I Like Swords, Part 3: D&D

Today's installment of I Like Swords is a special request from my gaming buddy Doug. At last week's World of Alidor session he mentioned that he wanted one of those triple-bladed sword things (from Part 1 of this series) for his character in my Wild Times campaign. It's nice to know that I'm not the only guy in the local gaming scene with a fondness for The Sword & The Sorcerer. Unless you were a stupid kid in the 80's, you'll probably never appreciate the incredible awesomeness of that film and the others of its ilk (Beastmaster, Hawk the Slayer, etc.). It's like Silver Age comics, some people get 'em and some people just don't. Anyway, here's the d20 version of the Triple-Bladed Sword of Sorcery, broken down into its atomic components.

Component The First: Triple Swords All Up in Here!

Triple Short Sword
light exotic weapon
Cost: 100gp
Damage (S): 3d3
Damage (M): 3d4
Critical: x2
Range Increment: --
Weight: 4 lbs
Type: Piercing

Triple Longsword
one-handed exotic weapon
Cost: 150gp
Damage (S): 3d4
Damage (M): 3d6
Critical: x2
Range Increment: --
Weight: 7 lbs
Type: Slashing

Triple Greatsword
two-handed exotic weapon
Cost: 250gp
Damage (S): 3d8
Damage (M): 3d10
Critical: x2
Range Increment: --
Weight: 12 lbs
Type: Slashing

Component The Second: Flying Blades of Doom!

Launching Blade

This ability allows the blade of a weapon to fire from the hilt or haft as a ranged attack. The range increment of such an attack is 10'. Damage is normal with most weapons, but trilple bladed swords do only one die of damage per blade launched. The remaining blades of a triple bladed sword subtract any dice launched. (E.g. a medium-sized triple bladed greatsword only does 2d10 damage if one of the blades has been launched.)

Unless the weapon also has the Returning ability, the blade must recovered from the square occupied by the target. Reloading the blade is a standard action. Weapons with all blades launched may be treated as small clubs (in the case of hilted weapons like swords) or normal-sized quarterstaves (in the case of long-hafted weapons such as polearms or spears).

Only piercing or slashing weapons with discernable blades can be Launching.

Moderate transmutation; CL 7th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, telekinesis; Price +1 bonus.

Component the Third: Hold-Out Dagger in the Eye!

Melee weapons and shields may be purchased with hidden daggers that may be drawn as a standard action (allowing an Attack of Opportunity if the observer's Spot roll beats the Sleight of Hand roll of the one drawing the dagger). One-handed melee weapons and light shields can conceal hold-out daggers of one size category smaller than the size of the weapon or shield. Light melee weapons and bucklers can conceal daggers of two size categories smaller. Two-handed weapons, heavy shields, and tower shields can conceal daggers of the same size as the weapon or shield.

A weapon or shield with a hold-out dagger installed costs 100gp extra and weighs 5 lbs than a normal item. Hold-out daggers may not be added after the fact to pre-existing equipment.

Putting It All Together

Going strictly by my memory of the original film I would stat up Prince Talon's awesome sword as a +1 mithril Triple Longsword, Launching Blades x2, with a hold-out small dagger. The cost of such an implement would be 21,250 gp.

Now go forth and kick ass in the name of Talon!