MANC WEAPONS

Manc Udzarn

Weapons are usually considered the realm of the fighter, ranger, or archer, but many Mancers also have to arm themselves for Manc can be draining, time consuming to create, and occasionally is not at hand. Of course any weapon that the Mancer can wield may be good enough, but Mancers always like to give themselves the best possible chance. To this end these weapons are imbued with Manc for a variety of uses and effects.

The Manc effect must be added to the weapon as it is created, although a lesser version of some of the Manc effects can be applied to a weapon for a short period only. It need not be the Mancer themselves that creates the weapon but if they do they lower the Power Level by 2. Should the maker of the weapon fail in their manufacture of the weapon then the Manc rituals and ceremony need not be completed and only some of the ingredients will have been used, but the Mancer loses no power because of it, although time is often just as valuable, and this will have been lost.

The Virgin time to create is the length of the Manc ceremony and ritual only, the weapon's creation needs to be included alongside this. If creating the weapon is shorter in time than the Manc creation then there is no change. If the weapon takes longer than the Manc creation then obviously as weapon creation and Manc creation overlap, only the remaining time of weapon creation extends the Virgin time noted. The Maiden time to create is there in case the weapon is somehow removed of its Manc and its effect.The weapon still counts as having had the Manc upon it and so can regain it without being re-made.

Once created the Manc Weapons are imbued with Manc and give off an appropriate aura of Manc. They are also prone to great explosions or such if they are destroyed physically. It is possible, by adding an extra 2 Power Levels to have the effect of the weapon only come into being when drawn, readied, or otherwise used in combat. An extra Power Level again allows the Mancer to add an activation/deactivation gesture, vocal, or action to activate the Manc effect. Manc Weapons used against Manc Weapons treat each other as if they were normal weapons, even if one effect would seem to out-match the other. For example, a Sword Of Swiftness is impervious to a Sword Of Cutting's effect, and the Sword Of Cutting seems to slow the Sword Of Swiftness. Assume that all bonuses from a Manc Weapon are lost when used against another Manc Weapon. Should two negating Manc Weapons result in one destroying the other, then the normal Manc release effect will occur.

Any of these Manc Weapons may also be made of Manc Metal, except where stated in the individual Manc Weapon's description.

Banish Manc on any Permanent Manc Weapon only banishes its effect for Rounds equal to the difference in banisher's Level and that of the creator's Level. The banisher must be of greater Level than the creator or there is no negation. A Restoration will have a normal effect upon the weapon, as if a normal weapon, but if this effectively destroys the weapon then the damaging explosion may occur.

Owner's Hand
Whenever this Manc is used on any weapon that weapon becomes bonded with a specified individual. The individual must be present at the creation ceremony, or some physical part of them must be included in the ceremony, such as blood, spittle, hair and such. Once finished that weapon may only be wielded by the specified individual. Anyone else who tries to wield the weapon instantly suffers a blast of energy and heat to that part of them that touched the weapon, usually the hand or just fingers. The damage is a 1D3+2 Level Wound and usually semi-cremates the touching body part where it touches the weapon. Because of the searing heat the wound is usually cauterized by the damage and so a fatal wound is rare, but the damage should be modified when considering how much of the body part was in contact with the weapon. Touching the weapon with just a finger should be just the loss of the finger, whereas a dog trying to retrieve the fallen weapon from the ground may die as it would use its jaws to pick it up. If a whole limb is lost, such as a hand, or arm, or tentacle, the victim should make a Save Vs Hitting or fall unconscious from the sudden pain and system shock. If the Owner's Hand weapon is picked up by someone wearing Manc Metal, the heat transfers though the Manc Metal and does half damage, and the Manc Metal will take the energy damage as if it was normal metal. Normal armour does reduce the damage but only by -1 Wound Level, and may cause the metal armour to become fused with the body part that took the damage. The weapon has no other effect other than ownership. It does not count as being touched if the owner was to prod, club, slash, or stab a victim, or if it fell against someone. Only if the Owner's Hand weapon is taken by another as if to own, or part with it, would the effect occur. Someone else can wear the weapon in its scabbard, sheath, or in a bag on their person with no ill-effects, but should they try to wield it later it would then damage them. This Manc is permanent. By adding an additional 3 Power Levels the weapon can have an associated deactivation command added that renders the weapon usable by others should the owner wish it. They can not designate individuals, it must be active or inactive. Destroying the weapon does release an explosive energy. Non-corporeal beings that can physically handle the corporeal world can wield the weapon but still take damage to their non-corporeal form, although many can instantly regenerate this damage. Banish Manc negates this Manc effect for some short time, usually the Banisher's level D4 Rounds (minimum = 1 Round). Restoration does not work on this Manc unless a Banish Manc is first cast and then the Manc effect is removed and the weapon remains intact. If Restoration is used to restore the weapon to its component parts the weapon would be destroyed and a subsequent energy release explosion would occur.

