Sorry, we're closed

On further reflection, I think perhaps it's time to abandon this project entirely, and seek for more fruitful fields.  Sometimes a point is reached at which one realizes he simply has no more to say, and at such time he would be wise to cease the flow of words than to persist in pouring them forth to no purpose.  What is here will remain here, for any who care to revisit it, but no more will be added.

Again, thanks to those who have read and found something of value here.

Anonymity

After having this blog connected to my Google+ profile for a couple years, I've decided that was a mistake, and reverted to my old faceless blogger profile.  I find that things are better when nobody knows who you are.  Content will continue to be published.  My identity is not relevant to that.  Thanks for reading.

Comfort and healing

I can't claim any credit for the idea behind this post, which came from another blog that I can't recall.  If it's yours, or you know where it originated, please do come forth so I can bestow credit where credit is due.

(Edit: The core idea came from Telecanter's Receding Rules.  A lot more is covered there than merely healing rates, so go check it out if you haven't already.)

Anyway, the basic idea is that the comfort of characters affects their rate of healing, and comfort includes such things as entertainment as well as food and drink, lodgings, etc.  My contribution to the cause is to codify these factors into a very simple system, utilizing a slight modification of the standard B/X ability score modifier table.

First, the "comfort score" is determined, starting with a base of 11.  This assumes reasonable shelter from the elements (could be a house, an inn, or a sturdy pavilion or yurt), a basic bed such as a cot or straw pallet, adequate warmth, and basic food and drink (bread and cheese, porridge, or similar, plus water or other beverage of ordinary quality.)

Add 1 point for each of the following that applies:

• Comfortable bed (soft mattress, clean linens, etc.)
• Good food and/or drink (Hearty fare, i.e. not simple gruel or bread and cheese, nor preserved rations.  Roast fowl or a chunky meat stew are enough to qualify.)
• Abundant food and drink (Everyone can eat their fill, and then some.)
• Heartening entertainment (Music or storytelling or whatever else seems appropriate.)
• Care of a healer (No more than four patients per healer.)
• Full rest (No other significant activity for 24 hours.)
• Hygiene: Opportunity for bathing, washing, and grooming.
• Creature comforts (Robe and slippers, tea, incense, or whatever else makes a character feel really comfortable.)
• Pleasing environment (Neat and tidy indoor area with appealing decor, or an outdoor place of great natural beauty.)

Subtract one point for each of the following that applies:

• Inhospitable climate (Hot or cold, rainy.) (Negated by rudimentary shelter and/or campfire, if appropriate.)
• Very inhospitable climate (Bitter cold, sweltering heat. heavy rain, hail.) (Cumulative with the above.  Negated by full shelter and/or fire, if appropriate.)
• Sleeping on ground 
• Sleeping on hard, rough surface (A dungeon floor, for example. Cumulative with the above.)
• Iron rations (Unappealing preserved food, e.g. hardtack and salt pork.)
• Short rations (Stretching rations farther than they're intended, or living on foraged food.)
• Interrupted sleep (Guard rotation, or actually being attacked or otherwise disturbed.)
• Frightening/unsettling environment (Haunted, cursed, inhabited by monsters, etc.)
• Unsanitary conditions (Muck, slime, corpses, horrible smells, etc.)

Base rate of healing is 1d4 points per day, modified by the "comfort score" as if it were an ability score:

 Less than 3            -4*

           3                          -3**      

      4-5                        -2***

                                     6-8                        -1                                     

9-12  No adjustment

13-15                   +1

16-17                   +2

18                         +3

19 or more           +4

* No spell memorization/restoring spell slots possible

** May not memorize or restore slots for highest two spell levels known

*** May not memorize or restore slots for highest level of spells known

Penalties may reduce a roll to zero or less, in which case no healing takes place and the character's condition may actually deteriorate.

Let's say our intrepid adventurers have had a rough go of things in an underground crypt, and barricade themselves in a dead-end chamber.  The place is pervaded by a deathly chill (-1), they're sleeping on the ground (-1), on a hard surface (-1), on iron rations (-1), interrupting their sleep to keep a constant watch (-1), and in a very unnerving place (-1), for a total penalty of -6.  That comes out to a Comfort score of 5, which is a -2 penalty to heal.  To bolster their flagging spirits, they break out the bottle of fine vintage brandy they found in one of the crypts, which adds +1, making their overall score a 6.  Their healing penalty is only -1, and their spell casters can recover all their spell levels normally.  (If they hadn't had the brandy, they could have risked the noise of singing a few heroic ballads to achieve the same effect.)

Once they make it back to town, they spend a week recovering in the luxurious villa they prudently purchased with some of their previous loot.  They have plush feather beds (+1), excellent food prepared by the villa staff (+1) in plenty (+1), they have nothing to do but rest and relax (+1), take hot baths (+1), enjoy all the luxuries of the well-to-do (+1), and in a very pleasing environment (+1) for a total Comfort score of 18.  

If desired, the Comfort score can be adjusted individually for each character's Constitution modifier; thus, hearty souls can recover quickly even in less than ideal circumstances, while the more delicate require greater ease and comfort to restore themselves.

Dragon tactics for B/X

Dragons probably aren't the most appropriate opponents for levels 1-3, but of course it would have been a perverse design decision indeed to leave them out of even the introductory books of a game that's half named for them.  They really did seem like nigh-insuperable foes back when I was first poring over the monsters section of the Moldvay rulebook, especially the upper range of the dragon hierarchy, the terrible red dragon and the mighty gold.

