Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Thread Item 54 - The Sword of Fentheri

This is the fifty-fourth Anatomy of a Thread Item in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Found in the Gamemaster's Companion (pg. 40), The Sword of Fentheri is a Thread Item first introduced in Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive (pg. 87). This is basically a lightsaber and I don't want to live in a world where that isn't cool. That being said, it's a lightsaber in the form of a lobster which is... well, I don't think I've ever used looking exactly like that.

There will be an analysis of how the 3E Thread Item stacks up to the proposed guidelines (pg. 46 of the Gamemaster's Companion) and what it looked like in its original release.

The Sword of Fentheri
Spell Defense: 23
Legend Point Cost: Master

The opening info is unique on this item - one thread, Spell Defense 23, and Master tier. This is all unusual, particularly with only six thread ranks. It is also worth noting every single thread rank has a Key Knowledge or Deed associated with it.

Thread Rank One
Effect: +2 to Recovery and Toughness-only tests. If the sword is stolen from the wielder, the lobster claws will pinch the culprit and not let go, inflicting Damage Step equal to the Thread Rank; no armor protects (unless they are wearing metal gauntlets).

The theft-reduction strategy is interesting and fitting as an add-on for highest tier item like this. The actual bonus is very good - four full effects at Rank One. Effects an elf (which the item was originally gifted) would appreciate, given their Toughness related issues.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: 2 Strain, project a Damage Step 8 broadsword of water from the lobster for up to one hour.

This is just neat, though I always felt it would be better as the Rank One effect. I know the Key Knowledge is how to operate it, but from a game play perspective, this could be a lot of lag between getting the weapon and being able to use it. The Strain is rather steep for a neat, rather than powerful, effect. I'm not entirely convinced this needs a Strain cost.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: +2 to Physical Defense and Sprint.

That's another four effects. Physical Defense is always good. Sprint is situational, but there is likely going to be a situation where moving faster will be helpful. Besides Rank Two, this way above par.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: Damage Step 9, +2 to Mystic Armor, +2 to Willpower tests against spells and Horror abilities.

That's five effects; I'm counting the +2 to a specific circumstance as a single effect each. The whole being a sword thing is pretty incidental for this item.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: 2 Strain, one Result Level less is required for an Armor-Defeating Hit on their next Attack test.

This is a very powerful ability, one which should be used every chance. However, this item is at something of a strange place. As a weapon, it's not so good. This ability is amazing, but the damage is rather terrible. The bonuses provided have little to do with being a weapon. 

Thread Rank Six
Effect: Damage Step 10 and gains the Speed Ship questor power as if the wielder were a Rank 6 questor of Floranuus.

After six ranks, this does Damage Step 10 and has a grab bag of incredibly powerful other abilities. It's hard to figure out what to say here.  

How does it all stack up? There is no doubt this is an incredibly powerful weapon. None. At all. Well, maybe not weapon. Item. It's not actually terribly good as a weapon. Sure, Armor-Defeating Hits are awesome, but the costs set up to become pretty high. 2 Strain to activate the sword, 2 Strain for each attack, this is expensive. On top of that, the damage is low and the bonuses are all over the place. Beyond increasing damage, there isn't a repeated effect. While I certainly enjoy items with some diversity, I enjoy items more which have an actual theme.This is a big sack of random bonuses which happens to be a weapon. The weapon functions could be removed entirely and the bonuses divided better - it would be significantly less memorable (which is a thing), but the functionality would largely be the same.

Honestly, this isn't likely to have a big impact on game balance. There is no real synergy and none of the effects are game changers. It is certainly way above where it should be on the power scale, but nothing is particularly a standout. The ability to inflict more frequent Armor-Defeating Hits may be problematic, particularly if combined with Spot/Show Armor Flaw, but this is it and it is still expensive - Strain costs are paid prior to the Attack test. The Speed Ship power could be considered a huge boost, but in practice events will still happen at the speed of plot and that is about the end of it.

The premise of this item is neat. The history is fun. The lobster thing is weird. However, it fails to deliver. The mechanics follow designs only understood in R'lyeh, mostly hanging out at way too much, but occasionally dipping into, "really?". This has the potential and space to make a great template for a powerful item with some interesting abilities, but they aren't even thematic to Floranuus. It starts out with Toughness and anti-theft measures. After that, arguments could be made, but it is all over the place. I really want to like this, very badly, but it is a mess.

How does the 3E version compare to the 1E version? Let's find out:

The Sword of Fentheri (1E)
Spell Defense: 23
Legend Point Cost: (Master)

Everything is the same here.

