Draft:Desecrator
| ) | |
| Base damage rating | 20 |
|---|---|
| Base hit bonus | +7 |
| Normal attack type | Cutting |
| Hands | 2 |
| Weight | 100 |
Desecrator is a two-handed weapon appearing as a great-sword. It starts at +7 enchantment with a deep -7 curse. A chaotic wielder gains unstoppable damage and healing, while a neutral or lawful wielder suffers potentially fatal level drain instead.[1]
Generation
Desecrator occurs in random treasure, pawn-shop stock and acquirement. Its item level is 9 and base value 5,000 Au. The random constructor preserves the fixed +7 enchantment and -7 curse. Julie's sells the separate ordinary great-sword, not Desecrator.[2]
Alignment and attacks
On a landed attack, the sword fully identifies itself and checks the player's alignment:
| Alignment | Result |
|---|---|
| Below zero (chaotic) | Unstoppable damage, healing up to maximum HP, alignment decreases by 1 |
| Zero or above | Player loses levels equal to current character damage; alignment decreases by 10; no ordinary attack on the target |
Chaotic healing uses current character damage + the attack's damage modifier, not the actual random HP damage inflicted. A low ordinary damage roll therefore does not reduce the corresponding healing amount. A normal cut includes the Strength-based modifier.[3]
The nonchaotic branch is not merely a hit on the player. Level drain also reduces maximum and current HP, and can kill if HP falls below 1 or the resulting level is negative. A high damage rating makes this backlash more dangerous, not safer.[4]
Curses and altars
The initial curse prevents ordinary removal. Self-targeted dispelling needs effective strength at least 6 to neutralize it. Neutral Desecrator retains its alignment-dependent attack, unlike Demonblade. Strong blessing can destroy a deeply cursed copy, and a positively blessed Desecrator is destroyed when its equipment effect runs.[5]
Equipping or removing a nonblessed Desecrator while standing on an altar destroys that altar. Destroying an altar of the player's own patron inflicts enough unstoppable damage to leave 1 HP. Other deities' reactions depend on the player's patron and the destroyed altar; for example, Set or Hecate rewards destruction of an Odin or Athena altar with 1,000 experience. This is an equipment effect, so it can occur without attacking a creature.[6]
Other uses
An already cursed copy resists the ordinary disenchantment branch. If a neutralized copy is stripped, that removes its equipment effect and enchantment but retains its alignment-dependent attack; it is not a way to make the blade safe for a lawful or neutral attacker.[7]
A merely carried copy can be thrown, invoking the same alignment check on a hit; throwing is not a workaround for a nonchaotic character. An equipped cursed copy is refused. Ordinary tunneling uses the base cutting contribution of 20, ignoring its +7 enchantment, and can damage it.[8]
Strategy
For an established chaotic character, Desecrator combines a resistance-piercing attack with healing that does not depend on a high damage roll. Its +7 also boosts ordinary accuracy and damage contributions. Before wielding it, verify that alignment is actually below zero, prepare curse removal and leave any altar square.
Compared with Demonblade, Desecrator has predictable healing on landed chaotic attacks and lacks the spirit-backlash branch, while weighing 400 less. It uses both hands and demands continued attention to alignment. Do not attempt to become chaotic by accepting its backlash: the level drain can kill long before the alignment shift helps.[9]
References
- ↑ iinit.h in Omega 0.90.4, line 238; item.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 536–552; itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 430–453.
- ↑ iinit.h in Omega 0.90.4, line 238; item.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 7–41; item.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 188–204; site1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 1022–1053; effect1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 713–728; site1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 164–187.
- ↑ itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 430–453; aux2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 636–680.
- ↑ effect3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 323–336; itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 446–453.
- ↑ inv.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 1354–1358; effect3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 827–857; effect1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 154–198; itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 536–547.
- ↑ itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 536–547; effect2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 556–622.
- ↑ effect1.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 8–51; aux2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 594–616; itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 430–453.
- ↑ command3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 223–311; command3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 865–933; itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 430–453.
- ↑ iinit.h in Omega 0.90.4, lines 222–238; itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 237–282; itemf2.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 430–453; effect3.c in Omega 0.90.4, lines 323–336.