Month: May 2020

Three weapons of renown

The Silver Knightlord’s Claw

A massive lance of gnarled, spiraled silversteel socketed into a haft hewn from nightoak and lashed with silver binding.

The Claw has no especial enchantments in and of itself, but in the hands of any blood-descendant of Akanthi the Knight of Silver it is unbreakable and will gleam with the intensity of a dozen candles of moonlight.

 

Six-Leaved Benediction

An unusual spear of Vorakh design, sporting a long head of oddly green steel barbed on one side like a harpoon; six barbs, curving back like thick, stylized teeth.

Though Benediction is a worthy weapon and functions as an enchanted one against foes vulnerable to such, its greater value does not lie in combat — if sunk into the earth haft-first and watered, Benediction blossoms into a sapling as strong as steel and all with 100 feet of the young tree are safe from the predations of spirits and the unliving.

 

Skithani, the Ivory Talon

A shortbow with a notably strong recurve, carved of magically supple ivory and faced with translucent, nearly colourless horn, Skithani is strung with finely braided sinew and at least one time was kept in a sable-skin case along with a score of ivory, self-headed arrows.

In the hands of most, the Ivory Talon functions as an imperishable but otherwise relatively unremarkable shortbow, striking targets with swift accuracy (+1 to attribute tests using Skithani) but no other obvious effects. In the hands of a spellcaster, however, Skithani gains the ability to penetrate the protections of supernatural creatures; its owner may also infuse its arrows with power, expending magical energies to increase an arrow’s wounding potential (adding xd4 to an arrow’s damage, where x is the level of the spell slot sacrificed).

[BLHack] Multiclassing

Multiclassing isn’t built into the Blue Lotus Hack as-is, but all things being equal I don’t see any reason not to have it on the table as an option.  The more variety the merrier, says I, and this is one way to handle it.

Something maybe like this:

  • first and foremost: since there is no XP, when you gain a level you just decide which class you’re adding the level to
    • but remember, this is a 10-level system and you will lose options quickly; you will never “max out” a class if you multiclass
  • when you first take a level in a new class you gain:
    • hit points according to a roll of that class’s Hit Die
    • access to that class’s weapon and armour permissions
    • the attack damage of that class, if better than your initial class
    • the basic abilities of the class
  • choose which class you’re gaining a level in whenever the opportunity comes up; you do not need to abandon your initial class (unless this is a game houserule)
  • you do not get to stack hp rolls, or bonuses to attribute checks when leveling up
    • use whatever Hit Die or check bonus is appropriate to the gained you just leveled
  • only non-caster levels count towards gaining a new ability; only caster levels count towards gaining new gift/spell slots
  • if a level is lost due to level drain or similar, start with the most recently gained class; if you can’t remember the order after that, alternate them
    • or: drop the highest class level until they match, then alternate