04-28-2013, 09:58 AM
Legends speak of the one true weapon, an object crafted as the pure expression of strength at arms. This weapon has no fixed shape, instead becoming all that the wielder is capable of bringing to bear upon an opponent in a terrible, beautiful form of death.
This isn't that weapon, but it's close.
Weapons blessed with a variant of the Ultima enchantment draw upon the innate strength of the wielder to empower the weapon itself. The more full of life and vigor the wielder, the more powerful the weapon is. Conversely, the weapon suffers no weak hand and punishes the feeble with feeble performance.
Most weapons with these sorts of enchantments possess some way of categorizing the performance of the wielder and/or are consistent of some form of supernatural matter - most have blades or points of impact that appear to be made of light or pure crystal.
Base Mechanics
The Ultima enchantment operates in three distinct enchantments, but each shares a mechanic: the more HP you have, the more powerful they are.
Put simply, if you have a current HP total which is:
24 or lower = -2 increments
25 - 49 = -1 increment
50 - 74 = no change
75 - 99 = +1 increment
100+ = +2 increments
Ultima, Lesser
This weapon has a small gem set into the haft that reacts to your current wellbeing. As you get more bruised and battered, the gem clouds from a clear diamond to a deep, dull black.
A weak imitation of the Ultima Weapon, this enhancement sees little use, as those who can afford it can't make use of it and those who can make use of it have much more powerful options at their disposal. Each increment grants a +1 to damage on each attack made by the weapon.
Faint Enhancing; CL 10th; Craft Weapon; +1 enhancement
Ultima, Greater
The striking portion of this weapon is lined deeply in a sort of soft, radiant light. As you grasp the handle, it seems to pulse with your heartbeat before settling into a soft, white glow.
A fair approximation of what mortal magic can reasonably do when trying to reproduce an Ultima Weapon, this weapon bears a strong connection to the weapon of yore.
Each increment grants a +2 enhancement bonus to hit and damage which stacks with the enhancement bonus on the weapon and only that enhancement bonus.
In addition, once per day the user may use, if they meet all prerequisites for performing a limit break, the following maneuver. Using Ultima Pulse counts towards a character's daily uses of limit breaks.
Ultima Pulse
Channeling raw destructive force, the user unleashes a burst of white energy in a 30' radius which deals an amount of d6s of non-elemental damage equal to the enhancement bonus on the weapon plus the user's CON modifier plus 2. In addition, any caught in the blast are knocked back 5 feet for each die of damage they took and suffer a status effect depending on what type of damage the weapon deals. Slashing weapons disable the target for 1d4 rounds, bludgeoning weapons confuse the opponent and piercing weapons immobilize the target for 2d3 rounds. Weapons that do not deal these types of damage dazzle the opponent for 2 rounds instead. A successful reflex save halves damage and knockback and cancels the effect of the status ailment.
Moderate Enhancing; CL 14th; Craft Weapon; +3 Enhancement
Ultima, True
When not held, this weapon looks like merely a handle without any facility for harm. Only when held does the weapon spring to life, pure blue-white light forming the shape of the appropriate implement.
Only the most powerful magi and weaponsmiths can even get close to the sheer destructive power of the Ultima Weapon. But close they have gotten - this weapon is, while not THE implement itself, is a replica that few will argue with.
Each increment grants a +3 enhancement bonus to hit and damage that stacks with the enhancement upon the weapon only. The damage dealt by this enhancement, as well as any enhancement bonus on the weapon, is treated as non-elemental damage for the purposes of damage reduction.
Additionally, once per day when the user fulfills the requirements to perform a limit break the user can make use of either Ultima Pulse (See Ultima, Greater) or Ultima Maelstrom (See below). Using either of these counts as a single limit break for daily use purposes.
Ultima Maelstrom
By calling upon the weapon of war, the user can deliver great pain upon a foe or batter a group of foes in the blink of an eye, appearing to dart between foes without moving and delivering shattering blows upon one and all. When used, the user may perform twice the number of attacks she can make in a round against all targets within 60 feet of herself or any target, divided evenly between the targets. For this limit break, targets are any creature that the user deems hostile. The user must attack all targets within range and she must divide the attacks evenly between all targets.
The user is considered to have a HP total equal to their normal maximum for the purposes of determining bonus damage from the Ultima enhancement for the duration of the ability. If a target is rendered unconscious/dead/unable to fight before the allotted attacks are spent, the attacks are wasted.