Thread Rank One
Effect: +2 to Recovery and Toughness-only tests. If the sword is stolen from the wielder, the lobster claws will pinch the culprit and not let go, inflicting Damage Step equal to the Thread Rank+3; no armor protects (unless they are wearing metal gauntlets).

The anti-theft system is more powerful: damage increased and the test to remove it (which I haven't listed because it's boring) is more difficult. I'm not certain if those were considered balance issues (I hope not), or too complicated (far more likely) to justify the change. The 3E version is more simple in this regard, which is a net positive - the word count on this effect is actually pretty staggering.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: 2 Strain, project a Damage Step 3 sword of water from the lobster for up to one hour.

There are two things I dislike about this rank (and feel 3E vastly improved). The first is in the description it notes you cannot even tell this is a sword until you hit this rank. This is has bait-and-switch written all over it and may require some not-so-subtle GM nudging to prevent the player from making a horrible mistake. Which might be treating this like a weapon, because this is the second item. The damage is terrible and makes you wonder if it can even be Forged. I couldn't honestly give an answer to the question. It would need it, but it's a sad weapon.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: +3 to Physical Defense and increased movement.

The bonuses in 1E are higher. I didn't list the actual speed increases because the two editions are pretty divergent in this regard.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: +2 to Mystic Armor, +Thread Rank to Willpower tests against spells and Horror abilities.

No damage increase and a huge bonus against spells and Horror abilities.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: 3 Strain, Armor-Defeating Hits on Good success.

The cost is higher, but the timing is non-specific. Meaning it could be interpreted that you spend the Strain once, and it's good to go forever. Probably not what was intended, but it isn't a stretch at all. It would actually be the technically correct reading.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: Gains the Speed Ship questor power at a Rank equal to the Thread Rank.

No damage increase and the power is open ended. They are technically the same, unless a player adds more ranks to the item. I cannot bring myself to call this a weapon. This also costs 3 Permanent Damage.

As long as you don't think this is a weapon (it's not really), this is significantly more powerful than the 3E version across the board. Beyond damage, it is at least as good, but more likely to be better. The damage is just sad. While it isn't everything, for a weapon it is certainly something. The mechanics in this version are also rather poor, Rank 5 being notable. Without a doubt, 3E improved on this item, but it still needed more beyond what was done.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Thread Item 53 - The Scarab of Ilithor

This is the fifty-third Anatomy of a Thread Item in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Found in the Gamemaster's Companion (pg. 40), The Scarab of Ilithor is a Thread Item first introduced in Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive (pg. 84). I've never used this item in a game. The reason why, to be perfectly honest, is it bores me. It also does to magicians what they have a tendency to do to, well, everyone else: make their abilities redundant with a single spell. Something which I'm hoping is no longer the case in 4E.

There will be an analysis of how the 3E Thread Item stacks up to the proposed guidelines (pg. 46 of the Gamemaster's Companion) and what it looked like in its original release.

The Scarab of Ilithor
Spell Defense: 16
Legend Point Cost: Warden

With a Spell Defense of 16 and six thread ranks, this is on the low side for a Warden tier item. There is discussion of the items abilities, which all require a Spellcasting test using the wearer's Perception instead. Instead of weaving threads, there is a Strain cost. The problem with this is the potential difficulty in pulling this off for non-spellcasters, who the item is clearly directed. If you're paying Strain, why go through the hoops of requiring a test? Only one of the spells actually presents a significant difficulty because of how it target's Spell Defense; the others can be overcome by lowering your own Spell Defense (which is a mechanic I don't care for - a topic for another day). 

Thread Rank One
Effect: 2 Strain, the wearer gains access to Crunch Climb.

And so it begins. Spells as abilities is, hypothetically, supposed to be Rank 5 territory. Which isn't actually the biggest problem here. This is a spell which already replaces a talent, but requires a spellcaster. Now anyone can have access to Climbing, making all of those adepts who actually purchased the talent look foolish. Or those required to purchase Climbing. Keep in mind, +1 rank to Climbing would be considered the appropriate bonus here.

Given the back story on this item is it was created for a Thief to steal things, I have to wonder at the kind of Thief who didn't have Climbing in the first place and was in the business of stealing things.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: 4 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Gills spell.

This is a neat spell, but an awful lot of Strain for a Second Circle spell. So much Strain.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: 2 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Ethereal Darkness spell. The wearer is considered a Nethermancer for purposes of this spell.

