Sword With Personality???

[JohnnyAppleseed098]

One of my fellow players in my Elementals Game wanted to be a flame swordsman. The problem is that he wants his sword to be its unique character, unique personality, and can stop an attack made by the sword if it were to want to. I have never once made something like this. How would you build this?

[Christopher R Taylor]

Well you can just assign a personality and intelligence to his magic sword and play it as an NPC.  But it sounds like the sword its self can take actions, which is a bit more complicated to build.  It can be done as a follower (the easiest cheat is to build a basically 0 point desolid/invisible person with affects solid on Strength and let them wield it and not be able to let go of the sword).

[ghost-angel]

Personality is mostly SFX, but the Sword can affect itself, like prevent the wielder from attacking, and only that kind of thing, I'd probably add "Side Effect: Sword has a personality, and can occasionally prevent itself from Attacking."

 

Quick, easy, and the talking back part is really In Game Special Effects.

[Tech]

I'd give the sword INT and EGO. If the sword doesn't want to attack for some reason, an Ego vs Ego roll can be done. If the sword wins, it doesn't have to attack.

[JohnnyAppleseed098]

Personality is mostly SFX, but the Sword can affect itself, like prevent the wielder from attacking, and only that kind of thing, I'd probably add "Side Effect: Sword has a personality, and can occasionally prevent itself from Attacking."

 

Quick, easy, and the talking back part is really In Game Special Effects.

I like the "Side Effect" solution, but there is a problem. The sword can also affect him in other ways, such as preventing malicious actions and making PRE attacks against the wielder (Coming from the one who wants to build it). This is turning into a totally new character sheet.

[ghost-angel]

Ah, yeah,

 

Gather up all the traits it should have, and decide what the best solution might be; It could simply be a Computer manifested as the Sword.

[JohnnyAppleseed098]

Alright. Here it is

 

 

The sword should be able to:

 

 

1) Stop attacks made by the wielder.

2) Have its own personality

3) Launch its own attacks if necessary

4) Make PRE Attacks against the wielder.

5) Be able to PRE attacked by the wielder.

6) Grant Resistant Protection to the wielder.

7) Not be affected by attacks other than PRE attacks and Mind Control.

[Ninja-Bear]

Ah, yeah,

 

Gather up all the traits it should have, and decide what the best solution might be; It could simply be a Computer manifested as the Sword.

I believe that is how fantasy fourth presented intelligent weapons as.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Personality is mostly SFX, but the Sword can affect itself, like prevent the wielder from attacking, and only that kind of thing, I'd probably add "Side Effect: Sword has a personality, and can occasionally prevent itself from Attacking."

 

 

This is probably the easiest and most direct way to do it.  Anything else is pointlessly complicated, its just a personality and can try to prevent use of its abilities.

[bigbywolfe]

This is probably the easiest and most direct way to do it.  Anything else is pointlessly complicated, its just a personality and can try to prevent use of its abilities.

It's not "just a personality and can try to prevent use of its abilities."

It can also:

 

Alright. Here it is

 

 

The sword should be able to:

 

 

1) Stop attacks made by the wielder.

2) Have its own personality

3) Launch its own attacks if necessary

4) Make PRE Attacks against the wielder.

5) Be able to PRE attacked by the wielder.

6) Grant Resistant Protection to the wielder.

7) Not be affected by attacks other than PRE attacks and Mind Control.

[Christopher R Taylor]

This calls for Spirit Rules!

 

You could just hand wave all that, too: assign it presence and let it attack with DEX, CV, and SPD

[Surrealone]

Make the sword an automaton follower, with all of the traits and abilities it should have, and none of the ones it shouldn't.  Be very careful with how you handle SPD, by the way -- as it could get tricky to manage (since the sword may have actions while the wielder doesn't).

[Tasha]

Alright. Here it is

 

 

The sword should be able to:

 

 

1) Stop attacks made by the wielder.

2) Have its own personality

3) Launch its own attacks if necessary

4) Make PRE Attacks against the wielder.

5) Be able to PRE attacked by the wielder.

6) Grant Resistant Protection to the wielder.

7) Not be affected by attacks other than PRE attacks and Mind Control.

 

Buy it as a follower. Give it enough PD and ED that it can make attacks without harming itself. Perhaps a bit of flight and or TK if it can fight itself or resist being used. An HKA for it's main attack. With a damage shield for it's flame. 0-1 Strength. regular con. Enough ego and presence to make it charismatic. In other words write it up as an NPC. that has an unusual form. perhaps with "no manipulation, no hands or limbs"

[Tasha]

Make the sword an automaton follower, with all of the traits and abilities it should have, and none of the ones it shouldn't.  Be very careful with how you handle SPD, by the way -- as it could get tricky to manage (since the sword may have actions while the wielder doesn't).

 

Yeah does not take stun should be an ability. I don't know if I would go full automaton.

[Lucius]

Alright. Here it is

 

 

The sword should be able to:

 

 

1) Stop attacks made by the wielder.

2) Have its own personality

3) Launch its own attacks if necessary

4) Make PRE Attacks against the wielder.

5) Be able to PRE attacked by the wielder.

6) Grant Resistant Protection to the wielder.

7) Not be affected by attacks other than PRE attacks and Mind Control.

You COULD do all that with No Conscious Control on a set of Powers that include a Hand to Hand Killing Attack and Resistant Protection.

You would have to set some arbitrary values for PRE and EGO.

But No Conscious Control covers "Power doesn't work when you want it to" and also "Power goes off on its own sometimes."

 

Is "Grant Resistant Protection" meant to represent the sword blocking blows, or some kind of magical force field?