That was with low-level PCs in mind, though.  Once the PCs gain several levels, they begin to rival the great monsters, at least at a glance.  A 6th-level fighter has about as many hit points as a white or black dragon, and maybe more if he has a bonus from Constitution.  Most likely he's going to have as good or better AC than most dragons, too, with magical armor and shield bonuses.   Dragons usually have the edge in physical attacks (a lowly white dragon has damage potential of up to 24 points per round, compared to the fighter's 1d8 or so plus Strength and magic - say, around 12 points max.  The dragon theoretically has an advantage in attack rolls (14 to hit AC 0 for a 6 HD white dragon) but a fighter at 4th level probably has similar odds (base 17 to hit AC 0, but with a combined bonus of +3 or more from Strength and magic, he at least equals the dragon.)  

(Random digression: This, in my mind, is a good argument in favor of limiting attack and damage bonuses from magical weapons.)

A B/X white dragon has 6 Hit Dice, an AC of 3 (equivalent to plate armor), and damage of 1d4/1d4/2d8 with its claw/claw/bite attack routine.  That's pretty tough for low-level PCs, but curiously, except for the better AC, ability to fly, and breath weapon, it's not far off from the stats of a tiger (6 HD, Dam 1d6/1d6/2d6) -a formidable foe, to be sure, but less than you might think.  While the correlation between size and HD in B/X is tenuous at best, taken together with attacks and damage it maps pretty well to size and strength.  The dragon's claw attacks do as much damage as a character with a dagger, and less than the tiger's claws.  Its bite is a little better than the tiger's, but the total damage potential is 24 in both cases.

(Random digression: A 3 HD giant crab also has damage potential of up to 24 points - 2 pincers for 2d6/2d6.  An overgrown crustacean is going to mess you up as much as a tiger or a dragon?  What?)

So, apparently a white dragon is roughly equivalent in size to a tiger.  Probably a longer, more sinuous shape, with smaller claws and bigger teeth, but still pretty close to the same overall bulk and strength.

More powerful dragon types have more Hit Dice, better ACs, and significantly more powerful physical attacks, but across the board, a dragon's biggest advantage over other foes is its breath weapon.  This inflicts automatic damage (no attack roll needed) equal to the dragon's current hit points, or half that if a save is made.  In theory, then, our white dragon could either knock a 6th level fighter (or a group of them - breath weapons are area attacks!) either to around 0 hp, or to around half their starting hp in one breath.  Lower level characters would most likely be slain outright on a failed save, and in very bad shape even on a successful save. A dragon can use its breath weapon three times per day, so if it doesn't wipe out the opposition on the first try, it can finish them off with a second blast.

Of course, if the PCs get the drop on the dragon - either surprising it or winning initiative the first round - and manage to do some significant damage to it, they also reduce the damage it can do with its breath.  This is virtually essential for successfully fighting a dragon.  More so than in almost any other situation in the game, surprise and initiative can make the difference between victory and a rout or TPK.

Clearly, then, these B/X dragons are not the gargantuan monsters depicted in fantasy art (including that of most editions of D&D.)  They aren't Smaug.  (The Mentzer edition Companion set provides stats and write-ups for such epic beasts, though they should probably be exceedingly rare, maybe no more than a small handful in an entire campaign world.)  While they are physically robust and well-armored, B/X dragons aren't world destroyers.  If they were no more than their physical bulk, armored hides, claws, and teeth, they'd be tough, but predictably beatable by a party with enough experience.

Even more than their legendary breath weapons, it's the intelligence and cunning of dragons that truly set them apart from run-of-the-mill monsters.  Dragons should absolutely not be played like zombies, charging headlong into battle and fighting until slain.  A toe-to-toe fight between a powerful party and a dragon should almost never happen.  Even dragons not intelligent enough to talk or use magic will be clever and devious opponents.  A party that expects to walk into a dragon's lair and cut it down through sheer force of arms and magic should generally have a very bad time, even if every one of them individually has more levels than the dragon has Hit Dice, because dragons play their advantages to the hilt.  Defeating a dragon should require them to outfox the beast, not merely outfight it.

If there were a book like The Art of War written by dragons for dragons, it would probably include the following pieces of advice:

• The first strike is decisive.  Be aware of your opponent before he is aware of you.
• Whenever possible, observe and learn the strength of your opponents.  Engage them in conversation, if you can talk, and if you can do so without endangering yourself unduly.  Humans who come poking around in a dragon's lair are either very formidable or very foolish, but the greatest fool is you if you mistake one sort for the other.
• Your lair is your fortress.  Know it to the last detail.  Set traps and alarms on every entrance, especially if you plan on sleeping there.  Block the entrances that are of no use to you.  Conceal the others if possible, and consider moving if you can't.
• Unite and conquer!  Use terrain to your advantage, to force your enemies to approach you together so that you may wipe them out at once with a breath attack.  Do not allow them to surround you and bring all their attacks to bear on you at once.  Hallways and narrow defiles are your allies; huge chambers with low ceilings are deathtraps. 
• Choose the time and place of a fight to suit you.  Don't fight on your enemies' terms if you can help it.  Outdoors, the choice is almost always yours, because you can fly. 
• Use your wings.  When fighting outdoors, don't stand there on the ground while your enemies swarm over you.  Take to the air; use your mobility to attack individuals separated from the rest, and take off again before the others can come to their aid.  If you've chosen a particularly spacious cavern for your lair, you can use flying tactics there too.
• Employ henchmen, hench-monsters, servitors, dragon cultists, etc. to act as guards, spies, and providers of tribute in the form of treasure and fresh meat.  Don't ever trust them completely, though.
• If you have the use of magic spells or items, use them, especially if they facilitate one of the above strategies. 

