DCR Gamer Forge Listener Email: Sentient Artifacts

DCR Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Dagmar the Evil Dwarf

Comments: So what are your guys thoughts on ancient sentient artifacts? What is good enough and what is overkill? What type of personalities should they have?

Gamer Forge Response:

Not as much of a headache as it sounds, DCR says;

1. If you absolutely must have a sentient weapon, make it entertaining. If this thing is boring, nobody will want to keep it. Have it wisecrack at appropriate times. Cause a little bit of mischief. Maybe it knows a little bit about the future. Give it a funny name. But to address the overkill issue, it applies here. Remember that this is another NPC and if nobody cares about it, the kiss your game bye-bye.
2. Open lines of communication. If it communicates telepathically, make sure to use an affected voice to make a distinction when the weapon talks versus when someone else does. If its verbal, the same thing goes, but be sure to clarify that everyone can hear it.
3. Hook, line, and sinker. This weapon has a goal. It wants to used. That's how it gets around and sees things and meets new people. So think about the long term when someone starts using your talking tennis racket (or whatever the weapon might be). Throw a couple of tidbits about treasures or locations to explore. That's why you want to make it entertaining and useful. Speaking of which, try throwing some new powers to the weapon the more the character uses it. Give the adventurer every reason to keep it. By the time he/she realizes that he/she is doing the weapon's bidding, its too late. Now you have a whole new adventure to build centering on breaking the mental grip of this weapon.