Malazan Empire: Powers of Dragnipur? (-> DnD) - Malazan Empire

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Powers of Dragnipur? (-> DnD)

#1 Guest_Dakkareth_*

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Posted 31 October 2004 - 05:13 PM

Okay, I'm not sure, whether this is the right forum, but the Knoll Barrow sees so little traffic ...

Being a fan of DnD I'm in the process of translating a few concepts from the books into this system. The first result is this write-up of Dragnipur and the technical part aside I'd like some input from you - did I forget something, misremember something, erroneously add something? Do you have something to add?

EDIT: I know, that the instant-death powers of Dragnipur are hotly debated, but I decided to include them here, justified by the GotM Hounds of Shadow scene.
I also know, that Draconus has a plan, how to shatter Dragnipur, but I couldn't think of a way to adequately describe the things to consider, the implications and all that to someone, who hasn't read the books.
Finally describing it as an overgod is as close as I could get in DnD terms to the mystery of the Azath, standing outside the normal hierarchy of power.

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Dragnipur

Dragnipur ... on the world of Malaz no name evokes such dread as this one. Forged by the elder god Draconus since the time of all Darkness, long before the world of today existed, and finished after untold eons at the time, when Kallor’s empire was obliterated by his own hand Dragnipur holds within it the gate to Kurald Galain, the primal darkness from which all came and to which all shall return. The gate is sealed by the souls of its victims, shackled forever in darkness, dragging it behind them. None have ever escaped, gods, dragons and demons alike. First among them is Draconus himself, the creator slain and imprisoned by his own creation in the hands of Anomander Rake, the Son of Darkness, the Mane of Chaos and present wielder of Dragnipur. Such is the association between man and sword, that Dragnipurake is sometimes cited as yet another title for this ancient warrior. It is said, that the merest cut is enough to rip a victim’s soul from its body and Rake has employed this dread weapon in countless battles, their recollection lost to antiquity. It is further said, that Dragnipur’s ability to imprison the spirits of the mightiest of creatures is not only a blessing of finality to the wielder, but also a terrible curse for the weapon needs to consume such souls to keep the gate to darkness sealed and ahead of the ever encroaching chaos. There is no imagining, what the consequences of its falling to chaos would be, thus Anomander must kill creatures of power to preserve the balance between order and chaos; such a responsibility would likely destroy a lesser character. Finally – and this is known to nobody save Draconus – there is one way to destroy Dragnipur and release the countless chained souls, but it requires a living being walking free an unshackled within the prison that is the sword. How that might be possible is unknown even to him, though.

Dragnipur, a major artifact, is a +8 keen ghost touch greatsword of ruin made from an unknown metal, that seems to swallow ambient light and exude an aura of chill air. Merely viewing it makes most people uneasy and inflicts headaches and a feeling of dread upon spellcasters, who instinctively grasp the nature of the sword. If the wielder wills it, he can as a free action awaken the dire magic of the sword for all onlookers and not just spellcasters to witness, which forces a will save DC 28 to avoid becoming panicked; those who make the save are nonetheless shaken. Dragnipur penetrates any and all kinds of damage resistance short of supreme divine DR as per the ruin ability, affects incorporeal and ethereal creatures without miss chance; all effects negating critical hits and spells protecting from physical attacks have to succeed at a caster level check against CL 31 or be ignored. On a successful hit, the victim has to make a fortitude save DC 40 or be slain instantly. Even creatures normally unaffected by death magic such as undead or deities are subject to this ability. Any entity slain by Dragnipur is forever trapped within and can never be raised (no SR, no save). No known magic, mortal or divine, that could free a soul chained in this matter is known. Only a being walking freely within the sword has a chance to do this (and even if there is a way to do so, only the direct intervention of an overgod such as the Azath in the Malazan world could make it possible).
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