How to make a sword who weilds you.

[The Weapon]

I'm trying to make a FH character who's a sword that can possess the user. However it seems to be rather expensive. What should I use, mental Transform or simply Mind Control? How big is the limitation for Aid "Only to person possessed by me"?

[Thia Halmades]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

Build it normally, actually. Your HKA is still an HKA, etc. etc. Any skills you have become 'complimentary' to the user, much like a horse's riding skill. It's really no more complex than any other character, just with some physical limitations (like, "Body is a Sword.")

[Manic Typist]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

I agree, but the complication arises when the first "wielder" dies and someone else picks it up.

[Blue Jogger]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

If you really want to have the sword be the character. You could go this route.

 

(Warning: This path leads to madness)

 

Buy a summon, you summon a slavishly loyal (or at least dedicated) wielder that must exist in the local area and come under his own power. Note, that if the person has too many points the summon fails (you can't trick the ubervillian or uberhero into becoming a slavishly loyal to you unless your summon is big enough, even then your Summon will probably not worked on "named" characters)

 

So, the trick is the wielder has now become "your summoned creature" and can be used as such. He can use all the weapons included on his sheet (remember to give a HKA to represent that he will be using you in combat).

 

This uses the "I summon a tiger from this kitten" type of Summoning which is problematic, but does seem perfect for this type of thing.

[Sociotard]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

I agree with Thia that this can be built as an HKA attached to either CSLs or martial arts, all with the Focus limitation.

 

Manic points out that it could be unbalancing if other characters can pick it up, and that it gets weird if the character dies. Letting a power like this work even after character death would require some combination of Usable by Other and Uncontrolled, except that Focus generally allows any character to use the power (so long as it is not done too often) and most fantasy games disconnect equipment based powers from personal powers. Picking magic swords off of dead enemies is a trope of the genre.

 

As a side note, the original statement was that the sword possesses the character. Now, the above works if all the sword does is control the weilders movements in battle in a way the character would normally be okay with. If the sword actually takes over the users mind, making him into a new person that he doesn't necessarily want to be, that is a Side Effect. The value of the side effect depends on how disadvantageous the new personality is and how difficult it is for the character to reassert controll.

[Manic Typist]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

In some ways, this sounds a bit like Resurrection... SFX of a new wielder?

[Nolgroth]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

I think Blue Jogger's idea is the best one. Cool deal as far as I'm concerned. I would probably also buy, for myself the sword, some automaton powers regarding Takes No Stun and Cannot be Stunned. Buy down Movement powers. Sounds like a fun exercise in character creation.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

In Sov... OW!

[The Weapon]

Re: How to make a sword who wields you.

 

I think Blue Jogger's idea is the best one. Cool deal as far as I'm concerned. I would probably also buy' date=' for myself the sword, some automaton powers regarding Takes No Stun and Cannot be Stunned. Buy down Movement powers. Sounds like a fun exercise in character creation.[/quote']

 

I don't know about "Takes No Stun"/"Cannot be Stunned" it's still feels pain. I did think "No hit locations" is appropriate. However maybe it needs something like nonstandard hit locations, which would be worth something (since most people don't know where to hit it) but not as much as the 10 points for 'NHL". Maybe some extra resistant PD (vs. damage caused by being used as a sword).

 

Edit corrected spelling in title.

[Manic Typist]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

I still think Transform might be a way of going with this. A VERY slow, but strong Transform.

 

Give us some details. Does it just control the body, or completely reshape the person eventually?

[Kristopher]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

"In Soviet Russia, sword wields you!"

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

"In Soviet Russia' date=' sword wields you!"[/quote']

 

I tried to make that joke and got smacked for it, above.

 

(By whom? I have no idea. The smack came as I was typing the thing...)

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

Multiform, from sentient being to dancing sword and possession.

 

That would be a challenge for HERO's Gurus

 

QM

[The Monster]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

As usual, I'll throw from out in right field...

 

 

Make the character as an AI: INT, EGO, skills, powers, etc., but no physical stats.

 

All powers of the character must have Focus: Sword. If the focus is damaged, one or more powers can't operate, as per usual with Foci. (Just to be snickety, for a magic item to be picked up and used by any random looter, it has to be Independent, not just a Focus.)

 

This allows you to make the sword itself a good ('+1') sword to anyone who picks it up - the real power of the sword character can be controlled or revealed as the character wants, regardless of the wishes or abilities of the wielder.

 

To control the wielder, I think you'd pretty much have to go with Mind Control; the 'break control' issues are less demanding of specific GM design, and it allows some flexibility between sword and wielder. For example, some wielders might be totally opposed to what the sword wants; others, however, might be quite happy to go along, especially if, say, influenced by a little Persuasion (moving the required MC target from 'opposed' to 'doesn't mind').