Weighing in on the fantasy female art controversy

If you're on Google Plus and have any RPG bloggers in your circles, there's a good chance you saw this post from Gnome Stew, and a firestorm of reactions to it.  I actually think the author comes close to making a few good points - and then buries them in his ridiculous angst over what other people might think of him for buying an RPG book with scantily clad women on the cover (and even more bizarrely, worrying about what they'll think of him for talking to an immodestly dressed young female sales rep at a game con.  The only reason I can think of to be so afraid that people will think he's a dirty old man is if...he's a dirty old man, and the whole time he's talking to her about tank games he can think of nothing but how much he wants to bone her.)

I myself tend to shy away from overtly sexual images on RPG book covers - not because of a prudish fear of BadWrongArt, but because they don't evoke what I like in a game of adventure and exploration.  When I say "overtly sexual images," I'm not just referring to immodest attire, though that generally is part of it.  Other factors, such as the absurdity of the costume, exaggerated body proportions, and the pose and facial expression of the subject figure into it as much if not more.  Anyway, if the primary theme of the piece is to scream "SEX!" it's highly likely that I'll pass it by, because my game is not about sex, it's about adventure, heroism, mystery, magic, and so on.  Images of beautiful women (or handsome men), even barely dressed ones, don't automatically violate or detract from that theme of adventure; in fact, a certain measure of sexuality can fit right in or even enhance it.  It's OK if a picture whispers of sexuality; I'd just prefer that it not shout.  If the sexuality overwhelms the other elements (or if there are no other elements in the first place), it puts me off.  If its primary message is not "Come explore this exotic world!" but "F*#& me now, big boy!" it's not evoking the qualities I value in a fantasy story or RPG.  If the cover picture can't tell a much broader story than "Sexy Elf Babe is Sexy!" then I can't help but think that the entire product possesses a similar lack of quality and depth.  Maybe that impression is mistaken, but it's incumbent upon the publisher of the work to accurately portray its content, and an overtly sexual image on a product that's not fundamentally about sex is a disservice to the work.

Here's a good example of what (in my opinion, at least) is a skillful inclusion of beauty and sex appeal as part of a greater story told by the picture, rather than ham-fisted use of cheesecake.  This is the cover image of the Book of Marvelous Magic.  The subject is attractive and showing some leg, definitely not lacking in sex appeal, but she also looks like a spell-caster to be taken seriously.  She is not merely inviting the viewer to look at her body; she is acting as a guide to the world of magical treasures promised by the book's title.  I could see her as an actual adventurer or adversary in a fantasy world, not just eye candy.  (It also doesn't hurt that the artist averts the cliche of Sexy Means Boobs!  Overused cliches are not bad simply because they're overused, but using less cliche ways to convey the desired theme is awesome.)

Some more opinions, of varying relevance:

I don't find chainmail bikinis and other types of revealing armor offensive so much as I find them so laughably absurd that it detracts from my ability to take the entire work seriously.  An enchantress in a scandalous outfit, sure, I can buy that.  A warrior princess in metal lingerie?  Please.  Make her a naked berserker painted in runes of protection, and I'll find her credible.  If you're going to wear armor, though, then wear actual armor!

I don't object to scantily-clad characters or even overtly sexual ones, per se, so long as they're only part of the full spectrum of the fantasy world being depicted.  Sex is a facet of human life, and some people really do go out of their way to flaunt what they've got, after all.  I just prefer that it be part of a broader variety, not the only art in the book.  You might also want to refrain from going Full Sexy on the cover.  An interior illustration doesn't necessarily give the impression that it's the primary focus of the work.  A cover does.

Modestly-clad people can still be appealing.  In fact, they don't even have to be perfectly proportioned or conventionally beautiful.  It would be refreshing to see fantasy art depicting women of plain looks, decked out for adventure, in dynamic poses, with looks of curiosity or mischief or heroic determination on their faces.  That's it's own kind of allure, and often superior to traditional beauty.  (Men too, for that matter, although males who lack Matinee Idol looks are a lot more common in fantasy art than less than gorgeous women, in my experience.)

I apply the same standard to male sexuality as to female when it comes to fantasy art.  A male subject with wildly exaggerated muscles or wearing a plate and mail thong earns an eye-roll every bit as hard as anti-gravity breasts in an iron bikini.  If he's realistically proportioned and his nudity fits with a larger story told by the picture, then it's all good.

Dead simple B/X skills

While I strongly prefer the ease of a class and level system of character development over a skill-based one, there are times when a player rightly expects that something in the character's background should apply to a task or problem in an adventure.  Here's a quick and dirty system that has roots in an already existing B/X rule.

Whatever the character did before he or she became an adventurer is his or her skill set.  The default assumption is that the PC possesses these skills at an apprentice level.  In game terms, this means that the PC has a 2 in 6 chance to succeed at tasks related to these skills - in exactly the same way that a dwarf character has a 2 in 6 chance to detect certain features of mines and caves, because all dwarves are taught basic mining skills.

This chance is for things that, in the judgment of the DM, are so difficult that an ordinary layperson would have little hope of success.  In the interest of not discouraging players from attempting actions simply because their characters don't have a particular skill, the layperson should succeed on a roll of 1 on 1d6.)  A mere apprentice isn't a sure thing, either, but he's still twice as good as the layperson.

