Masterwork weapons

[Dan Sellars]

Hello just a quick question,

I want to give my new character a very well made longsword (it was his daddies and he's on a personal quest to find out how he died hmm.. Inago Montoya... (spelling?))

Anyway.  Off the top of my head the only reference I can remember to something like this in the rule book is in one of the combat examples where, from what I remember, it is a bonus to ATN.

Is this fair:  Masterwork Longsword -1 Cut ATN, -1 DTN (to standard Longsword TN's I can't remember what they are at the moment)
Due to it being a very well made and balanced weapon?

I was thinking may be a price tag of atounf 7 to 8g (I think that the standard price is 2 1/2g).  I (as a GM) don't want this to be a sitiation where each of the players "tools up" on the best weapons, it should be a rare item.

Does anyone hvave any comments on this?
(I did do a quick search but couldn't really find anything)

regards,
Dan.

[prophet118]

change the name, and more people would be apt to reply... try something other tan a D&D term.... yeh i know masterwork could mean anything... too bad D&D has corrupted the word

id suggest raising the price a little higher, and possibly go into how long it actually takes to create something of this nature...

if a sword takes 2 weeks to create, then a "masterwork" sword may take a month

something of that nature

[Draigh]

I've always used 5x and 10x for higher quality weapons.  At 5x base price I'd allow a player to choose either -1 ATN, -1 DTN or +1 Damage.  At 10x base price I'd allow the player to pick two of the above options.  So, yup, 20 gold standard for a longsword that has -1 ATN and DTN.  I think It's fair.

[Dan Sellars]

I agree. How do you change the name?  That was one of the things that didn't sit well with me.

hmm... fine weapons? exceptional? rare?

Yeah I was thinking of costing more 10gc and also on affecting one ability ie made to be particually well balend to cut etc.

As to time I was thinking of actually having to fine someone good enough to make it an also may be a 6month or more time period (taking into account back orders that such a skilled artisan would have as wel

[Dan Sellars]

I've always used 5x and 10x for higher quality weapons.  At 5x base price I'd allow a player to choose either -1 ATN, -1 DTN or +1 Damage.  At 10x base price I'd allow the player to pick two of the above options.  So, yup, 20 gold standard for a longsword that has -1 ATN and DTN.  I think It's fair.

This sounds good as well.  Wouldn't that be 200gc for -1ATN and -1DTN though?

Dan.

[Lxndr]

two-and-a-half times ten is twenty-five, not 200

[Dan Sellars]

Doh! not thinking. basic maths. doh!

Sorry ;-)

Do like the idea though could make very good Rondels quite cheap.


Dan.

[Dan Sellars]

you got in before me.

Is there a way you can edit stupidity like that out?

[EDIT]Just found it.  Sorry I don't post on forums much.[/EDIT]

Dan.

[Draigh]

Dan, I just called them "fine" for 5x and "exquisite" for 10x.  Honestly, my PCs don't run across that quality of weapon often enough to catagorize them.  I look at these as being real labors of love, in an art.  Just like the mona lisa or whistler's mother.... Something that stands out far and above an already incredibly high quality of work.

[Lance D. Allen]

Just to note, Draigh's usage isn't just a house rule. It's actually in the book, the column on the right-hand side of page 203.

I would definitely make -1 ATN -1 DTN the best a weapon can be made, unless you want to use magic in the crafting. That's already a huge advantage by itself, anything beyond that would be to the point of twinkish advantage.

[Draigh]

Wolfen's right there... hell, even with magic, I would find a sword with -2 to ATN or DTN hard to swallow.  I liked the idea of giving magical weapons SAs...

[Dan Sellars]

Thankyou all for replying, I couldn't remember seeing it in the book I'll look it up when I get home.

I agree that the best that could be made should only perhaps be better in 2 ways and then never more than a one step improvement.  (Unless it is magical then I like idea in the magic weapons thread of then having SAs and then they change to being things of awe and incredible rarity)

The naming sounds good as well.

I'm just worried that once one turns up the rest of the players are going to go "I want one as well" and then try to find someone to make them.  

Thinking of which you could roll craft tests for the master artisan to see if he succeeds or how long it takes.

Thanks again for your input,

Dan.

[Dan Sellars]

Draigh,

Just seen your reply and I think your right there, this (thankfully ;-) isn't D&D.

Dan.

[contracycle]

Masterwork is a real word, to my mild surprise.  And it even sounds appropriate; after all an apprentice would produce a master piece to gain promotion to that esteemed rank, so describing a work made by a master as a masterwork seems fine.

But note these things are made on comission, not for the rack.  So it's unlikely tou;de be able to turn up and buy one, you should instead need to seek out a suitable master and get in line - if you are ecven able to buy the piece.  There may well be social class ristrictions on such a thing, or the masters with such skills may already be retainers of a lord committed to their service, in which case you would need the lords consent too.

[Mokkurkalfe]

I had the problem of piling masterwork weapons a while ago too. That was solved with a few twists.
First of all, only standard weapons at character creation.
Secondly, only certain weapons is available as masterpieces.
Thirdly, making these things take time.
Fourthly, they are *expensive*.
Fifthly, finding a good enough smith can be mighty hard
sixthly, making said smith willing to work for you can be even harder.
Taking all this into account, you can weave an entire adventure around it. By the time the PC finish that adventure, I'd say they deserve their weapon.

I also have another question on this very topic.

Which weapons would it be possible to get as masterpieces? All of them? Just swords? I have so far assumed that only the weapons of rich in any given culture would be available as masterpieces, since they're the only ones with a big enough purse. It felt silly that anyone spend decades to learn how to make spears if only peasants would buy them.
Is this a good assumption?
So far I've only allowed for swords and poleaxes to be of higher quality. Are there any other weapons that might be done as masterpieces in a Mainlund/Europe-like society?