Holy Symbol Weapon for a Paladin of Oghma

[Trit One-Ear]

Feeling posty today.
My campaign's half-Orc paladin of Oghma has been less involved in plot progression of late, and as a result his player has started acting disinterested. This is not a huge problem if he's enjoying himself, but I'm starting to feel I'm not giving him enough as a DM. This must be fixed!

Next session, the heroes are off to the a ruined temple of Oghma (which houses a secret entrance into the lair of some gnolls harassing the countryside. Loosely related to this post). In order to give Norkas the Wise something more substantial for his character to have going on, he's going to find a ruined holy relic of Oghma amongst the rubble. Looking at his character sheet, he has no implement attack powers, so my first thought of a holy symbol won't have much appeal to him.

The weapons I found on the compendium that can be used as a holy symbol didn't excite me (and Oghma has no items associated with him). So I'm left to make one!
Any advice you lot have would be amazing. He's a currently a spear and shield paladin, but has used other weapons before. While worshipping Oghma, he has not built himself around knowledge skills, so in order for this item to be appealing for him, it'd have to have some combat power, while still feeling Oghma-ish.

Ultimately, I want to give him a chance to restore this once great weapon to its full glory. Until then, it should be an awesome weapon for him, with some knowledge boosting abilities (possibly).

At work ATM (shhh) so my thoughts are elsewhere, but will try to take a stab at something when I get home. In the meantime, feel free to chime in!

Trit

 

[D'karr]

Well Oghma is a god of knowledge. A tome is the only implement that would seem appropriate to me.

Though innovation is very important - what if the weapon was somehow technologically advanced. Similar to the warforged components.

 

[SkidAce]

A book is the best idea...but not normally considered a weapon. A scroll case could work (if indestructable...)

Or (and i'm just rambling here) a quarterstaff with the end shaped like a scroll case.

Isn't Ogma also "the Binder" so maybe chains or a flail?
[MENTION=336]D'karr[/MENTION] has a great idea also....and/or a tome that does something transformer like (in a gearish type of way)?

A magical torch to show enlightenment or spreading knowledge...on the end of a staff. (flaming staff?)

Just random thoughts....good luck...

 

[SkidAce]

But for a paladin, I would go sword or spear.

Minor magic when found, but gradually gaining in power.

I.e. could give a bonus to knowledge checks equal to weapon plus (which would go up as the paladin gained levels).

Gain powers like read magic and comprehend languages. Eventually allow the paladin to speak esoteric languages such as Supernal or something.

Locate object or find the path would be good spell like abilities. You could also give it a GM plot ability to warn of danger or give visions of future knowledge.

AND since I think of Oghma as the Binder, protection from evil per standard holy avenger from day one. With Banishment, or Bind type abilities usable against demons.




I prefer this post to my previous one...ignore the other SkidAce...he was sleepy.

 

[Larrin]

With just a little digging, I found this:

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Mortal_Strike

So the favored weapon of Oghma is a +5 dancing defending longsword (in 3.5). More power than you'd want to dump at this level, likely, but a decent starting point if you want to go the simple traditional route.

However, you may want to consider what oghma means to the paladin, You said he doesn't care about knowledge, so what does drive him to worship oghma? If there is no real reason for his choice of oghma, then what drives his paladin to be a paladin? If you want the player to become more engaged because of this item, then probably it should speak to him/his character's playstyle/view of ogham/paladinism. If he likes being a tanky paladin, an encounter power to add enhancemt to ac might be a good idea (essentially a defending weapon). If he sees Oghma as a neutral choice that lets him serve a god without having to worry about good and evil, then maybe some banishing effects (or slow, daze, etc) vs good AND evil. If he's always complaining he doesn't have enough ability to do X, let it give him some more X. If he loves it when he gets to do Y, let it give him more Y to do.

Example: If I were playing a paladin of oghma, but didn't care about knowledge myself, I might care about others that did, and about restoring knowledge when destroyed, so I would make it like this.

Spear of Oghma's Guardian
+X
crit: 1d6 per X, if a successful knowledge check was made by you or an ally against the target this encounter 1d10 per X
Property: whorshipers of Oghma may use this as a holy symbol.
*Encounter power: (free or imm. interrupt?) Use when and ally in burst X makes a knowledge check. That ally gains a +X item bonus to the check, and if the check is successful they gain a +X shield bonus to AC until the end of their next turn. While they have the shield bonus, the first enemy to attack them provokes an opportunity attack from you.
*Daily: once per day you may cast the mending ritual to fix X amount of destroyed books, scrolls, or other objects that conveyed knowledge at no cost and half the time.

