Designing an epic weapon/armor/artifact!

How about a special armor you can cast spells in called "Sorcerer's Plate"

 

I'm thinking maybe something like the "Staff of Taluntain"

The description for the item can mention a short history of the item, perhaps that includes the telling of an epic battle where the great sorcerer Taluntain was defeated by Sir Bel the Paladin and Kitrax the rogue, and maybe some others (needs work, but the idea is to pay tribute to a few key individuals).

The place of the mighty sorcerer's death has been known since as the "Sorcerer's resting place". How the weapon of this mighty mage made its way into your possession is truly a mystery.

(Rough cut, but it's a starting point).

 

I like your idea Marceror!

 

Hm, do you really think this poll already makes sense at this point?

How should I know, whether the best idea that will come up will be an artifact or an armor or a weapon?

I'd suggest that we do open brainstorming for now without restricting our options from the start, and then after a while if we have not already reached consensus we can vote on the ideas that have come up.

 

Ineth, I'm sure Tal won't mind if you share ideas that don't match the options given in the poll. I'm sure he was just trying to focus the discussion in some way, but I doubt he would turn a blind eye to any good ideas.

 

The idea of this thread is going to turn into brainstorming is it not?

I know how hard it is to correct items as I am still in the proccess of creating the items for my own characters in my novel. They change as I tweak characters. Such as going from a Rose staff to a Native American inspired natural material spear made of either bone or stone. All this from going from a cleric to a druid. The rest of the outfit will match the nature feel as well with a cloak of leaves and a crown of thorns plus a robe of brown/green color not sure on that yet. If any of these ideas help just speak up and I may allow you to roll with whatever it is that comes to mind. So I know how hard this can be when designing multiple items for multiple characters.

I was also thinking of having a small crystal in the middle of the spears blade to act like the top of a staff and be allowed to function like a focal point for her magic.

 

Surely every one of the 50 people who selected to Design an Item will do some epic item. Why not do something different and unique?

Listen to the man. He speaks with great wisdom.

 

Meh! Why spend $1,000 to be crappy? Personally, my motivation to use such an item would be zero. Maybe I'd hold it in my inventory for a while, and look at it once or twice, but that would be the extent. An amulet of random babbling that provides some positive benefits might not be a bad idea, but personally, I can't see dropping a thousand dollars just to make my gameplay experience slightly torturous. Just my take. It seems like the New Zealanders prefer minor torture. Been drinking too much Ent wine over there?

 

This.

 

Because we aren't all power gamers looking for the theoretically most powerful character possible. Maybe it gives you an intelligence boost (ie turns you into a nerdy geek) or maybe it opens up other role playing options unavailable to high charisma characters. Lets think a bit laterally here people.

 

A nice, but non-epic item would be reasonable to consider as far as I'm concerned. I'm just not thrilled with the idea of an item that reduces your abilities. I mean, what is the message we would be sending about our forum here? Sorcerer's Place - it makes you less than what you would otherwise be?

An item with a humorous element could be okay, but I'd prefer that the item itself provides some positive benefit. There's literally a million and 1 ways to go on this. Since we don't even have the details of this process from Obsidian yet, getting the ideas out there, however outlandish, I suppose only helps to get the creativity flowing.

As for being a bit of a power gamer, I have to draw the line right there. I'm sorry, but I resemble that remark!

 

I voted for epic armor just to even the score! I kind of like the idea of a type of armor that can be worn by spellcasters. Then again, the world of P:E not being D&D, perhaps they can wear it anyway? If they generally can't, a special suit of armor that can be worn might be a good idea. I'm just fine if some other item is made though.

On the power level, I'm more inclined to agree with the not-so-powerful camp. P:E is the start of the character's adventurer - no expansion pack yet (though it's been promised), no game #2... so just how high of a level can it go? If it's following in the footsteps of, say, the BG series, then epic would be like an item for a level 8 character. So just how epic is it really going to be? We don't really know what the limit is yet.

Humor in the item or description? I'm all for it if it's done right. Completely useless item? Nah. Item that has negative attributes as well as positive? I think that would be a good idea, although it doesn't have to be in the line of the idea of Staff of Painful Healing (see other P:E thread for that!).

What about a name? Something with Talauntain would work for sure. It'd also be neat if we could somehow get a reference to the others who chipped in. That would be a feat in itself!

I'm sure there will be plenty of time to come up with ideas. I don't think Obsidian will be in a huge rush to get things like specific items in the game considering everything else they have to do. I'll be back to help out more in two weeks. Until then, I have no internet access. I'll try to brainstorm during my absence if I get the chance.

 

You hit the mark BTA. Weapons and armor are usualy more restrictive to Class or Race in RPGs. Artifacts on the other hand are usually open to everyone.

The Ring of Tal. 5% MR and Immunity to Fire and Fear? Maybe with a negative attribute as well. Like....hmmm, what is a weakness of Tal?.... always fails saves vs enchantment magic from female elven sorceresses?

 

Because we're not spending $1000 to have the msot powerful item - we're spending $1000 to have a part of SP "immortalised" in a memorable way. If every 50 of the Kickstarter items are powerful, epic things, that one humerous/absolutely **** item will be the one you remember.

As an example, the only specific item I can remember from BG1 is the Gender Changing belt and I can even remember exactly where to find it. It's those times that stick in the mind - not the OMG-look-how-powerful-this-item-is-I-can't-believe-I-have-forty-nine-of-these-now moments.

 

Just making an item s%^t doesn't necessarily make it memorable. I'll admit that the girdle of gender bending was a very memorable item, but that's because it did something hilarious and totally unexpected. By contrast, bracers of fumbling or other items that have been put in the Baldur's Gate series that have odd stories and reduce your abilities in some way are items that I either sell if I can, or drop on the ground if I can't. Not really memorable, except that they are disappointing. A few items like this in the world are okay, but turning our contribution into this sort of item isn't my favorite idea, by a long shot. I also find that there is a disturbing analogy between creating a crap item to represent Sorcerer's Place and Sorcerer's Place itself, as if we're a crappy website.

Maybe an item that has some positive benefits, and a single negative benefit that somehow makes a very clever statement about one of our quirks as a community, and has a great story to go with it could be cool. But a "this is a pile of dog poo that has been smeared all over your face, -10 to CHA, Love Sorcerer's Place" type item just isn't something I personally can get behind. Of course, I'm just one opinion of many.

 

The suggestion was not compulsory on my part, or an attempt at flattery, or anything of the sort. I honestly feel that it would be a very appropriate way to represent the site, not to mention that your screen name makes a very strong fantasy name. If you had called yourself "SorcPl_1999" or something, I wouldn't be making this suggestion.

I could easily go another direction, but I maintain that naming the Sorcerer's Place item after the resident founder and chief sorcerer is one possible, solid route we could take.

With respect to my idea, which I'm sure is merely one of several good ideas that will be offered, there's no reason this need be a staff. It could just as easily be a ring or another item that might offer greater utility to a larger number of classes.

Regardless of the direction we choose, I think it would be great if we could mention some of our key and/or departed members in the item description. That would be a nice tribute, and by doing it this way, we don't have to "play favorites" with something so sensitive as "which departed member" is better than the rest. :/

Within that, there may be room for some humor, and maybe even a negative trait. An item that becomes more powerful the more you talk to people in the world (i.e. random babbling) might be neat, though I'm not sure Obsidian would be able to easily support something like this from a coding perspective.

Anyhow, my point is that we may be able to take several of the ideas shared here and use them with the item. That would make the item more of a true community item.

So yeah, brainstorm away, and let's try to use as many good ideas as we realistically can.