Sword Of Cutting
While the sword is active, the edge of this sword is so keen it can cut everything except Manc Metal, and Manc barriers such as Invisible Wall or Protection From Evil. Only the blade edge is effected by this Manc, so one-edged swords have a cutting side and a non cutting side, while double-edged swords will have both edges as cutting. It is possible to create a rapier or foil type of sword with this Manc, as well as a dagger if it is longer than 8 inches. Once activated the Manc is always in effect until it is either sheathed or deactivated. Any non-Manc Weapon, or non-Manc Metal weapon parrying this sword will be severed, unless the skill is such that the parrying opponent can parry the broadside of the sword, which they would only do if they knew of the weapon's quality. To do this the opponent must beat the wielder by a clear 2 on the combat dice or have a Base ABV of thrice that of the wielder's total ABV. Some Manc such as Swift may give the opponent the ability to parry in this way without the ABV advantage. If thrown when activated the sword could bury its blade to a depth up to the hilt. It could be possible that a sword without a hilt thrown into a rock face would not stop until momentum ended or the blade left the far side of the rock face, as when slicing or cutting through an object friction seems to be ignored. The blade never dulls, though it may become notched with side-parries and blade-twists, but even these notches remain of Cutting quality.The sword must be broken to an equivalent of in half, for it to be considered destroyed. Even losing its tip would not constitute being destroyed. Any blades sword-type weapon can be created with Cutting Manc, however this does not cover axes, scythes, polearms, or other edged weapons. An active Sword Of Cutting has a bonus +4 ABV.

Sword Of Cognizance
While the sword is active it is animated and can hover in place and fight as if held by the creator. By adding 3 Power Levels at creation, a trained swordfighter can practice with the sword part-way through the final ceremony and the sword then fights as that swordfighter instead of the creator. Note, that the sword fights like the creator (or the swordfighter if used) at the Level they were when the sword was created. The sword does not get any better over time or through combat experience. By default the sword will hang in the air, as if held by the creator, and can follow the user's commands, or actions at a range equal to the creator Mancer's Level x 10 feet. The sword will fight until destroyed, deactivated, commanded by the user not to, or if the user is asleep, knocked unconscious, or killed. Although the sword seems to be intelligent, it is not truly so, and its fighting knowledge and tactics are based upon those of the creator or the swordfighter used during the creation process. The user can command the sword to fight on specific situations, such as 'when the next person comes within range', 'when approached by a galashkra', 'defend this passage from all who follow', 'attack anyone who does not wear a leaf brooch', and such like commands. The command must be simple and precise. 'Attack Urich if he comes by with an axe, but not if without one' would be too confusing, and the sword would either make a default defensive attack on everybody, or else do nothing. It is not clear as to how it may choose what to do. The sword can be any sword type and will utilize all the sword's combat advantages. The sword can move from its position, if the command allows it, for up to the creator's Level in feet, to either press an attack or retreat to defend a position. The sword has its normal ABV and DBV, but because of its small size and no flesh to harm or tire, can fight indefinitely. If a target retreats beyond its movement range, the sword will cease, and return to its original position as commanded. If at range from the user, the user can command the sword to return to their hand safely. The user can also command the sword to do any action it is capable of, such as dance, cut open bonds, deflect incoming arrows (using the creator or swordfighter's DEX as its DEX), or any such task as well as into combat. Should the user be knocked unconscious, killed, or leave the sword by a range greater than the creator's Level x100 feet then the sword will deactivate and fall to the ground. If its owner is lost and used by a new user it acts like a normal sword. However, if the bonding part of the ceremony is repeated over the sword (once it has been returned it to its scabbard) with part of the new owner (hair, blood, nail, and such) the sword can then be used by them from that moment onwards, although they may not know any activation or deactivation commands already imbued into it by a previous owner. The Sword Of Cognizance will always bow to the commands of its creator, then its first owner, then its second, and so on, should its ownership be contested.

Sword Of Swiftness
While the Sword Of Swiftness is active this Manc gives a graceful movement to the user and so an advantage in combat by giving a bonus to the ABV equal to the Level of the creator x1 and a bonus of +1 to DBV per 4 Levels of the creator. This is also cumulative with any modifications to ABV and DBV from other Manc such as Quicken, Swift, and such.

Item Creation:-

For the short-term effect the Manc ritual must be performed over a ready-made weapon at normal Power Level and takes the same time as stated. It then imbues the weapon with half the effect of normal for Passages equal to the Level of the Mancer performing the Manc on the weapon. Only one weapon at a time may be imbued with the short-term Manc.

To create a weapon with multiple effects, the average (rounded up) of the Level must be used and the longest time plus one-quarter of the shorter added per extra effect. [For example to create a Sword of Cutting, Swiftness, and Owner's Hand would be Level 10 (9+10+11÷3) and would take 3 Days 3 Movements (3 Days + 2 Movements + 1 Movement).]

Item Vocals:

old tongue words here
old tongue words here

1 Round = 30 seconds