Magic Item Help

[badger3k]

Trying to replicate one of my D&D campaign players magic items in FH. Having trouble partly due to flu, but also wanted opinions on it - i.e. is it "legal", workable, is there a better way, etc? I'm not worried about point cost - I'm looking at effect.

The item is a cloak of battle from the Magic of Faerun book. It's a relatively low power item that has two forms - in its base form, its a cloak that provides an armor bonus, and also, upon command, can attack an individual within 5 feet and try to disarm them (using the wearers attack bonus and action, so he can't attack and disarm unless he can do two standard actions at once). The other form is a quarterstaff that provides a +1 bonus to hit/damage but no other abilities.

I tossed around several ideas, but came down to this:

Cloak multipower: Independant (-2), OAF Cloak (-1), full phase to switch (-1/2) 60 point base (13 RP)

1u) Armor 4 PD/4 ED (12 pts) (3 RP for power)
When worn as a cloak also has the following power: 20 STR TK, red END (0) (+1/2) Limited Range (1 hex)(-1/2), Only to Disarm opponents (-2), Only when cloak is in cloak form (version of linked to armor) (-1/4), requires command word (-0 since it can be said softly) (45 AP) (8 RP) - 11 RP for powers, 1 RP for slot cost

2u) +1 Quarterstaff - Quarterstaff (35 AP base) and +1 additional OCV (+2 total) (5 AP)[FH p 165] except no real weapon limitation (7 pts = 1 RP slot cost) - note, added the AP of the attack and the +OCV together, then took limitations. The staff has +4d6 HA, STR min (10) (-1/2) and 2h requiirement (-1/2) and the advantage of Red End 0 (+1/2). The staff has a total of 2 5pt levels for a +2 OCV.

I've thought of STR and stretching for the disarm, but it needs its own STR rather than using the characters (the cloak was made for mages). I gave the extra time limitation to simulate the cloak changing forms. As I briefly described - the cloak doesn't get the incantations limitation because there is a command word, not something that needs to be spoken loudly and distinctly - it can be mixed in with regular speech to confuse people. I gave it the -0 just to record the need to say the command word.

I also gave the cloak the OAF since it can get taken away with a grab maneuver - the price it pays for being able to slip off and change into a staff. If I figured it up, it has a real cost of 15 points. That looks right, but in my present condition I can't see anything wrong. Comments?

[Talon]

Looks good from a functionality perspective. If you were sweating the points, I wouldn't give -2 for disarm only -- more like -1. I also suspect that you may have a math error in the quarterstaff cost, but it probably doesn't matter since it's in a multipower.

[Hugh Neilson]

Originally posted by badger3k
Cloak multipower: Independant (-2), OAF Cloak (-1), full phase to switch (-1/2) 60 point base (13 RP)

The only other structure I can think of would involve martial disarm; I'd go with yours. However, I would not give -1/2 for "requires a full phase" on the assumption that, once it's in staff form, it stays there until you decide to change it back to a cloak. I would be more inclined to gice -1/4 on the basis it takes a full phase to activate the power, after which it is available until deactivated.

The limitation should also apply to the slots, but that likely won't reduce the 2 pts to 1 pt.

IMO, technically this means it requires a full phase to allocate the points after the character is KO'd or sleeping. Sleeping is easy - he activates it first thing in the morning ("Wait a sec, guys, I need to cinch my cloak") Based on SFX, I would handwave the KO issue.

[Alcamtar]

For the disarm ability, how about:

21 STR (21 AP)
1" stretching (5 AP)
Martial Disarm Maneuver (4 AP)

That costs the same as the TK for pretty much the same STR, but adds in the Martial Disarm maneuver, which seems very appropriate.

Just a thought,
Mike

[badger3k]

Originally posted by Hugh Neilson
The only other structure I can think of would involve martial disarm; I'd go with yours. However, I would not give -1/2 for "requires a full phase" on the assumption that, once it's in staff form, it stays there until you decide to change it back to a cloak. I would be more inclined to gice -1/4 on the basis it takes a full phase to activate the power, after which it is available until deactivated.

The limitation should also apply to the slots, but that likely won't reduce the 2 pts to 1 pt.

IMO, technically this means it requires a full phase to allocate the points after the character is KO'd or sleeping. Sleeping is easy - he activates it first thing in the morning ("Wait a sec, guys, I need to cinch my cloak") Based on SFX, I would handwave the KO issue.

After looking at it, your reduced limitation is more in line with the way its supposed to work, since using the extra time limitation implies that I'd need a full phase to swing the staff (etc). You're right about the KO and such, and I'd intended to handwave it too - it would stay in its last form. If it did matter, I could always put extra advantages on it, but it didn't seem worthwhile.



For the disarm ability, how about:

21 STR (21 AP)
1" stretching (5 AP)
Martial Disarm Maneuver (4 AP)

That costs the same as the TK for pretty much the same STR, but adds in the Martial Disarm maneuver, which seems very appropriate.

Just a thought,
Mike

I thought of that, but didn't think I could buy STR like that (I've never done it that way) - the way I look at it, any STR bought would add to the wearers STR, and the cloak has its own. I suppose it can be houseruled that way too (unless you know something in the new rules). It would also cost a little more, since the STR would need the Reduced END as well - not that thats a problem, just need to rework the pool to pay for it.

As for the quarterstaff - I took the base cost of the quarterstaff from FH and added the 5 point CSL to it. I don't think it made a difference either, and maybe I'll look into it later when my head is better.

Appreciate the responses.

[Hugh Neilson]

I don't see the martial disarm approach as a big issue one way or the other, but you ware effectively allowing circumvention of both the "minimum 10 points martial maneuvers" rule and the "no skills in frameworks" rules.

To get around the extra cost for END, make STR 15 - the Disarm maneuver will bring you up, so you can afford to lose some base STR. And a limitation for STR does not add to character STR would also be appropriate. I think your TK model is just as appropriate, however.