Here are five magical swords, & guardians designed for the Castles & Crusades (C&C) RPG, each with a distinct theme, power, and potential for adventure.
That is an excellent idea! A magical sword is only as good as the peril required to obtain it.
Here are five magical guardians, tailored for a Castles & Crusades (C&C) adventure, designed to protect the swords and challenge a party's different skills.
Magical Guardians for the Five Swords
1. Guardian of the Blade of Whispering Secrets (Long Sword)
Sword: The Blade of Whispering Secrets (Divination/Illusion)
Guardian: The Echo of the Oracle
Type: Aberration/Construct (Incorporeal)
Challenge Focus: Mentalism, Willpower Saves, and Insight
| Detail | Description |
| Description: | A shifting column of shadow and light that takes the form of the last person who lied near it. It constantly speaks in whispers that only the targeted creature can hear. |
| Mechanics: | It attacks primarily by forcing the party to question their reality. Its main attack is a mental assault, forcing a Charisma Save (Difficulty 16) against being overwhelmed by psychic noise, causing 1d6 points of Wisdom damage on a failure. |
| Defense: | It is incorporeal (standard immunities apply). Physical attacks are only half effective. It can only be truly damaged if the party successfully pieces together the true identity of the last honest person who entered the chamber. |
| C&C Note: | If a character uses their Charisma Prime Attribute for the save, they gain advantage against the mental noise. |
2. Guardian of Wyrmfang, The Dragonslayer (Great Sword)
Sword: Wyrmfang, The Dragonslayer (Abjuration/Transmutation)
Guardian: The Pyre Drake Golem
Type: Construct (Elemental Fire)
Challenge Focus: Raw Combat, Heat Resistance, and Tactical Positioning
| Detail | Description |
| Description: | A massive, vaguely reptilian golem constructed entirely of petrified wood and cooled magma, animated by a core of pure elemental fire. It exudes incredible heat. |
| Mechanics: | Fiery Aura: All adjacent creatures take 1d4 points of fire damage at the start of their turn. Its physical attacks deal weapon damage plus 1d6 fire damage. It is immune to fire and takes half damage from slashing weapons. |
| Defense: | It is extremely tough (high AC and HP). The most effective way to defeat it is by using cold damage or exploiting the surrounding environment (e.g., collapsing the ceiling on it, or luring it into a pool of water). |
| C&C Note: | Wyrmfang itself (if held by another creature) grants a +2 bonus on Fortitude Saves against the Golem's fire damage. |
3. Guardian of Starfall, Blade of the Zenith (Bastard Sword)
Sword: Starfall, Blade of the Zenith (Evocation/Radiance)
Guardian: The Shadow Sentinel
Type: Undead/Outsider (Shadow)
Challenge Focus: Light Sources, Turn Undead, and Faith
| Detail | Description |
| Description: | A figure clad in ancient, pitted armor that absorbs all ambient light. It moves with impossible silence, leaving icy trails of shadow wherever it steps. |
| Mechanics: | Light Suppression: The Sentinel projects a field of permanent shadow in a 30-foot radius. Within this area, all light sources (torches, light spells, etc.) are suppressed. It gains advantage on attack rolls in this darkness. |
| Defense: | It has high resistance to physical damage unless the attack comes from a magical source. It is extremely vulnerable to radiant energy. A successful Priest's Turn Undead attempt forces it to flee for $1d6$ rounds. |
| C&C Note: | The Starfall sword, if drawn, pulses with a divine light that shrinks the Guardian's darkness field to 10 feet. |
4. Guardian of The River's Kiss (Scimitar)
Sword: The River's Kiss (Enchantment/Illusion)
Guardian: The Mirror-Shaper
Type: Fey (Shapeshifter)
Challenge Focus: Dexterity, Observation, and Non-Lethal Tactics
| Detail | Description |
| Description: | A beautiful, ethereal entity that resembles a water nymph or a swift-running stream. It wields two illusory copies of The River's Kiss. |
| Mechanics: | Blinding Speed: It has a very high AC (18+), representing its ability to dodge and weave. Reflecting Image: Once per round, it can create a perfect duplicate of itself (Illusion). The party must determine which is the true Fey before attacking. Missing the true Fey means the attack hits the illusion, which vanishes, triggering a confusion effect (Willpower Save Difficulty 14 or suffer $-2$ on next attack). |
| Defense: | It is weak to fire and electricity. The true challenge is hitting it, not dealing heavy damage. It avoids combat if possible, preferring to disarm or incapacitate the party using complex maneuvers. |
| C&C Note: | Characters with Dexterity as a Prime Attribute can use an action to make a Sight check (Difficulty 15) to discern the true reflection before making their attack. |
5. Guardian of Bloodthirst, The Soul Leech (Short Sword)
Sword: Bloodthirst, The Soul Leech (Necromancy)
Guardian: The Crimson Host
Type: Swarm/Undead (Blood Fiends)
Challenge Focus: Area Damage, Fortitude Saves, and crowd control
| Detail | Description |
| Description: | The sword is guarded by a massive, seething swarm of tiny, winged, blood-sucking vermin, animated by the collective spite of the sword's previous victims. |
| Mechanics: | Swarm Attack: The Host occupies a 10-foot cube and can attack every creature within that area, dealing 2d4 damage (no attack roll needed). Creatures caught in the swarm must make a Fortitude Save (Difficulty 14) or become Fatigued (suffering -1 on all checks) until the swarm is dispersed. |
