I need ideas for a Super Sword

[Billy Rubin]

Short version: I need ideas for a sword and I am creatively bankrupt when it comes to cool swords.

Long version: I need cool ideas for a sword - not necessarily powerful just... cool. I am creatively bankrupt when it comes to cool swords. I know, I know, I hate guy-with-a-sword characters in superhero role-playing. It seems like every time you start a campaign you wind up with these players that don't get into comics that much and play too much Warcracft and you get a bunch of guy-with-a-sword, guy-with-a-bow, guy-with-a-gun, guy-in-armor, and vampire-girl characters. But THIS time the player actually has a compelling character concept and it just happens that he uses a sword. Right now it's just basic easily-removeable, penetrating strength-based damage.

For weird nostalgia and kitchy reasons it LOOKS like Blackrazor from White Plume Mountain and its NAMED 'Enilno' (from Ultima II).

What offensive or general powers can you think of?

[Brianide]

Here's one I came up with for a build called White Knight:

Soulcutter (easily removable) • 15 pts
• Slash: Damage 10, Multiattack [20]
• Hilt Bash: Affliction 10 (Vulnerable and Dazed, Defenseless and Stunned, Helpless and Paralyzed; resisted by Fortitude, Extra Condition) [1]
• Soul Thrust: Affliction 10 (entranced, compelled, controlled; resisted by Will, Concentration) [1]
Improved Critical

The Soulcutter is a special blade in that it doesn't have to do physical damage. I'd probably add another AE that changes the damage resist to Will. For the Soul Thrust, the wielder would actually shove the blade through someone, but it'd be more of an ethereal stab, leaving no physical damage.

I'll try to come back to this question, because it's a good one.

[saint_matthew]

Been there done that, own the shirt... Three times actually... Twice in a single villain team in fact. so here are my suggestions
- Ghost-touch: Affect insubstantial
- Environment Light 2
- Corrosive or Entropic: Weakness (Toughness)
- Spin Slash: Damage, Area Effect (Burst)

[King Snarf]

Here's one if I ever do a Planescape game.

The Karach (sword made from chaos-stuff)
Strength-Based Damage 3, Variable Descriptor 2
Variable 1 (Limited to Advantages and Extras; Unreliable)

[Doctor Devious]

I'll admit I'm fairly tired of endless demi-clones of Stormbringer, so I'd avoid soul-sucking chaos blades myself. The other thought is how to fit the style of game intended: swords have a tendency to lethality.

First up is no power in the sword at all. You can still name a no-powers sword (see Fafhrd/Gray Mourser) but keep all the powers in the character. They always carry/use one - but it doesn't do any more than just a sword.

Next is a little penetrating; a little luck (limited to HPs for attacks / parry only); a lot of critical hit. Its still you that's cool - the blade is simply deadly.

Or try a "distracting" blade: say by light aura, screaming or moaning sounds, writhing symbols (yes, still quite Stormbringer in look but what you gonna do?): the power being an affliction "slow" style of thing, possibly limited to via defendant's senses (not sure on the terminology for 3e). Other afflictions will work too: e.g. pain, sonic vibration or spacial warping (all just descriptors for nauseate).

Hell-fire blades/flametounge/lightsaber (just a touch range energy attack), poisoned edge (another affliction route) are also standard fare. Leadership-style swords (HPs for leaderships skills; nullify fear effects) may fit a more heroic style of game.

[Saltcrow]

Not really a sword-specific gimmick, but I've always been fond of stunting off a Cloud-area Visual Concealment 4 (costing 12 points, or 16 to make it more reasonable in area) on my super-strong characters.

It makes for a very effective defensive/utility tool, offering a lot of tactical options while a rank of Precise Attack (close; concealment) or an Accurate, non-visual sense (costing 2 points) allow it to be used offensively.

The trick is that you smash the ground/wall etc so hard that it creates a temporary cloud of dust and debris. Of course, it would be unuseable midair or suspended underwater, but that's rare enough to be only a quirk at most imo.

