One fun way one of my characters received their ancestral weapon. He didn't have any noble lineage or anything like that, but he befriended a old swordmaster. As he mentored my character they formed a strong bond, and as he later died he handed that sword over to my character. We had the rule that ancestral weapons could only reach their full potential when passed down the family, and my character and the old swordmaster weren't blood related at all. Yet the swords powers activated for my character, and at first my character thought it was because they were secretly related. But after alot of investigation into the bloodlines it turned out they weren't related, and the old swordmaster had come to consider my character as a son. It was a strong moment, as the sword didn't discriminate between blood relatives and found family. It showed that the family you find is equally valid to the one you were born into.
@kirrb-dot-exe
2 жыл бұрын
W-wait that’s so cute tho 🥺🥺🥺
@RonquixoteDIII
2 жыл бұрын
What a cool story! If your dm needs some players, damn I would love to play with someone who can write like that
@celesteelka
2 жыл бұрын
That's, so rad.
@Rayne_Storms
2 жыл бұрын
So wholesome
@atlaszurum
2 жыл бұрын
i teared up a bit
@johnenklerjr7693
2 жыл бұрын
We had a character die in game and the DM imbued some of his essence in the long sword he use to wield. Now once a day it cast spirit guardians in the form of our deceased friend. Now the sword has a story to it and its ours....:)
@albinocyclopse9952
2 жыл бұрын
That's beautiful!
@twinphalanx4465
2 жыл бұрын
Can they communicate ?
@kendonald267
2 жыл бұрын
Damn… I’m stealing this for sure 🥲🥲
@lancercu8640
2 жыл бұрын
We had the same idea in our campaign! It's a super loved idea for sure!
@darthfalafel6581
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Mr. Enkler, for the TOTALLY ORIGINAL idea for my next campaign.
@koidandi
2 жыл бұрын
Puns usually aren't my cup of tea but I really saber the flavour of this video
@DucksAndCatnip
Ай бұрын
seppuku
@Abelhawk
2 жыл бұрын
I thought of this idea a year ago, though it wasn't nearly as developed as this. Basically, instead of having the players _find_ a +1 sword, the players should have their starting equipment (likely an heirloom) get upgraded in a moment of heroism or as a quest reward. Maybe a sword becomes a _dragon slayer_ when it's drenched in dragon's blood, or a paladin's sword becomes a _holy avenger_ when he finally defeats an evil overlord and the archbishop blesses his blade. Or the spirit of an ally could possess it, or an angel could touch it, or a fire giant could reforge it, or any other number of awesome ways. I've found that at _least_ 50% of the fun of a magic item is the story behind it, so I highly recommend a system like this.
@onewhowalkedaway
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah I definitely feel like having important events magic-ify some of your gear is a great way to add weight and significance to them
@seeker296
2 жыл бұрын
The problem is that every hero would easily create weapons like this, whereas magic weapons are supposed to be limited resources, difficult to make, ancient, requiring spell casters and skill smith's working together...the peak of civilization Not haha, dragon blood go brr. Blessed sword go swoosh swoosh
@Abelhawk
2 жыл бұрын
It doesn't have to be that way. And since the players are the heroes of the story, their weapons would stand out as legendary among commoners.
@onewhowalkedaway
2 жыл бұрын
@@seeker296 I suppose it depends what kind of vibe you want your magic weapons to have. If they're the product of manufacturing processes that always felt very generic to me and lends itself to the fantasy costco issue where you just go down to your local magic weapon emporium and pick out your preferred style of magic weapon. Having them grow as a result of achievements makes them feel much more mystical to me. Sure it might mean that every legendary hero has a magical weapon, but it also probably means that only legendary heroes (or villains) have magical weapons. Well depending on what you think is a cool enough achievement to earn a weapon a reputation
@fred_derf
11 ай бұрын
@@seeker296, writes _"The problem is that every hero would easily create weapons like this, [...]"_ As opposed to what? The current system where practically any spell caster can make magic items just by spending a few gp -- or just buy them outright from a Magic Shop? With this system items become more powerful as they're used by the characters in the game, they become part of the character's advancement and are personal to the character -- they are no longer just generic magic items.
@jordanw2741
2 жыл бұрын
I bow to you, queen of the puns. Thanks for the reminder about this! I bought this a while ago when I was a pc, but it kinda got buried in the 100 other things I've bought from them. Would be excellent to incorporate for my druid player's staff and paladin player's greatsword.
@birubu
2 жыл бұрын
Haha, “bow”
@trynda1701
2 жыл бұрын
@@birubu Good catch! 😎😎😎😎
@jordanw2741
2 жыл бұрын
@@birubu glad my subtle genius can be appreciated
@MonkeyJedi99
2 жыл бұрын
Oh, you like weapon puns? Join the club!
@MonkeyJedi99
2 жыл бұрын
@@Apeiron242 That is so cool!