| Defense: | It is immune to single-target attacks (arrows, swords, etc.). It can only be damaged by area-of-effect spells (like Fireball) or effects that cover a large area (flamethrowers, magical wind). Attacking it with Bloodthirst causes the sword's wielder to take 1d6 damage as the swarm tries to consume the blade. |
| C&C Note: | Spells that affect multiple targets, such as Burning Hands or Sleep, are highly effective against the low HP swarm components. |
Five Magical Swords for Castles & Crusades
1. The Blade of Whispering Secrets (Long Sword)
Type: Long Sword (One-Handed/Two-Handed)
Aura: Faint Divination and Illusion
Enchantment: +1 Attack, +2 Damage
| Attribute | Details |
| Special Power: The Inquisitor's Whisper | Once per day, the wielder may invoke the blade's power. It forces one sentient creature (that can hear) within 30 feet to make a Charisma Save (Difficulty 15). On a failure, the creature must truthfully answer the next question the wielder asks, or be struck deaf for 1d4 rounds (in a blinding flash of psychic backlash). |
| Flaw: The Weight of Truth | If the wielder ever uses the blade to knowingly tell a lie, they suffer a -2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks and saves for the next 24 hours. |
| Lore: | Believed to be forged by a cynical Sylvan courtier, this blade only grants its loyalty to those who seek the unvarnished truth, no matter how painful it may be. |
| C&C Mechanic Note: | The save is a Charisma Prime Attribute check for those with Charisma as Prime, and a standard save (d20 + level + mods) for others. |
2. Wyrmfang, The Dragonslayer (Great Sword)
Type: Great Sword (Two-Handed)
Aura: Strong Abjuration and Transmutation
Enchantment: +2 Attack, +4 Damage
| Attribute | Details |
| Special Power: Scale Splitter | When attacking a creature of the Dragon type (or a creature with a naturally hardened/magical hide, GM's discretion), the sword deals an additional 1d6 points of damage and ignores up to 5 points of natural/magical AC (but not shield or worn armor AC). |
| Special Power: Dragon's Rebuke (Caster Only) | If wielded by a character who can cast magic (Wizard, Priest, Bard, etc.), once per day as a standard action, the sword can dispel a single ongoing magical effect (spell, condition, etc.) on the wielder, requiring an Intelligence Save (Difficulty 17) to succeed. |
| Lore: | Forged in the breath of a defeated red dragon and quenched in a frozen mountain lake, this ancient blade is heavy, crude, and singularly focused on ending the terror of the great wyrms. |
3. Starfall, Blade of the Zenith (Bastard Sword)
Type: Bastard Sword (Requires 10 Strength to wield one-handed)
Aura: Moderate Evocation
Enchantment: +1 Attack, +1 Damage
| Attribute | Details |
| Special Power: Celestial Flare | Three times per day, the wielder can choose to substitute the sword's regular damage with a burst of intense, pure light energy. The attack is made normally, but if it hits, it deals 2d6 points of radiant damage instead of the regular weapon damage. This damage is devastating to Undead and Shadow creatures (they must make a Wisdom Save (Difficulty 13) or be Blinded for $1$ round). |
| Flaw: Sun's Draw | In areas of deep darkness (dungeons, night, etc.), the light-drawing nature of the sword imposes a -1 penalty on the wielder's Dexterity-based saves. |
| Lore: | This beautifully crafted sword's hilt is made of a strange, dark metal, and the blade always seems to shimmer faintly, as if reflecting a distant star. It is a favored weapon of Paladins and those who serve the divine light. |
4. The River's Kiss (Scimitar)
Type: Scimitar (Light, Fast)
Aura: Faint Enchantment and Illusion
Enchantment: +1 Attack, +0 Damage (Focuses on speed and defense)
| Attribute | Details |
| Special Power: Fluid Movement | The wielder gains a +1 bonus to their Armor Class (AC) due to the blade's constant, fluid motion. Additionally, once per day, the wielder may re-roll a failed Dexterity save against an area effect (like a fireball) or a grapple attempt. |
| Special Power: The Gentle Cut | The blade allows the wielder to deal only non-lethal damage without penalty, even to armored foes. If the attack roll exceeds the target's AC by 10 or more, the target is stunned for 1 round (Fortitude Save Difficulty 15 to avoid the stun). |
| Lore: | A sword of peace and defense, The River's Kiss was once used by the royal bodyguards of a nomadic desert kingdom. Its movements are said to flow like water, turning aside blows before they can land. |
5. Bloodthirst, The Soul Leech (Short Sword)
Type: Short Sword (One-Handed/Off-Hand)
Aura: Moderate Necromancy
Enchantment: +1 Attack, +1 Damage
| Attribute | Details |
| Special Power: Life Drain | Whenever the wielder deals a critical hit (a natural 20) with this sword, the wielder immediately regains 1d4 hit points. This power can only activate once per round. |
| Curse: Unending Hunger | The blade instills a minor, but persistent, bloodlust in the wielder. After a combat encounter where the blade drew blood, the wielder must make a Willpower Save (Difficulty 13). Failure means they suffer a $-1$ penalty on all non-combat skill checks and saves until they next draw blood in anger. |
| Lore: | A wicked blade with a crimson gleam. It is not sentient, but it hungers for vitality. Over time, those who rely on its healing power become increasingly brutal and reckless in battle. |
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