Goodman Games

That's the question. Any answers?

Maxwell Luther wrote:That's the question. Any answers?

The dreaded answer... However the Judge wishes to use it!

It feels like the rules are deliberately vague on this topic. Judges are expected to come up with a system for 'ego-checks' that they are personally fond of-- for example, I'd never cause a player's alignment or sanity to be changed just by touching a sword, but some judges love that kind of thing.

If a player is on bad terms with a sword (different alignments or contradictory goals), the sword might be able to force a will save 1/day with a DC equal to its INT score. Failing the save could have all kinds of results-- maybe the sword makes itself feel heavy and unwieldy, or it could influence the player's actions in subtle or less-than-subtle ways.
If a player is on good terms with a very intelligent sword, maybe he can use the sword's INT score instead of his own for appropriate rolls.

I use it to help me roleplay.

Is the sword smarter than the character? If so, the character will keep finding himself in situations where the sword's agenda is being served, and if not of the same alignment, he might repeatedly find himself in situations where he is in grave danger as well. If I can do so, I may even put him into situations where he is strongly tempted to do things against his alignment as the sword tries to master him. Eventually, the character may find it hard to resist the sword's urgings and may lose some of his free will.

Is the character smarter than the sword? If so he will often see the sword trying to manipulate him into serving the sword's agenda. The character will be able to master the sword and bend it to his will, but he will be aware of the constant struggle.

If they are close to the same INTELLIGENCE, there will be a constant struggle back and forth between the two.

And if the sword is highly intelligent, it might play dumb and let the character think he has the upper hand until it sees a good opportunity to change tactics and dominate the character or stab the character in the back (maybe even literally).

cjoepar wrote:And if the sword is highly intelligent, it might play dumb and let the character think he has the upper hand until it sees a good opportunity to change tactics and dominate the character or stab the character in the back (maybe even literally).

"Hapless PC, I was a thousand times more evil than thou..." *snikt*

I'm in the market for Ego tests, so I guess I'll just use the old AD&D DMG for those rules, then. When in doubt, go back to the wellspring of all that is D20.

In fact, I think I'll convert them up and stick them in the module I've been working on.

Well, one of the very few rules clarifications in the third printing of the DCC RPG core book is the addition of this sentence to page 368, under the Sword Magic section:

Ego check = opposed Int check against bearer.

Hope that helps some.

goodmangames wrote:Well, one of the very few rules clarifications in the third printing of the DCC RPG core book is the addition of this sentence to page 368, under the Sword Magic section:

Ego check = opposed Int check against bearer.

Hope that helps some.

Somewhat. I have the Second Printing so I was missing that bit of info. But now I have another question: Do you use the sword's entire intelligence score or just the bonus that score would normally generate? For instance, I have a sword with INT 7: Do I roll D20+7 or D20-1?

Maxwell Luther wrote:

goodmangames wrote:Well, one of the very few rules clarifications in the third printing of the DCC RPG core book is the addition of this sentence to page 368, under the Sword Magic section:

Ego check = opposed Int check against bearer.

Hope that helps some.

Somewhat. I have the Second Printing so I was missing that bit of info. But now I have another question: Do you use the sword's entire intelligence score or just the bonus that score would normally generate? For instance, I have a sword with INT 7: Do I roll D20+7 or D20-1?

Same rules as any other opposed ability check, so D20-1.

Cool. Thanks