Weapons of Legacy

CHAPTER 1THE LEGACYof its past do you begin to understand that thisobject has untapped potential. By uncovering theitem’s full history, you can discover the keys thatunlock the item’s full power.You might even found your own item of legacy.After all, the player characters are the epic heroes of acampaign, from which arise myths, relics, and weaponsof legend. By founding an item of legacy, you gainsome degree of control over its abilities, although howyou wield it is in the hands of fate (and the DungeonMaster). See Chapter 4: Founding Legacies for moreabout this option.Every item of legacy is distinct from the next, andeach has its own unique story. Unearthing that story(or creating it, when founding an item of legacy)allows you to gain the full benefits of the item. Forexample, the story of Caladbolg, which appears onlywhen a great hero has need of it, contrasts sharplywith that of Stormchaser’s Cudgel, whose heritageinvolves the murder of the weapon’s original owner,Suldan Kabrel the giant slayer.No matter what items of legacy you eventuallydiscover or create, using such items entails a steeppersonal cost. The specifics are different for eachitem, but the costs are always substantial. Youmust consider the consequences before taking upa legacy item.For most characters, these costs are well worthpaying.WHY USE ITEMS OF LEGACY?If you’re a DM, items of legacy provide excitingrewards for players whose characters are willingto devote time and energy to learning about yourcampaign world. To unlock the powers of a legacyitem, a player character must learn fabled legendsof ancient history and complete rituals of mythicsignificance. Not only does this require the playerto study the “backstory” of your world but also providesany number of ready-made adventure hooksfor the campaign.If you’re a player, a legacy item presents a way ofpersonalizing your character while simultaneouslybuilding up her might. By tying her developmentto one of the great tales of history, your charactertakes on heroic proportions. Who knows? Shemight even become more famous than the firstowner of the legacy item, unlocking powers of evengreater potential.ITEMS OF LEGACYIN YOUR GAMEAs a DM, you might hesitate to introduce thesepotentially powerful items into your campaign. Inthis section you will find helpful points, backgroundinformation, and expanded rules to help you deal withthe challenges of legacy items.INTRODUCING LEGACY ITEMSAs with any new addition to your campaign, youmust determine how items of legacy fit in. What role(if any) did they play in the history of the campaignworld? Why haven’t the player characters heardof them before now? Are there any active items oflegacy in the world today? Most important, do thePCs—knowingly or unknowingly—possess anylegacy items already?pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs6ARTIFACT OR LEGACY ITEM?At first blush, artifacts and legacy items look similar, and knowledge. They survive to this day, but the knowledgethey do share many traits. However, they are distinct from necessary to duplicate their creation does not. Theireach other and should remain separate entities. abilities are also always available to any would-beBoth are extremely powerful, and neither should be wielder, regardless of how much or little knowledge heconsidered just another piece of equipment. But an has of the artifact’s history, and do not require costlyartifact’s power can be the hub upon which campaigns rituals to unlock.spin, while legacy items shake the world less—if only Legacy items are not always lost wonders—even today,because their abilities are not free to all comers. Of a new legacy might be founded. If one is located, only acourse, the search to discover an item of legacy (or dedicated researcher can discover and use its powers,reforge a destroyed one) can still produce exciting and and then only after undergoing one or more legacy rituals.Such items might be more plentiful than artifacts, butmemorable storylines.Artifacts are generally constructed in a distant age using because of their hidden nature and forgotten lineage, theirspells and rites that are beyond the ken of present-day true numbers are unknown.pqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqrs