Relic Weapons

Ale Golem:

I'm kicking around a 1 dot unique power attached to the harquebus that would be a sacrificed conquistador spirit to reload the weapon fot the scion.

there is a 1 point relic power "never needs to be reloaded" in the companion. Honestly that could make a neat special effect, far better then simply never running out of ammo. Certainly stunt fodder.

For a Scion I've only come close to playing (games keep getting canceled) I had a fun firearm that I'd essentially have to build throughout the game as birthrights were improved.

The weapon itself was a 5 dot relic based on Frost 4 and could become a variety of weapons. The fifth dot went toward ammunition.

I called it the Quicksilver Harpe because I was going with an overall Perseus theme at Hero that would develop in a different direction later on. It was made of Adamant (like diamond, but jives better with Perseus's Harpe) with a quicksilver (a cooler name for Mercury) core. The end result is a mirror finish.

The real coolness came with the ammunition. The ammunition was generated from an adamant vial with quicksilver in the center. This vial could be replaced with relic vials filled with the different waters of Hades. With exception to the Phlegethon ammunition, none of them cause damage. I never fully fleshed out what all the waters would do, but here is a quick sample.

Phlegethon (Rank 4): Essentially mimics Flare Missile (Sun 4)
Lethe (Rank 2): A less potent version of Cradlesong (Health 3) that only effects the target. This is based on the effects Lethe had on Cerberus because a memory wiping power struck me as a bit more than I wanted to handle with a gunshot.
Mnemosyne (Rank 1-5): Dots invested decrease the cost of using the Deprogramming knack and allow it to be administered via a magic bullet. This one always felt awkward.
Styx (Rank 1): Stolen from Anteros. I used Manipulation instead of Charisma because it fit the character better.
Never figured out what I wanted to do with Acheron and Cocytus. Obviously this would take a lot of Bonus Points to build and I never got past designing the Hero.

The Screaming Dark 00000 (1 dot enhancement, 1 dot uniqe power, 2 dot unique power, 1 purview)

    The Screaming Dark is the first harquebus fired against the Aztec people by the conquistadors. Stolen from a museum exhibit after centuries long decay all that remains of it's original structure is it's magically restored wooden frame and stock, the long corroded metal has been replaced with expertly beaten gold and held together with obsidian pins. A smooth stone ramrod rests beneath the barrel. Where once a match would have been held for igniting the powder a glowing sliver of still volcanic hot obsidian rests to ensure proper ignition with each pull of the trigger. The Screaming Dark adds +1L to the Remmington template and allows access to the Chaos purview.
    Producing a thick gout of smoke each time it's fired the scion weilding the weapon may spend a point of legend and cause the smoky cloud to linger, obscuring from view her and her allies to enemy attack. The smoke parts just enough in the proper places when needed to prevent from inhibiting their own strikes and shots while still providing +1 DV to all allies within a 15 foot radious of the originating shot, if another obscuring cloud is created the original dissipates immediatly. The Screaming Dark is much louder than any firearm around today and will actually let out a screeching thunderous roar when it's obscuring smoke power is activated.
    It's original owner, who had been captured and sacrificed to the gods shortly after turning his weapon on their people has been bound the the weapon as a ghostly servant to reload and clean the device for his scion master effectivly granting unlimited ammunition for the weapon as long as the scion is willing to let the ghost handle reloading after each shot, in addition if his services are used on a daily basis to clean and realign the weapon it will retain it's standard +3 accuracy bonus and 200 range otherwise it, while still remaining the pinnacle of it's designe for the time period, will drop to a 60 range with no accuracy bonus. The ghost goes where the weapon goes and as long the scion remains within the same dimension as the weapon the ghost can and will get it to them before their next shot. 
    Rendered mute when his tongue was cut out during his last moments alive the ghost can only communicate in gestures. If he harbors any resentment for his new duties and long ago end at the tip of a knife he shows no outward signs of it to the scion but others may notice a note of sadness in his eyes or a remorseful touch to the stil gaping hole where his heart used to beat when the scion is not looking. Having been held in captivity for several centuries he knows nothing of the modern world and indeed does not even seem to notice or care about anything other than his assigned duties as weapon keeper. He has actually been driven quite mad by his ordeal and does not have the mental faculties to in any way warn or inform his master of any situation other than the weapon needing maintenance of some sort. At the ghost's discretion he may manifest in armor or clothing appropriate to his original station and time period, any Atzlanti scion or god may also force his maifestation to resemble the garb he was sacrificed in, no matter what her wears he still bears the horrific wounds signifying the form of his death which will occasinaly still bleed a vaporous red tinted ichor whci quickly seeps through his clothing only vanish on the winds. No matter his dress he will always have the tools ready in combat to attend to his assigned duties.

Note: With the varied magic at their disposal a powerful scion or god may be able to restore a sense of humanity to the ghostly servant bound to the weapon. By allocating birthright dots as a guide the ghost may in fact have much more to contribute than just ammunition and maintenace.

