Question on Rewards

[Indur Dawndeath]

Yeah, Foe-slaying is an Enchanted Quality. But that big reduction (to the Edge) only works against Bane creatures it's used on, not all adversaries.

I get that too, but there are a LOT of bane creatures. Just seems to me that if you take it as a starting character, then go up two or three points fairly quickly, you now have a weapon that can score an edge (against bane creatures) much more easily, and nothing has really happened to make it a better weapon. Gives the player quite an advantage. Again, that's okay, the characters are supposed to be heroes, but it just seems like the player is getting a lot for a very little

You cannot take it a character creation.
First you need to find a T* Treasure and you need to roll 2 Tengwars. And the LM need to have decided for your character that this weapon have that quality.
So this is not something you can plan on as a player...

[Glorelendil]

On a (sort of) similar note, I also was shown an error in my judgement (as LM) because I created an Heirloom of lost Arnor for a ranger character with a blessing "foe slaying". I did not realize at the time that every time the player gains a level of Valor, the weapon Edge goes down automatically. That seems almost broken to me, but we are going with it.

The beauty of RPGs is that we each get to tailor them to our own desires, but just in case you weren't clear on the rules-as-written: the "Blessing" on an Heirloom of Lost Arnor is not the same as an "Enchanted Quality". The Blessing on the Heirloom is supposed to be the same as a Blessing on a Wondrous Artefact: a bonus equal to the character's Wisdom to a single common skill.

I do understand the difference, that's why I said it was only "sort of" related

Hmm. I think you are still missing something. "Foe-slaying" is not a valid choice for a lost heirloom of arnor because it is not a "Blessing". A Blessing means, very specifically, a bonus to a common skill (NOT a weapon skill) equal to your Wisdom score.

Foe-slaying is an Enchanted Quality, and can only be acquired with a low-probability roll from a Treasure hoard, as Indur explains above. (Although he left out the middle part: you also have to roll a Gandalf or, less optimally, an Eye.)

You basically gave a first level character a Vorpal sword. So, yes, it seems overpowered.

[Corvo]

(...)
-Is the Cultural Reward Brazen Armour from Men of the Lake worth the XP? and what do you think tweaking it by removing the malus die against piercing and just leaving the bonus protection die against blunt and edge weapons?
(...)

I think it is a valid house rule.

It scales well with Cunning Make:
Normally, 1d6 armour=4 encumbrance
Cunning Make halves the encumbrance of that 1d6 at the cost of one reward.
Brazen Armour is a 1d6 against half of the weapons (give or take), at the cost of one reward.

[killianred]

Wow. I REALLY read this stuff wrong. I thought when it said on page 92, "items blessed by enchantments ect..." it was talking about the item should have an "enchanted quality". Good grief, now I can see why it seems overpowered. Because it is!

[Glorelendil]

(...)
-Is the Cultural Reward Brazen Armour from Men of the Lake worth the XP? and what do you think tweaking it by removing the malus die against piercing and just leaving the bonus protection die against blunt and edge weapons?
(...)

I think it is a valid house rule.

It scales well with Cunning Make:
Normally, 1d6 armour=4 encumbrance
Cunning Make halves the encumbrance of that 1d6 at the cost of one reward.
Brazen Armour is a 1d6 against half of the weapons (give or take), at the cost of one reward.

Ooh...clever! Nice analysis. Who needs computer models?

Wait...did you just perform magic?

[Yepesnopes]

Thanks for the comments!

I am quite confident now that the modification on the Brazen Armour it is ok.

Now I still have to think what to do with the Spear, a reward for something only used during opening volleys...
Turning it into a Long Sword or a Sword is an option, but which effect then? I will look at the close combat weapon rewards from other cultures

[Angelalex242]

Leave it as is, make it a Longsword. Bardings will appreciate that for synergy with Tower Shield and Swordmaster.

[Falenthal]

Now I still have to think what to do with the Spear, a reward for something only used during opening volleys...
Turning it into a Long Sword or a Sword is an option, but which effect then? I will look at the close combat weapon rewards from other cultures

Just don't call it "Longsword of Bladorthin". The Spears of Bladorthin are named in The Hobbit, so they are spears. Only that nowhere is said that they belonged to the Men of Dale. They could belong to the elves for all we know or to some distant king.

[Deadmanwalking]

Leave it as is, make it a Longsword. Bardings will appreciate that for synergy with Tower Shield and Swordmaster.

'As is' doesn't work since it only works on ranged attacks.

And giving the best of two Feat die rolls to all attacks on a high injury weapon like a Longsword makes it likely the best weapon Reward in the game by a wide margin, since that's the equivalent of something like +2 or +3 to hit and almost two points of Edge.

Making it only work once per combat, meanwhile, while more accurately mimicking the effect, is maybe a bit weak, since it only effects one attack.

I'd definitely make it a Longsword, though. That's the one weapon there's no Reward for so far, in any culture (well, and the Mattock, I suppose).

[Rich H]

I'd definitely make it a Longsword, though.

I removed the Spear of Bladorthin for Bardings as a Reward and replaced it with the "Swords of King Bard":

Swords of King Bard (long sword)
As gifts to commemorate the defeat of the dragon Smaug, the Dwarves of the Mountain forged these long swords for King Bard and those amongst his men who are his closest allies and champions. Their thrice-forged blades never lose their keenness, and their hilts and scabbards are inlaid with gold and silver.

When you get a "G" on the Feat die using a Sword of King Bard, the target rolls one Success die less on his Protection test.

... Possibly somewhat on the powerful side but it hasn't broken the game yet.