Yep, what Pete said. :)
I intend to take January off as far as active scenario running goes -- so that means I don't have to worry about that while on my vacation -- but would as indicated be willing to take care of some 'Winter Activities in Marike' during a partial session type thing.
SO I leave it to Pete to organize the Underdark for January if he wishes, and if there is a demand for it, can arrange the 'bookkeeping session' depending on who is interested and when they are available and so on -- we'll figure the details out next year, as it were.
We will resume regularly scheduled programming in mid-February. If anyone has dates that are reserved for other stuff, feel free to let me know, and maybe we can start the schedule with a date in February that works for everyone -- if not, at least we'll have tried... I want to continue to schedule the dates for ~ mid-month Sundays in any case.
The current 'owner' of the Jade Yari is a Skeletal Monk who, although pretty rusty, IS somehow able to talk. Given that nobody seems to be immediately initiating combat, the monk stands and bows, and asks your purpose there. Assuming you are honest and forthright, he seems to be relieved, as though perhaps able to finally share a burden too long carried... He indicates that he is willing to simply give the Jade Yari to a "worthy individual". First, he asks you several questions, which all appear to be oriented towards determining you attitudes towards the upholding of both Celestial and Imperial Law, supporting the Mandate of Heaven and the Imperial Family, opposing the any Oni Lords who might be trying to expand out of their rightful mountain realms, and so on. They also seem to be oriented towards determining other basic values, fighting styles, and other information regarding each of your capabilities. I don't need to go into complete details -- basically, each of you who might be interested in becoming the new bearer of the Jade Yari should decide just how open and honest you well be with the current owner.
The Jade Yari:
More detailed/specific info will be available later -- don't have my notes handy -- but there are several features that the monk will provide you, he appears perfectly willing to discuss the basic capabilities and nature of this potent artifact with you, though there may be other features that he either is unaware of or else just doesn't disclose. (And I do recall most of the info, so these should be pretty accurate and complete.)
So here is most of the data:
The Jade Yari has a Jade blade attached to an Ironwood haft. It is not a double weapon -- i.e. beating things up with the haft is not that effective -- but it is a complete whole as far as general abilities are concerned. As an Artifact, it is practically impossible to destroy through normal means, so for example it cannot be sundered. (The monk thinks that dropping it in a volcano would probably do the trick...)
Its basic Enhancement bonus is +3. Its head IS of Jade, however, which means it imposes a -1 to hit and -2 to damage penalty based on material. (For Jade and Obsidian, the masterwork effect just negates a point of penalty to hit -- and the enhancement bonus does stack on top of the result -- so the weapon would be a +3 weapon for the purpose of getting past damage reduction, but for actual modifiers in combat, after subtracting the 'jade weapon' penalties the Jade Yari would only be +2 to hit and +1 to damage.)
As a Jade weapon, it does have the innate Ghost Touch ability, though it cannot be wielded by an incorporeal creature. It ignores the damage reduction of the bizarre 'taint-based' Oni that may occasionally be encountered -- for other creatures, such as normal Common Oni and the like, it may need to rely upon its +3 enhancement bonus to determine what damage reduction it can penetrate, but that is pretty good too. And, also of importance, it does negate fast healing and regeneration abilities for a LOT of foes.
It is a Lawful Weapon and also has an Ego of 21, alignment LN -- a Chaotic character holding it suffers 3 negative levels while doing so, while a Neutral (vs L/C) character 'only' suffers two negative levels. In addition, it does +2d6 damage to Chaotic foes. (It has the Lawful enchantment as well as being aligned LN.) Note that Ego 21 means wielder must make Will save at DC 21 to prevail when the wielder and the Jade Yari have a conflict of interest... It communicates by Empathy only, urges and feelings.
It is a Defending weapon -- the wielder can swap up to +3 of its enhancement bonus for the same amount of bonus AC.
It does not shed light.
However, it does allow its wielder free use of the Blind-Fight feat.
The wielder can also, at will, use Detect Chaos as a spell-like ability. (I am not sure of the effective caster level involved -- have to review the intelligent weapons info.) As with the spell, 1st round is yes/no, 2nd is number, etc.
It is enchanted with the Initiative and Passage abilities (from O.A.).