The Screaming Dark 00000.

First, my enjoyment of your relic was reduced by your lack of paragraphs and other relevant formatting.

Second, the basic idea of your relic is very flavorful and I applaud you for using the mundane effects of firing the gun in a magical way.

Now the Breakdown:
+1 DV to your allies is worth 2 Dots. The Chaos purview is worth 1 Dot. The +1 Lethal Damage is worth only 1 Dot, but it is a lackluster dot as written. Unlimited Ammunition is worth 1 Dot. That's your five dots right there.

As far as the Ghost is concerned it is an interesting addition of fluff. You should be careful to not allow the ghost to make any rolls or warn you about danger. I have no issue with him passing off short messages (via sign language) in exchange for the minor penalties you've given the relic (the unlikely potential for reduced functionality, and the increased noise). All in all, any level 5 Relic should be worthy of a saga or important place in history. You've taken the time to really bring this relic to life and I would have no issues with allowing it in any game I ran.

Incendax:

The Screaming Dark 00000.

First, my enjoyment of your relic was reduced by your lack of paragraphs and other relevant formatting.

The formatting has been fixed, I apologize as I'm usually more aware of my grammar. 

Incendax:

Now the Breakdown:
+1 DV to your allies is worth 2 Dots. The Chaos purview is worth 1 Dot. The +1 Lethal Damage is worth only 1 Dot, but it is a lackluster dot as written. Unlimited Ammunition is worth 1 Dot. That's your five dots right there.

Agreed

Incendax:

As far as the Ghost is concerned it is an interesting addition of fluff. You should be careful to not allow the ghost to make any rolls or warn you about danger. I have no issue with him passing off short messages (via sign language) in exchange for the minor penalties you've given the relic (the unlikely potential for reduced functionality, and the increased noise). All in all, any level 5 Relic should be worthy of a saga or important place in history. You've taken the time to really bring this relic to life and I would have no issues with allowing it in any game I ran.

I've added some extra mechanical description to the ghost that disallows any use other than his intended purpose and given an option for upgrade via birthright dots.

The Hammer 000 (1 dot unique, 1 purview, 1 dot enhancement)

    Hephaestus has taken to actually producing some of the more outlandish designs he has come up with over the years due to the high calling he has had from other gods to mass produce relics as of late. One of the latest relics to come out of his shop is something he affectionatly calls the The Hammer, in regards to its ability pound enemies from up close and at range. This 5 foot tall bronze staff is topped with a particularly heavy, trinagular, bronze head with a rough hewn diamond on it's flat face. 
    While it may very well have the largest single diamond on the planet attached to its striking surface the real beauty and genious of the device it found when a scion unclasps and detaches a single hidden bolt on an otherwise flawless surface, allowing the head to be opened on a hinge. The internal portion of the mace head is an intricate clockwork assembly designed to fire ammunition down the handle of the weapon which doubles as an incredibly long barrel. The head must be opened to reload the weapon with specially designed box cartridges that triple the ammunition capacity of The Hammer. 
    When used as a long mace The Hammer acts in all ways as a large quauhololli but if the two hand holds are pulled from the head it can then be used as an automatic M16. Hephaestus poured his considerable magic into the clockwork assembly thereby adding -1 Speed to the M16 template and was able to aquire the diamond head from another source which gives access to the Guardian purview.

Golden Servant 00  

Hephaestus has also included a Golden Servant affixed within a notch in the top of the weapon to keep the scion in a constant supply of ammunition and to affect basic repairs on the internal mechanism if need be.

Ale Golem:

The Hammer 0000 (3 dot enhancement, 1 purview)

This relic is inappropriately priced, but we can work around it.

The Breakdown: Multiple Functions(M-16 and Quauhololli) = 1 Dot. Guardian Purview = 1 Dot. +2 Lethal = 2 Dots. -1 Speed = 1 Dot. That's 5 Dots Total, but you've made some sub-optimal choices.

Always remember, you're free to make mega-relics in the 4 to 5 dot range, but for general purchases it is always better to break it down into multiple smaller relics.

Incendax:

This relic is inappropriately priced, but we can work around it.

The Breakdown: Multiple Functions(M-16 and Quauhololli) = 1 Dot. Guardian Purview = 1 Dot. +2 Lethal = 2 Dots. -1 Speed = 1 Dot. That's 5 Dots Total, but you've made some sub-optimal choices.

Always remember, you're free to make mega-relics in the 4 to 5 dot range, but for general purchases it is always better to break it down into multiple smaller relics.

If the weapon enhancements apply to both the functions, then they'd need to be counted twice, too.

Incendax:

This relic is inappropriately priced, but we can work around it.