Strong Enhancing; CL 18; Craft Weapon; +5 enhancement
This isn't that weapon, but it's close.
Weapons blessed with a variant of the Ultima enchantment draw upon the innate strength of the wielder to empower the weapon itself. The more full of life and vigor the wielder, the more powerful the weapon is. Conversely, the weapon suffers no weak hand and punishes the feeble with feeble performance.
Most weapons with these sorts of enchantments possess some way of categorizing the performance of the wielder and/or are consistent of some form of supernatural matter - most have blades or points of impact that appear to be made of light or pure crystal.
Base Mechanics
The Ultima enchantment operates in three distinct enchantments, but each shares a mechanic: the more HP you have, the more powerful they are.
Put simply, if you have a current HP total which is:
24 or lower = -2 increments
25 - 49 = -1 increment
50 - 74 = no change
75 - 99 = +1 increment
100+ = +2 increments
Ultima, Lesser
This weapon has a small gem set into the haft that reacts to your current wellbeing. As you get more bruised and battered, the gem clouds from a clear diamond to a deep, dull black.
A weak imitation of the Ultima Weapon, this enhancement sees little use, as those who can afford it can't make use of it and those who can make use of it have much more powerful options at their disposal. Each increment grants a +1 to damage on each attack made by the weapon.
Faint Enhancing; CL 10th; Craft Weapon; +1 enhancement
Ultima, Greater
The striking portion of this weapon is lined deeply in a sort of soft, radiant light. As you grasp the handle, it seems to pulse with your heartbeat before settling into a soft, white glow.
A fair approximation of what mortal magic can reasonably do when trying to reproduce an Ultima Weapon, this weapon bears a strong connection to the weapon of yore.
Each increment grants a +2 enhancement bonus to hit and damage which stacks with the enhancement bonus on the weapon and only that enhancement bonus.
In addition, once per day the user may use, if they meet all prerequisites for performing a limit break, the following maneuver. Using Ultima Pulse counts towards a character's daily uses of limit breaks.
Ultima Pulse
Channeling raw destructive force, the user unleashes a burst of white energy in a 30' radius which deals an amount of d6s of non-elemental damage equal to the enhancement bonus on the weapon plus the user's CON modifier plus 2. In addition, any caught in the blast are knocked back 5 feet for each die of damage they took and suffer a status effect depending on what type of damage the weapon deals. Slashing weapons disable the target for 1d4 rounds, bludgeoning weapons confuse the opponent and piercing weapons immobilize the target for 2d3 rounds. Weapons that do not deal these types of damage dazzle the opponent for 2 rounds instead. A successful reflex save halves damage and knockback and cancels the effect of the status ailment.
Moderate Enhancing; CL 14th; Craft Weapon; +3 Enhancement
Ultima, True
When not held, this weapon looks like merely a handle without any facility for harm. Only when held does the weapon spring to life, pure blue-white light forming the shape of the appropriate implement.
Only the most powerful magi and weaponsmiths can even get close to the sheer destructive power of the Ultima Weapon. But close they have gotten - this weapon is, while not THE implement itself, is a replica that few will argue with.
Each increment grants a +3 enhancement bonus to hit and damage that stacks with the enhancement upon the weapon only. The damage dealt by this enhancement, as well as any enhancement bonus on the weapon, is treated as non-elemental damage for the purposes of damage reduction.
Additionally, once per day when the user fulfills the requirements to perform a limit break the user can make use of either Ultima Pulse (See Ultima, Greater) or Ultima Maelstrom (See below). Using either of these counts as a single limit break for daily use purposes.
Ultima Maelstrom
By calling upon the weapon of war, the user can deliver great pain upon a foe or batter a group of foes in the blink of an eye, appearing to dart between foes without moving and delivering shattering blows upon one and all. When used, the user may perform twice the number of attacks she can make in a round against all targets within 60 feet of herself or any target, divided evenly between the targets. For this limit break, targets are any creature that the user deems hostile. The user must attack all targets within range and she must divide the attacks evenly between all targets.
The user is considered to have a HP total equal to their normal maximum for the purposes of determining bonus damage from the Ultima enhancement for the duration of the ability. If a target is rendered unconscious/dead/unable to fight before the allotted attacks are spent, the attacks are wasted.
Strong Enhancing; CL 18; Craft Weapon; +5 enhancement
