Altered Rune Weapons

[Scrud]

Is it possible to alter rune weapons or other supremely powerful magic items, with spells like weightlessness, Invisabilty, ect. ? Or does their pre exsiting magic or indestructability prevent it.

[sasha]

I'd say that they cannot be altered; if they could be altered, then I'd add that it's not possible without replacing the existing enchantment.

[Scrud]

I'm talking about temporary spell magic.

[Library Ogre]

I would allow it, but with the same caveat I give many such things... if the sword doesn't want it, it gets a saving throw.

[Natasha]

And perhaps a really bad attitude.

Alternatively, it may come to enjoy the added enchantment and demand more. But unlike a screaming baby, it can actually kill its holder.

[sasha]

I'm talking about temporary spell magic.

I still would not allow it.

If I did though, the weapon would likely crave the added power and as was mentioned demand more of it from its owner. If the curse wasn't bad enough, the unsatiable hunger for more power would ultimately lead to the character's death - not a question of if but when.

[Natasha]

And perhaps a really bad attitude.

Alternatively, it may come to enjoy the added enchantment and demand more. But unlike a screaming baby, it can actually kill its holder.

Oh you are a wicked, wicked girl.

Moi?


But yea rune weapons should always be avoided.

[Veknironth]

Well, I would argue that those extremely powerful weapons have all the magic in them that they can hold. Just as you can only put 4 enchantments on a weapon, you can't put anymore on to a rune weapon or holy weapon. For some reason, they just can't take anymore.

-Vek
"Sort of the same reason it's to hard to remove a curse."

[drewkitty ~..~]

Invocation bespelling: yes

Additional magical enchantments: no

[Northern Ranger]

I usually allow a certain amount of magic to differenttypes of weapons, depending on what material their made of and the quality of craftsmanship. Standard steel crafted by humans can only hold three enchantments, where as the same type of weapons crafted by a dwarf can hold four. Other materials can hold more or less, depending on material and craftsmanship.

[Probitas]

Part of the reason there are some built in controls in Rune weapons (IMO) is to prevent any one player from dominating play time. It's all fine if there is just one player character, but for any OP player in a group, the other players can quickly get bored and resentful if the game devolves to 'Rune-bearer and his Cohort' go adventuring. It also prevents players from having too much power without consequences, whether it's all their other possessions rotting away or simply not being able to see at night. Taking away the negative properties of any powerful item has to be carefully examined, or a GM can lose control very quickly, requiring outright removal and hard feelings. Usually this is something inexperienced GM's and players have problems with. Unless your game is a power game to begin with, and everyone is running around with light sabers and power cannon, try to remember the fantasy part of the game doesn't mean it needs to be overdone. If magic becomes commonplace, it loses its' mystique and then becomes yet another part of the background. As well, the pricing of magic items reflects the availability, common items are cheap because they are relatively weak, powerful ones are not, so should remain rarer. If rune weapons were available at any corner store, they would not be considered powerful at all, since anyone who could buy one would. Same goes for super powers, because once everyone has them, no one is super anymore. The tag 'powerful' has to remain rare for it to retain any meaning.

Altering them requires long term planning, and some short term managment. If treated like adding on to a home, you have to remember that botching it makes the whole thing worth less in terms of the whole. A bad upper floor extension can ruin a home, so too should a bad spell cast ruin a rune weapon. But then, players would use this to destroy otherwise indestructible items. You have to remember that most players will find a loop hole if one exists, and use it to do things you would not initially wish to occur. It's usually better to work with what you have, part of rp'ing is using the tools at hand to get a job done, not having a made to order solution.