The Breakdown: Multiple Functions(M-16 and Quauhololli) = 1 Dot. Guardian Purview = 1 Dot. +2 Lethal = 2 Dots. -1 Speed = 1 Dot. That's 5 Dots Total, but you've made some sub-optimal choices.

When one dot can net a player an entire purview, summon followers or creatures, provide limitless ammunition, etc. I believe that the ability to hit someone with your gun does not merit dropping a relic point. This is especially true when the meleee function has no enhancements. However, as always, your opinion may differ.

BlaineTog:

If the weapon enhancements apply to both the functions, then they'd need to be counted twice, too.

All enhancements apply only to the M16 template.

Ale Golem:

When one dot can net a player an entire purview, summon followers or creatures, provide limitless ammunition, etc. I believe that the ability to hit someone with your gun does not merit dropping a relic point. This is especially true when the meleee function has no enhancements. However, as always, your opinion may differ.

Unfortunately not all dots are created equal, and any form of disguise or shape changing eats up a single dot of Relic. It does not matter if you're making a spear change into 5 other weapons, making your armor look like a business suit, making your dog spit bullets that look like bees, or effectively making the butt-end of your M-16 strike as hard as a Quauhololli.

Look at it this way. You can either pay 1 Dot to make your M-16 also function as a Quauhololli, or you can pay 5 dots to increase the improvised damage of your M-16 to the level of a Quauhololli. Of course, you could always just carry around a Quauhololli, but I think that defeats the point of what you are going for. For less of an expense, consider this alternative!

M-16: Add Legend to Dexterity + Firearms = 1 Dot. -1 Speed = 1 Dot. Night Eyes = 1 Dot.
Quauhololli: Add Legend to Dexterity + Melee = 1 Dot. Disguised as Gloves = 1 Dot. Guardian Purview = 1 Dot.

Not only does this cost a mere 6 points as opposed to the 7 points necessary for a five dot artifact, but it significantly increases your overall performance. You've got an M-16 that will eventually average more damage than +2L, ignores darkness penalties since it has a "scope", and gives you the same speed benefit you desired before. You've got a Quauhololli that is more accurate than your origional version, and probably won't be disarmed by any but the most cunning of Titanspawn/Dark Scions. That's just an example of the things you can do with similar point expenses. Naturally, it's up to you to make the fluff fit your character.

Ale Golem:

I believe that the ability to hit someone with your gun does not merit dropping a relic point.

Unfortunately, the rules disagree. I believe that Incendax assesment was based on the actual rules and not whatever house rule applies to your game.

Ale Golem:

When one dot can net a player an entire purview, summon followers or creatures, provide limitless ammunition, etc. I believe that the ability to hit someone with your gun does not merit dropping a relic point.

You can always swing your gun at someone's head, but you've given what would be an "improvised" weapon normal weapon stats, which are going to be better pretty much across the board.

Well it seems I have been bested by the regulars, I concede the point. I've updated The Hammer and left a bit of wiggle room if Hephaestus deems it fit for for an upgrade later.

Firestorm 000 (1 purview, 2 dot unique power)

The wood grip for Firestorm has been carved from the blackened wood of what used to be an ash spear carved from Yggdrasil and used during the original capture and imprisonment of the avatars of fire. Originally thought to be burned beyond all use the dwarfs of Asgard have been able to strip away the outer wood and use the scorched center to forge a birthright capable of channeling the heat and raw aggression of a blazing inferno. 
    This large, belt fed machine pistol has a blackened wooden pistol grip angled backwards to accommodate long pulls of the trigger while maximizing accuracy, it's about a foot long with most of that being the iron barrel inlaid with runic carvings that slowly etch themselves into the gun to chronicle the scions greatest triumphs. Firestorm uses the FN P90 template and doubles the ammunition capacity as well as granting access to the fire purview. The belts and casings for the ammunition it uses are the reforged remanents of the iron chains previously destroyed while trying to bind Fenris, they understand their new purpose and will sway and loosly bind around the scions arms, legs and neck to keep from getting in the way while they fight.
    The raw power embodied by the raging flames locked deep within Firestorm's form can be coaxed to the surface by a scion with the will to do so, by spending one legend and concentrating on the ever present heat radiating from the grip of the weapon the scion wielding Firestorm can cause the barrel to become white hot for the duration of the scene. While in this state the weapon clearly radiates heat waves and it's touch will burn flesh, dealing 1L to anyone without magical or mundane protection against fire, turn small quantities of water to roiling steam and set alight combustible material it is touched to but, more importantly, the scion is considered to be in physical contact with a campfire sized conflagration for any boon that so requires it. Firestorm's previous form begs to be released once more and anytime the Blazing Weapon boon is used with Firestorm as its originating source it will produce a one handed spear.

That is an awesome weapon (and description), but is a bit undervalued.

Increased ammo: 1
Summon invisible campfire at no cost: 2-3 (unless this is the manifestation of a fire boon)
Fire Purview: 1

How much damage does the heat do to those who touch it?