@kab6754
2 жыл бұрын
This would be a great addition to the Ancestral Guardian Barbarian! Imagine inheriting a weapon passed down the family line doing different feats and resetting with each new wielder. This is giving me such Fables 3 vibes and I'm here for it!
@ptah956
2 жыл бұрын
I did this. I made an Orc with an Ancestral Warpick. It wasn't optimized for damage dealing, but it made him *very* hard to kill.
@IconicDuckling489
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah I saw this and made an ancestral guardian. I had her backstory be that the matriarch of the family always wielded the weapon, and when the matriarch died, the eldest daughter would take the weapon and go on a quest to make the weapon powerful again, as when the mother died, the weapon reset back to no power. And with each new daughter, the weapon would return to the clan different as the augments of the weapon would reflect her personality. Now my character has to go on a quest to make the weapon powerful so she can guide her clan. I also multiclassed her with echo knight, so her echo would be her mother aiding her in battle and when she rages her ancestors also appear with her in battle -all wielding a different form of the weapon. It's my favourite character I have made in a while. Also I'm 100% getting Fable 3 vibes.
@AnAngryRedGummyBear
2 жыл бұрын
Sword of Gryffindor is a perfect example of a non bloodline ancestral weapon. Also, the way it disappears and appears is a very convenient dm/author tool.
@fred_derf
11 ай бұрын
"[...] is a very convenient dm/author tool." I think the term you're looking for is _Deus Ex Machina._
@shinkamui
Ай бұрын
@@fred_derf deus ex machina is more of a linear storytelling thing. It's what we call when an author just solves narrative tension in a contrived way and it carries a really bad conotation it doesn't really apply in this context. First, it's an improv-minded game. Some randomness here is fun. But also, it's a tool for game balance. So that your group can have a climactic fight with borrowed power punching up against a foe that's too much for their level and not ruin the game balance for the next sessions
@fred_derf
Ай бұрын
@@shinkamui, writes _"It's what we call when an author just solves narrative tension in a contrived way and it carries a really bad conotation"_ By, for example, having a powerful magic item just show up?
@shinkamui
Ай бұрын
@@fred_derf did you really respond without reading the comment ''i made a pact with a sentient magical sword that would help me in the hour of need''. Goes to fight a dragon, a +1 sword shows up oh no, tension is gone.. deus ex machina much.. i guess? nah, makes no sense to call it a deus ex machina besides pedantism
@mortalitydoesstuff8965
2 жыл бұрын
Of all the examples you gave, the Skywalker lightsaber is the closest to fitting both thematically and mechanically. Lightsaber crystals are alive and they grow and change through their bond with the wielder and can even influence them, and some have even gained interesting abilities as a result of certain events
@DarkWarriorShadowClaw
2 жыл бұрын
One member of my group in DnD had an ancient very powerful knife. The hook: The knife got stolen when she got banned from her thieves guild. Moreover a Big Bad Guy used it against our group while we were travelling. This was definetely a very thrilling part of the story which showed the power of the dagger - although she never got her hands on it because our group had to split up for different reasons.
@Armaggedon185
2 жыл бұрын
For those familiar with the Moonblade in the DMG, it's basically the Moonblade but waaay more versatile. It's good!
@Kaervek87
2 жыл бұрын
Yay!! I’m like a kid at Christmas when there’s a DM-focused vid from Ginny Di!!
@jonathanstern5537
2 жыл бұрын
I could adapt some of these to be things other than weapons. Like a ring with Deathward, or a circlet with Will of Ancestors.
@MinnehahaSybyl
2 жыл бұрын
Really great way to make the mechanics of the moon blade match the lore.
@YodasTinyLightsaber
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I've been thinking of using moon blades in game, and this is a brilliant idea to open that up for non-elven PCs.
@ryadinstormblessed8308
2 жыл бұрын
I love the sound of this, I'll check it out! I made a home brewed ancestral weapon recently for my Bladesinger, but factored in some mystery from the beginning by saying that my character refuses to attune to or Identify the sword (which he took as a child when fleeing the site of his mother's murder by an unknown group) because he's still rebelling from his mother's heroic legacy and feels that if he used the sword's special abilities it would imply willingness to step into her shadow and become a hero like she was. I asked the DM to include his mother's killer as one of the minor boss fights in the game, after which my character will have to make the decision to either take on the mantle of responsibility she left behind, and wield her sword proudly to its full effect, or forever walk away from that life, and leave the sword behind as well.
@jodymorgan2805
2 жыл бұрын
"Whatever, I'm hilarious!" is the energy I hope to take with me throughout life.
@heyitsbee1497
2 жыл бұрын
Your storytelling is always immaculate, I struggle to believe that you play every character in your videos sometimes. Great work :D
@Spooglecraft
2 жыл бұрын
best custom weapon we had in a campaign was a sentient sword named Gramklinge. or Tristan. the player literally had to pull it out of a sword in a dungeon designed to test him by the Red Lady. it was battle-hungry and played Blind Guardian whenever it was used in combat. in one of the final battles, Tristan sacrificed himself to defeat a strong entity sent by Shar. in more recent campaigns, our DM tends to give us powerful magical weapons which, upon identified, come with their stats as well as the info that there's greater power within them, which can be unlocked through great effort. this allows for interesting character choices, as well as artifacts which scale with our progress.
@eddarby469
Жыл бұрын
I'm going to let my brother find a weapon called Man of War, a magical longsword that has a cross piece that is fashioned to look like a viking longboat and a large clear blue sapphire gem in the hilt. The blade looks like Damascus steel but it is waves moving along the blade. Initially it will be a +1 longsword. But later as the campaign develops, I will add features.
@emt0072
2 жыл бұрын
Hi Ginni, I used the book to create a ancestral set of plate mail for the pally in my game. You can use the rules in this book to make anything ancestral with just a little effort.
@SixDimensions7
2 жыл бұрын
Can confirm this is pretty great. Can also be used in conjunction with "The Complete Armoer's Handbook" as a viable gold sink and for non-ancestral weapons. I use both in my campaign and they're fantastic
@darmakx99
2 жыл бұрын
The one from heavyarms? I love that book! I haven't had a chance to use it myself since I don't run a campaign, just one-shots (too much stress right now), but I hope to one day!
@TheClericCorner
2 жыл бұрын
Some well hammered-out ideas 👌
@CrispysTavern
2 жыл бұрын
We're back! And we're back with a great topic to boot. I love weapons that are a greater part of a character's identity. There is a reason why looters are so popular, people love their loot. There is a very real sentimental value to the weapons you use in a game and if a game's mechanics reflect that, you can carry that sentimentality to your own game. Player investment is a major part of what makes a game great and having another avenue for that investment (I.E. an Ancentral Weapon) can make your game all the better.
@DJROCKSTAZ
2 жыл бұрын
In my characters' cases especially, having an iconic weapon (or weapons) can act as a cool calling card. For example, if three of my now-legendary(In a hypothetical example) characters walk into a tavern, having everyone recognize their weapons and thus their owners makes for some great post-campaign stuff. That weapon is now synonymous with their owner, and it's really fun to imagine people telling stories about your character's deeds, those especially involving that character's signature weapon.
@KnicKnac
2 жыл бұрын
I enjoyed custom magic weapons that level up with the characters. This was my 3.5 days, but the idea still stands. Weapons of Legacy a 3.5 book had a published system for such a system.
@templarw20
2 жыл бұрын
Weapons of Legacy never quite worked well for my groups. Good concept, but clunky application.
@ryfors
2 жыл бұрын
The mid-part cutscenes or w/e you want to call it were really well done. I liked them
@HeyLizardLeigh
2 жыл бұрын
There’s so many great ideas in here!! As a barb main, having a DM who’s super into doing weapons homebrewing work has been SUCH a treat, you’re right on that it makes all the difference in the world for martial classes!
@isilmelanithlorien7310
2 жыл бұрын
The base concept behind this book reminds me of the base concept that existed in the Weapons of Legacy book for 3.5. Love it.
@seiglegar
2 жыл бұрын
also the feat "Ancestral weapon" from book of exalted deeds, and "Item familiar" from unearthed arcana... I hate being that guy, but almost every good idea I've seen come out for 5e, third party in particular, that gets held up as revolutionary ideas the game needed, is things that 3.5 already had. the book does look great, and I'm glad to have these kinds of options back for 5e... but it still stands...
@isilmelanithlorien7310
2 жыл бұрын
@@seiglegar I am fairly certain that 2E AD&D had something similar I am just not recalling it because I think the 2 most "out there" resources I used were the Elven Archer fighter substitution rules from the Elf supplement for my Moon Elf archer I played and the Necromancer's Handbook for my Drow Wizard I played.
@Corvothing24
2 жыл бұрын
Ah yes, the moonblade that DMs actually know how to incorporate
@colnagocowboy
2 жыл бұрын
I once gave one of my better RP'ers a senile sword. He would often have to beat on the wall to wake it up so it would use its power. The sword would periodically make cryptic or rude remarks.
@AlbertaGeek
2 жыл бұрын
"Old sword yells at cloud".
@channelofmojos2779
2 жыл бұрын
“The Skywalker Saber form Star Wars” -Ah yes, the Youngling Slayer 9000.
@valkyrie635
2 жыл бұрын
this video could not come at a better time! I've been struggling with homebrewing an ancestral weapon for my knight for ages, and this is exactly what I need!!
@TheWarpTunnel
Жыл бұрын
In our current campaign, my urchin barbarian's heritage was discovered, and after a few session of slowly gaining more details on his heritage, his father weapon was reviled in possession of a boss. It was so so satisfying to beat the boss, reclaim the fathers greataxe and then discover it is an ancestral weapon. Huge rp moment for my character, who now has a purposeful tie to his roots. I love dnd for these moments.