Why is this the only Nethermancer spell which ever comes out to play? Seriously, I do not understand this at all. There aren't many spells which are quite as explicitly group unfriendly as this one. Yet, it shows up time and again.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: 1 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Leaps and Bounds spell.

Scratch the need to ever pick up the Great Leap talent. I really do not care for talent replacement spells.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: 2 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Nobody Here spell.

Without a doubt a useful spell, though one which may require multiple readings every time it is used to figure out exactly how it works. 

Thread Rank Six
Effect: 8 Strain, the wearer gains access to the Inventory spell.

First, that is a mountain of Strain. Second, I hope the wearer has grown accustomed to not finding anything magical with this spell, because Perception-only against Spell Defense is rough. Third, 8 Strain? Look, Inventory just isn't that good.  

How does it all stack up? It is pretty powerful in the right hands - this can open up a lot of new avenues for the right kind of character. It replaces the need for a number of different talents, which is good for the character (possibly), but problematic for the game overall.

It's hard to say what kind of effect this may have on group dynamics. It certainly won't be skewing things, but an Illusionist may be a little resentful they aren't the only one with Nobody Here. A Nethermancer may be pleased there is one less person groaning at them when they cast Ethereal Darkness.

I will say the item has a strong theme and delivers on it. Everything here could be useful when engaging in some sort of caper. Except for Inventory, because the odds are you won't find that magical item you are looking for. Unless you are stealing money; how droll. Beyond that, this item is just boring. It's a bunch of spells, most of which seem to replicate talents which already exist. 

How does the 3E version compare to the 1E version? Let's find out:

The Scarab of Ilithor (1E)
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: (Journeyman)

There are a few changes from 1E to 3E. The tier and Spell Defense are both lower in 1E, which may or may not be more appropriate - the item hardly follows the guidelines as is. Also, there is a clause where the spells' duration is as though the wearer has a Spellcasting rank of 1. This doesn't matter much, since they all have a static modifier on the end to keep them from being 0.

Oh yeah, and none of these cost Strain, nor do they have threads to weave. They are all the same, with one exception, so I will cut my colorful commentary short. In 1E, the Leaps and Bounds effect lasts for only 1 round, which actually makes having Great Leap worthwhile, since you can use it and do something else, instead of making Spellcasting tests (which you might fail) every round you want to use it.

Flat out, the 1E version is more powerful. No Strain and the spells last for slightly longer. The only downside is Leaps and Bounds, which is of limited use due to the one round duration. The lack of threads and Strain actually makes this item more powerful in the hands of a spellcaster. They can gleefully cast these spells without worry of threads or spell matrices. Which is another reason to dislike this item.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Thread Item 52 - Staff of Vylir

This is the fifty-second Anatomy of a Thread Item in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Found in the Gamemaster's Companion (pg. 38), Staff of Vylir is a Thread Item first introduced in Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive (pg. 86). There are some mechanical and flavor bits of this item which I have always enjoyed. They seem a little strange, but it gave be a different perspective on how to put things together. However, as written this has never actually made it into a game for whatever reason.

There will be an analysis of how the 3E Thread Item stacks up to the proposed guidelines (pg. 46 of the Gamemaster's Companion) and what it looked like in its original release.

Staff of Vylir
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden

The Spell Defense is as expected, but with only six thread ranks this item is coming up short of where it "should" be. What is notable here is the fact this is actually a glove, rather than a staff. It's like the Butterspider Box in that regard. It may be silly, but I have always liked this idea quite a bit.

Thread Rank One
Effect: +1 rank to Spellcasting. 1 Strain, once per day summon a very impressive quarterstaff for Thread Rank hours from a piece of wood.

This is technically more than a Rank One should provide, but the quarterstaff is more of a trick and less of a functional thing. Also, it's once per day. The boost to Spellcasting is quite good, particularly since it is actually a rank instead of a bonus to the tests.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: 1 Strain, the wearer may throw the staff like a spear, using the Spear spirit power. The wearer makes a Spellcasting test against the target's Spell Defense, dealing WIL+2/Physical damage.

This effect is not so great. By any stretch of the imagination. It does not benefit from Wilforce, costs Strain, and affects Physical Armor. I will take Mind Dagger/Spirit Dart/Ice Mace and Chain every day of the week.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: +2 ranks to Spellcasting.

While a standard effect, it is one which is always welcome.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: Place a kernel of a True element in the staff and the wearer may use the Detect True Element spirit power for one day. The range is Thread Rank miles.

This is neat, but honestly I would rather just summon a spirit for this purpose. This seems like a big investment (1300 Legend Points) in something which isn't likely to come up very often.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: +2 ranks to Willforce.

