The Hurt Locker: Arondight

Here’s another item from my campaigns and based on Arthurian myth. It’s typically paired with the Shield of Evaloch

Arondight

Power Pool: 45 FP

Origin: Cosmic and Mystical.

“Let see who shall assay to draw me out of my sheath, but if he be more hardier than any other; and who that draweth me, wit ye well that he shall never fall of shame of his body, or to be wounded to the death.”

Gastiga-Folli. Chiarenza. Altachiara. The Sword of Strange Hangings. The Sword of David. Arondight. These are all the names of the same blade. After God sent King Solomon a vision that the blade would be needed by his descendent Sir Galahad he sealed it and many other things up within a ship he had made just for the occasion and set it to wander the earth at sea. He’d later replace his father’s sword with the magnificent Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar (The Emerald Sword), but Arondight was special – a bit of divinity blessed by the Creator himself. Along with the Sling, Staff, and Stones of David, they are all that remains of the holy relics of the King of Israel.

This thrusting broadsword looks like just another sword to all but the discerning. The blade itself is made of iron while the hilt is carved from pieces bone (the tooth of a serpent and the rib of a leviathan) and wrapped in tough red dyed hide (from a behemoth, the sheath is also made from behemoth leather). The ricasso/guard is made of a strange golden metal (a piece of an angel’s halo voluntarily given for just that purpose). The pommel of the sword is made of a charbocle stone (the heart of a dragon), a gem whose color scintillates constantly. The sheath is the same color as the hide of the hilt and is bound with a simple belt of hemp and blonde human hair (all that remains of Guinevere).

While anyone worthy can use and draw the blade, only Galahad’s descendants can use it fully for they can understand the prophecies the blade sometimes reveal (“the memories of blood”) written in gold on the hilt. In the hands of the divinely empowered, it can be a devastating weapon against evil. The unworthy who draw the blade are severely punished (though if the user tries to weaponize this he is also punished) by the angel whose sole purpose is to guard the blade’s owner.

Properties

  • Blade Quality: Treat the blade as a balanced very fine iron thrusting broadsword – that is it gains a +2 to damage and -2 to breakage rolls and a +1 to all rolls to use it. It can be wielded with two-hands; this reduces the Required ST by 1 and increase damage by 1. In most circumstances, don’t roll for breakage! Only cosmic artifacts, cosmically empowered beings, etc. can cause a roll for breakage – even then treat the sword as if it were made of steel, not iron and use the usual bonuses. Additionally, it counts as a holy symbol if inverted blade down giving a +2 on rolls against evil supernatural entities involving to use True Faith, Exorcism, Mysticism abilities, etc.
  • Fires of Heaven: The halo of an angel is part of the blade, by willing it, the wielder can evoke the spirit and cause the blade to burst into flame. He can activate this effect at the start of his turn and enjoy its benefits for all attacks that turn (and all parries until his next turn, should that matter), or switch it on and off again briefly. This adds a linked burning attack with follow-up holy effects and affects insubstantial beings normally. If the sword pierces DR, this burning damage bypasses DR; otherwise, it occurs outside DR, which protects normally. Treat the flammability class (Making Things Burn, p. B433) of the subject as two-steps higher than it actually is; against malign supernatural beings treat it as three higher! This attack never accidentally sets fires and cannot burn the faithful or devout. Additional FP spent can increase the damage:

FP                     0                       1          2          3          4          5          6

Damage          2 points            1d        1d+2    2d        2d+2    3d        3d+2