@bullydungeon9631
2 жыл бұрын
Dude you made me cry with some of the character lines that was amazing
@dragonstryk7280
2 жыл бұрын
Something DM's might want to look up is an old book for 3.x, called Weapons of Legacy. As DM and player I loved this tome, because it put up a whole new concept in magic items: Magic items that level up with you. Essentially, there were various weapons and even armors and such that, with the rules in the book, started off as basic weapons until certain conditions were met, at which point they would unlock a power, and could have multiple levels of this, creating weapons that continued to improve with the character. This made my job as DM *so* much easier, and more fun. As DM, it gave magic items a greater feeling, and players didn't keep switching up weapons throughout a campaign. So that "Sword of your father" that was merely a basic weapon you wrote into your backstory, one day, starts to glow, and becomes empowered, and will still be with you at level 15 for far more than simple sentimental reasons. I had one, where our group's fighter was advancing his weapon, and he thought it had reached its limit at level 9. It was an ancestral weapon, passed down through 10 generations of his family. It had started out as just a masterwork weapon, finely made sure, but it didn't have anything more powerful to it. When he hit level three, after holding some pretty nasty undead, the weapon flared to life with an intelligence. This intellect was essentially an amalgam of all those who wielded the blade previously, and as Fighter's father had passed, he got to here the voice of his father. We had a really good series of RP moments of him speaking with his father. Well, on about level 12, the party was in a nail-biting fight with an ancient green dragon. The fight isn't going great for the party, but Fighter's convinced that the party can still do this, and he's determined. He's dying here, or the dragon is. It is in this moment I halt the fight, just as his turn is coming up, and I ask, "So, I have a question: What is your character's most fervent desire in this moment?" "I want to stop this god damned dragon!" "You look around at your friends, as you're facing down this evil dragon, and you've fully set yourself. Only your party or this vile thing are walking away from this. And as you're having this thought, you feel an immense power well up with the blade, and you hear the voices of your ancestors, rising up in song, a prayer for the strength to do what is needed. A wave of power blasts out from the sword, staggering all around you, and a new voice joins the chorus within the blade: Your own. The blade thrums with power, and your father's voice comes in, saying with a heart full warmth, 'I am so proud of you'. Your weapons gains a +1 enhancement bonus, and you is now a bane (dragon) weapon. Know this: In 10 generations of your family, you hear it now, that none in your line of warriors has ever gotten this far. You are beyond what the sword has done in the past, and for each step you take forward from now, you are now forging your own legacy with the blade." He literally laughed triumphantly in that moment.
@thunderflare59
2 жыл бұрын
As a reminted DM, I find your videos very useful.
@Rubymagicalgirl88
2 жыл бұрын
I know this pdf, I used it to make a Long sword with the ability to cast the Tidal wave spell. I like the idea of magical weapons for Monks.
@katoninedice4141
2 жыл бұрын
I picked this up around the same time I picked up the Adventurer's domestic on Ginny's recommendation. This is wonderfully full circle.
@suntiger745
2 жыл бұрын
I wonder if Mark Hulmes used this or his own homebrew for Katie's characte Aila in High Rollers. Her Howling Gale warhammer would definitely resembles an ancestral weapon. It was gifted to her by her (adopted) clan when she went out into the world, and has grown along her in her travels with the Stormchasers.
@ImiiVy
3 ай бұрын
I'm a huge fan of "deal damage, take damage" weapons. Recently I designed a rapier that let's you deal 12 damage to yourself by drawing your blood and infusing it in the metal. This lets the wielder perform a 3d8+3 AOE (Dex save) "dance" that flings crystallized ribbons of blood outwards, damaging anyone within 10 feet. And yeah, I 100% imagine it looking like waterfowl dance.
@LightningPiano
2 жыл бұрын
I really like the new (I think?) character introduced in this video! She just seems neat.
@MenschWerdeWesentlich
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for pointing me to this resource! When we played Lost Mines as our first foray into D&D my then first time DM and I very quickly came up with basically the same idea, but we didn’t introduce a currency for upgrades. Instead we made the upgrades milestone events. I have been fiddling with our vague mechanic ever since I donned the DM hat for our second campaign, but haven’t formulated anything robust yet. I will definitely get the PDF and salvage the parts that I like.
@kalebjernigan
2 жыл бұрын
This is perfect for my upcoming Hexblade/ Sword Bard character coming up!
@rowanstoneskipper
2 жыл бұрын
She does make a great point
@huhloween
2 жыл бұрын
This is great! I've got a Triton Bard who wields her mother's trident and turning it into a powerful ancestral weapon was something I've been wanted to do! Super helpful!
@LeeCarlson
2 жыл бұрын
I love DM's Guild and I actually picked up Ancestral Weapons to create a proper weapon for our Black-Dragonborn Paladin.