Two effects here, but Rank Two and Four are collectively sad enough that I won't tell anyone if you don't. 

Thread Rank Six
Effect: +2 bonus to any Action test made to summon or control elemental spirits.

This is actually quite powerful. It applies to a number of different functions in the summoning mechanics and they are very powerful as it is. While the bonus isn't a lot, it could go a long way. 

How does it all stack up? On the whole, this is a pretty good item, but it doesn't really live up to it's promise as a Warden tier item. It gives some pretty good effects, but also some which aren't as good.

On the whole, the only problem this presents is encouraging players to engage in summoning. This is a set of mechanics which is somewhere between broken and a big mess. It is neat in premise, verging on a nightmare in practice when played by the rules as written.

I still think this is a neat item with a strong theme. While the mechanics aren't great, they aren't absolutely terrible. Still, the ideas best gathered here are based around how it fits together, rather than exactly what it does.

How does the 3E version compare to the 1E version? Let's find out:

Staff of Vylir (1E)
Spell Defense: 18
Legend Point Cost: Warden

Everything here is the same.

Thread Rank One
Effect: +1 rank to Spellcasting. 1 Strain, once per day summon a very impressive quarterstaff for Thread Rank hours from a piece of wood.

While the effect is written differently, it is the same in the end.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: The wearer may throw the staff as the Spear power, doing Willforce + Thread Rank.

This is way better. This is actually really, really good. Too good. Which is why it was reworked into something less powerful, it just went to far in the other direction to useless.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: +2 ranks to Spellcasting.

The same and it's still good.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: Place a kernel of a True element in the staff and the wearer may use the Detect True Element spirit power for one day. The range is Thread Rank miles.

Nothing different here.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: +1 rank to Willforce.

This is pretty strange - it repeat the Rank Four bonus to Spellcasting, but includes a new bonus to Willforce. The single bonus to Willforce is more appropriate for this Rank, particularly given the different Rank Two effect. 

Thread Rank Six
Effect: +2 bonus to any Action test made to summon or control elemental spirits.

This is basically the same. 

While the are similar, the 3E version gives an additional boost to Willforce, but the 1E version has a significantly better Rank Two effect. It's very good to have around in your back pocket. On the whole, the 1E version is probably more powerful. Both need a redesign, however.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Thread Item 51 - Nightscar

This is the fifty-first Anatomy of a Thread Item in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Found in the Gamemaster's Companion (pg. 34), Nightscar is a Thread Item first introduced in Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive (pg. 82). This item is one of my favorites and has appeared in some form or another in every game which also featured a Nethermancer. Regardless of the mechanics, some part of me just thinks Nightscar is awesome.

There will be an analysis of how the 3E Thread Item stacks up to the proposed guidelines (pg. 46 of the Gamemaster's Companion) and what it looked like in its original release.

Nightscar
Spell Defense: 23
Legend Point Cost: Master

The Spell Defense is pretty high. Inexplicably high, really. This item has a mere five ranks for the tier and was crafted, which is explicitly against the guidelines for anything Master tier (Legendary items only). Everything about this item is dripping with terrible cliches. Possibly why I like it so much. Nightscar was created by a Nethermancer Named Noir Darkwind and has a insane bound ally spirit Named Gloom. This is basically a metal song. Which might be why all of the variations over the years I've played with have taken all of the Names from metal bands and songs. It's tradition.

Thread Rank One
Effect: Damage Step 8.

The standard effect for Rank One.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: Communicate with the bound spirit and call on the spirit's powers on a successful Contest of Wills and paying all costs.

This is an interesting effect; potentially an incredibly powerful one depending on what your GM lets you get away with. The spirit is only Strength 4, which is pretty low for a Named spirit. The list of powers is pretty good. Regardless, this is more appropriate for Rank Five or Six, rather than 2. The Contest of Wills reigns it in quite a bit, but also makes this pretty obnoxious to use; more irritating than interesting.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: Damage Step 9.

A standard effect.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: Cast the Ethereal Darkness spell for 2 Strain. The wielder is considered to be a Nethermancer for this spell.

I honestly don't know why this effect goes through the trouble of having a spell matrix with this spell in it if you just pay Strain to make it happen. The Spellcasting test is an unnecessary additional step and limits the use for non-spellcasting characters. There is actually little here which requires a magician - except for the Contest of Wills, but that is really it's own set of problems. Mechanically, this is a pretty good ability, though an actual combat character may very well prefer to attack over spending their action setting up a debuff (which will probably irritate their friends).

