Sommerswerd in New edition

X

Xex

Mongoose
Now I know that only the FFTD is supposed to have the big changes, but I was wondering if there is any indication if Lonewolf will be required to drop the Sommerswerd after book 2. Thing is not only are the gamebooks too easy with it (with the exception of book 5, but even that is doable) but it always bugs me that Lonewolf, who is supposed to be a mega-ranger type guy who slinks through the shadows, carries this shiny sword.

I deliberately used to not take the sword during the older editions to give myself a challenge, and thus make the boks more fun. I know this can always be done witht he new editions, but I thought it would be more fun if the player was required to keep the sword in a safe place before adventuring.
 
I've done that too Xex. I even came up with set of small but simple modifications to the weapons that I would apply to enemies as well as I played through the books to number five. I wonder if Mongoose have come up with any weapon mods for the RPG?
 
I think the problem is that the Sommerswerd is an end of quest item, but you get it only right at the beginning of the quest...

For an alternative story line try something like this:

Raising the Sommerswerd high above your head, a shaft of dawn sunlight catches upon the tip of the golden sword and a brilliant flash of blinding white flame runs the entire length of the blade. The power of the Sommerswerd electrifies you. Your senses reel and now your body reacts instinctively. You lower the Sommerswerd and point the blade towards the tent of Lord Zagarna. There is a mighty roar as the power of the sun-sword is unleashed in a searing white beam. The tent explodes and a brilliant fireball of white flame mushrooms skyward. A long and terrible cry rends the air. It is Lord Zagarna. His roar of rage is accompanied by the crack of lightning and boom of thunder as an unnatural stormhead forms above his tent.

You take a step back uncertainly and feel an icy dread run down your spine. The darkness envelops the sun and the sommerswerd grows dim. The peel of thunder reverberates through your soul and you see a swirling vortex coalesce above the remains of Zagarna's command. The wind screams and howls, clawing at your hand and the now innert sommerswerd.

Gasping in agony you feel a lance of pure malifc hatred pierce your heart and your numb fingers release the sommerswerd's hilt. With a cry of shock you see the mighty godblade spin unnaturally through the air disappearing into the dark portal in the sky.

With an unearthly shriek the portal closes, and whispered words come to your mind, "Victory will yet be mine Kai whelp!".

Holmgard is saved and the murder of the Kai has finally been avenged but at a terrible price. The sword of the sun has been lost.

But for you, Lone Wolf, a life of high adventure has only just begun. A new challenge awaits you in Book Three of the Lone Wolf series:

The Caverns of Kalte


Now you can replace any quest item in the series with the Sommerswerd (or have it replace the Moonstone as the thing lost to Gnaar's domain).

Just replace all mention of whatever quest item you are after for the sommerswerd (OR have them both tied together - the sword is embedded in a lorestone or something). It could be that you don't find it in Magnamund, but rather on the Daziarn plane, just in time to give ol bug eyes a stab in the face in the Masters of Darkness.

Hellebore
 
For my two Lunes worth...

I'm assuming the issue here is the +(8+weaponskill type abilities) in combat...

A weapon that can kill helghasts / Darklords and absorb magic (Cener Druids, anyone?) is almost essential - although if I recall correctly, having the Sommerswerd in these situations usually ended up with a deflection costing LW some endurance points or a slightly harder Darklord. There is usually some reason that LW can't instanty "Zap" a Darklord.

The +8 element is extremely useful for LWs with a low CS skill - just to have an even fight. For those with a high CS it becomes an overkill.

One obvious option would be LW to voluntarily leave the Sommerswerd behind - its the last line of defence whilst he's out the country (flaw being can anyone else use it?). Perhaps it needs some form of maintenance (blessing from Mr Kai himself) and is therefore unavailable for every other adventure.

Alternatively, impose a penalty, such that when fighting a mortal, the Sommerswerd drains Endurance from LW (e.g. lose 1 Endurance per CS point increased - up to 8, per round of combat).

On the other hand... technically any LW character playing after book 3 should have access to the Sommerswerd.

It probably depends how much combat is to the LW playing experience and there is nothing stopping potential LW using other weapons or accepting only part of the combat skill increase. Otherwise, where does it stop? In some adventures, a LW with an existing supply of GC has a bit of a cash advantage (not much to spend it on in Kalte).
 
Don't forget to mention that several times in the Magnakai and Grandmaster series you are actually PUNISHED for having the Sommerswerd with you.

If you have the Sommerswerd turn to page 232 where Zakhan Kimah kills you.

If you don't you can kill him in one hit, without having to fight, by throwing the dagger of Vashna at him on page 78.
 
Xex said:
Now I know that only the FFTD is supposed to have the big changes, but I was wondering if there is any indication if Lonewolf will be required to drop the Sommerswerd after book 2. Thing is not only are the gamebooks too easy with it (with the exception of book 5, but even that is doable) but it always bugs me that Lonewolf, who is supposed to be a mega-ranger type guy who slinks through the shadows, carries this shiny sword.
Click to expand...