@Rainbowboy-sv5fw
2 жыл бұрын
I did this once (kinda) with lineage. One of my players made a tiefling that was the daughter of a brass dragon and a tiefling. They wanted to be an artificer, but also thought it would be cool to have a few dragon powers. So I took a few metallic dragon related abilities and introduced them over the course of the game, depending on that character's choices. In the end, my player had a Tiefling artillerist with brass scales here and there (small boost to AC,) a breath weapon, the ability to frighten once per long rest, and a few other things that I forget. It was so cool!
@dakotahhermann9087
2 жыл бұрын
I love the way that Ginny formats her videos, I'm obsessed with the examples that she gives
@Mastattak
2 жыл бұрын
I am SO gonna use it! One of my players in a Cleric of Bahamut (light domain) whose abbey was destroyed by an ancient blue dragon. He really wanted to use the mace he was given by the abbot, but they’re level 4 now and it just started to feel underwhelming. This is the perfect way to spice it up! He’ll love it, I’m sure 🤩
@magicdimension6073
2 жыл бұрын
I play an Eladrin Bladesinger in my party with a background and story of a Noble of the family Lasslórien in Faerûn and the DM bless me with the sword of the family, that item has almost the same amount of lines of story as my character and use this sword to comunicate clues to the character and the party, leading the adventure where we're supposed to go. Great content!
@kylefindlay8411
Жыл бұрын
Agreed. You are hilarious. Also super knowledgable and easy on the eyes. Love to watch and listen about DnD. Ive been a DM for years, always homebrew and write my own plots and stories. You have some awesome ideas!!
@danc6167
2 жыл бұрын
This is absolutely my jam. I love the idea of legendary weapons. I'll definitely be picking up this book and having a few ancestral weapons as loot in my players' next dungeon
@hocusmocus5901
2 жыл бұрын
I had a friend who once gave a player a Moonblade at the start of the campaign. They predetermined the runes on the blade, but the only active rune at level 1 was the Finesse Rune. Every subsequent rune on the blade was then activated as the campaign went along. Its why the Moonblade is my favourite magic item, because its so modular and easy to work into a character with a little tweaking.... as long as they're an elf.
@sebastianfranasovic7005
2 жыл бұрын
I have a funny story for something similar which happened to me involving magic items with some story behind them. My first proper DnD character was an elf ranger who found himself fighting against cultists kidnapping and brainwashing innocent people across the campaign’s kingdom in order to fulfill a ritual, and one of those people was a noble man who had a family relic on him which was a flametongue dagger. It had a long history of being passed down in a long lineage of elves, but what matters is that the nobleman felt guilty for being possessed, claiming he did “horrible things with the dagger”, and giving it to my character in an attempt to cleanse the dagger’s name under the hands of a hero rather than the ones of an assassin. The dagger became so important for the character that it also kept the noble man’s family name on it, being also the one magic item I kept across the entire campaign as a “boss killer”. Funnily enough, later on I ended up playing a campaign which I played as the daughter of the same character and she also ended up getting her hands on a dagger (Although this was a dagger of venom rather than a flametongue one) after saving other people from a faction of cultists, which I found as a very funny coincidence because the DMs didn’t know each other at all.
@kelpiekit4002
2 жыл бұрын
Simple rule of thumb for well balanced item distribution: lvl 1-5 artifacts, lvl 6-10 artifacts, lvl 11-15 artifacts, lvl 16-20 common items. "Heroes. You slayed the Tarrasque and saved the whole world. Have a cute teapot."
@matthewschwer6048
2 жыл бұрын
I was literally thinking this morning about something like this for an aasimar I'm building. Though I was thinking more along the lines of over the campaign finding pieces of an ancestral weapon until eventually the weapon could be restored under the blessing of the character's divine ancestor. This might be an interesting idea too. Carrying a weapon from session one that is effective but grows more powerful as the character regains the connection with his/her ancestry.
@GrapeSodaBrian
Жыл бұрын
Ah, glad that 1:30 is still correct with the OGL staying as is. Great work everyone and give thanks to those who risked their livelihoods to let us players and GMs know what was up.
@drskelebone
2 жыл бұрын
This is super cool. My character has an "heirloom dagger" that they found in the second session. When the party started asking questions, they just declared the newly-found dagger "An Ancient Family Heirloom," and has been lying their way through writing a backstory as questions come up.
@drskelebone
2 жыл бұрын
"Or the flying upgrade to give the wielder flight" vs a dragon is the fan art I need to see. Just yeeting yourself through the sky so you can stab it. :D
@andrewboger8801
2 жыл бұрын
We're doing something like this in our current campaign, its pretty sweet...not necessarily ancestral, but more signature weapon. Gains extra damage, attack bonus, and cantrips at certain levels. The weapon levels up as the character levels up, just easier to keep track of leveling this way.