  • Hallowed Bastion: The blade’s Power Pool can be used to fuel athletics, martial feats, and physical extra effort – including Extra Effort in Combat (p. B357) or mystical/holy abilities. Additionally, whenever you would lose FP to starvation, thirst, missed sleep, overexertion, etc. it can instead come from the sword’s Pool. This includes LFP lost in this way. Moreover, FP or HP lost to attacks from malign supernatural entities can instead come from this Pool. Despite this, it only refills when the subject is on holy ground or held by a person of true faith (1 point per day), the wielder is in prayer (1 point per 12 hours of prayer), or in the presence of the truly holy, i.e., an angel of the lord (1 point per hour). Optionally, the wielder can sacrifice 1 HP (which heal normally) to restore 2 points of this Pool.
  • Hallowed Potency: The blade counts as a holy weapon for all purposes. For those with Divine Favor add +1 to the basic damage the sword does per 40 points in that trait, Power Investiture, and learned prayers(e.g., 120 points would add +3 to basic damage).
  • Hallowed Protections: Whenever the wielder would suffer FP loss or HP loss to a supernatural attack that bypasses normal defenses, the sword may take it instead losing a point from its Power Pool. Finally, the sword can protect against heat and fire allowing him to temporarily gain 4 levels of DR per 1 FP spent from the pool for one second.
  • Guardian of the Blade: Yasariel is bound to Arondight and the Shield of Evaloch as he gave up a portion of his halo to help create them. Because of this Yasariel may appear to help a truly needy wielder (a roll of 3 on 3d). Add +1 if he is currently at 0 HP or less or +2 if he is at -HPx2 or less. If the wielder possess both the shield and sword, he adds a further +1. Those with Divine Favor of 10 or higher add (Divine Favor – 9) to this roll. If the wielder dies, the angel will appear to claim the blade and the wielder to carry him to Heaven. The GM decides what help is given but in the past Yasariel has fought at the side of the blade’s wielder in the past as well as provide minor miracles (use the rules for Serendipity, p. B00). Add a further -3 per instance Yasariel intervenes.
  • Loyal: This weapon cannot be stolen or forcibly taken as it will always find its way back to its owner (just as if he had Signature Gear for it). Thieves suffer from the Cursed disadvantage until they return the blade and have a chance of summoning Yasariel every day who will punish them (often by summary execution) and return the sword to its original wielder (if he’s alive) or find a new one worthy of it (if he’s dead). If the wielder gives the blade up of his own free will this does not work at all – coercion by others counts as giving it up of the wielder’s own free will! Moreover, the wielder need never make Fast-Draw rolls to ready his weapon. He simply has it in his hand should he desire it.
  • Moral Compass: Arondight can tell its wielder (or anyone who touches it along with its wielder) if a given action is right or wrong, but only in the vaguest of senses. Those with Divine Favor get the same benefit but also a general idea of why it’s wrong. Those with Divine Favor of 10 or higher knows with 100% certainty if a given action is right or wrong. They also can distinguish “good” people, places, and items from “evil” ones without special senses, and always knows what behavior would appease or anger God. This requires no roll whatsoever.

Price

  • Pity the Fool: Arondight does not suffer fools or the willfully ignorant – if in the GM’s opinion, the wielder does something stupid or foolish the sword will punish them inflicting 1d-1 points of injury to their hand. This also applies to those who use the Moral Compass ability with the wielder’s permission. Those with Divine Favor suffer twice as much damage, but the sword will warn them first through Moral Compass.
  • Only the Worthy: Only those with a Divine Favor of 10 or higher, 36 or more points in Broadsword, or Divine Favor 8 or higher and 24 or more points in Broadsword can use it. The bloodline of Solomon (including those descended from Lancelot or King David) reduce these requirements to Divine Favor 8, 24 or more points in Broadsword, or Divine Favor 6 or higher and 16 or more points in Broadsword. The unworthy suffer damage as for Pity the Fool and find they cannot lift the shield at all (treat it as if it weighed 150 x BL). The GM may allow those who are somewhat worthy to nudge or even move it slightly (treat it as if it weighed 50 x BL).
  • Resolute of Purpose: If the sword is drawn with a specific purpose in mind (e.g., to attack a foe or to save an innocent) the wielder must make a Will roll at -5 plus a penalty equal to (Divine Favor/2) to resist not continuing whatever actions are appropriate to fulfil that purpose. Success means he takes a penalty on all rolls equal to (10 – margin of success). Failure means he must follow through with his purpose no matter what.

Weight: 3 lbs.

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