Elemental Reductions

Through September Attronarch of Attronarch's Athenaeum is hosting September 2024's RPG Blog Carnival!  The theme is  Wondrous Weapons and Damning Dweomers . This post shares a number of magical weapons which are relatively rare, missile weapons! Firestar: 5 throwing knives +1, found in a custom belt with five sheaths on it for them.   doing 1d3 damage, +1 fire damage for each other Firestar knife already in the target.  When a third Firestar dagger is embedded in the same target, these knives explode, doing 3d6 fire damage, or double damage to zombies, and re-appear in their sheaths, while the sheaths of destroyed daggers turn black.  At dawn each day, any missing but intact daggers return to their sheaths.  Made for High Hill Halflings by Dwarven pyrotheurges during the war against the Zombie King. Radiant Short Bow: A +1 shortbow, +2 against undead.  When the bowstring is pulled back, an arrow appears where expected, but made of solid light, ...

Through September Attronarch of Attronarch's Athenaeum is hosting September 2024's RPG Blog Carnival!  The theme is  Wondrous Weapons and Damning Dweomers .  In relation to that, I would like to talk about the elements of generating a magical weapon with a touch more depth than Old Gary got into. Typical D&D weapons provide a benefit, but with no drawback.  This is great as far as it goes, but I believe a little more thought should be put into it, since each weapon should have the following elements: A numeric bonus An allegiance An intended enemy A weapon effect A side-effect First, I believe all magic weapons should have a numeric bonus, even if it's just +1 to hit and damage.  Call me old-fashioned. Second, gentle reader, all weapons should have some sort of magical effect, even if it's just an elemental damage bonus.  Weapons are made for a purpose, and are made by some person or group.  The makers of the weapon set the allegiance. That doesn'...