I need ideas for power for a magical sword the group just got. It has a significance for the story, being an “anchor” for the boundaries between the physical and spiritual world, but will also be used by our Paladin in combat.
So far the only thing they know about it is that special property and the fact that it’s lighter than a normal sword (1 weight instead of 2). I don’t want its power to be damage related since the paladin already does a lot of damage from all of their moves.
One idea I had is giving it a sort of “dancing blade” power to act by itself.
Thoughts?
If it’s anchor between the physical and spiritual, it should definitely be able to harm both. Ghost touch, basically.
How big of a deal do you want this thing to be?
One suggestion given in a different forum was that is gives some sort of protection from spirits, maybe a defensive barrier.
Jeremy Strandberg so far the campaign is centred around the idea that the BBEG is using normal people as host for spirits, so most of the enemies the party fights has a physical manifestation.
We’re pretty far a long the campaign, the Paladin is level 7 already, this should be a big deal.
The Sword of the Grand Danak
On a 12+, instead of dealing your damage you may sever the spiritual connection enslaving a person, freeing their spirit to the gates of death and preventing their body from being used as a host again.
You can try and create a Move that anyone wielding the sword can use.
es.: “When you Hack and Slash with this sword and your target is a ghost or other similar entity, you have the option to do no damage and thrust the sword into the ground. The ghost will not be able to escape, pinned in place, and will be harmed if they try to deceive the PC who pinned there. Only living, material creatures will be able to remove the sword. Removing the sword sets the ghost free.”
Once per day, you can cut a portal into any surface, allowing entry/exit from the spiritual world.
Also, you an do the “sight beyond sight” bit and allow the wielder to see into the spirit realm on a check. (something, something, spend hold to glean one detail in the spiritual world)
.
When you deal damage with the sword, you may instead glimpse a truth about the target’s soul.
(Don’t forget to turn that move back on them!)
The Nexus Rem, blade-anchor of realities
+1 damage, 2 piercing, close, 1 wt
This blade of strange, unearthly metal is surprisingly light. It can cut and touch spirits as if they were flesh, but spirits can also touch and wield it.
When you Hack and Slash against a spirit with the Nexus Rem and roll a 12+, gain 1 of the following moves.
[ ] The Eye Awakened You can always ask the GM “what spirits are active here” and get an honest answer. When you gain this move, mark a consequence.
[ ] The Way Opened When you _grasp the Nexus Rem and shift your material form into the spirit world, mark a consequence. Your possessions (except the Nexus Rem) transfer with you. While a spirit, you perceive the hidden world around and can bypass physical obstacles. You can carry the Nexus Rem with you (though remember, it is still physical) or leave it behind, but you must grasp it to return your form to the physical world.
[ ] The Blade Sharpened When you strike a living creature and attempt to slice not at their flesh but at the silver cord that binds body and soul, roll your damage normally and they roll theirs. If your roll is higher, their spirit is untethered from their body and their body drops lifeless to the ground. If their roll is higher, deal your damage to their flesh normally but mark a consequence.
[ ] The Working Undone When you slice away at a spell or a magical effect, roll +CHA: on a 10+, the magic is dispelled or countered; on a 7-9, choose:
* The magic is dispelled/countered, but mark a consequence
* The magic is momentarily weakened but otherwise unaffected
On a miss, the GM says what happens, which may or may not involve marking a consequence.
Consequences
[ ] Your physical form starts to fade. Permanently mark the Sickened debility.
[ ] Your flesh becomes infused with your spirit and vice versa. You know longer need to consume rations, but you also no longer regain HP when from Making Camp or having your wounds tended with bandages, poultice, or other mundane means. When you experience a moment of pure joy, belonging, or contentment, regain all your HP.
[ ] [ ] [ ] Your grow distant from others; erase one of your bonds and do not replace it.
[ ] You tear a whole between the material and spiritual worlds that cannot be repaired. Strange effects will forever plague the area, and beings can pass between realities here at will.
[ ] You tear a whole between realities, bigger than the last.
Chaos abounds.
[ ] Spirits and creatures attuned to magic can now sense you from miles away, and pinpoint your location when you are near.
[ ] You draw the attention of a powerful spiritual predator. It has your “scent” and will appear at some point in the future to devour your soul
Oh, shoot! Aviv Manoach I just read your bit about the BBEG using possessing spirits!
You could rephrase the The Blade Sharpened a little to allow it to cut free a possessing spirit without harming the host body.
Welp, Jeremy Strandberg just won the thread 👏👏👏
“The Working Undone” resembles an effect I have on another magical item, a sword that cuts away and dispels magic.
Jeremy Strandberg That is truly amazing.
Possible other way of doing it that’s maybe a little closer to the core rules would be to make a compendium class out of it.
That would detract from their paladin move advancement though, so Jeremy’s item that unlocks powers when you crit may be more fun. Depends on player preference and how much of their character’s final story arc they want to be about the artifact.
Our bard has a dagger with a soul bound in it. It started out with the heritage move from the fighter, but he has bound himself to the spirit with blood, unlocking a compendium class. The first move allowed him to see into the ethereal plane and talk to the spirits there.
What is a heritage move?
I presume that’s a reference to Heirloom (might be translated differently in other versions).
“When you consult the spirits that reside within your signature weapon, they will give you an insight relating to the current situation, and might ask you some questions in return, roll+CHA. ✴On a 10+, the GM will give you good detail. ✴On a 7-9, the GM will give you an impression.”
Heirloom is exactly right.
Thanks.
I think that I’ll split the suggestions from this thread between the different anchors, since the sword is not the only one (they found a different one first, but didn’t know what it was before getting the sword). There’s a lot of very good material to work with.