Some actions may be so basic that even a person with no special training can succeed without much difficulty.  For example, a character with a background as a pearl diver might be a better swimmer than everyone else in the party, but anyone ought to be able to swim unencumbered in a calm lake without need of a die roll.  On the other hand, maybe the DM deems retrieving an object from 30 feet of water in choppy seas to be a difficult task.  Any character may attempt it, but the pearl diver has the best chance of success.

If an obstacle or task would ordinarily require a roll which affords an unskilled character a good chance of success, then the DM may rule that a character with the relevant expertise succeeds automatically.  For example, if the dive above allowed a 3 in 6 chance for any fool to succeed, then the pearl diver might succeed without a roll - it's routine stuff for him.

Very rarely, if ever, should a d6 skill roll determine a character's death or survival.  In the example above of the dive, either the character succeeds or comes up gasping for air, having failed to retrieve the item.  Of course, other things could happen while the character is underwater - a shark could attack, or he could get his foot trapped in a giant clam - but a failed skill roll, in and of itself, should rarely be lethal, and then only with advance warning from the DM that the task is so hazardous.

Most characters should start with one trade, i.e. one broad skill set.  Dwarves may choose one other trade in addition to mining (or at the DM's option may double up on mining and start as journeymen with a 3 in 6 skill roll.)  Additional skills may be learned, and old ones improved, at the DM's discretion.  This isn't something that can be done during a week off beween adventures; it should require either a long period of down time (at least several months) or extensive use of skills during adventures.  For instance, if the party advances a couple levels in a series of maritime adventures, it's reasonable to allow them to gain an apprentice's proficiency in seamanship - provided, of course, that they're actively assisting the captain and sailors in piloting the vessel.  If the party magic-user stays below decks studying history books, he's not going to learn much about ships and the sea.

Gaining greater proficiency bumps the chance of success up by 1 point, i.e. to 3 in 6.  This should require that the character spend an even greater amount of time learning and practicing than is required for apprentice-level skill, or that it be central to his or her adventures for at least three or four levels of experience.  Increasing to 4 in 6 or better should really be beyond the scope of an adventurer; this level of skill is the province of people who make it their lifelong vocation, not vagabonds and thrill-seekers who dabble in it on the side.

Critical hits

I don't think that any of the "old school" editions of D&D ever formally enshrined the wildly popular "critical hit" rule.  It's certainly not in B/X or BECMI. My experience with AD&D (both 1st and 2nd edition) is fairly limited, but I don't recall seeing critical hits in those rulebooks, either.  I can't even imagine such a thing being included in OD&D.

Actually, I should say that none of these editions had a universal critical hit rule.  Old school D&D does, however feature quite a few special cases that specify a special effect which occurs on a high enough attack roll.  Such ad hoc applications don't constitute true critical hit rules, but they do conform to the general concept.

Peruse the monster chapter in the Expert Rules (Cook or Mentzer) and you'll notice at the beginning a list of special attacks.  Two stand out: Swallow and Swoop.  A swallow attack occurs on a natural 20, and for larger creatures may occur on lower numbers as well.  The most iconic example of a Swallow attack is that of the purple worm, which succeeds on an attack roll which exceeds the minimum roll needed by 4 or more.  Swoop attacks are used by flying creatures; on a roll of 18 or better, the creature grasps the target and flies away with it if it can lift the target's weight.  Some other special moves, such as a bear's "hug" attack which is activated by two successful paw strikes, have some shades of critical hit to them as well.

Player characters aren't entirely left out.  The Companion Set (the C in BECMI) has the sword of slicing, a magical weapon which reduces the target instantly to 0 hp on an attack roll of 19 or 20 if a save vs. death ray is failed, and inflicts triple damage even if the save is made.  AD&D has the vorpal sword and sword of sharpness, which inflict their severing effects on a high enough attack roll.  There are also the optional Weapon Mastery rules of the Mentzer edition Master Set and the Rules Cyclopedia, which grant a few weapons the ability to inflict double damage or other special effects on a high attack roll at high levels of mastery.

So, the basis for critical hits, at least in narrow applications, really is all right there in the manual.  How much these narrowly focused cases inspired or influenced the broader application of critical hit rules I have no idea.  It does seem rather strange that, with all the wildly unbalancing stuff the official rules poured into the game, a relatively mild tweak like the critical hit has remained exclusively the province of house-ruling, never even meriting an Optional Rules mention from the folks at TSR.

There's no single right way to implement a critical hit rule.  Different variations have different mechanical effects in play.