Very good question! I think this was a serious issue with the old series.. Does anyone know the answer?

How is the Sommerswerd handled in Book2? Is it still +8 to +10 in Combatskill?
 
Section 79...

When used in combat, the Sommerswerd will add 8 points to your CS (+10 if you have Weaponskill with swords)... then double damage to undead.

Over the page it then adds that you get the +10 CS if you have Weaponskill with either broadsword, sword or shortsword.

From a stealth point of view, shiny swords can be made dull for tactical reasons and shiny again for parade. A soldier ready for parade is unfit for combat and a soldier ready for combat is unfit for parade.
 
The new FotW cover has the sommerswerd golden - which I imagined and all the undead are glowing blue. Vonotar is in the background casting a spell. Is the blue glow just artistic licence, something Vonotar is doing, or is it the function of the sommerswerd outlining the undead to make them easier to hit thereby getting the double damage bonus?
 
I have always thought what they should have done is made it standard equipment in each book. So at the beginning there is a preamble, "Before you leave you are sure to take down your sword from its resting place."

And then the books would be balanced accordingly.

If you want to play without it, you can always leave it in safe keeping in Holmguard. Fortunately the search for the Lore stones, and the desperate battle of the young Kai lord make it not unreasonable to keep it at hand.

The other thing to do is use the Summerswerd but take less martial disciplines. So say instead of Weaponskill, Curing and Hunting as default initial three, maybe forget Weaponskill and Hunting and take support disiplines.
 
hiya ... i believe any kai can wield it, with some slight errata / clarification in the new eds. that king ulnar was indeed a kai when he slew vashna

what i feel would be better would be as tacobake said - having the sword as part of your equipment described in the front, from book 3 onwards - but also have the sword abilities grow and develop as the kai lord does - so the bonus gets larger in later books, additional abilities and so on, making it more part of lone wolf in particular - he is eventually the first supreme master after all
 
+1CS for each book you have weilded it under? Or +1CS for each discipline to 8, then an additional +1 for each additional disipline if you have correct weaponskill... (hence building the +2CS bonus for weaponskill)
 
I treat the Sommerswerd as more of a bladed Special Item than as a Weapon.

On adventures where I know I'll need it, I add it on the sheet, but for adventures where I'm pretty sure I won't I leave it in Holmgard, or, later on, in the Kai Monastary... along with the many extra Gold Crown's I've amassed through all the books. :)

Generally, I assume the Monastary has something of a museum where I (Lone Wolf) leave all the weird things I bring back and don't really have a use for.
 
Generally, I assume the Monastary has something of a museum where I (Lone Wolf) leave all the weird things I bring back and don't really have a use for.
Click to expand...

The vault of the sun. At least, that's where the recovered lorestones end up, so one would assume that's where equally precious things like the sommerswerd are stored.
 
Speaking of the sommersword, minor spoiler here concerning castle death...















I lost all my equipment and never got it back. Imagine how upset I was to lose the sommersword. My question.. is there a way to not lose everything when you escape the castle? I haven't found a way yet.
 
Cool! I should point out that I haven't read the book in more than 10 years.. and my only copy sits at my parents' house across the country. I'm anxiously awaiting the new version!
 
darkadder said:
I treat the Sommerswerd as more of a bladed Special Item than as a Weapon.

On adventures where I know I'll need it, I add it on the sheet, but for adventures where I'm pretty sure I won't I leave it in Holmgard, or, later on, in the Kai Monastary... along with the many extra Gold Crown's I've amassed through all the books. :)

Generally, I assume the Monastary has something of a museum where I (Lone Wolf) leave all the weird things I bring back and don't really have a use for.
Click to expand...

(background: just found this site tonight, played the LW books about 15 years ago, and had this question that I've never gotten a clear answer on:)

Question 1: I remember in book 11 (or 10? 12?) a certain Broadsword also had a high modifier (+6? +8?) and I found it useful (read "easier") to use both bonuses for CS. I never knew if this was cheating or not. If the SS is an item and Broadsword a weapon, it sounds okay. If both are weapons, I may have justified it by "weapon in each hand."

Question 2: I also bought (but did not play through) books 13-19 (or 20?). Why? Combat wiped me out. I was WAY overmatched even with the max CS you could roll, Sommerswerd, Circle of "x" bonueses etc. Wondered if anyone else experienced this same step in difficulty...and found some ways to make combat survivable.
 
You cannot get the broadsword unless you do not possess the sommerswerd, and the broadsword only gave its bonus against the chaos master

When i first played through i had stacked weaponskill bonuses and a decent CS, but otherwise there are a few nasty fights - the deathlord especially
 
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