Thread Rank Five
Effect: 3 Strain, on the wielder's next successful Attack test, make a Spellcasting test against the target's Spell Defense. If successful, the target is frozen in place and cannot take any actions for a number of rounds equal to the wielder's Willpower step. Each round the target may make a Willpower (12) test to end this effect.

So this is really powerful. Really, really powerful. 3 Strain is definitely expensive, but worth it for a lockdown effect which won't be wasted on a failed Attack test. Probably too powerful for Rank Five, but it has been pretty expensive to get here in the first place without a whole lot to show for it. This brings up another Spellcasting test, however, which I do not care for. It unnecessarily limits the characters who can benefit from this weapon to a very small number. It makes the mechanics easy to write, but it isn't an elegant solution. 

How does it all stack up? This is a powerful-ish item, but one with a very limited target audience. Only a spellcasting close combat character is going to get use out of this. It doesn't actually support spellcasting at all and, outside of the Rank Five ability, is pretty terrible as a weapon. The damage is poor and the Rank Two ability is entirely dependent on how often the player wants to bother with a Contest of Wills. There is a lot going on here, but none of it particularly works together.

On the whole, it is unlikely this item will cause problems. It's expensive and while it has a powerful effect, high end opponents (such as Horrors) are unlikely to find it too troublesome due to their ability to succeed at the Willpower test. Still, even losing one round can be a big deal. It really doesn't bring much to the table, though anyone who does receive it may be irritated at the costs and requirements compared to what it does in the end. A straight magician isn't going to find much of anything worth their while here.

Despite all of that, I do like this item. While it doesn't have any mechanical themes, it has a lot of flavor and heart. It's neat and does some very different things, even if it doesn't do them very well. This is a pretty good item to go to for ideas, but isn't a good pick for a template of any kind. It is all over the place with regard to the guidelines.

How does the 3E version compare to the 1E version? Let's find out:

Nightscar (1E)
Spell Defense: 23
Legend Point Cost: (Master)

This is mostly the same, however it starts life as a Damage Step 6 weapon, which is notable.

Thread Rank One
Effect: Damage Step 7.

Less than 3E, but very good for 1E.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: Communicate with the bound spirit and call on the spirit's powers on a successful Contest of Wills and paying all costs.

The text here is considerably lengthier, which is ironic if you are familiar with the 3E stat blocks everywhere. They are the same, though 3E relies on the generic ally spirit template, rather than giving discrete stats.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: Damage Step 8.

The same basic effect.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: Cast the Ethereal Darkness spell for 3 Strain. The wielder is considered to be a Nethermancer for this spell.

The Strain cost went down in 3E, which is good - the spell isn't good enough. The duration here is also slightly different with Rank +1d10 rounds.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: 3 Strain, on the wielder's next successful Attack test within Willpower step rounds, the target is frozen in place and cannot take any actions for 9 rounds. Each round the target may make a Willpower (12) test to end this effect.

This is even more powerful as it doesn't require a Spellcasting test. It also happens to make it actually useful for non-spellcasters, though it is probably too powerful. There is a duration on how long you have to score a hit and the duration of the freezing effect is now static.  

They are pretty similar, though the 1E version is more powerful (and useful to more characters) due to the reduced reliance on Spellcasting. Sure, Ethereal Darkness costs more, but it wasn't so great in the first place. The Rank Five ability is where it is at.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Thread Item 50 - Neverburn

This is the fiftieth Anatomy of a Thread Item in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Found in the Gamemaster's Companion (pg. 34), Neverburn is a Thread Item first introduced in Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive (pg. 82). This item has appeared occasionally in my games over the years, but no player has ever woven a thread to it. Instead, Neverburn was always used as a trade good for something they actually did want.

There will be an analysis of how the 3E Thread Item stacks up to the proposed guidelines (pg. 46 of the Gamemaster's Companion) and what it looked like in its original release.

Neverburn
Spell Defense: 14
Legend Point Cost: Novice

At the top end of Spell Defense, but still within norms. There are also five ranks, which is beyond what a Novice tier item should have.

Thread Rank One
Effect: It produces the Light spell and cannot be put out.

It creates light and cannot be put out. This is a little underwhelming for 100 Legend Points. There are pretty common magical items which do this. You can even get them mounted in your gear. They're not expensive.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: The wielder can turn it on and off.

Remember that whole, "there are fire ranks," thing from before? Well, clearly they're wasted. That's right, after 300 Legend Points, the owner can now turn his torch off. Bonus: This rank requires a Key Knowledge.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: The wielder gains heat sight.