• Critical hit on a natural 20 has the virtue of making them fairly infrequent, but also has the effect of making criticals against heavily armored targets as likely as against unarmored ones.  Also, if you have a target that a character can only hit with a 20, every time he does manage to penetrate its defenses he does critical damage, which seems a bit wonky.
• Critical hit when the roll exceeds the number needed by a certain amount tends to give fighters (and monsters!) an advantage over other classes, and makes heavily armored targets less susceptible than lightly armored ones, but also drastically ramps up the damage potential, and thus the lethality, of combat.  If a critical happens on an attack that succeeds by 5 or more, then a 1st level fighter with no bonuses fighting an AC 6 monster - pretty typical for a low-level opponent - is going to crit on an 18-20.  With a +2 bonus from Strength, that widens to 16-20, or 25% of all attacks, and fully half of those that hit will be criticals.  You can set the "buffer" number higher than 5, of course, but as the characters advance in level, criticals will become more common.  Not that that's automatically a bad thing, because they're probably going up against opponents with a lot more hp, as well as having more themselves.
• The most common result of a critical hit is double damage.  Rolling twice the number of dice gives a solid average, and minimizes the chances that your glorious crit does chump damage, but also decreases the odds of max damage.  Rolling the usual dice and doubling the result gives a higher chance of max damage, but also a higher chance of minimum - the spread is exactly the same as for a non-critical. 
• Or, just do the attack's max damage without rolling, which makes every critical hit a solid blow without inflating total damage potential.
• Or, roll on a Death and Dismemberment table, which typically has results ranging from minor but flavorful to actual death and dismemberment.
• Another option is for a critical hit to provide an opportunity for another attack roll, perhaps repeated if the second roll also qualifies for a critical.  If used with the standard Natural 20 crit rule, it provides some of the advantages of both methods of determining whether a critical hit has occurred.  It's a relatively uncommon occurrence, and you've got to succeed at a second attack roll in order to capitalize on it, so characters with good attack probabilities do better, and targets with poorer ACs fare worse.  This one is the front-runner for my personal favorite.
• Yet another option is for stunts and special attacks called by a player to occur on a critical, as in the Simple Combat Maneuvers from Telecanter's house rules.  No extra damage, just extra possibilities.  Could be used in conjunction with one of the other options - if you don't call for the attack to do something cool, a natural 20 just defaults to the other critical hit option.
• Finally, exploding damage dice are also a critical hit mechanic of a sort, which operates independently from the attack roll, and instead is activated by rolling the maximum on the damage dice.  Each time the maximum is rolled, the dice are rolled again and the result is added to the total.  This increases the average damage by a fairly trivial amount, but with a small chance to inflict a lot more damage than the weapon's usual range.

Still another magic weapon table: Quirks and hindrances

Not every power a weapon possesses is beneficial to the user.  Often the weapon has an agenda all its own which must be appeased in order for the wielder to benefit from its service.  Sometimes it's just quirky for no good reason.

Choose or roll (1d10) on the following table.  Most results will need to be fleshed out to some degree.  In general, the more powerful the weapon, the more or stronger its quirks should be.

1 Activation requirement: The weapon's powers only function under a specific circumstance, which usually involves the user performing or abstaining from some action, e.g. the user is drunk, singing, has not committed a sin in the past day, has stolen something worth at least 50 gp in the last day, taunts his opponents in rhyme, washes his hands in holy water before handling the weapon, etc.
2 Ethos: The weapon has a code of ethics.  This could be a traditional alignment, or a commitment to uphold or defeat some other ideal or virtue - beauty, truth, justice, compassion, courage, etc.  If the weapon user tries to take action which is opposed by the weapon's ethos, it may inflict damage on him as a punishment, or a penalty or curse may be imposed until the weapon is relinquished or some atonement is made.
3 Favored wielder: The weapon prefers a certain type of person to wield it - a certain class, race, sex, religion, group affiliation, appearance, temperament, etc.  If the character wielding the weapon does not meet these criteria, the weapon may inflict a curse on the user, or its magic may function at a diminished level or not at all.  The weapon may even gradually change the user to fit its ideal!
4 Glory seeker: The weapon's combat powers only function when the user is fighting the most fearsome opponent present (or earnestly trying to fight it, e.g. cleaving a path through its legions of mooks toward it.)  May not function at all in a given combat if none of the opponents are particularly fearsome.

5 Jealous: The weapon will force the user to relinquish all other weapons by inflicting some curse upon him or her for as long as the other weapons remain in possession.

6 Monster attraction: The weapon calls silently to monsters (either monsters in general, or a particular kind.)  While the weapon is in the possession of the party, random encounters occur at twice the normal frequency.
7 Operating costs: The weapon must consume valuables - gold, silver, platinum, or gemstones - in order to function.  (Specific type and amount at the DM's choice.)  If it misses a "feeding," its powers go dormant until it is fed.  If allowed to remain dormant for a long time, the cost to reactivate may be greater than normal.  May be dormant when found - nobody's feeding it while it's lying around a dungeon.
8 Report: On every successful attack, the weapon makes a loud noise - a thunderclap, a trumpet fanfare, a scream, maniacal laughter, or whatever noise seems appropriate.  May attract wandering monsters, and certainly spoils stealth.
9 Soul eater: The weapon must be used to slay a creature of at least half the user's HD every day, or its powers will fall dormant until the next kill.
10 Wax and Wane: The weapon's powers expand or diminish according to some regular cycle, such as time of day or year, or phases of the moon.

For more possible hindrances and curses, see this post.

More magic weapon tables: Materials and power sources

Magical weapons ought to be more than just a bundle of powers.  Creating an appearance (including materials which comprise it) and determining the nature of its enchantments gives a weapon a lot more character than simply generating powers.  You can start from any point you like, rolling or choosing powers, power source, and materials in any order.  Sometimes a particular roll may suggest results from the other tables without rolling.  Other times, you might wish to roll all the way through and figure out how the results mesh to create a credible and interesting weapon.

