Singing Sword (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

A singing sword is a creature that can take the form of a weapon, usually a sword. Whether the singing sword was originally a humanoid that learned to take on the form of a weapon, or an intelligent weapon that learned to take the form of a humanoid matters little.

The singing sword and its warrior counterpart the fighting familiar are two archetypes that are designed to play second fiddle to another character. They bond with their chosen companion and become night inseparable while gaining synergies when acting together. While some players may appreciate this play-style, it is also suitable to NPCs, especially cohorts. Both can be used to make a full character out of what is normally just a helpful accessory, the singing sword is an interesting way to spice up an intelligent weapon while the fighting familiar can add personality and plot to a familiar..

Publisher: Trailseeker magazine.

Class Information

This is an archetype for bards, clerics, oracles, and skalds, a character that assumes the shape of a weapon to support her companions. Some singing swords are actually created by a curse. This can be a creative solutions for occasional players, who can only join the game now and then, providing an explanation for what the character does when the player is not around. In this case, the archetype can apply to any class, but classes other than the ones it is listed for is likely to receive far fewer benefits.

Publisher: Trailseeker.

Alignment: As the class it is used with.

Hit Die: d8.

Starting Wealth: 4d6 × 10 gp (average 140 gp.) In addition, each character begins play with an outfit worth 10 gp or less.

Class Abilities

The singing sword has all normal features, plus the ones noted.

Singing Weapon (Su)

The singing sword selects a type of weapon when she first takes a level in this class; this is usually a sword, but can be any weapon the singing sword is familiar with. This item can be of any size. At will she can assume the form of the chosen weapon as an immediate action, gaining the hardness of the item but keeping her own hit points. She retains her own attributes, but her physical attributes are limited to the following effects: Strength: Add her Strength modifier to the damage of the weapon. Constitution: Add her Constitution modifier to the Hardness of the weapon. Dexterity: Add her Dexterity modifier to attack rolls and combat maneuver rolls made with the weapon. The singing sword counts as a magic weapon and does aligned damage matching the singing sword's alignment for the purpose of penetrating damage reduction. These are untyped bonuses and stack with abilities gained from absorb weapon, below.

In weapon shape, the singing sword cannot take any physical actions, it needs to be wielded by another creature. It can perceive its surroundings, speak, cast spells, and employ bardic performances. When casting a spell that is not harmless, the spell is delayed until the wielder spends a standard action to target the spell. If not targeted within one round, such a spell is lost. The singing sword ignores any somatic components of its spells, and its spellcasting doesn't cause attacks of opportunity. It can access and use any items worn by its creature shape, including material components, and can even give such items to its wielder. It does not age, eat, breathe, sleep, or execrate. It is not subject to critical hits and effects that allow a Fortitude save (unless the effect is harmless, or affects an object). When wielded or carried it takes a sunder combat maneuver to hit the singing sword.

The singing sword gains the shapechanger subtype. If killed or rendered unconscious in creature form, the singing sword assumes her weapon form. True seeing sees both the creature form and the weapon form.

Ego (Ex)

A singing sword has an Ego of 10 + its Charisma bonus + ¼ its hit dice. If wielded by a creature with an alignment opposed to its own on either the law-chaos or good-evil axis, the wielder takes a number of hit points of damage equal to the singing sword's Ego. This damage bypasses all reduction and resistance. This damage does not apply if the singing sword and its wielder are bonded or either if them is dominated.

The singing sword and its wielder may not agree. Either party can try to force the issue and dominate the other as an immediate action. The wielder makes a Will save with a DC equal to the singing sword's Ego. On a success, the wielder can control the sword, as dominate monster. If the saving throw fails, the singing sword dominates the wielder in the same way.

Weapon Bond (Su)

A singing sword can forge a bond with a willing creature it touches with one-hour ritual, becoming partners. A dominated singing sword or creature counts as willing. Any old bond is automatically broken if a new bond is made, and any exiting partner is immediately aware that a new bonding ritual has begun and can try to interrupt it. The bond can otherwise be broken as if it was a curse.

When thus bonded, the singing sword can take the form of any weapon for which her partner possesses the Weapon Focus feat and can size itself to its wielder. The each can sense the partner's mood, health, and the approximate distance and direction between them. If either uses a teleport power, they can choose to unerringly teleport to the partner if within range. A singing sword and a bonded wielder can try to dominate each other at any range. As a full-round action, the singing sword can allow a bonded wielder to take one standard action. This extra action happens on the singing sword's initiative, and unlike a readied or delayed action it has no effect on the wielder's initiative. Effectively, the wielder can act twice per round, on its own initiative and on the singing sword's initiative.

Absorb Weapon (Su)

The singing sword can absorb and use the abilities of other magical weapons. As a full-round action when in creature form, the singing sword can move a single weapon to or from a personal extra-dimensional space. This extra-dimensional space can hold only weapons, and can hold one weapon, plus an additional weapon at level 5 and every 5 levels thereafter. A singing sword cannot store an intelligent weapon or another singing sword this way.

As a move action, the singing sword can imbue its weapon form with any enchantments or magical qualities, or material of any one weapon it has in storage. This does not include qualities inherent to the type of weapon stored, such as threat range, reach, or the disarm weapon quality, which always depend on the form of the weapon the singing sword has assumed.

When the singing sword is in its creature form, it is possible to steal a weapon from her extra-dimensional space if it is known to be there; this is about as hard as stealing an item carried in a backpack. When in its weapon form, a wielder can force the singing sword to drop one of its absorbed weapons; this is a full-round action that requires a successful Will save against the singing sword's ego; on a failure that creature becomes dominated for a single round and cannot attempt this task again for 24 hours.

Spells

The following spell bestows the singing sword archetype.

Singing Sword Curse

Necromancy (curse)
Level: cleric/oracle 5, bard 4, magus 5, shaman 5, sorcerer/wizard 5, witch 4
Components: V, S, F (iron ring)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: touch
Target: creature or intelligent weapon touched
Duration: permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: yes

The cursed creature becomes a singing sword. If the target is a creature it immediately gains the singing sword archetype. Any weapons the target are wielding go into the singing sword's extra-dimensional storage. If the target is an intelligent weapon, it needs to be generated as a character of a race and class suitable to its personality and a character level equal to its caster level. It also gains a non-intelligent copy of its original self for its absorb weapon ability, and this cannot be removed from the absorb weapon cache by any means.

Anyone wearing the iron ring that was used as the focus item gains a +5 bonus on Will saving throws against the cursed singing sword's Ego.

The curse bestowed by this spell cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell. When the curse is lifted, the singing sword loses the archetype and an intelligent weapon resumes its original form and abilities.