vorpal sword

[StephenMcG]

I am thinking of throwing in a magic item in the next game I run.  The villain has made a vorpal sword using Thanatari magic.  I am conflicted about how to make it work.  I know that it holds magic, POW was poured into it, the swordsman choose to activate using a native point which uses up some if the stored POW and it remains active for 15 minutes, like a rune spell.  What happens then?

My first inclination was to say that, when activated, special successes gain an automatic head location rather than a slash effect.  But really that is just the equivalent of waiting until SR12 and taking a hit chance penalty.

Should it be on top of the slash damage? Should there be two POW costs, they may not know they both also inflict INT damage that automatically is dedicated to Thanatar...

Essentially I want them to think hard about tackling this guy.  I want them to explore combat options like disarm etc. or using other tactics.  I also hope they get the sword with some magic left in it, which they can use (risking chaos taint) and potentially being tempted to deal with devil if they want it recharged. This will be their first potential compromise, chais until now has been the foul side of gorp and broo. 

Thoughts?

Stephen

[Bill the barbarian]

Sorry to joke, but two words come to mind! Snicker and Snack!
I know it is one word ya buncha freaking pedants!

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by Bill the barbarian

[David Scott]

6 hours ago, StephenMcG said:

I am thinking of throwing in a magic item in the next game I run.  The villain has made a vorpal sword using Thanatari magic.  I am conflicted about how to make it work.  I know that it holds magic, POW was poured into it, the swordsman choose to activate using a native point which uses up some if the stored POW and it remains active for 15 minutes, like a rune spell.  What happens then?

Treat it as a new rune spell enchanted into a weapon. Note that this is a 3 point spell as it's comparable to sever spirit.

Decapitation

3 points

Touch, instant, stackable

Caster may stack additional rune points when casting on a slashing weapon (not axes obviously), with each point allows an additional decapitation. If the weapon achieves a special success or better the caster may attempt a POW vs POW roll for decapitation. If successful the target is decapitated. No damage roll is needed. Due to the magic used, the head may be used in a Create Head ritual, instead of a garrotted victim.

---

Now just decide how many additional Rune points were stacked into it when created. Like all Enchantments it uses POW x5 to use. To recharge it, it needs to go back to the temple and be part of a worship ceremony. I'd suggest 6 points, then there's 2 x 3 available or 1 x 3 +3 extra hits. See page RQG 334 or RBM 64  Matrix Creation. As Thanatari have no access to common rune magic or enchantments, this was created using a head that knew the spell or Consume mind.

I'm not sure they'd get a Chaos Taint or Chaos feature chance from this. Also remember that most cults would add a restriction of cult members only with an extra POW when enchanting it. Using Plunder as a guide, this is an enemy item to Humakti cultists, as the spirit is still attached to the head.

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by David Scott

[Rodney Dangerduck]

I'd check out Bless Thunderstone as a baseline, then adapt for the vorpal sword 

[Squaredeal Sten]

I agree with David about this sword being the equivalent of Sever Spirit. 

You might argue that the 20% (special success) requirement makes it less powerful than Sever spirit -  but if its spell lasts for 15 minutes, that means it's good for multiple decapitations, which i would argue makes it more powerful than a single Sever Spirit in the hands of a high-skill swordsman.  At 90% skill, there is a 55% chance of achieving a special inside of four melee rounds.

Now, questions - 

Will the opponent be able to parry?  Remember the suggested spec was not even having to roll for damage... just thinking of the implications here.

 Will your players' adventurers survive this?  If wielded by a high-DEX NPC, who may get to hit before the player, it just leads to a single POW vs POW die roll killing a player - IF the wielder, as suggested, needs a special -  20% of the time.  And of course this would not be in the hands of a low POW swordsman. 

If you don't want it good for 15 minutes, but want to tone it down (!) to the level of an ordinary Sever Spirit, but want it good for multiple hits, put a piece of Truestone in the handle to carry additional rune points.  Now you can exterminate a whole party and end your campaign.

 

[StephenMcG]

2 minutes ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

I agree with David about this sword being the equivalent of Sever Spirit. 

You might argue that the 20% (special success) requirement makes it less powerful than Sever spirit -  but if its spell lasts for 15 minutes, that means it's good for multiple decapitations, which i would argue makes it more powerful than a single Sever Spirit in the hands of a high-skill swordsman.  At 90% skill, there is a 55% chance of achieving a special inside of four melee rounds.

Well, if we are talking straight decapitation then I agree.  If we are talking just a neck hit, then I don't.  🙂  Especially if it is simply a normal hit rather than special damage.

In the hands of a high skill swordsman, doing an aimed blow, has a 31% of doing a special inside 4 rounds.  I am essentially not even doubling the chance of that special and, in this case, that special would get special damage (slash in the case of a broadsword).

 

2 minutes ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Will the opponent be able to parry?  Remember the suggested spec was not even having to roll for damage... just thinking of the implications here.