@penguinswarm9658
2 жыл бұрын
I'm doing something like this in my current campaign. In my world, anyone can have these "ancestral weapons" but they work a bit differently. They can be any equipped item and are tied to the character in some way, either family lineage, something that's been with them throughout their journey, etc. I make them specifically for the character and how their character operates during gameplay. For instance, I have a homebrew Witch in my campaign and he has a grimoire that in his backstory he stole from his teacher when he lived in the Astral plane. I started them at level 9, so he's had this book since his apprenticeship and has bonded with him. The tome becomes his familiar and acts alongside him. Over time, its able to hold concentration on spells for him (up to a certain level), can offer guidance (the book is a conduit for a being on the Astral realm), etc. Lots of stuff. Another has a sword that once he hits level 10 can split into a secondary, ethereal sword that he can dual-wield. It also gains some vampiric abilities, elemental upgrades, etc. This weapon is bonded with a Barbarian (Zealot)/Fighter (Echo Knight) and is from his family line. I also have another player who's bonded item is a suit of armor (for a Light cleric) and an amulet (Inquisitive rogue). The way I do it is they have 5 abilities total (3 passive, 2 active) and gain them at levels 3, 7, 10, 14, and 18. All abilities are compounding. Definitely a power house, but none of my players are min-maxers nor do they intentionally try and break my game. And of course, if something is too powerful/weak, we all have an agreement to modify them on a case-by-case basis. This works for my table and they seem to really enjoy it. On the same token, other NPCs in the world have similar items that I create if they're important to the story. Villains have them as well, so they are extra careful when coming into contact with them.
@Diana-fp2sn
2 жыл бұрын
These sword puns give me such joy.
@zartanio5512
2 жыл бұрын
This mechanic also feels like it would work well in the context of a character such as a warlock or a paladin who might have an item granted by their patron/diety that gains abilities as the character pleases that entity. I like it.
@alexisartfeild2807
2 жыл бұрын
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS IDEA! I will probably buy the book as a supplement/inspiration for other similar ideas I have used in the past. In one game I designed 2 helms (a helm and mask) that were designed to become totally OP by the campaign's end. They had 3 branching upgrade paths that had cross-path bonuses and earned upgrades as the PC's gained serval levels or completed important main quest objectives. In another every PC received a 'quirky' item from the Trickster Deity* that serves as the party Patron. The items were 'immune' to the identify spell, so required in game experimentation to discover what they can do was required. While not sentient the items had 'personality'. The powers of the item would grow with the PC's PB as long they treated it well enough in accordance to it's personality. And seeing how items were 'quirky' gifts of a Trickster God, there was always a chance of them not doing what the PC wanted, at least not the way the PC hoped, often involving a random die roll or a Save vs their own DC. The items included: 1. A sword that responds to Anime style named attacks gaining bonus damage based what is shouted. 2. A spell absorbing wand that could 'steal' a spell as it was cast with a 'zero level' (ie always had roll) counter spell, but if the spell was too powerful the wand would release the energy explosively, damaging its wielder those close by 3. An Alcohol stein that would produce random potions, or Super strong alcohol that did poison damage in instantly made the drinker drunk 4. A stealthy cloak that could teleport between shadows, but could leave a careless user lost in realm of shadows briefly when doing so 5. A book on demonology that could, usually, summon illusions of Fiends, but occasionally a real one might show up and be pissed at everyone. * This not being the Trickster Deity's home world so, while accompanying the party, for 'entertainment', they could not use their powers willy nilly without getting into trouble with the native godhead.
@Doombot221
Жыл бұрын
This is why I like the legacy weapon system from black crusade. It provides a really cool mechanic for creating and evolving a weapon alongside you that fits your playstyle better.
@VanNessy97
2 жыл бұрын
I had the idea of a magic sapphic axe that was enchanted by an elven woman's song while her dwarven girlfriend was carving runes into the flat of the blade. The entire process took a total of 3 days, and the elf's song helped the dwarf focus on her craft. I believe the axe itself would respond strongly to any actions the user takes out of genuine love for their partner or crush.
@Seraphina-Rose
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for making this video! Two of my players decided to have an ancestral weapon, and are loving the personalization and storytelling.
@bananabanana484
Жыл бұрын
Here’s a great way to make magic items: base it on a class feature that fits a character’s class. Maybe give a warlock some metamagic, where the item prevents them from Coffeelocking and levels up alongside them. Maybe an Amulet of Lay on Hands, a maul of Reckless Attack, a book of ritual spells. You could even give it a separate level, and level it up alongside them. To balance it, cut out certain features (like subclass) and have it at a lower level.
@SlinkyTWF
2 жыл бұрын
Good option for the "Inheritor" background from SCAG.