 

If not just a set of Powers with Limitations, I would say you should use the AI rules.

Buy Striking Appearance because for some dumb reason an AI can't buy PRE otherwise.

Give it a Complication to make it subject to PRE attacks in turn.

 

Buy certain Powers, such as the Killing Attack, so they're Usable By Other, but with Grantor Controls Power - so the wielder can only strike if the sword agrees.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Usable by Palindromedary

[NuSoardGraphite]

Built as an AI. Easy peasy. The rest is roleplaing.

[NuSoardGraphite]

Alright. Here it is

 

 

The sword should be able to:

 

 

1) Stop attacks made by the wielder.

Mind Control or Telekinesis.

 

2) Have its own personality

AI rules. Give it Int, Ego, Pre etc. Give it some psychological disads for flavor. Roleplay the hell out of it. Make it argue with him.

 

3) Launch its own attacks if necessary

If you make it an AI, it can attack with its own HKA or any other attack power without any special rules. However, in order for it to be wielded by another character (such as the PC) you need to put Useable by others on its powers that the wielder can command.

 

Some people also use Flight and or Telekinesis to facilitste this, but its not strictly necessary.

 

4) Make PRE Attacks against the wielder.

AI rules. Just given the AI PRE and it can do this.

 

5) Be able to PRE attacked by the wielder.

Automatons normally cannot be PRE attacked, but ifnyou give it EGO and PRE that opens it up to such, so just follow the rules for AI as previoualy suggested.

 

6) Grant Resistant Protection to the wielder.

Resistant protection, useable by others.

 

7) Not be affected by attacks other than PRE attacks and Mind Control.

This can be done by giving the weapon desolid with the personal immunity advantage (useable by others so the wielder can touch it) but that requirees all of its physical powers to be purchased with affects real world, which is +2 and would make the blade prohibitively expensive.

 

Alternately, you could give it aa ridiculous defense and call it invulnerable.

[Surrealone]

Make it out of high carbon steel and give it a susceptibility to salty environments, while at it.

[Rhino]

I agree with Lucius that it is most elegantly modeled with a set of powers with limitations, including no conscious control and side effects.

[Rhino]

You could also take a Complication: Sword Has a Mind of Its Own. 

[Lucius]

Gary the Egotistical Sword: (Total: 103 Active Cost, 25 Real Cost) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6+1, Difficult To Dispel (x2 Active Points; +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (61 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), OAF Unbreakable (-1), No STR Bonus (-1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Sword has a mind of its own; -1/2), Unified Power (-1/4) (Real Cost: 12) <b>plus</b> Resistant Protection (3 PD/3 ED/5 Mental Defense/5 Power Defense) (24 Active Points); OAF Unbreakable (-1), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Sword has EGO 13 and INT 10 (and can use own Mental and Power Def); -1/2), Unified Power (-1/4) (Real Cost: 9) <b>plus</b> +3/+3d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters) (9 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), OAF Unbreakable (-1), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Sword has PRE 15 and can use own Striking Appearance to make 6d6 PRE attacks on weilder; -1/2) (Real Cost: 2) <b>plus</b> Fast Draw 12- (9 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), OAF Unbreakable (-1) (Real Cost: 2)

 

Killing Attack because it's a sword. Resistant Protection because it's magic. Striking Appearance because it's a sword that glows, hums, and even speaks aloud. Fast Draw because it can leap the wielder's hand - even if they didn't want the sword out right then.

 

INT 10, EGO 13, PRE 15 on defense and PRE 30 on offense.

 

If you feel the need for more detail - say, the sword has Knowledge or Interaction Skills etc. - then an AI is called for.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Palindromedary tagline, just because

[Ninja-Bear]

I have a feeling that if you play anynlength of time then investing in building the sword as an A.I. will pay off down the road.

[Rhino]

IMHO you can model many of the designated features of the sword with the side effects and no conscious control limitations (as well as a complication that the sword has a mind of its own) rather than giving it presence attacks, or making it an AI, etc. The way the sword interacts with the wielder and the world at large can then be determined by dramatic needs and what is the most fun. This requires trust between the gm and player of course. I sometimes find that the more you try to model every minutia of an item or power, the more limited and bloated it becomes.

[Ninja-Bear]

Rhino you stated two key terms, trust and dramatic needs. For some gm and players that works fine others not so much. Rhino i like and try to keep things simple and prefer one page charcter sheets however since the player wants a sword with personality and due things as another character I personally still recommend writting it up as an AI. I believe that this will be more beneficel to both the character and the gm for a long game.

[Lucius]

Here's some of what I have so far doing it as an AI

 

Distinctive Features: Enchanted Sword (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)(5)

"I glow! I sing! I relate stirring tales of battle and amusing anecdotes about...hey, no, don't put me back in the scabbard now I'm just -"

 

Hunted: People wanting a magic sword Infrequently (Less Pow; PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find; Mildly Punish)

"Oh, go ahead and show me off, you should be proud to have the world' best enchanted sword! Let 'em look, but not touch. No he is NOT going to sell me, not even for my weight in silver! What kind of blade do you think I am?" (Later) "Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to show me off like a cheap bauble...someone might try to take me away from you! Why'd you go and do that?"

 

Rivalry: Professional and Romantic (Other melee weapons; Rival is Less Powerful; Rival is (sometimes) a Player Character's weapon; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Unaware of Rivalry)

"What are you looking at that big stupid ax for? Oh, you think just because a Troll's swinging it at you is an excuse to pay attention to weapons other than me?"

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary says I'm on a role now