Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

[BhelliomRahl]

Designing a character that is bound to a sword. The sword is stored as a pendant that the character wears. When he grabs the pendant and wills it becomes a Bastard Sword within his hand.

 

If he is disarmed or the sword is taken away after a while, couple of minutes it will appear as the pendant around his neck. Through very powerful magic the sword can he taken away, only a god or a being of equal power would be capable of this. So its not practically going to happen.

 

So its possible in combat for the the character to be deprived of the weapon, but it can never be taken away for very long.

 

What are peoples opinion in making this a focus? I have not built the teleportation power of the sword, was going to be a Special Effect.

[IndianaJoe3]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

It's not a Focus. The defining characteristic of a Focus is that it can be taken away. If the character can be disarmed temporarily, the Power might be Restrainable.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

I largely agree with IJ3, if you have it defined as "requires a god or similar" you're already talking about crazy high levels of power and artifact style magic. However, this does strike me as an IIF. This is actually an HKA -- HERO doesn't need to define the pendant or how it "reappears," unless you really want to go the extra mile. If you want to represent the limitation as a Focus, it's an IIF (Inobvious, Inaccessible Focus) and given that OIF (-1/2) allows for returnable weaponry (see my sig) that isn't much of a stretch. Also, IIF is the kind of level where it's easy to say "super being removes it."

[IndianaJoe3]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

An Inaccessible Focus can still be removed in one Turn outside of combat. If the necklace can be removed and not come back automatically, then it would qualify.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Restrainable is another option. See this superhero hammer example for details.

[BhelliomRahl]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Thanks for the input. The thought on the sword as a focus was that the character could be disarmed in combat which would reduce his effectiveness but it would return at the end of combat.

 

My thought was IIF -1/4 to represent that the power can be temporary removed in combat.

 

Restrainable is a -1/4 limitation, does it matter really what we call it. The fact that the character can lose the power (HKA) during a combat situation, does that constitute a limitation?

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Can the pendant be transferred from one character to another, willingly or otherwise? If you swipe the pendant from the original owner and keep it, do you get to summon the sword? Can the owner grant the pendant to one of his heirs before he dies or give it as a gift to his monarch or temple?

[BhelliomRahl]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Can the pendant be transferred from one character to another' date=' willingly or otherwise? If you swipe the pendant from the original owner and keep it, do you get to summon the sword? Can the owner grant the pendant to one of his heirs before he dies or give it as a gift to his monarch or temple?[/quote']

The sword is bound to him by blood and soul. Potentialy a direct descendant could take up the pendant and the sword will be bound to him. However the binding would tear a portion of the essence/soul from the original holder (this will occur naturally when he dies).

 

The Character quests to discover the origin of the Sword and why it is bound to him but will not to others. Unknown to him is that the sword was crafted from the essence of a Demon a direct ancestor defeated. The sword was a form of imprisonment for portion of the Demons essence. However his ancestor's essence was also bound to the sword to maintain the imprisonment, this is what makes the binding possible. The more the character uses the sword and the powers it grants him the more potential influence the sword will have over him, in time if the character is not careful the he could become a Demon as the essence is channelled through him.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

The sword is bound to him by blood and soul. Potentialy a direct descendant could take up the pendant and the sword will be bound to him. However the binding would tear a portion of the essence/soul from the original holder (this will occur naturally when he dies).

 

Then that is virtually the definition of a non-Focus.

[L. Marcus]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Or a Personal Focus.

[McCoy]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

It's not a Focus. The defining characteristic of a Focus is that it can be taken away. If the character can be disarmed temporarily' date=' the Power might be Restrainable.[/quote']

+1, and repped.

 

Restrainable FTW.

[Beast]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

from what I see I'd say restrainable yes

but you are going to need a Drain Aid combo(6ed) Or a Transfer(5th ed and earlier)

to remove it permantly

transform might work to convert it to a focus so it could be taken for a time

 

I'd say the pendant is just SFX

[BhelliomRahl]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Thanks for all the input. I can see what you mean with some thought. Its not a focus because it cannot be permanently removed (although a Focus can represent any object of opportunity - e.g RKA OIF - Any Throwable Bladed Object).

 

However Restrainable (need to look outside the name) is a limitation with represents a power that through a particular method can be temporarily suppressed/removed. In the case of the character he can be disarmed or have the pendant taken which will remove certain powers the sword/pendant grants until it returns (After speaking with the GM it will usually be a couple of minutes but it could be longer or shorter - Its return will be GM controlled.)

 

In both cases of Focus OIF and Restrainbale the limitations are -1/4. So I could call the limitation something meaingful but the value would be -1/4.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Thanks for all the input. I can see what you mean with some thought. Its not a focus because it cannot be permanently removed (although a Focus can represent any object of opportunity - e.g RKA OIF - Any Throwable Bladed Object).

 

However Restrainable (need to look outside the name) is a limitation with represents a power that through a particular method can be temporarily suppressed/removed. In the case of the character he can be disarmed or have the pendant taken which will remove certain powers the sword/pendant grants until it returns (After speaking with the GM it will usually be a couple of minutes but it could be longer or shorter - Its return will be GM controlled.)

 

In both cases of Focus OIF and Restrainbale the limitations are -1/4. So I could call the limitation something meaingful but the value would be -1/4.

OIF is -1/2. IIF is -1/4.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

OIF is -1/2. IIF is -1/4.

 

How obvious is the link between the sword and the pendant to a casual observer?

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

How obvious is the link between the sword and the pendant to a casual observer?

No clue, you would have to ask the OP. I was just pointing out that he had the Limitation value incorrect as he seemed to be referring to the default Limitation.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Use the Physical Manifestation Limitation. It's pretty much designed for exactly this sort of thing.

 

PhysMan originally appeared in 5e UNTIL Superpowers DB in a sidebar on or around page 100. It was thereafter sometimes seen for things like ice slides (destroy the ice slide, end the usage of it for traveling) and so forth. It's especially good for "magic weapons" that temporarily manifest and are usable as a weapon but which are not actually foci.

 

A Physical Manifestation is worth -1/4. With a Focus, you have to have the Focus to activate that power, with a Physical Manifestation it is the other way around...activating the power creates the manifestation. Otherwise, they are identical vis a vis targeting and breaking and so forth.

 

 

 

If that doesn't float your boat for some reason, consider just defining the sword with a Continuing Recoverable Charge. The charge is recovered by "returning" the sword to amulet form when you are done with it, or after a few hours or a day or whatever you think best...whichever comes first.

[BhelliomRahl]

Re: Magically Returning Sword - Should this be a Focus or Not

 

Physical Manifestation was something I had not considered. It sounds appropiate.

 

The -1/4 Limitation for OIF was an error on my part.

 

The obviousness of the relationship between the pendant and the sword is inobvious. The character holds the pendant and it changes from a pendant to the sword. If a person watches him summon the sword they would probably understand the relationship, the pendant itself is a small disc with the image or a Warrior fighting a Demon (This image is very clear, it almost appears that the image is alive and moving upon close observation.

 

As a Pendant its inobvious but as a Sword its obvious.

 

Putting aside what we call the limitation, does a -1/4 sound appropiate for the nature of this item/power? Putting in mind that the item can be taken from the character for short times (average 2mins, although return is determined by GM) and without the weapon his offenses powers are hampered.

Powers which require Sword:

1) Hand Killing Attack - The Sword Attack

2) Blast - Fire Blast

3) Blast - Fire Blast - AOE (Line), Constant, Time Limit (1 minute)

 

Should the powers mentioned above have a Focus OIF Limitation or should it be something different? My thought was the same limitation that the Pendant/Sword has in this relationship.