It has an additional +4 bonus points worth of special abilities, that are essentially determined when a new owner takes possession. These are from a specific list of +1 and +2 ability choices that will be revealed to whoever is determined to become the new owner. Essentially, the Jade Yari has its own effective 'ancestors' from which it can select certain enchantments. Of note among these abilities are the ones that the current owner tells you it currently has -- Returning (+1), Distance (+1) and Bane vs Oni (+2).
Once per round, as a free action, while holding the Jade Yari, the owner can cause it to change size, effectively becoming any one of the following: Halfspear, Javelin, Shortspear, Longspear, Huge Longspear.
Now, some potential drawbacks...
First, the Jade Yari is very unappreciative of its owner having any other weapons. It will insist that the owner give up/not use other manufactured weapons. It does not object to the use of natural weapons and/or unarmed strikes, but in its view there are no manufactured weapons worthy of sharing its honor and glory... (That includes missile weapons, so no darts or daikyu or whatever either.) This may be the biggest drawback of bearing the Jade Yari -- the better the warrior, the more that is given up by foregoing other weapons, but at the same time, the more effectively the character can actually wield the Jade Yari itself. And, although it doesn't object to the use of natural and unarmed attacks, none of its forms are actually monkish weapons so it cannot be used as part of a flurry of blows or at the accelerated monkish attack sequence.
Second, the Jade Yari can only change hands by the willing gift of its current owner, or by the untimely/unnatural demise of its own -- or if the Jade Yari itself decides to force its owner to give it to someone new. If the owner dies due to starvation, disease, or plain old age, that may be considered a 'natural' demise, even if the source of that was not natural -- in which case the Jade Yari has the power to make its owner "Deathless", essentially gained a Skeletal template (Drakaran thing, GM info only) and changing type to Undead -- and as far as that goes, essentially becoming an NPC. (Note that the current owner fits the bill... Accidental death (falling down a pit) or death from poison would probably count as untimely/unnatural and allow the spirit to pass on.) Also, the Jade Yari would not be very cooperative with being handed back and forth at whim -- an owner who gives it away may find that he is unable to become the owner again in such a circumstance, or at least that the Jade Yari opposes the character's wishes whenever it can dominate the character. (But in some cases, the Jade Yari may well understand why a previous owner might have to take it up again, such as if the character it was given to is slain...)
A non-Lawful character CAN own the Jade Yari -- in which case, there is a cumulative chance per day that the Yari dominates the character that the character's alignment will shift one step towards Lawful. A Chaotic who becomes Neutral in this manner resets the percentage, and the Yari continues to work on the character's alignment. A character can choose not to resist the Yari's influence in this matter, in which case there is no need to make a Will save to avoid being dominated -- but in that case the Yari can also carry out its own agenda without much hindrance, IF it has one beyond that of changing the attitudes and ethics of its owner. The Yari is unconcerned with issues of Good or Evil.
Some typical ways in which the Jade Yari may oppose its wielder are (a) turn into a Huge Longspear for a medium wielder, making itself unwieldable, (b) refusing to open a Passage when attempted, although using up the attempt, (c) force the wielder to use all of its enhancement bonus with the Defending ability, regardless of whether the wielder is even being attacked, and similar things. Not that the Jade Yari typically gets into a pique (the monk smiles a deathless grin) but it has been known to object to what it considers frivolous or trivial uses of its powers and capabilities. It does however understand the 'long view' -- it doesn't necessarily force its wielder to go out hunting Chaos every day, or anything so severe as that...though it might well be pleased with a wielder who did so in a rational (orderly) manner, obviously...
Essentially, the Jade Yari is priceless. Putting an actual gold cost on its abilities would put it well over 250k worth...and the monk, who is tired, is willing to give it to someone, provided they convince him (and the Jade Yari itself) that they would be worthy bearers.
Assuming that someone does succeed in doing so, i.e. you don't decide to attack the current bearer and try to pry it from his dusted skeletal fingers afterwards, which might get you off on the wrong foot with the Yari itself -- the monk will use the Passage power of the Yari to open a portal to the Spirit World, hand the artifact over to the new owner, and step through the portal.
So, who is willing to take up this terrible burden? :)
-- Ernie III / DrakaraGM