This is actually pretty good, though it makes both of the previous ranks seem awfully silly - now you don't even need them. A downside is that you must be wielding the torch to gain the ability. Not just own it.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: +3 bonus to tests made to resist ghoul poison.

That's a decent bonus against something extremely specific. It's a toss-up if I even include ghouls in a game at all. Given they are Second Circle enemies and this is a Rank Four ability... well, it's probably verging on useless by the time you get it. Another Key Knowledge here - bring this item up to four total for five ranks. That's a record in so many terrible ways.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: +3 bonus to tests made to resist any poison and +5 against ghoul poison.

+3 against poison is a good bonus. It will probably come up at some point and getting poisoned is rough. Shadowmants are one of the biggest killers at my table over the years just because of their poison. The bonus against ghouls as well means this rank offers a lot, but I think the ghoul bit can be safely ignored. Why the ghoul stuff? Well, this item was wielded by a troll Illusionist who got killed by ghoul poison. My big question is, why were they wielding a torch against ghouls in such a fashion when they died? I don't know any trolls who use torches except to light things on fire - they have heat sight. 

How does it all stack up? It's pretty terrible. My players over the years did well to avoid this one. What it realistically has to offer is heat sight and a bonus against poison. If you really want those, I suggest going after blood magic and saving this thread for an item which offers Durability boosts.

Probably the biggest problem in this item's design is how true it tried to be to a nonsensical back story. In the epic struggle against some ghouls, this was what a troll Illusionist imbued with a True Pattern, really? I know magic works in mysterious ways and all that, but this is something someone created on purpose. I'm having trouble divining that purpose, other than trying to be "different" without thinking about actually being useful. Bottom line: if no one wants the thread item, why both spending the word count on it?

How does the 3E version compare to the 1E version? Let's find out:

Neverburn (1E)
Spell Defense: 9
Legend Point Cost: (Novice)

The only difference is the Spell Defense, which is five less here.

Thread Rank One
Effect: It produces the Light spell and cannot be put out.

Unchanged.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: The wielder can turn it on and off.

Still the same.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: The wielder gains heat sight.

No changes.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: +3 bonus to Toughness tests made to resist ghoul poison.

Pretty much the same. This specifies Toughness tests, if that matters.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: +3 bonus to Toughness tests made to resist any poison and +5 against ghoul poison.

Still the same, just with the Toughness note. 

It's the same in both editions. It couldn't have even been bootstrapped into usefulness when updating it.

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Thread Item 49 - The Little Troll's Helm

This is the forty-ninth Anatomy of a Thread Item in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Found in the Gamemaster's Companion (pg. 39), The Little Troll's Helm is a Thread Item first introduced in Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive (pg. 81). I have never used this item, though the early ranks were neat enough to inspire a number of other effects over the years.

There will be an analysis of how the 3E Thread Item stacks up to the proposed guidelines (pg. 46 of the Gamemaster's Companion) and what it looked like in its original release.

The Little Troll's Helm
Spell Defense: 19
Legend Point Cost: Warden

That's near the top of recommended Spell Defense's for the tier and the ranks come in at six, which is low.

Thread Rank One
Effect: Aggressive Attack combat option now gives +4 to close combat Attack and Damage tests and -2 to Physical and Spell Defense.

Let's be honest, this is too much for a Rank One ability. While it is keyed to a particular combat option, it's a good combat option and is giving effectively four bonuses. An increase in benefits or a reduction in penalties would be significantly more appropriate. Even then, that may be better suited for Rank Five or Six.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: No penalties when using Aggressive Attack.

So that's another four bonuses and now Aggressive Attack has no downside - 1 Strain isn't a downside. I'm also not a fan of getting rid of the penalties altogether. This is too much, too soon.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: +3 ranks to Battle Shout.

Three more effects and also a very good talent.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: +3 ranks to Great Leap.

Three more effects. This is pretty ridiculous and it's not going to let up anytime soon.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: +3 ranks to Battle Bellow.

Another rank with three effects.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: +3 ranks to Crushing Blow.

And finally, three more effects. This rank is funny because the 1E Sky Raider got Crushing Blow, but it was switched to Down Strike in 3E. So this is almost certainly an error of some kind in the development process.

How does it all stack up? Those are a lot of bonuses for not much investment. In the hands of a Sky Raider, this is a huge boost (except for the Crushing Blow thing). Just improving Aggressive Attack would be worth the investment if it was spread over a number of additional ranks. The big pile of bonuses to talents? That's just gravy.

