BlackRazor the Artifact

[Quixon]

So... In response to a thread called "Blackrazor the feeble" I will start this thread....These are "Official" Stats for BlackRazor as per the Arms and Equipment Guide...

Blackrazor gives Haste for 10 rounds a day, plus whenever you reduce someone to -1 hp or more they get subjected to a Death Knell spell (+2 Unnamed Str bonus, +1d8 temp Hp's, +1 Caster level for 10 min. per HD of the creature killed....... Since these bonus's are unnamed, they stack.... So a wielder can sacrifice 10 1HD creatures-and get +20 Str, +10d8 temp Hp, and +10 caster levels if a caster).....

This Sword RULES.....

 

[rounser]

Good start, but still not nearly powerful enough....hrrrmmmm....

What if we gave it on top of that a Hilt of Storm Giant Strength, have it allow the weilder to to summon 1d12 T-Rexes per day (remember - dinosaurs are kewl), and caused everything struck to make a will save or partially explode for 2d20 damage?

Slightly better, but still not nearly powerful enough though...I mean, it's Blackrazor we're talking about here.

What else?

 

[Quixon]

The sword IS a ARTIFACT, I started the thread because someone said it SUCKED... with these 3rd Edition Stats.... Yeah, I wish my sword sucked this bad.....

 

[JoeGKushner]

I think that Black Razor's old abilities were far superior to its new ones. I can see where 'sacrificing' would be a handy tool before a big battle but in most campaigns, in a player's hands, unless it's a really vile and evil campaign (we're talking soul destruction here), it's not going to happen.

As far as the unnamed bonuses being stacked...

What's the non-mechanical difference between a Bull's Strength and a Death' Knell for Strength augmentation? Both spells are the same level, although one has a much more difficult spell component to utilize.

 

[Oni]

Well not everything is made for the players.

And perhaps I'm being a bit thickheaded, but what difference do the non-mechanical differences between the two spells make? All that really matters is the bulls strength give an enhancement bonus, and Death Knell gives an unnamed bonus.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Well, mechanically speaking, if the effects come from a spell, I'm more prone, as a DM, to look at both types as enhancement bonuses rather than one being an unamed bonus (even though it is) and one being an enhancement.

Different ideas though lent themselves to different interpetations. For instance, with the unnamed bonus, Blackrazor can be very dangerous.

Still prefer the old version though. WOuld've loved to have seen a 'classic' version and a 3e one.

 

[Skade]

Edit: I answed my own question. Sorry.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Well, mechanically speaking, if the effects come from a spell, I'm more prone, as a DM, to look at both types as enhancement bonuses rather than one being an unamed bonus (even though it is) and one being an enhancement.

I think the offset for the unnamed bonus is that you need a dying body (or better yet, a pile of them) to use death knell, implying actual combat needed to chisel said body down to -1 hp. Whereas bull's strength you can cast anytime, anyplace.

Still prefer the old version though. WOuld've loved to have seen a 'classic' version and a 3e one.

OK, as Mr. I-Haven't-Played-Pre-3E-in-10-years, I'll bite: what did Blackrazor, uh, used to do?

 

[JoeGKushner]

It gave you the hit points and levels of the enemies you killed for a certain time depending on the level of the enemy that was cumulative. I remember having a character take 150 points of damage after having an experience almost exactly like one described by BA Felton with a black dragon breathing on me, knocking me off a mountain (thank god for the 20d6 damage cap) and getting attacked as I hit the ground. Ah, it was a good think that dragon used gnolls and ogres as bodyguards though as I still had plenty left to go around.

 

[Quasqueton]

The original Blackrazor gave the weilder the hit points and levels of the slain victim for 10 minutes per hit die. In AD&D1, kill a hill giant and get about 10 levels and 45 hit points for over an hour and a half.

An old gaming buddy of mine talked about how his character took Blackrazor with him into the "Against the Giants" adventures. Easy to end up with dozens of extra levels and hundreds of hit points throughout each raid. Sick and crazy, before even considering the headache from bookkeeping.

Now slaying a giant with Blackrazor only gives +1d8 temp hit points, +2 strength, and +1 caster level (if a spellcaster is weilding the sword). Go cleave a group of orcs surrounding you and you get +8d8 hit points, +16 strength, and +8 caster level for 10 minutes.

Quasqueton