Power sources:  Roll 1d10:

1 Bound spirit: The essence of some creature is bound within the weapon.  The spirit may be fully conscious and communicate with the user, dormant and uncommunicative, or in a sort of limbo or dream-state from which it sends strange subconscious messages.  The spirit may be bound willingly or unwillingly, or even unwittingly; perhaps it is completely unaware of its circumstances.  Roll 1d6 to determine the type of spirit:
     1 Angel or Demon: Extraplanar entities of good or evil disposition.  An angelic or demonic weapon may not suffer itself to be wielded by a person of the opposite ethos, or may attempt to influence, control, or seduce such a person into committing acts of good or evil.
     2 Deceased soul: The spirit of a dead person.  The temperament and disposition of this being may fall anywhere in the range of human or demi-human personality.
    3 Elemental: A being from one of the elemental planes, or strongly associated with one of the four elements.  May be either a proper elemental or a being such as an efreeti, djinni, undine, or xorn.  Elementals tend to be of neutral disposition, either unconcerned with or oblivious to how their powers are employed by the weapon's wielder.  Roll 1d4: 1 Air, 2 Water, 3 Earth, 4 Fire.
    4 Fairy: A fey spirit such as a sprite, nymph, nixie, sylph, leprechaun, brownie, or similar.  Fairies may be benevolent or malicious, but often have a mischievous disposition.
    5 Monster: The essence of an intelligent non-human living creature, particularly one with fantastic or magical abilities such as a dragon, harpy, medusa, or troll.  The spirit's temperament and interests will correspond to those of the monster type.
    6 Split personality: The weapon contains two distinct spirits of the same general type but opposing personalities.  (roll again, rerolling further 6s.)  The two may be present simultaneously, or else one emerges when the other is submerged (possibly at particular times of day or during particular events.)  They may be aware of one another or completely oblivious to the other's existence.  
2 Circumstance: The weapon was made or enchanted by particular circumstance not conforming to any other method on this list; e.g. forged under an auspicious celestial alignment, dipped in the River Styx, buried beneath a black obelisk for 100 years.
3 Divine power: The weapon has been blessed with power by a god, goddess, demigod, or other powerful supernatural being.  The being may have created the weapon of its own initiative, or blessed it at the behest of a high-level cleric.  Divine powers are always crafted to serve the purposes of the deity, which are not necessarily perfectly aligned with those of the cleric or the church.
4 Enchanted: The weapon has been imbued with magical energy by a wizard or sorcerer.  These weapons tend to be carefully designed with the needs of the maker or the person for whom it is made in mind.
5 Fairy charm: The weapon was created by fairies or other beings from a realm with different physical laws from the primary campaign world.  These enchantments tend to be capricious and unpredictable in the hands of mortals.
6 Heroic weapon: The weapon was wielded by a great hero (or villain) and absorbed some of his or her legendary skill, and perhaps a measure of personality and ethos as well.
7 Runes: The weapon is engraved with runes of power.  These may include runes that channel particular magics or energies, such as fire or light, and the runic true names of creatures to be specially affected by the weapon.  With a read magic spell, runes may be deciphered to reveal the powers and purpose of the weapon.
8 Special material: The weapon's special properties derive from its material composition, possibly in combination with special techniques for forging or shaping it.  The special material may make up the bulk of the weapon, or its edge or striking surface, or even an adornment such as an inlay or jewel.
9 Technology: The weapon is actually an artifact of a technologically advanced society; though its powers seem to be magic, they do not detect as magical and cannot be dispelled.
10 Roll again twice, re-rolling any further results of 10.

Material: Roll 1d20

Magical weapons may appear perfectly ordinary or wildly exotic or just plain odd.  If desired, roll twice or three times: Once for the blade or striking head, once for the haft or handle, and once for adornments such as inlays and pommels.  Materials ordinarily unsuited to weapons, such as gold or glass, or unsuitable for certain weapons (e.g. sword of stone or wood) may be magically durable, or the weapon may just be easily damaged or broken.

1-2 Steel
3 Silver: Will harm creatures normally vulnerable to silver.
4-5 Common alloy: A metallic alloy of no special properties other than steel; e.g. bronze, brass, pewter.
6 Gold or other precious metal
7 Cold-forged iron: May harm some creatures not vulnerable to ordinary or silver weapons.
8 Fantastic metal: Mithril, adamantium, star-metal, or any metal in your campaign that has mystical properties.
9 Special alloy: A metallic alloy that has special properties in the campaign.  For example, dwarven or elven steel.
10 Glass: Any color you like, transparent or opaque.
11 Gemstone: Any precious or semi-precious stone, such as diamond, emerald, ruby, sapphire, opal, jade, topaz, malachite, tourmaline, citrine, pearl (or mother-of-pearl), jasper, coral, etc.
12 Stone: Any non-precious, non-metallic mineral; for example, flint, obsidian, basalt, marble, limestone.
13-14 Bone, animal: From any natural mammal, bird, fish, amphibian, or reptile; includes teeth, tusks, and horns.
15 Bone, human or demihuman
16 Bone, fantastic creature: From creatures such as owlbears, griffons, pegasi, or dragons.  Includes teeth, tusks, and horns.
17 Elemental material: Ice that doesn't melt, solid fire or air, elemental earth, or some other pure elemental matter.
18-19 Common wood: Pine, oak, ash, hickory, or any other wood commonly harvested for carpentry or construction.
20 Fantastic wood: Mallorn, treant, the bark of the World Tree, a branch from a dryad's soul-tree, or any other wood that has magical qualities in your campaign.

Random magic weapons

Some time ago, I posted some thoughts on the dullness and other problems of the "plus paradigm" of magic weapons in D&D - every weapon, no matter what other powers it may have, is built on a chassis of plus something to hit and to damage.  If you're as tired of that as I am, you might like this table for generating magic weapons.  It's still possible to get a weapon with a bonus to hit or damage, but probably not both at once, as well as any number of other powers with neither an attack or damage bonus.

I've tried to put together a list of interesting and useful powers, but naturally not every one of them will fit every game.  Feel free to fold, spindle, mutilate, cannibalize, or genetically modify this table and the descriptions of power to suit your own needs and tastes.