This item is problematic because of how many bonuses it provides. Just the Aggressive Attack boost is going to mean +4 to Attack and Damage tests every round with no real downside. That is going to affect game play. It isn't likely to distort things terribly, but I wouldn't be surprised if other players were envious of all the bonuses provided.

For the purposes of inspiration, it's not bad. It has a strong theme around supporting Sky Raiders and the improvements to Aggressive Attack are appropriate and interesting. As far as the actual mechanical implementation of those themes, it's bad. Everything needs to be scaled back and spread out. Give bonuses to talents in the early ranks, save the improvement to Aggressive Attack for some later ranks.

Giving a bonus to a damage boosting talent is dangerous ground from a development perspective. If the character doesn't have the right talent, it's a waste. Sky Raiders won't actually get anything from the listed benefit, as they will be using Down Strike. If it is changed to Down Strike, then a Warrior will get a useless benefit at Rank Six. Tying an item to a discipline with themes is good, but rendering it less effective to anyone else is significantly less good. Particularly since this item hardly needs an additional damage boost with what it does for Aggressive Attack. A boost to Fireblood, for example, would be good for nearly anyone and make an excellent mid-rank effect.

How does the 3E version compare to the 1E version? Let's find out:

The Little Troll's Helm (1E)
Spell Defense: 12
Legend Point Cost: (Journeyman)

That's a big change. The Spell Defense has dropped significantly (into the Novice realm) and the tier is one lower. Still has six ranks.

Thread Rank One
Effect: Aggressive Attack combat option now gives +4 to close combat Attack and Damage tests and -2 to Physical and Spell Defense.

No changes here, which should be worrisome with the reduced costs.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: No penalties when using Aggressive Attack.

Again, no change between editions.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: Bonus ranks to Battle Shout equal to the Thread Rank.

This is madness. Yes, the 3E version made it less powerful with only a +3 bonus.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: +4 ranks to Great Leap.

Again, this is better than the 3E version.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: Replaces the Battle Shout effect with Battle Bellow.

This gives the better talent a bigger bonus, but they are both worth having around.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: +6 ranks to Crushing Blow. A Good or better success on Battle Bellow gives +3 to Crushing Blow.

Completely bonkers.

3E clearly reduced the power of this item and it should be obvious why this has never made it into a game at my table. Those are some huge bonuses across the board. There isn't much more to say - this is about as unsubtle as it gets with regard to bonuses far greater than are appropriate. 

Earthdawn: Anatomy of a Thread Item 48 - Dragon Mail

This is the forty-eighth Anatomy of a Thread Item in an ongoing series about Earthdawn. Introduction and Index.

Found in the Gamemaster's Companion (pg. 30), Dragon Mail is a Thread Item first introduced in Arcane Mysteries of Barsaive (pg. 79). The first and perhaps only time I ever introduced this item was in a 1E game long ago as a gift from Mountainshadow. Also, perhaps a way of keeping the PCs under his thumb.

There will be an analysis of how the 3E Thread Item stacks up to the proposed guidelines (pg. 46 of the Gamemaster's Companion) and what it looked like in its original release.

Dragon Mail
Spell Defense: 21
Legend Point Cost: Master

Master tier means things get funny. While the Spell Defense is high, there are only nine ranks. Which likely means they will be significant and somewhat difficult to judge because of the costs associated. One thing of note is that this item was clearly crafted and Master tier is for Legendary items only (per 3E guidelines). For shame.

Thread Rank One
Effect: Physical Armor 11.

This is chain mail and that is the standard rank one effect.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: Initiative Penalty -2 and +4 Mystic Armor against attacks made by dragons and drakes.

This is three effects - Initiative reduction and two +2 against a specific target (which is supposed to show up at Rank Five). So that's pretty good. A strange thing - why would a dragon craft armor specifically good against himself? That seems like it is inviting trouble. Which, reading the back story, is exactly what happened.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: The result level is required to inflicted an Armor Defeating Hit is one higher, and attacks from dragons cannot inflict Armor Defeating Hits. Also, the wearer is immune to the Venom dragon power.

That first ability? It's incredibly powerful. It's incredibly powerful when it shows up at Rank Seven. It's pretty insane to show up here. The rest is just icing on the "gonna go try and wreck a dragon one day" cake.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: Initiative Penalty -1 and +6 Mystic Armor against attacks made by dragons and drakes.

Only two effects? That's a let down, particularly compared to Rank Two which had the exact same thing, only more.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: Physical Armor 12 and Mystic Armor 2.

Three effects? Yes, that is what is going on here.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: No Initiative Penalty and +8 Mystic Armor against attacks made by dragons and drakes.

