Paul Baughman’s Chosen of Neroth Weapon

Hello,

This is what Paul Baughman emailed me for what he wants for the weapon for his Chosen By Neroth reward:

The Weapon I’ve chosen for my Chosen of Neroth character (Belthazor Nádasdy val’Mehen) is:

Weapon: Kio Sword “False Yet True” from A Family Affair.

The character named above has performed a great service to Count Georáld of Zhur’khé. The count’s expert smith forged a master weapon with the character’s assistance. The forging process took 40 TU but did not automatically grant the bearer the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Kio sword) feat. Count Georáld also gave the character a write granting permission to carry the blade. (This writ allows the wielder to carry the Kio Blade, much like how nobility may carry flintlocks).

This graceful sword is fashioned with a double-edged blade like a broadsword but is more akin to a rapier in its physical qualities. The blade has an ash-gray sheen, and the hilt is stylishly decorated. It has a matching ornamental sheath. Both the hilt and sheath are blue with silver fittings.

The Kio Sword is beyond the quality of masterwork blades and gives a +1 bonus to hit and damage. It is difficult to knick or break (+5 to hardness and hit points). “False Yet True” has a magical enhancement bonus when wielded by the character above.

A Kio Sword deals 1d8+1 points of piercing and slashing damage (including the aforementioned +1 bonus to damage); on a roll of 18-20, it threatens a critical hit for x2 damage. The sword is made of an alloy of purified steel with infusions of mithral and meteoric iron. After all modifiers are summed, if the weapon inflicts less damage than the damage resistance of a foe who is vulnerable to mithral or meteoric iron, then the sword inflicts one point of damage.

The sword has bonded to its intended owner. In the hands of any character other than that named above, the sword has only its natural +1 enhancement bonus. Thus, if sold, the weapon’s value is merely that of an elegantly decorated Kio sword. In the hands of the character named above, the sword is a bonded weapon (as if bonded to the character through the use of the Imbue with Essence feat) whose magical power grows with the character. Its magical abilities are listed below. The feinting and riposte enhancements are described on pages 104 and 106 of Forged in Magic. The weapon can not be further enchanted without undoing all its current enchantments.

Moreover, possession of the sword, even if visible only in its scabbard, grants the owner a +1 circumstance bonus on Diplomacy and Intimidate skill checks with Kio NPCs.