 Will your players' adventurers survive this?  If wielded by a high-DEX NPC, who may get to hit before the player, it just leads to a single POW vs POW die roll killing a player - IF the wielder, as suggested, needs a special -  20% of the time.  And of course this would not be in the hands of a low POW swordsman.

I was thinking that a parry would indeed be possible.  The spec you are talking about is David's not mine.

I like David's suggestion but I think it us indeed a step up in power.  Am going to look at Bless Thunderstone to see what I think about judging something on that level.

I had neglected thinking about enchantments, which folk are right to point me towards.  The point of my mail however was trying to gauge the relative power of a sword that gives an auto head hit rather than special damage.  I now have several idwas on building vorpal swords of varying power but no idea of what the relative power is.

Also, you have no idea of the abilities of the opponent, nor those abilities in relation to the players.  I have managed to have this campaign running for three or four years and only killed one character so far. I think I am doing OK.

[StephenMcG]

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

Treat it as a new rune spell enchanted into a weapon. Note that this is a 3 point spell as it's comparable to sever spirit.

Decapitation

3 points

Touch, instant, stackable

Caster may stack additional rune points when casting on a slashing weapon (not axes obviously), with each point allows an additional decapitation. If the weapon achieves a special success or better the caster may attempt a POW vs POW roll for decapitation. If successful the target is decapitated. No damage roll is needed. Due to the magic used, the head may be used in a Create Head ritual, instead of a garrotted victim.

Oof!  This is a serious upgrade to what I was suggesting but one that I might consider for an upgraded villain, or upgraded item. 🙂

What I value is the pointer to the enchantment rules and then see if I can find a similarly powered spell.  That should give me an idea of how powerful the effect is.

Thank you.

Stephen

[Dragon]

31 minutes ago, StephenMcG said:

I was thinking that a parry would indeed be possible.  The spec you are talking about is David's not mine.

I like David's suggestion but I think it us indeed a step up in power.  Am going to look at Bless Thunderstone to see what I think about judging something on that level.

I had neglected thinking about enchantments, which folk are right to point me towards.  The point of my mail however was trying to gauge the relative power of a sword that gives an auto head hit rather than special damage.  I now have several idwas on building vorpal swords of varying power but no idea of what the relative power is.

Also, you have no idea of the abilities of the opponent, nor those abilities in relation to the players.  I have managed to have this campaign running for three or four years and only killed one character so far. I think I am doing OK.

If you want the party to be able to use it after they defeat the boss, as you indicated may happen, I would suggest just adding the ability to auto-roll location as '20' on any critical or special. Keep it with special or critical damage as indicated by the Skill roll. And the victim can parry or dodge as normal. This isn't D&D, where a hit automatically does damage. It is RQG where parries and armor reduce damage. Don't confuse the world systems.

Once the victim parries and stops all or most of the blow, the victim will still be scared of the idea that special or critical damage unnaturally goes right at the head. As GM, I would definitely let them know. Just like they would know that a foe is waiting for SR 12 and aiming for the head.

Considering that the closest equivalent in RAW, is delaying until SR 12 at half Skill; this is one powerful sword when the magic is invoked. i.e. chance of special or critical damage will be twice what it would be if the wielder delayed.

If you go with making the location '20' rather than Special damage, the wielder may actually prefer getting special damage on another location. Not always, as it depends on base weapon damage and the foe's armor. A slash that takes off an arm or leg, or good body hit is going to put the victim out of the fight anyway (if it gets significant damage past the parry). On the other hand, if the wielder is facing a scorpion man, where slicing off the first couple legs barely does any GHP damage, by all means the wielder will take the '20' rather than Slash damage.

[Darius West]

On 9/14/2021 at 5:49 PM, StephenMcG said:

I am thinking of throwing in a magic item in the next game I run.  The villain has made a vorpal sword using Thanatari magic. 

How about, the damage it rolls gets added to the roll for hit location?

[Shiningbrow]

On 9/15/2021 at 4:40 AM, StephenMcG said:

Oof!  This is a serious upgrade to what I was suggesting but one that I might consider for an upgraded villain, or upgraded item. 🙂

What I value is the pointer to the enchantment rules and then see if I can find a similarly powered spell.  That should give me an idea of how powerful the effect is.

Thank you.

Stephen

It might appear to be  a "serious upgrade", but also remember as David said, getting that enchantment renewed is going to be very risky, if not impossible - depending on your cohort. And that's if they actually choose to try to get it renewed... IF they ever find out the source of that enchantment...

So, effectively, it should be about 1-Use...

 

Of course, you do have the option of making the spell not a Thanatari spell... I can see Humakt using it, as a very quick death-dealer. The last line about "usable in the Create Head ritual" doesn't necessarily make it Thanatari either, just coincidental.

[Rodney Dangerduck]

4 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

I can see Humakt using it, as a very quick death-dealer.

<sarcasm>

Yes, good idea, as we all know that Humakt is weak in combat, and needs more spells and special abilities to make it effective.

</sarcasm>