@aizo111
2 жыл бұрын
Nine Hells yes. The character I currently play is using an ancestral blade that belonged to their father. It wasn't willingly handed down and she is slowly learning how to wield it. I picked for the last ability to learn for you to never be able to willingly drop the weapon. I love the flavor of that, though I can't see it coming up that much. I am also running a game as a DM where one of my players is a gunslinger class who has built their gun themselves and we are using the ancestral rules for it. There is no family history, but it also makes sense that the weapon grows and changes what it can do as he levels up and "fine tunes and tinkers" his gun. This also makes some sense because the setting for that campaign doesn't have guns as a common item. So buying or looting upgraded weapons isn't as easy as it is for other classes.
@PNW_Charles
2 жыл бұрын
This was a really clear explanation, which I appreciate. I bought the PDF, and picked up another PDF on festivals that was $1 or $2. Thanks, Ms. Di!
@jenheath9382
2 жыл бұрын
I've been running a campaign for over 100 sessions, and I gave my party draconic items from the ruins of an ancient dragon temple. Each item is made from a body part of its associated dragon, and is sentient. The items have their own desires, and by building their bond with their dragon, the players discover new abilities and features. This has caused conflict among the party, since some dragons really don't mesh well, and taking actions to please one upsets another. It's been a really interesting extra layer to add to the main story.
@faedrian1215
2 жыл бұрын
This couldn't come at a better time. I'm just about to run a campaign where the major plotline is star students of their respective fields traveling to find the one responsible for their teachers' death and avenge them. An arc where they find the weapons would fit in so well.
@darkemperor95
Жыл бұрын
A monk I played in a game was given a katana that wrote "I walk through the river of life with my mistakes as my stepping stones". She was given it as a thank you for saving her village from a tyrant. She would spend a few hours each night practicing to use it since she didn't know how to. She would even spar with the party's fighter as well, making their bond better. At level 3 she could finally use it and thats how I explained how she became a kensei monk :) .
@Arikayx13
2 жыл бұрын
To give your players a taste of power without committing to it, they could find an old powerful ancestral weapon that is trying to find its way back to its ancestors, granting your players temporary guardianship/power so long as the blade feels the players are helping it get home.
@AnnikaOakinnA
2 жыл бұрын
I genuinely got choked up when you started talking about the characters passing on their weapons to their descendants, carrying on the legacy. It makes the fictional world feel so much larger and more real, to imagine the story continuing on even after we stop telling it.
@Saberwolf71
2 жыл бұрын
Providence, I was literally today working on an ancestral magical weapon for a character today. Thanks for this, it's amazing!
@SirHackwrench
2 жыл бұрын
Nice to see someone brought back the old Ancestral Weapon thing. 3.x Ancestral Weapon and Item Familiar feats were great (and dialed up with Anointed Knight and Warrior of Darkness prestige classes), and I hear Birthright had something in the same vein. Was a good idea then, is a good idea now
@ERROR-40444
4 ай бұрын
As I started my homebrew dnd campaign with my brother-in-law, which was new to dnd, he got the ring of transformation from a quest. It gave him the ability to transform the ring into a weapon of choice outside of combat and 2 times inside combat, which gave me and him the possibility to not only find a weapon he likes, but give me the option to find cool upgrades for and with him. As he progressed through the world, quests and story, i was taking notes on how he interacted with the world. At one point (hes playing a clecric) he was praying at Iliaras Shrine (his godess of choice) which permanently changed the ring into a pair of gloves we called the "pacifists". The Pacifists didnt do any physical dmg and he couldnt harm an living enemy directly, but did amount x+wisdom modifier psychic dmg. Undead enemy could be hit directly doing extra radiant dmg since they were a blessed gift from a godess. the item got a bit overpowered at some point, which was my bad, but we "fixed" them by getting them damaged. Hes now on a quest to get them repaired somehow by gaining back the blessing of his godess.
@adowens0004
2 жыл бұрын
alright "on the fence" was actually pretty good. Didn't see that one coming.
@Piqipeg
2 жыл бұрын
I read a similar system called "heirloom weapons" that was part of a LotR rpg based on 5e. Buy those weapons just grew with character levels.
@andydamato5357
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the review video. I just picked up a copy of Ancestral Weapons and I find these videos very helpful. There is so much content available sometimes it is hard to find something that fits your needs, but this product will really enhance my current campaign.
@BobVosh
2 жыл бұрын
In pf2e there is an alternative rule called Alternative Bonus Progression. This makes it so the characters automatically get the assumed bonuses players should have at each level, such as +x, or cloak of resistance. It means you can give cool magically items and don't ever have to worry about giving that +1 chain mail or whatever. You can now just sprinkle cool magic weapons that do stuff. Such as bully, or telepathic link like you mention.
@mbzae14
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video! Now I have another book to read, and some ideas to write for my campaign in progress. The inspiration never ends when I see a video of yours Ginny Di
@DreadPirateElla
2 жыл бұрын
One of my players in my sadly short lived first campaign (we only made it thru 2 sessions before we had to stop 😭) had the soul of the man who murdered her family inside of her sword. I hadn’t really decided what all the sword could do yet, but I had plans to make it more and more powerful as she leveled up. I hope i get to use that idea again, i was super excited for it!