Another trick you can employ is a Visual Concealment 4 with a Quirk: visible until attacked. Probably called a defensive decoy or something, but the gimmick is that you are dodging and weaving so fast that people just can't get an accurate targetting on you. A powerful defensive method that can raise your defensive PL by 2.5 against most non-relevant characters, but also counterable with a single rank of Precise Attack, so the GM still has a reasonable control over who are/n't affected.

[Brianide]

You could have a blade that grants teleportation to the wielder. It could also allow the user to attack with it through a portal for Indirect attacks, and it might also be Penetrating if the attacks can port past armor.

[Alex Williamson]

I've always liked the idea of the sword that breaks up into smaller ppieces, forming a chain. It's a cheap add-on as well:
Stretching, 2 ranks: 2pts
AE Movement 1 (swinging)
AE Improved Critical 2
MAYBE add another AE Enhanced Advantages (Improved Grab and either Grabbing Finesse or Improved Hold)

That can be tacked on to any other weapon build you have.

Another easy add-on - make it a flaming sword by adding Secondary Effect to whatever build you have. This way the flames continue to burn on the target.

[Superguy]

This might be a bit over-powered, but what about a magic sword that doesn't miss. Make its attack Reaction Damage, Selective, Limited to opponents within sword-reach.

This is potentially pretty powerful. If I ever write up the Incarnation of War from Peirs Anthony's Incarnation of Immortality series, I was thinking to give him something like this. So, like I said, this might be too powerful for a mere mortal but I'm not at your gaming table. Everyone's normal is different.

You could maybe also use some Impervious Toughness to represent a "wall of steel" the character weaves with the sword.

As I write this I'm also in the middle of getting my kids into bed, so I may have made a mistake somewhere...

[Superguy]

This might be a bit over-powered, but what about a magic sword that doesn't miss. Make its attack Reaction Damage, Selective, Limited to opponents within sword-reach.

I knew I'd make a mistake. Not limited to opponents within sword-reach, I meant triggered by opponents within sword-reach.

You could maybe also use some Impervious Toughness to represent a "wall of steel" the character weaves with the sword.

Also forgot that the Impervious Toughness should be Limited to close physical attacks.

[Doctor Devious]

I've always liked the idea of the sword that breaks up into smaller pieces, forming a chain...

See an implementation thereof in the film Brotherhood of the Wolf

[Doctor Devious]

This might be a bit over-powered, but what about a magic sword that doesn't miss. Make its attack Reaction Damage, Selective, Limited to opponents within sword-reach...

Probably easier to go for Damage, Perception range, Limited to opponents within sword-reach.

[Superguy]

Probably easier to go for Damage, Perception range, Limited to opponents within sword-reach.

Interesting. If I understand correctly then Damage, Perception range, Limited to opponents within sword-reach, would allow you to strike one target in sword-reach without a to-hit roll, whereas my version would allow the same to every target within sword-reach.

Your version is probably more balanced - I'm not sure I see how it's easier. Still, cool idea.

[Doctor Devious]

Easier probably wasn't the best word: the biggie you already spotted - one attack per round, but with each approach, there is still some tidying up to be done.

Examples:
For the reaction scheme: Reaction to exactly what / takes place in who's turn (it can be theirs, which is odd) / concealment issues / what if stunned etc?

For the short-range percention scheme: what if grappled or snared / require limited arm movement / require a minimum distance (not just a maximum distance)?

I think the questions on the latter are a bit more obvious to handle, but then I haven't really thought it through either!

Edit: and no reason not to AP one of the other: the reaction route being a "defensive riposte stance" for example - if reaction is being melee attacked (and very little need for selective as a result), while the perception route is a simple direct attack.

[Arthur Eld]

Reaction attacks do not always hit without an attack roll. I've built perception Range reaction attacks for precisely this reason (to represent a character from Bleach).

Some GMs might allow it for certain descriptors (like touching the character with the Reaction power directly) but for a sword ability it doesn't seem to fit.