Mundane Goodies

[snakeman830]

So, I've been thinking about myth and how most of the weapons and armor in myth didn't have an ounce of magic in them.  The sharp edges that have lasted for over a millennium in reality clearly didn't require some mage to pour XP into.

As such, why can't there be an option for purely mundane equipment equal or exceed those made by folks who have little to no need of them?

I propose a new type of weapon/shield/armor: Legendary.  They are only craftable by the best smiths (i.e., those that took the proper feat), but they can be improved upon and quite possibly exceed the capabilities of some magical weapons.

Now, D&D has a host of mundane materials that allow the replication of magic abilities, even in an AMF.  Serrenwood, for example, granting an inherent Ghost Touch Property.

I have more on this that I will post later, but does anyone have any ideas for these?

[Garryl]

Try for effects that don't have overt flashy effects, even if they are very much beyond the natural. For example, a sword so sharp it cuts to the truth of any matter (ignore invisibility/concealment, dispels illusions and polymorph on a hit). You can certainly have a breadth of effects comparable to what current magic weapons and armor can accomplish. Many of the simpler existing effects (such as Keen and Fortification) can easily exist from both magic and legendary sources.

I'd suggest allowing legendary items to still be enchanted as magic items (subject to the same limitations and cost and total enhancement bonus and whatnot), which a lot of similar homebrew things don't allow for some reason.

[snakeman830]

Oh, my current writeup has the ability for these weapons to be enchanted included, just that most folks with them don't bother doing so.

Ideas that I have so far:

1. Maximum enhancement bonus for Legendary gear is higher than for magic gear (+7 pre-epic).  Crafting it requires ranks in the appropriate craft skill equal to or greater than 3 times the desired bonus.

2. Legendary gear may have more than one material in its construction, such as a cold iron/admantine alloy that takes traits of both.

3. Legendary equipment can only be improved (different from enchanting) by the smith who crafted it.  This part is more to maintain the "legendary" quality of the smiths, as only they would know their work that well.  It can be thrown out if desired with little mechanical ramifications.

All of the more "mundane" qualities (such as Keen, Whirling, Fortification, etc.) will be represented in improvement options.  In addition, there will be some other benefits, such as cold iron granting a bonus on saves against magical effects (for the wearer, if armor).

Cutting through spells (effectively dispelling them) is quite possible for a higher-prerequisite improvement option (say 14 ranks in the appropriate Craft?)

[oslecamo]

How about Pure Crafting?