Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Magic Item Reset (IV): Implements

Continuing with my standalone magic item collection, here are the magic implements.

As usual, any feedback will be greatly appreciated.


Magic Implement - Level 1+ Common Implement
Lvl 1 (+1); Lvl 6 (+2); Lvl 11 (+3); Lvl 16 (+4); Lvl 21 (+5); Lvl 26 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.

Reaching Implement - Level 2+ Common Implement
Lvl 2 (+1); Lvl 7 (+2); Lvl 12 (+3); Lvl 17 (+4); Lvl 22 (+5); Lvl 27 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Property: Ranged and area implement attacks made with this implement gain a +2 bonus to range.

Implement of Fear - Level 2+ Common Implement
Lvl 2 (+1); Lvl 7 (+2); Lvl 12 (+3); Lvl 17 (+4); Lvl 22 (+5); Lvl 27 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Property: When you hit with an implement melee or close attack using this implement, the target can't flank until the start of your next turn.

Healing Implement - Level 3+ Common Implement
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: You or an ally within 5 squares can spend a healing surge.
Property: When you hit with an implement attack with this implement, you or an ally within 5 squares gain a power bonus to healing surge value equal to the implement's enhancement bonus until the end of your next turn.

Overwhelming Implement - Level 4+ Common Implement
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d4 damage per plus, and the target is pushed one square per plus.
Property: You gain a +1 untyped bonus to the distance you push, pull or slide creatures with implement attacks using this implement.

Implement of Friendly Fire - Level 3+ Common Implement
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Property Implement attacks made with this implement gain a -2 penalty to attack rolls against an ally. Damage dealt to allies with attacks using this implement takes a penalty equal to twice the implement's enhancement bonus.

Attuned Implement - Level 4+ Common Implement
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Special: Choose one of the following damage types when the implement is created: Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, or Thunder.
Critical: +1d4 damage per plus, or +1d10 damage per plus with attacks of the chosen type.
Property You gain a +1 untyped bonus to damage rolls with implement attacks of the chosen type using this implement.
   Level 14: +2 bonus.
   Level 24: +3 bonus.

Implement of Imposition- Level 2+ Uncommon Implement
Lvl 2 (+1); Lvl 7 (+2); Lvl 12 (+3); Lvl 17 (+4); Lvl 22 (+5); Lvl 27 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Property: When an implement attack made with this implement inflicts an effect that a save can end, the target takes a -2 penalty to the first saving throw made against it.
Power (Daily). Free action. Trigger: An enemy saves against an effect caused with this implement. Effect: The triggering enemy rerolls the saving throw.

Implement of Ruin- Level 3+ Uncommon Implement
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d8 damage per plus.
Power (Encounter): Minor action. Effect: The next implement attack you make with this implement this turn deals an extra 1d6 damage.
   Level 13: 2d6 damage.
   Level 23: 3d6 damage.

Storing Implement - Level 3+ Uncommon Implement
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus.
Special: When the implement is created, choose one level 1 encounter implement attack power that can be used as a standard action, from a class that is proficient with this implement.
Power (Daily). Standard action. You use the chosen power.
   Level 13: Encounter attack power of level 7 or less.
   Level 23: Encounter attack power of level 17 or less.

Implement of the Initiate - Level 4+ Uncommon Implement
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d8 damage per plus.
Special: When the implement is created, choose one level 1 at-will implement attack power that can be used as a standard action, from a class that is proficient with this implement.
Power (Encounter). Standard action. You use the chosen power unaugmented.

Implement of Explosions - Level 5+ Uncommon Implement
Lvl 5 (+1); Lvl 10 (+2); Lvl 15 (+3); Lvl 20 (+4); Lvl 25 (+5); Lvl 30 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d8 damage per plus to the target and all enemies adjacent to it.
Power (Encounter) Minor action. The next time you use a burst or blast implement attack power with this implement this turn, if it is an at-will or encounter power, increase the size of the burst or blast by 1.

Prismatic Implement - Level 3+ Rare Implement
Lvl 3 (+1); Lvl 8 (+2); Lvl 13 (+3); Lvl 18 (+4); Lvl 23 (+5); Lvl 28 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: Choose any damage type. The target takes +1d12 damage per plus of that type, and you charge the implement with that type until the end of the encounter.
    (Damage types are Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, and Thunder)
Property Once per round, when an implement attack made with this implement damages an enemy, you can choose one damage type dealt by the attack. After the attack, you charge the implement with that type until the end of the encounter.
Property: You gain a bonus to damage rolls of implement attacks made with this implement equal to the number of damage types charged in the implement.
    Level 23: The bonus is equal to twice the number of charged types.
Property: You gain resist 2 to all damage types charged in this implement.
    Level 13: resist 4.
    Level 23: resist 6.

Implement of Transferred Fate - Level 4+ Rare Implement
Lvl 4 (+1); Lvl 9 (+2); Lvl 14 (+3); Lvl 19 (+4); Lvl 24 (+5); Lvl 29 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: The target takes 5 ongoing damage per plus (save ends).
Property: When you hit an enemy with an implement attack with this implement, until the end of your next turn the enemy takes a -2 penalty to saving throws, and an ally you can see takes a +2 power bonus to saving throws from effects caused by that enemy.
Power (Encounter) Free action. Trigger: You hit an enemy with an implement attack using this implement. Effect: Choose one effect on you that a save can end. You can make a saving throw against it. If you succeed, the enemy is afflicted by that effect.

Implement of Deadly Accuracy- Level 5+ Rare Implement
Lvl 5 (+1); Lvl 10 (+2); Lvl 15 (+3); Lvl 20 (+4); Lvl 25 (+5); Lvl 30 (+6)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d10 damage per plus.
Property: When you hit with a melee or ranged implement attack with a single target using this implement, for every 5 points in which your attack roll exceeds the targeted defense, you deal an extra d4 damage.
   Level 13: extra d8 damage.
   Level 23: extra d12 damage.
Power (Daily) Minor Action. You gain a +5 power bonus to your next attack roll with this implement.



6 comments:

  1. Cool :)

    On reaching implement: I assume you've done away with superior implements? They're actually a nice way to get the "different implement flavour" without the huge proliferation of magic items. I suspect they'd synergize well with this list.

    On implement of fear: Cannot move into flank, or cannot benefit from combat advantage due to flanking?

    It's interesting to reflect on my reaction to implement of ruin. After beating down the "waaah" inside of me, I think it'd be slightly better as a free action modeled after power attack.

    As much as I like the flavour of the prismatic implement, I think it's a little too complex. I'm not sure how I'd fix it, though.

    Otherwise, good stuff. I'd love to see your take on a "swap damage type" implement...

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  2. Regarding superior implements, an awful lot of my enchantments seem to mimic or overlap with superior implement abilities, though it was not a conscious decision on my part. I was just looking for a straightforward set of abilities that could be useful for all roles, and ended up with this. Nevertheless, I think they should work together just fine.

    I hadn't thought of removing superior implements, which I happen to like a lot - far more than superior weapons, in fact. I do think they haven't been as successful as they could have, due to the fact that the cool abilities are too restrictive (requiring your character to align the type of implement with the damage types and defenses attacked of most of his attacks), and the existence of the Accurate property which obsoleted most of the rest.

    Implement of Ruin would be stronger as a free action, but I like the resource management involved in requiring minor actions, and try to use them whenever possible. In this case, I think the item plays better this way, though your mileage may vary. Also, there are power level concerns, as I would probably lower its damage if it were more reliable and less costly.

    I agree that prismatic implement is too wordy. I have cleaned it up a little since I posted the article, but I'm still not completely satisfied with it. I do love the concept, and think it would work well enough in play, but this is an issue I'd like to hear more opinions on.

    Implement users will get a way to swap (actually, add) damage types, but it won't be in the implement slot...

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  3. Aw, no Implement of the Magi to go with our Vorpal Weapons. Still, this is a pretty slick list. I love the way the Storing and Initiate implements not only collapse all those Wands of Magic Missile and whatnot into one item on the list, but actually *increase* the variety of such items available.

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  4. Great list! I really like the Implement of Explosions; it gives Druids, Invokers, etc. a taste of "Enlarge Spell," and makes Wizards with that feat (which is probably all Wizards) incredibly scary. The cost, and encounter limit keep it from being too powerful, though.

    Same with Implement of Friendly Fire and War Wizardry.

    Implement of Deadly Accuracy is so intuitive when you think about it that I'm surprised nothing like this has been published yet.

    I can see the Attuned Implement as being the go-to option for many builds (i.e. Storm Sorcs, Pyromancers, etc). And while I was glad to read your comment about an item in a different slot adding damage types to powers, the potential synergy between that and the Attuned Implement would lead me to lean toward making this an uncommon implement. As is, it is essentially a powered down Staff of Ruin for single damage type builds.

    Speaking of the Implement of Ruin...it's tough to think about my go-to implement being nerfed, but it's probably good in the long run. Assuming your item list largely eliminates the high DPR ceiling of the various charge boosters, it won't be as imperative to play "catch up" as an implement user.

    That said, I hope you consider adding a setting-neutral version of dragonshards to your item list. A less restrictive (i.e. useable with all implements, not just weapliments) version of a Siberys Shard of the Mage would be a good thing, I think. Indeed, I see such items as having potential akin to superior implements. Here's what I have in mind: a "dragonshard" is a magic item that doesn't take up any specific slot, and can be used to augment an implement or weapon. The "standard" version would be a bonus to damage (much like the standard superior implement grants a bonus to accuracy), but you could also add some that grant minor conditional effects (maybe offer better stuff at higher levels). I'm thinking things like the "shielding," "empowered crit," "mobile," etc. properties of superior implements. This way, players willing to foot the cost for a "dragonshard" can further customize their weapon or implement, making them more unique and bringing the "magic" back into magic items.

    For example, someone could go a high defense route and augment an Implement of Fear with a Shielding dragonshard, or they could take a more balanced approach and augment it with a Deadly (as the superior implement property) dragonshard. This also allows people to decide whether they want to burn a feat (superior implement) or a dragonshard to get a specific property (even if dragonshards aren't necessarily limited to superior implement properties; those were just the first thing I thought of).

    Something to think about.

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  5. Brian: I don' plan to do anything regarding dragonshards, because I'm not too familiar with the eberron book. That said, your ideas sound pretty similar to a different project I've been cooking: a revamp of the superior weapon and superior implement systems. This would be based on PHB3 superior items, except that there would be much greater flexibility, and there wouldn't be any stupid Accurate Item that was blatantly better than just about anything else, obsoleting most other options. The intention would be to achieve weapon/implement customizability not unlike what you have described - though I'd probably keep it entirely feat-based.

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  6. Nice item reboot, I love it.

    Another good uncommon/rare item would be similar to paired enchantment, except for versatile weapons only. Let's called it "Double Edged Weapon". The benefit, activatable as a free action, would be to be able to wield it as if it were a double weapon whilst holding it two-handed. This would allow people to twin strike or dual strike with a single battle axe or bastard sword, and would effectively kill the two-weapon ranger archetype.

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