While I like the basic premise, this system doesn't hold much that inspires me to use it.
The good: When compared to D&D, it definitely condenses things and offers a tiered system that is better for "rules lite" games. I appreciate the distinction you are trying to make between mundane summons and epic summons, and agree that summoning should be generally more awesome. I also like the stability mechanic as a way of restricting their power.
The "bad": I guess I would just like to see the system fleshed out a little more. Exactly how does one perform a summoning? Are there any materials/preparations that are needed? How common is this sort of magic? Is there any agreement that has to be reached with a particular being before you can attempt to summon it?
Other thoughts: Given the power of level 4 and 5 summons, I would almost expect that an entire group of seers/casters would be required to bring them forth and maintain their stability. I'm also a little concerned about the sheer amount of power that you give in immunities, but I guess that I can see the reasons for doing so.
I agree with dark_dragon -- this is both interesting and useful. One minor quibble is that this is more of a write-up on an entire people than an individual, so the NPC tag is a miscategorization. If I was looking for a unique alien race to add to my campaign, I probably wouldn't be able to find this one.
At first I was expecting this to be a revenge-centered character, assuming that "Just Jane" would be a play on words (justice, honor, etc). While I agree that her motivations now could be made a little clearer, I enjoyed the write-up as always.
Steampunk flashlight. Good for flavor, and provides a good occasional distraction (as the engineer has to pause to rewind his cogtorch).
This item was inspired a great deal by Masterharper Robinton from Anne McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern series. If placing this into a game, I'd highly recommend reading a few of the Harper Hall books to get a sense for his personality.
I will admit that I wasn't really thinking about balance when designing these items -- it would indeed be foolhardy to give the party anything with this much power straight up. However, that's the whole point of the set really. Even if the party manages to recover 3-4 after years worth of effort, they still will not have access to the full powers of each artifact. Since most gaming groups have fewer than seven players, they would also have to find some trustworthy NPCs to wield the remainder if they ever wanted to unlock the full potential of the Seven.
On the other hand, a group which has collected several of these would be strongly motivated to cooperate. I *think* that the price of betrayal -- losing most of their item's power and suffering additional ill effects -- is high enough, but more penalties can always be added by the GM. I never considered that the party might be motivated to recover these for someone other than themselves, but I like really your campaign idea. Thank you for the constructive feedback, and I hope that you enjoy the last three artifacts as well. :)
I'm a bit hazy on the distinction between "effective vs. actual" strength part, but liked the gauntlets overall. The lore section was especially well done.
Really fun! I honestly laughed aloud several times during verses one and two. I would rework the last verse a little so that it has the same meter, though.
From the description of the blade, I was fully expecting this to be an evil thing. Yet it is one of the noblest weapons I have ever read about. I'm glad that you took the extra time to write this up, as the lore section was a very enjoyable read. This item could also inspire the right player to do some great roleplaying, and that's always a plus. 4 for the original idea + 0.5 for the excellent lore.
I really, really like this. It's obvious that you put a lot of time into this sub. His physical description made me smile, and I was expecting him to be a kindly spirit -- a twist on Pinnochio, perhaps. His actual personality caught me off guard. Still, I can imagine that a party would be quite willing to help the little guy out once they learnt his history, and that could provide a whole mini-campaign arc to build around. Well done!
When one thinks of future tech, a hammer is not usually the first thing that springs to mind. This is a wonderful twist on probably the oldest of weapons, and I truly enjoyed the imagery it conjured up in my mind. Well done!
Hmmmm, I really like the idea. You mention it breaking, though, and I wonder if it can reform after being shattered? Perhaps the spiders gather back together after killing everything in sight? 4.0 for the idea, + 0.5 for the cool imagery.
Just a place to put some background lore on some magic items I've been working on. I'll probably expand the kingdom later, as I get the opportunity.
Some of these are a bit too "magicky" for me, considering that this is a 30 based on unintended consequences of R&D. "It's Alive" and "Infernal Contraption" are two cases in point. Still, this is a genuinely useful 30s sub with many good-to-great idea seeds.
Breaking down social barriers with a MASSIVE hammer is a pretty funny idea. I'm not sure exactly how it would work, though. Does the bearer just walk up to someone with the hammer strapped onto his back and engage in conversation, or does he have to hold it threateningly? I can imaging that the effect is not entirely magical in nature, as the sheer size of this weapon would be enough to intimidate most sane people. . .
Items (Art and Music) (Magical)
I could use a little help, though, with choosing an appropriate name for the set. "Kings' Items" or "Artifacts" was never intended to be the final name, but I had to get something on paper. If you or anyone else has a good suggestion, please let me know! Go to Comment