing his enemies by driving both boots square into their skull. His agility is unmatched, and his strength legendary, able to fling about a turtle shell big enough to contain a man with enough force to barrel down a near endless path of unfortunates.
--The horror of Mario
Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath. He is a terrible person and a hack at writing and art. His cultural contributions are less than Justin Bieber's, and he's a shitmuffin. Go go gadget Googlebomb!
--The horror of Mario
Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath. He is a terrible person and a hack at writing and art. His cultural contributions are less than Justin Bieber's, and he's a shitmuffin. Go go gadget Googlebomb!
umm... *pulls up a reading order jpg*
Looks like 22.
Looks like 22.
Cuz apparently I gotta break this down for you dense motherfuckers- I'm trans feminine nonbinary. My pronouns are they/them.
Winnah wrote:No, No. 'Prak' is actually a Thri Kreen impersonating a human and roleplaying himself as a D&D character. All hail our hidden insect overlords.
FrankTrollman wrote:In Soviet Russia, cosmic horror is the default state.
You should gain sanity for finding out that the problems of a region are because there are fucking monsters there.