Intelligent weapons?

[Caladbolg]

HI everyone. So, given yesterday's announcement that Soul Calibur 6 will be made (one of my favorite video game series ever), I was thinking about how to create intelligent weapons. Maybe not Soul Calibur or Soul Edge themselves, but weapons in general. I know there was a section on it in Monsters & Treasure, but are there any further resources on this subject? Perhaps a more detailed description of how to stat one, or how it incorporate it into your game, that sort of thing?

As a side question, has anyone ever tried to make an intelligent weapon *other* than a sword? You know, maybe a wand or a mace, or a staff? I'm just wondering.

[alcyone]

*puts Black Blade by Blue Oyster Cult on the stereo*

If you have other D&D games or clones, read up on how all of them handle them maybe?

I had a bow in one of my games that was trying to get back to its master and it was sort of a plot device in that way.
A DM ran me through Blade of Vengeance (Classic D&D) and ran Scorbane as a really insistent weapon.

Pushy weapons can be a lot of fun, but like any NPC, don't let them rob the spotlight or agency from the players and become a DM character.

[T1Hound]

*puts Black Blade by Blue Oyster Cult on the stereo*

If you have other D&D games or clones, read up on how all of them handle them maybe?

I had a bow in one of my games that was trying to get back to its master and it was sort of a plot device in that way.
A DM ran me through Blade of Vengeance (Classic D&D) and ran Scorbane as a really insistent weapon.

This sounds really cool.

[Lurker]

*puts Black Blade by Blue Oyster Cult on the stereo*

If you have other D&D games or clones, read up on how all of them handle them maybe?

I had a bow in one of my games that was trying to get back to its master and it was sort of a plot device in that way.
A DM ran me through Blade of Vengeance (Classic D&D) and ran Scorbane as a really insistent weapon.

Pushy weapons can be a lot of fun, but like any NPC, don't let them rob the spotlight or agency from the players and become a DM character.

Back in the day I had a lot of weapons like that.

One, well one set, was a Long Sword and Short Sword that a ranger of myth had used together. If you found one, the other would slowly work on you to get you to find the other, some times little hints in play, other times a dream about a boy (the L Sword) looking for his lost little sister (the S Sword)

Another was a powerful Holy Avenger sun sword tasked with defending a known demission door easily crossed by demons ... but it was an average NG fighter (or maybe ranger) that found it, so it was un worthy of the blades fully power. So, the blade, unbeknownst to the player, would lead the character to try and find a more worthy knight / paladin, and look for a blade more suited to the fighter. What was fun was that the character knew it was a very powerful weapon but couldn't use all the powers, but everyone in a while ... the sword would sun burst and kill all the undead that were about to over run the party, or whisper things like "the duke there .... he is EVIL ... don't trust him ... " about the nice smiling helpful duke counselor to the king (corrupt, but the party didn't know it and couldn't prove the swords warning)

Aerg like you said GREAT plot devices.

Oh also good point on don't make them out shine the actual player or be a continual device to rail road the player.

[serleran]

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[Lurker]

I've had various items with intelligence, ranging from a suit of armor that forced its bearer to be an eco-terrorist vegan to earrings that spoke forbidden knowledge to their user, slowly transforming them into a fiend and so forth.

For me, intelligent items have to have a purpose in the game. They are not usually randomly created by someone.

Rgr that !

[Captain_K]

Steven Brust... that author has very cool INT weapons... a powerful magic item is in use as the wielder dies and their soul goes into the weapon, done.. now the weapon has a history and real purpose.

I always wonder who or what would magic a weapon they cannot use? Thus Daggers, Staff, hammers, Scythe, maces, etc. weapon of mages, clerics and druids would make the most sense.. a +5 Holy Hammer made by dwarven smiths seems much more likely than a long sword, well unless its an elf.

Anyway, something like this, rare and high end seems so well one off, can there be rules? Have fun with it and make sure it adds to the fun.

Flip it, killing the INT and powers in the sword... "what the DM giveth, the DM taketh away."

[Penny-Whistle]

Saw this list of tips for creating magic item backgrounds https://www.roleplayingtips.com/gm-tech ... ckgrounds/ and thought of this thread