Two more effects we have seen before.

Thread Rank Seven
Effect: Store 10 Karma Points in the armor. +2 to all Defenses against attacks by dragons and drakes.

Karma storage is always a good thing and hard to put a price tag on, but it's probably more than one effect sitting there. Also, there are three more effects in the Defense bonuses. This happens to be the "gotcha!" rank, since the Deed requires the character to swear a Blood Oath to serve a great dragon.

Thread Rank Eight
Effect: The dragon may store Karma Points in the armor and if those are spent, use the dragon's Karma Step.

This particular effect is a strange one. It relies entirely on the good graces of the GM, who probably doesn't have a whole lot of impetus to make life easy on the wearer. It's worth noting a great dragon's Karma Step is 18. Which, last time I checked, was an awful lot to add to a roll. A whole lot more than the D6 which is normally handed out. This can make for a powerful incentive to do what the dragon wants.

Thread Rank Nine
Effect: Mystic Armor 4 and +3 to all Defenses against attacks by dragons and drakes.

While good (coming in at 3.5 effects), this is a let down for the final rank. There are earlier ranks which have bigger and more interesting effects. It also adds to the strange "very powerful against dragons" thing.

How does it all stack up? There is an awful lot to like here. Even removing the dragon specific effects, this is very powerful. Rank Three stands out as being exceptionally powerful. Really stands out. The dragon bonuses are strange, since most Earthdawn games seem to steer away from murdering the great dragons, as a change from its predecessor. There are still a lot of powerful effects, such as less Armor Defeating Hits. I hear that's pretty good.

While it can be difficult to judge the balance of an item at this tier, this item is clearly not balanced. It's not likely to severely impact the game, but it is awfully good. If the character does sign on with a great dragon, it can also serve to make that character the "main" character and the rest feel like the supporting cast. Some groups are okay with this, most probably will not be okay with that arrangement.

The themes on this are interesting, but strange as mentioned previously. Crafted by a dragon to fight dragons? I'm not certain what the intent behind that was other than to, perhaps, tell a predictable story. While it's not the end of the world, I wouldn't look to this item for inspiration and certainly not as a template.

How does the 3E version compare to the 1E version? Let's find out:

Dragon Mail (1E)
Spell Defense: 17
Legend Point Cost: (Warden)

The Spell Defense and tier are both lower. Clearly the adjustment to 3E was to move the costs up rather than bring the mechanics in line.

Thread Rank One
Effect: Physical Armor 8 and Initiative Penalty -2.

While this is different between the two, 3E introduced the "max forged" thing at rank one, which is a significant bonus to take advantage. This is two effects.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: No Initiative Penalty and +4 Mystic Armor against attacks made by dragons and drakes.

The same effect, but the Initiative Penalty is lower here because it got an early jump on it.

Thread Rank Three
Effect: +6 Mystic Armor against attacks made by dragons and drakes and the result level is required to inflicted an Armor Defeating Hit is one higher, and attacks from dragons cannot inflict Armor Defeating Hits. Also, the wearer is immune to the Venom dragon power.

The same effects are around for the various ranks, just in different places. This rank is quite a bit more powerful than the 3E equivalent, and it really doesn't need anything else to be very, very good.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: Physical Armor 9, Mystic Armor 2, and +8 Mystic Armor against attacks made by dragons and drakes.

Four effects. The Physical Armor is less (9 v. 11), but the Mystic Armor and bonus against dragons and drakes are better. Which, on the whole, makes this better.

Thread Rank Five
Effect: Physical Armor 10, Mystic Armor 3, and +1 Initiative.

Three effects and the spread is closer between the two editions, one more Physical Armor in one, one more Mystic in the other. However, 1E introduces an Initiative bonus, which is very rare.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: Mystic Armor 4, and +10 Mystic Armor against attacks made by dragons and drakes.

And the 1E version continues to inch ahead in effects. Currently, 3E is leading in Physical Armor, but losing in... everything else.

Thread Rank Seven
Effect: Store 10 Karma Points in the armor. +2 to all Defenses against attacks by dragons and drakes.

Everything here is the same.

Thread Rank Eight
Effect: The dragon may store Karma Points in the armor and if those are spent, use the dragon's Karma Step.

No differences here.

Thread Rank Nine
Effect: Mystic Armor 5 and +5 to all Defenses against attacks by dragons and drakes.

Similar, but 1E has better bonuses.

While 3E reduced the power and increased the costs, it didn't go far enough. Beyond the strange story, this would work best as a Warden tier item with eight ranks and appropriate effects.