[UPDATE: This post had some incorrect details which were pointed out by my DM from those days. Mistakes were due to my spotty memory. Corrections are inserted below in italics.]
Ghoulslayer is a Masterwork Longsword my beloved Undead Slayer, Quinn, wielded from his first combat. Back in 2e D&D days a fighter could actually purchase a Masterwork weapon with their starting gold, as long as they were willing to skimp on everything else, which I was. Masterwork weapons gave +1 to hit but no bonus to damage, and cost like an extra 100 gold above the regular sale price. Quinn rolled just enough starting gold to afford one
[CORRECTION: Masterwork swords cost way the hell more than that. Ghoulslayer was not bought at outset. They are way too expensive for a first level character to buy at creation. It was bought shortly after Quinn started from some Dwarves who needed help removing a Necromancer from their lands. Earning the opportunity to buy a Masterwork Sword specially crafted for the user was actually a really cool reward that I had for some reason totally forgotten about.]
In Quinn's first combat of his first session ever he came upon a group of travelers (who became fellow PCs) being attacked by some ghouls (yes, we were all first level PCs being attacked by a pack of freaking ghouls, that's how our DM rolled). Without hesitation Quinn lept through the forest into combat with one of the cunning beasts, and on his first attack roll ever he rolled a natural 20, decapitating the ghoul with one blow. (Back in 2e days, undead weren't immune to crits).
[UPDATE: As mentioned above, turns out that sword wasn't the sword that became Ghoulslayer. But that's how I remembered it. Probably because that would've been a cooler reason to name the sword that than "I don't like ghouls." But he totally did decapitate a ghoul with his first combat.]
Quinn continued to use Ghoulslayer throughout his adventuring career. Sometimes dual-wielding it with Val-Kasil, the magical Longsword of Accuracy that a fellow PC dropped when he died (Val-Kasil was later melted by acid I believe), but most of the time he fought with Ghoulslayer in one hand and a kite shield to deflect missile attacks in the other (see comment on acid melting stuff above). Ghoulslayer was destined to become enchanted after Quinn found a mysterious but powerful magical recipe written in Ancient Runic in a
7 comments:
I feel all I do is nitpick. Ghoulslayer rules and is also my favorite non-magical item.
Ghoulslayer wasn't purcahced with starting funds. Actually Quinn just had a normal longsword at the outset. But did roll a 20 on his first ghoul. In a little clearing of trees. Why is there a ghoul standing there, waiting to get chopped? Because, shut up, that's why.
Quinn earned to option to purchase Ghoulsayer from a friendly dwarf-hold after removing a troublesome necromancer from within their borders. They measured his arms, to get the sword size just right.
Pretty much you guys just went into his tower and waited for him to come home. While you were waiting, you went into his basement and threw potatos against the walls. After the guy was removed, you were given (erm. well not "given") a masterwork sword, with a helmed dwarf on the pommel.
"Ghoulslayer was destined to become enchanted after Quinn found a mysterious but powerful magical recipe written in Ancient Runic in a White Dragon's lair."
Noooooo, it was found in chest on the lower deck of a sinking pirate ship that had just attacked your shipping vessel, The Crimson Wake. You're supposed to remember these small details, decades later.
"The blade must be true, blood of a blue, blah, blah blah, drink some ghoul blood, etc"
Oh crap, you're totally right. I forgot about the burning pirate ship's treasure hold. For some reason I thought we got it from the treasure hoard, but that fight was way later in the campaign. I do recall the pirate ship caught fire because of Marcus's classic non-precise aiming of Flaming Sphere. I also remember Terwyn Birdsong was in the party at that time, firing his bow with his feet for some reason.
Man, I can't believe I got so many details wrong there. I thought Ghoulslayer was the longsword I decapitated that ghoul with in my first combat, but now that you say it I totally remember the dwarves giving me a deal on the Masterwork Longsword that became Ghoulslayer. So basically that entire post is just make-believe from my spotty memory. I feel like I should publish a retraction or correct it, but then these comments wouldn't make sense.
"Man, I can't believe I got so many details wrong there."
What are you telling me? That you can't remember the exact details of pretend world, that we played a score of years ago, usually drunk?
We demand precision, in our asinine made up worthless garbage!
So what are/were Quinn's swords? Something like this?
1. Val Kasil (+2/+0) magical longsword
2. Ghoulslayer
3. Blackflame (I don't remember the deets on this. Undead-bane or something)
Magical Studded Leather Armor, and a little +4AC locket.
Blackflame was a +1/+1 Longsword vs most stuff. But when it came within 10 feet of undead it would burst into black flames and become +4/+4 vs. Undead.
Attack modifiers? Yeah, that kind of stuff I'll never forget.
Do you have a 3rd Edition of Quinn? If so, maybe when I come up on that Friday night, we can research where those pesky blue dragons live. (Pssst. East of Sundabar)
Maybe Quinn's in Silverymoon investigating a ghoul outbreak or something. I could whip something up.
I'll make a character for Culls too. No swanmays.
Whatdayathink?
I can't take the risk. Quinn's become too important to lose to an ettercap bite or wyvern sting. I'll just leave him where he is, fighting ghouls in my imagination.
Now the continuing adventures of Jerome or Garsome, that I could do.
Jerome?! Maybe you could whip up a 4th level 3.5ed Jerome. Give him a horse and a bunch of gold. Bonecrusher too. That would be great. He could have some 2nd level partner, that Culls could play. Nothing too overpowered, but that could be really fun, and give us a chance to get the old feel going again.
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