Obviously, if no one ever makes checks in your group, this isn't the way to go, but that's what comes to mind.

 

[Trit One-Ear]

I feel I should clarify a few points before I post my draft of the weapon. The paladin does -care- about knowledge, his player however tends to see value in things more combat-oriented. This isn't to say he doesn't like the roleplay of a knowledgeable advisor type character. I'd just need to sweeten that with a little combat oomph. Hence my definitely wanting to give him a weapon vs. a tome or even holy symbol. I've grabbed a few abilities I think he'd like, and stacked em on a longsword. Let me know what you think!

Potential problems I see: I want to give the sword the ability to be better when he finds completes it, restoring it to it's full power. So maybe some of these should wait until then.
Should the light take a minor action? Simply so it takes some time if he's surprised etc.
Perhaps make some of this damage radiant? I know Oghma isn't big into the whole holy light thing, but it does kind of complete the theme I've started. Which in itself I'm not 100% sold on.

Anyway, without further ado:
[h=1]Flame of Truth
Level 9 Rare[/h]Though missing the large gem in its hilt, this sword still calls to those who worship Oghma, urging them to spread his wisdom.

[TABLE="class: magicitem"] [TR] [TD="class: mic1"]Lvl 9[/TD] [TD="class: mic2"]+2[/TD] [TD="class: mic4"]
[/TD] [TD]
[/TD] [TD]
[/TD] [TD]
[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Weapon: Longsword
Enhancement Bonus: attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus, or +1d10 against monsters you have rolled a knowledge skill against.

[h=2]Properties[/h]

• This weapon can shed bright or dim light up to 20 squares. You control the brightness and range of the light.
• This weapon gives you a bonus to Knowledge checks equal to its enhancement bonus (+2).

[h=2]Power

Encounter (Imm. Interupt)[/h]Trigger: An ally within 10 squares of you makes a knowledge check.
Effect: The ally rolls twice, using the best result for the check.
[h=2]Power

Daily[/h]Once per day you may cast the mending ritual to fix X amount of destroyed books, scrolls, or other objects that conveyed knowledge at no cost and half the time.

 

[Trit One-Ear]

Oh, add on there that it can be used as a implement for paladin powers.

Trit

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Oghma's holy weapon should be a quill pen, since it is used to write tomes & scrolls, and as we all know, it is mightier than the sword...

Perhaps it can change into the shape of any weapon from the Book Of Armaments (*ahem*) as an encounter power.

 

[SkidAce]

Oghma's holy weapon should be a quill pen, since it is used to write tomes & scrolls, and as we all know, it is mightier than the sword...

Perhaps it can change into the shape of any weapon from the Book Of Armaments (*ahem*) as an encounter power.

Brother Maynard...?

 

[Ryujin]

But for a paladin, I would go sword or spear.

Minor magic when found, but gradually gaining in power.

I.e. could give a bonus to knowledge checks equal to weapon plus (which would go up as the paladin gained levels).

Gain powers like read magic and comprehend languages. Eventually allow the paladin to speak esoteric languages such as Supernal or something.

Locate object or find the path would be good spell like abilities. You could also give it a GM plot ability to warn of danger or give visions of future knowledge.

AND since I think of Oghma as the Binder, protection from evil per standard holy avenger from day one. With Banishment, or Bind type abilities usable against demons.




I prefer this post to my previous one...ignore the other SkidAce...he was sleepy.

I tend to agree that you want to keep it as a weapon, perhaps making it almost the equivalent of a lesser artifact. Here is how I would do it.

The Paladin is a spear build so make it a weapon in the spear group, so that any feats he's taken will apply. Combine a basic plus weapon with the holy symbol of your choice; whatever best fits the individual character. Even if he doesn't use implement powers it gives him the option of taking some later, while letting you choose a property that is useful and/or interesting. Now, to make it a 'legendary weapon', you let it level up with the character. Whenever he hits a predetermined level both the weapon component, and the holy symbol component, increase by +1. Now you can actually cut back treasure allotments by what those items would be worth, as the Paladin is already being managed in that respect. It can also be handled in Character Builder, because it's an amalgam of two existing items.