 

(yeah, this is basically a riff on the old 'Spirits' rules...)

[The Weapon]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

I still think Transform might be a way of going with this. A VERY slow, but strong Transform.

 

Give us some details. Does it just control the body, or completely reshape the person eventually?

 

No they stay as they are, it doesn't even control their thoughts, only their actions while they bear it. Since it has telepathy it can even opt to let them put it down if they have a legitimate objection to be a puppet (not wanting to be put in danger after you signed up to be it's puppet voluntarily knowing it was dangerous is not a legitimate objection). I imagine that it is relatively ethical about who it takes control of, typically offering benefits for being the wielder for a year (you get to be a hero, pay back the sword for helping save your village etc.).

[Nolgroth]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

(Just to be snickety' date=' for a magic item to be picked up and used by any random looter, it has to be Independent, not just a Focus.)[/quote']Just to counter, I would say that any powers bought by the sword that a wielder would use would be bought Usable By Others. You can't really take the edge away from the sword so that it can't cut somebody without destroying the sword/killing the character. Independent doesn't really work as well.

 

I would probably build the sword as an AI construct, which isn't all that different than what you are saying. No "equipment" cost breaks though. The character pays full price.

[Vondy]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

Summon: Weilder.

 

Follower.

[Nolgroth]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

Here is a rough construct of such a character.

 

Magic Sword as Character

 

 

10 DEX 0

15 INT 5

15 EGO 10

2 SPD 0

 

 

Characteristics Cost: 15

 

 

Standard Powers

29 Blade: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 1/2d6, Usable By Other (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (44 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2)

 

60 Influence Weilder: Mind Control 8d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (60 Active Points)

~and/or~

18 Attract New Wielder: Summon 75-point humanoid character, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Slavishly Devoted (+1) (37 Active Points); Arrives Under Own Power (-1/2), Summoned Being Must Inhabit Locale (-1/2)

 

10 Weilder Bond: Mind Link , One Specific Mind, Psychic Bond

25 Projected Voice: Hearing Group Images 1" radius, +/-4 to PER Rolls, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (25 Active Points)

 

Optional Powers

11 Basket Hilt: Hand-To-Hand Attack +2d6, Usable By Other (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (17 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2)

1 Dancing Blade: Flight 1" (2 Active Points); 3 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Turn each (Recovers Only By Gradually sapping energy from wielder (special effect - no damage to wielder); -1 3/4)

16 Ghost Blade: Affects Desolidified Ghost/Spirit Characters (+1/4) for up to 44 Active Points of Blade, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (16 Active Points)

17 Elemental Blade (define Fire, Cold, or Shock damage when purchased): Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6, Usable By Other (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (26 Active Points); Linked (Blade; -1/2)

10 [monster] Slayer (choose which type of creature it slays): Killing Attack - Ranged 1d6, Usable By Other (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (26 Active Points); Only versus (specific type of creature ) (-1), Linked (Blade; -1/2)

25 Skillful Blade: +4 with HTH Combat, Usable By Other (+1/4) (25 Active Points)

Powers Cost: 222

 

 

Total Character Cost: 237

 

Pts. Disadvantage

15 Distinctive Features: Unique Sword Design (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)

5 Hunted: Floating Treasure Hunter - Magic Swords tend to attract attention of the greedy. 8- (Less Pow, Capture)

25 Physical Limitation: Character is unable to move without somebody to Weild it. (All the Time, Fully Impairing)

5 Reputation: Magic Swords tend to have some sort of negative reputation., 8-

Disadvantage Points: 50

 

Base Points: 200

Experience Required: 0

Total Experience Available: 0

Experience Unspent: 0

 

Notes

I'm assuming that, since the construct is supposed to be the character, it gets sensory powers for free. I would also be tempted to give it speech for free as well. If you don't want to allow that, you can add in the requirement to purchase sensory powers. I would just throw it down as some sort of Spatial Awareness and maybe Telepathy. Anyway, here is basic idea to build on. HERO Designer v3 file attached.

[Alcamtar]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

I know a HERO player who played a character like that once. Basically he was a magic sword with various powers and a Mind Control so strong that nobody could resist it. The party found him in a treasure hoard and initially he "wielded" fellow PCs. Later the party would casually offer the sword to various NPCs ("here you might need this"), being careful not to touch it themselves.

[Alibear]

Re: How to make a sword who weilds you.

 

I think this is just SFX. Build character, give him magic sword and allow him to redesign himself every time he dies.