How many powers should a weapon have?  I'd say 1 to 4, depending on how powerful you want it to be, but of course that's a completely non-binding suggestion.  Duplicates may either be re-rolled or increase the power or intensity of the effect, as desired.

Roll 1d100:

01-02 Absorbing 

03-04 Animal Totem 

05-06 Armor Destroying 

07-12 Attack Bonus, +1 

13-15 Attack Bonus, +2 

16      Attack Bonus, +3

17-23 Bane 

24-25 Charming

26-27 Concealment 

28-29 Courage 

30      Crushing/Slicing 

31-36 Damage Bonus, +1 

37-39 Damage Bonus, +2 

40      Damage Bonus, +3 

41-43 Detect Enemies 

44-45 Detect Evil 

46-47 Detect Gems

48-49 Detect Magic 

50-52 Detect Metal 

53-54 Detect Water 

55      Dimensional Rift

56-58 Fear 

59-60 Frenzy 

61-63 Healing 

64-66 Holy 

67-68 Hypnosis 

69-70 Leadership 

71-72 Light, Moonlight 

73-74 Light, Starlight 

75-76 Light, Sunlight 

77-78 Nullifying

79-80 Paralyzing 

81      Petrifying 

82-83 Phantom 

84-85 Protection 

86-87 Purity 

88      Reanimating

89-90 Silence

91-92 Summoning 

93-94 Unholy

95-96 Vampiric strike 

97-98 Venom

99-00 Will 

Absorbing: When the weapon is used to strike the killing blow against a creature with a special attack, it absorbs that mode of attack, i.e. fire from a red dragon, petrification from a medusa, or poison from a cobra.  If the special attack causes points of damage, the Absorbing weapon will deal an additional 1d6 points of damage from that attack form.  Otherwise, the effect is exactly as that of the monster, including saving throws allowed, inflicted on a successful attack.  Whenever a new creature is slain with the weapon, the previous attack form is lost and the new one, if any, is gained.  Slaying a foe with no special attack "empties" the weapon until another creature with a special attack is killed.

Animal Totem: The weapon grants the user influence over a class of animals; for example, bears, felines, canines, or birds.  Both normal and giant varieties are affected.  Animals of that type will not attack the wielder while he or she holds the weapon unless charmed or similarly controlled.  Additionally, once per day the wielder may summon animals of the appropriate type if any are within 360' (360 yards outdoors.)  The weapon summons 2 Hit Dice of animals per level of the wielder (minimum of one creature) which serve in any way they are able for 1 turn.

Armor Destroying:  On a successful attack, the weapon reduces the AC of the target's armor or shield by 1 point.  This may be due to rending, crushing, corrosion, or any other sort of damage that seems appropriate.  Only armor worn is affected; armor that is part of a creature's body, or that is entirely magical (e.g. rings of protection) is not affected.  If the armor's benefit is entirely destroyed, the armor is ruined; otherwise, it may be repaired by a competent smith.

Attack Bonus: The weapon confers the given bonus to the wielder's attack rolls.

Bane: A bane weapon is specially enchanted against a specific type of opponent, such as dragons, lycanthropes, undead, constructs, elementals, etc.  Banes come in three strengths (roll 1d6).  Minor (1-3): Increases the damage die of the weapon by one size against the given opponents.  Lesser (4-5): Increases the damage die by one size, roll twice and take higher.  Greater (6):  Increase the damage die, roll twice and apply total.

Charming: Once per day the weapon may be used to cast a charm effect.  Roll 1d6: 1-3 Charm Person; 4-5 Charm Monster; 6 Charm Plant.

Concealment: When not in use, the weapon may be transformed into an innocuous article of jewelry on the wielder's weapon hand or arm.  Small weapons such as daggers become rings, while larger ones become bracelets or bracers.  Any non-attack powers of the weapon remain active and usable in concealed form.

Courage: When the weapon is held aloft, it radiates an aura of courage in a 10' radius.  All allies within the area of effect are immune to fear effects and need not check morale, if applicable.

Crushing/Slicing: On a natural attack roll of 19 or 20, the target must save vs. death ray or be instantly reduced to 0 hit points.  

Damage Bonus: The weapon increases the damage inflicted on a successful hit by the amount given.  Choose or roll 1d6 to determine the source of the bonus.

1 Acid: On command, the weapon drips with corrosive acid.  

2 Fire:  Flames dance along the weapon's edge or striking surface, and may be used to ignite flammable materials

3 Force: The weapon imparts extra impact to each swing.

4 Frost: The blade or striking head of the weapon is constantly glazed with frost, and may be used to freeze small volumes of water or extinguish flames.

5: Keen edge: The weapon is especially sharp.  (Treat as Force for blunt weapons.) 

6: Lightning: Electric sparks dance along the weapon's surface; +1 to hit metal armored opponents.

Detect Enemies: When unsheathed and held, the weapon alerts its user to the presence of a particular type of creatures, such as humanoids, dragons, undead, etc. within 120'.  It may do so by glowing, vibrating, or chiming softly.

Detect Evil: Similar to Detect Enemies, but alerts the user to evil intentions or enchantments within 30'.

Detect Gems: The weapon can sense the presence of gemstones, either cut or uncut, within 60', and will subtly pull toward the richest cache.  

Detect Magic: The weapon can sense the presence of magical effects within 20'.  The exact source cannot be determined, only the presence and the general direction.