@rossteneyck-mcdowell667
2 жыл бұрын
Nice! My tiefling druid has a glaive that was a gift to her from the guardians of the forest she grew up in, and my DM has already had it unlock new abilities as she levels up.
@bosunbones.8815
2 жыл бұрын
I love this idea! Refined and expanded version of the vestiges of divergence's dormant to exalted powers. This is super cool. And by the way, your English accent makes me want to brew a pot of tea! 😀
@TonyRobetson
2 жыл бұрын
great puns! pretty cool product idea. always find spellbooks everywhere, it'd be nice to find as many interesting weapons
@agilemonk6305
2 жыл бұрын
Wonderful all around. I purchased to support you and your advertisers.
@jonathanstern5537
2 жыл бұрын
In 3.5, there was a feat called Ancestral Relic (found in The Book of Exalted Deeds) that allowed you to add enchantments bestowed by your deity for a cost in prayer (time) and gold/goods. I played a character who had this, and his staff, called Bahriie's Arm, was a +1 holy darkwood staff that could negate 1 attack per day.
@phlofur5417
2 жыл бұрын
I absolutely adore how you deliver your puns with such confidence
@isaacgraff8288
2 жыл бұрын
One idea for Ancestral Weapon you start with, actually comes from one of the Arthurian legends. Mordred's sword, Clarent is a powerful weapon, but it was stolen. Since it was stolen and not bestowed by the king, it was not at full power. If a weapon was stolen, lost or re-found, it could be powered up if it is realized, bestowed or a certain event happens.
@tylerwebster8476
2 жыл бұрын
This marks the first time I've ever actually gone out and purchased something the sponsor was trying to sell. Phenomenal video and I can't wait to apply this to my home game!
@TheAciddragon069
2 жыл бұрын
i made a sword that worked as a cross between teleport and transport via plants, once a day the sword could be used to cut a hole in the fabric of space creating a porthole for 1 turn that will transport to a specific known outdoor location. it also was a +2 weapon the Fighter loved it
@stanwolford9743
2 жыл бұрын
"Perhaps they are pleased with me?" Gut punch to the feels. Well done.
@arronsmith8
2 жыл бұрын
I felt the piercing, slashing and bludgeoning of those dad jokes.
@SnugglehBunny
2 жыл бұрын
The only changes from level to level are hitting more and hitting harder... yeah 4:20 That's WHY we play martial classes, that's the EXACT thing we want. Yeah that wizard gets to cast one 6 level spell a day, but we now swing a 3rd time EVERY ROUND. Great vid thou, love the concept
@pavarottiaardvark3431
2 жыл бұрын
"This is Caledfwlch, the Unyielding Cutter. Placed into the blackest stone by the great wizard Barcud Coch, who declared that only the true heir could draw it. Of course, I'm just some rando, so mostly I just hit people with the rock that's still stuck to the end...."
@VivaLaDnDLogs
2 жыл бұрын
Now that's a Warhammer!
@lindafreeman7030
2 жыл бұрын
I like the image of a big bruiser who found "A rock with a handle - cool!" and has been carrying it around as a nifty club until encountering someone who gets a close enough look to read the writing.
@pavarottiaardvark3431
2 жыл бұрын
@@lindafreeman7030 Later on, hitting a guy with the rock and it falls off: "holy moly guys I think I found the lost prince!"
@brandieblanco4007
5 ай бұрын
That blood drinker ability is pretty cool.
@avroair
2 жыл бұрын
My party opened a cursed box and each got am ancestral palm symbol tatoos ... one for each element, water, fire, air, earth. Each one can augment a weapon's effectiveness or by itself enabled a small spell. They have side effects like the tremor from the earth etc. It has been fun to see how the players develop and use them.
@jdennhardt8595
2 жыл бұрын
I play in Adventures in Middle Earth and since the loot is less there they gave loremasters tools to create weapons that grow with the character. While not necessarily ancestral, it does using one weapon throughout more appetising. Thanks for the recommendation Ginny!
@r31n0ut
2 жыл бұрын
I think it could also be really cool to have the player be the start of an ancestral weapon. if they do something cool and appropriate with it (like slay a magical creature), the weapon could become infused with the magic of that creature and link itself to the character's soul, and now it grows in power as they do, and then they have something to hand down to their heirs.
@Paper-Parrot
2 жыл бұрын
My fighter in 4e some 10 years ago inherited her weapon from her mother, and she was so attached to it that instead of replacing it with a better weapon, we flavored it as upgrading her weapon. ... Said weapon was a shovel named Lucy.
@axmorx313
2 жыл бұрын
I have a player who took the inheritor background so we decided to make the item a weapon. I use the same “awakened” system that critical role uses for the vestiges. So far it’s pretty cool.
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