I agree with William's classifications, but would put about double the value
on it. A +10%, +2, mage killer sword is excellent, particularly as it
combines with a Kite Shield and still lets you cast.

Andrew
-----Original Message-----
From: dworkin@ihug.co.nz [mailto:dworkin@ihug.co.nz]
Sent: Sunday, 5 May 2002 8:43 a.m.
To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz
Subject: Re: [dq] Guild Value?


> 
> Firestar 

About 8,000sp. +10% hit (1000), +2 damage(1000), excellent weapon(500),
counts 
as free hand(1500), increased EN/SG(4000). Neglible flaw (warning), easily 
corrected flaw (hot).

Advantages.
Heavy Hand/Half sword. One of the best weapons with even better stats.
Ability to cast with. This relieves the adept of having to make the tatical 
choice between being able to cast spells or have both hands using melee 
weapons. If you're fast and loose with this restriction (many are) than it
is a 
cosmetic effect.
Special Damage Bonus. Being able to kill mages quickly is a big bonus. Mages

are what you want to kill as fast as possible in a fight.

Flaws.
The damage (to wielder) is trivial in the right hands (fire/mind mage) and
can 
be a bonus as no-one could steal it. 

The vague sense of danger sensed would be overridden in most adepts by the 
definite sense of danger of some loon advancing on them with a big, glowing 
sword. Having it declare "I thirst for mage blood!" in a loud voice would be
a 
flaw as it draws attention (and fire) to the wielder.


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Ditto -- agreeing with William's comments, but also agreeing with Andrew 
that I'd slap a total value around the 15,000 mark on it -- assuming I'm 
reading the +5% vs. mages correctly as being:

Normal 5% Spec Grev + 2% Laen +5% Firestar = 7% Spev Grev vs. Fighters, 
12% Spec Grev vs. Mages;
Normal 15% Endurance +2% Laen +5% Firestar = 17% Endurance vs. Fighters, 
22% Spec Grev vs. Mages.

Cheers,
Martin

PS:  Todd, I really like special effect of the spells appearing to come 
from the dragon.  Very cool.

Andrew Withy (DSL AK) wrote:

>I agree with William's classifications, but would put about double the value
>on it. 
>
>From: dworkin@ihug.co.nz [mailto:dworkin@ihug.co.nz
>
>About 8,000sp.
>

-- 

 _/_/  Peace Software International     Email: martin.dickson@peace.com
_/     Martin Dickson                   Phone: +64-9-373-0400
       Senior Analyst                   Fax  : +64-9-373-0401


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A couple of things to think on regarding this weapon...

Not many of us can work out what 7%, 12%, 17% or 22% of a number between 10
and 150 is off the top of our heads, and these percentages are not covered
in the Spec Grev chart so a player wielding this weapon in combat will slow
things down as they get out their calculator or pen and paper and work out
whether a roll of 17 is an Endurance blow from their 118% SC vs 39% Defence
on uneven ground in dim lighting...
I suggest that you add a Spec Grev chart for the weapon to the write-up
which has columns for Spec & End vs Mages and Non-Mages.  This will save a
lot of time later.

Also consider that a decent assassin attacking from behind is going to kill
human mages in one blow about 30% of the time.  
Strike Chance: 70% base + 20 MD + 28 (Weapon Rank 7) + 2 Amulet of Diamonds
+ 30% attacking from behind = 150%
Endurance Chance: 15% + 7% for Weapon vs Mages + 7% Assassin Rank 7 = 29%
Generously assuming they have 40% Defence from behind this means a roll of
30 or less will be END damage.
Damage: 7 base + 1 for wielding 2-handed + 1 for weapon rank over 4 + 7 for
Assassin Rk 7 + D10 = 17 to 26 Damage.

Is the damage from the hilt Normal heat damage or magical?  If normal how
hot is it (Temperature) as this affects how much mind mages and fire mages
can abate the damage.  Does it only heat up when wielded?  Can it be used to
boil water, warm your bed, start fires etc.  Is there a chance of your cloak
catching alight as it brushes the hilt?
The burning hilt restriction is very binary.  If you take damage from the
hilt then its pretty much unusable, if you don't then its no longer a
restriction.  You may want to remove it and add something like a penalty to
Magic Resistance due to the mana conductance - it works two ways. 