Detect Metal: The weapon can sense the presence of metals within 60', and will subtly pull toward the largest mass.

Detect Water: The weapon can sense the presence of fresh water within 360', and subtly pulls toward the largest quantity.

Dimensional Rift: Once per day, the weapon may be used to cut or smash a hole in the fabric of reality.  The user and up to one other creature may pass through it to another location, as either a Dimension Door or Teleport spell.  The rift remains open for 1 round.

Fear: The weapon radiates an aura of fear in a 30' radius.  All enemies of the user within the area have their morale penalized by -1.  Additionally, an opponent struck must save vs. spells or cower in fear for 1d6 rounds.

Frenzy: Each time the weapon is used to strike a killing blow, it gains +1 to attack and +1 to damage, to a maximum of +5.  All bonuses expire when one turn passes in which the weapon is not used to slay a creature.

Healing: Once per day, the weapon user may heal himself or another person or creature.  Roll 1d6 for the strength of the healing magic: 1-3: 1d6+1; 4-5: 2d6+2; 6: 3d6+3.

Holy: The weapon is imbued with holy radiance, emitting constant protection from evil and turn undead effects in a 10' radius.  The weapon user turns undead as if a cleric of 3rd level.  If the user is a cleric of 3rd level or higher, he or she turns undead as if 1 level higher than actual level.

Hypnosis: Opponents are fascinated by the movements of the weapon. By spending one round twirling, swinging, and spinning the weapon, the wielder may mesmerize any creature watching. This includes all creatures in melee with the user, and may include others, at the DM's discretion. Each must make a saving throw vs. paralyzation or be unable to act for the next 1d4 rounds.  

Leadership: Potential hirelings, henchmen, and mercenaries react to the weapon's bearer at +1. As long as the weapon bearer is within 60' they also check morale at +1. Even if a morale check is failed, so long as the weapon user is commanding them, the NPCs will retreat in as orderly a fashion as possible.  A group of two or more NPCs fighting in formation according to the orders of the weapon user receive a +1 bonus to attack rolls and AC.

Light, Moonlight: The weapon radiates light like the pale silvery light of the full moon in a 15' radius.  Lycanthropes within the area of effect must save vs. spells or involuntarily transform to their beast forms.

Light, Starlight: The weapon radiates cold light like that of a starry sky in a 10' radius.  Hidden things illuminated by the light, including traps and secret doors, will be revealed on a 1 on 1d6, or with a +1 bonus if the wielder actively searches.

Light, Sunlight: The weapon radiates warm golden light like the sun in a radius of 30'.  Creatures which are averse to daylight suffer the same penalties within the weapon's glow.

Nullifying: Enchanted items struck by the weapon are deactivated for 1 turn.  This includes both permanent magic items and those affected by a spell.  Spell duration resumes in progress, if any time remains.  This power has no effect on enchantments on creatures, only on items.

Paralyzing: A target struck by the weapon must save vs. paralysis or be held for 1d6 rounds.

Petrifying: A target struck by the weapon must save vs. petrification or be turned to stone.  The wielder of the weapon is aged 5 years.

Phantom: The weapon's blade or striking head is translucent and insubstantial.  It is unhindered by non-magical armor and shields, and can strike incorporeal creatures such as shadows and wraiths.  Magical armor and natural armor such as a dragon's work normally against Phantom weapons.

Protection: The weapon grants a defensive bonus to the user's Armor Class.  Roll 1d8: 1-5 +1; 6-7 +2; 8 +3.  The bonus may be used to defend another creature within reach rather than the weapon user.

Purity: Food or water touched by the weapon will be affected as if by a purify food and water spell.  Additionally, while the weapon is held, the user is immune to the effects of foul smells such as stinking clouds and the stench of troglodytes.

Reanimating: Humanoids slain by the weapon will rise in 2 rounds as zombies under the control of the weapon user.  Up to 2 zombies per level of experience of the user may be controlled at once; any in excess of this number are uncontrolled.  They will not attack the weapon user so long as he holds the weapon, but may attack other members of his or her party.  They may be turned normally.

Silence: The weapon makes no sound when striking any solid material.  Instead, a wave of silence radiates to a 10' range.  Each burst of silence lasts 1 round, and the effect may be repeated as often as desired.

Summoning: Once per day, the weapon may summon a creature to assist in any way the user wishes for 1 turn.  If the weapon contains a bound spirit, this is the bound creature being released to perform the service.  Otherwise, the weapon summons a creature of 6 Hit Dice or fewer, of one of the following types: an angel or demon, a fairy, an elemental being, or a spirit of a dead person or creature.  Exact creature type and statistics are left to the DM to determine.

Unholy: The weapon radiates unholy power in a 10' radius.  This acts as a protection from evil spell, but against good creatures.  Additionally, the user may attempt to control undead by making a turning roll as if a 3rd level cleric.  A cleric of 3rd level or higher makes the turning roll at one level higher than his actual level.

Vampiric:  The weapon transfers half of the damage caused to creatures struck, rounded down, to its user.  The user may not increase his or her hit points beyond the normal maximum, and may not absorb more hp than the target actually has, regardless of the damage roll.

Venom: A creature struck must save vs. poison or suffer 1d6 points of damage per round for 1d6 rounds.  Creatures immune to poison are unaffected.

Will: The wielder of the weapon is immune to the effects of mind-affecting magic such as sleep and charm spells as long as the weapon is held.

More tables of weapon features to come, including materials, source of powers, quirks and hindrances to make weapons a little more interesting, and minor powers appropriate for low-level characters and low-magic campaigns!