Cheers, Stephen.

-----Original Message-----
From: tdouglas@zoomtown.com [mailto:tdouglas@zoomtown.com]
Sent: Saturday, 4 May 2002 8:26 a.m.
To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz
Subject: [dq] Guild Value?


I am trying to gage the power of items.  I'd like opinions on what guild
value might be for the sword listed below.  Injury:  this increases the
chance for a grevious injury and endurance hit.  Laen is a very and
strong/hard metal so it increase the chance of a critical hit.  So this
weapon would be a total of +7% injury vs mages (magic and non magic stack).

Thanks 
Todd


Firestar

Description: 	Forged by dragons for the demon wars and lost ages.
Firestar is a mighty magical hand and a half sword.  The hilt is intricately
carved into the head of a dragon, and its blade is set in the dragon’s
mouth.  The dragon’s eyes are set with rubies, and its teeth are
carved from pearl.  Firestar’s blade is forged of clear laen a rare
glass like metal.  The blade is carved with ancient draconic runs that grant
the sword its powers.  The whole sword gives off a soft red glow.

Weapon Stats:	BC: 70% Damage: +7  Injury: +2% (non-magical)

Magic Powers:	Mage Slayer:  when Firestar strikes a target that is a
member of a magic college increase injury by +5%.
Mana Conductor:  spells may be cast through Firestar so the wielder need not
have a free hand to cast spells.  This gives the appearance of the spell
coming from the sword.

Flaws:	Firestar’s hilt is red hot to the touch and will burn its
wielder 4 damage points per pulse (2 points if wielder of fire aspect).
When prepared Firestar gives of a warning to mages.  All mages in a
100’ radius may roll their MA to sense a “warning”.  The
warning will not be specific just that there is danger present.


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It might be easier to effectively subtract from the dice roll. Quite tough,
but clearer what happens.

e.g. extra -2 off dice roll on strike chance, -7 off diceroll against mages,
doesn't stack with death aspect, does stack with lesser enchantment.

Then roll of 17 becomes roll of 10, can look up on chart, need 64% mod SC to
EN.

Andrew
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Martin [mailto:stephenm@qed.co.nz]
Sent: Monday, 6 May 2002 10:32 a.m.
To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz
Subject: Re: [dq] Guild Value?


A couple of things to think on regarding this weapon...

Not many of us can work out what 7%, 12%, 17% or 22% of a number between 10
and 150 is off the top of our heads, and these percentages are not covered
in the Spec Grev chart so a player wielding this weapon in combat will slow
things down as they get out their calculator or pen and paper and work out
whether a roll of 17 is an Endurance blow from their 118% SC vs 39% Defence
on uneven ground in dim lighting...
I suggest that you add a Spec Grev chart for the weapon to the write-up
which has columns for Spec & End vs Mages and Non-Mages.  This will save a
lot of time later.


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At 11:06 6/05/02 +1200, you wrote:
>It might be easier to effectively subtract from the dice roll. Quite tough,
>but clearer what happens.

Not quite tough, but very tough... I know of only one, perhaps two items in 
the entire Guild that do this. Combine that with the ability to cast 
through the item (an ability I rather think should be restricted to Fire 
College spells only, considering the item is obviously aligned with Fire) 
then it's estimated value approaches 30000 sp.

>e.g. extra -2 off dice roll on strike chance, -7 off diceroll against mages,
>doesn't stack with death aspect, does stack with lesser enchantment.
>
>Then roll of 17 becomes roll of 10, can look up on chart, need 64% mod SC to
>EN.

Which is all well and good until you consider the possibility that the 
wielder might be an assassin. Assassins have to calculate variable spec 
grev chances all the time... so it's a good thing that spec grev results 
occur less than one in five at best.
(Okay, so the Elven Shredder from Hell can push that higher... but it's 
damned expensive - in xp)

As I read the item, the increased chances apply on to spec grev, not to 
endurance (to injury as opposed to injury AND wounds) so the calculation 
problem isn't so bad.

Jacqui.


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does anyone have a contact phone no. for Mike Haycock.   [His GM has just had one of those uh-oh
moments]
if so please reply to m.parkinson@auckland.ac.nz

Michael Parkinson
Mathematics & Statistics Subject Librarian
===============================


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