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[Bunny]

So... I mentioned this on the update list but thought I should move it over here.  I am utterly projecting here, and what I am thinking is probably not going to be possible for a while, and depends upon Toady's updates being just like I hope they will be, which is no guarantee but...

The addition of souls in-game could be especially awesome if souls become droppable items, that can be used to possess items, or to inbue items with certain powers.

The addition of favoured weapons for dwarves (an perhaps weapons being given names if they are favoured and used in a legendary battle) also opens up exciting possibilities.

I read someone suggesting that named weapons should gain some epic qualities, or special attributes, or gaining artifact status, and there was some discussion as to how to implement this.  If souls are going to be created as droppable, useable items, this could be a great way to work in the whole thing with named, artifact weapons.

For example...

Big McLargeHuge (I rename all my champions after that MST3K episode), Champion and hammer-wielder, has a favourite hammer.  Big gets involved in a large-scale siege on his fortress, and defends the fortress well, taking out a massive number of Goblins.  The weapon is also used by him at some point to defeat a Titan, or a Hydra, or something.  After injury and coalescence, you decide that Big McLargeHuge deserves some sort of reward for his efforts.  At present, the only usual choices are to build said dwarf an epic burialchamber, or give him his own extra-awesome bedroom or something.  But what if you could gift him with a legendary weapon?

Now, Big has a favourite hammer.  So you assign the hammer to be possessed or imbued with the souls from some of Big's own fallen enemies (collected after the battle, 'natch), and engrave/decorate the hammer or something while you are at it.  As a result of this, the hammer gains a name, and gains artifact status.  It may also gain additional useful properties based on the possessing soul (like, say, a sword could get a flaming blade if imbued with a fire dragon soul, or a shield imbued with the same soul could be fire resistant).

Alternatively, if the dwarf in question has a really shitty weapon he treats as a favourite, you could maybe perform this possession on a specially-made epic weapon and assign the weapon to the dwarf?

It would also add some lovely flavour to the item descriptions.

"This is the legendary iron hammer 'BloodMaw GoblinMasher', it is the favoured hammer of the Champion Big McLargeHuge.  All craftdwarfmanship is of the highest quality.  It is studded with rubies, menaces with spikes of goblin bone and is encircled with bands of dragon leather.  On the hammer is an engraving of a dragon.  The dragon is screaming.  The hammer is possessed by the soul of the Goblin Lanky McIsuckatnames, who was slain in the battle of Boatmurdered by the Champion Big McLargeHuge in the year 315.  The hammer is rumoured to drip with the blood of the slain if it is not used for more than a year."

The rumoured part could be a randomly generated thing, like the likes and dislikes of dwarves, and it could be a property given for items such as this where the possessing soul does not imbue any special powers or properties.

I don't know how practical that would be to implement, but it has potential?

[numeral]

Wouldn't it be better if every time someone/something killed someone/something else a soul would be added to one of their pieces of equipment and depending on the amount of souls the item could gain an attribute(not necessarilly a good thing, it could become bloodlustful and kill the owner )

Or inversely, a crafstdwarf could create an amazing artifact weapon if he's extremely happy or close to tantrumming(no player involvement needed), Urist McWeaponsmith creates an evil sword anyone?
This could also work with big events. You just gave birth to a little bearded baby boy? Now you must create a legendary spear for him. Items created in this manner would automatically belong to the child but he won't be able to touch them till he grows older, this could work for non-weapons as well, a forge hammer or a mason/engraver's chisel. Children who have such items could gain a bonus to their skill when they reach adulthood, automatically starting at no label or adept, also said item should probably give a small(read very small) bonus to speed and/or masterwork chances.

EDIT: I could probably find this is in the power goals if I wasn't lazy and actually tried to look

[alfie275]

How about souls are captured in gems, possibly by a mage-type or preist after the enemy is killed. This gem then is put into an artifact or stored for later use in magic, the type of gem defines the ype of enchantment and the combined power ( rats have low power, dragons have high: [SOUL_POWER:100]) of souls determines power of the enchantment.

[Heron TSG]

If this is put in, I have a new megaproject.

Adamantine shortsword with 800 soul gems!

[Bunny]

Hmmm...I dunno about creating weapons especially for newborns.  At the rate my dwarves reproduce once a fortress gets going, it would be too disruptive.  I would like the idea of a favoured, epic weapon being buried with the owner only if he/she has no offspring, or being passed to the eldest living descendant if they raised a family.

A champion dwarf wielding his father/mother's sword would be pretty cool.

Gems could actually be a prettygood way of working it in.  But there would need to either be a way to select a specific, individual stone to be forged/set into an item, or a whole new workshop specifically for creating/setting soul stones.

Oh!  I just imagined a dwarven crown/throne imbued with the souls of ALL THE PREVIOUS KINGS.  Imagine imbuing your king/duke/whatever into the item whenever they die and passing it on to the next fortress leader.

[sonerohi]

Or, only keep the souls of your good (easy to appease) leaders, and imbue them into a crown that lets them posess the body wearing it. Keep Urist McLikesGranite around forever instead of putting up with King McLovesAdamantiteAndHammerers.

[Bunny]

It certainly would be less bother than

"Oh, my duke appears to have asked for an adamantine item.  Three times.  And had his hammerer kill 5 dwarves so far for not meeting his mandate.  2 fishermen, 1 weaver, a butcher and... oh, my legendary engraver.  Smashing."

*waits for duke to enter his bedroom*
*locks bedroom door*
*has dwarves repeatedly pull the lever just outside the duke's room*
*watches lava flood the room*
*says goodbye to all those pretty furniture items and engravings*
*waits for new duke to arrive*

"Oh.  This duke doesn't want adamantine he wants...item... fuck.  That bug, again."

*waits for duke to enter bedroom*...

[Zironic]

Make the weapon gain power equal to an set amount for every skill level.

But make the difference exponential. So that a legendary gives say 100 (arbitrary) stat, while a dabbling gives 1, thus its much more effective to train 1 person to legendary status (in combat) than just randomly kill 100's of people.

[quintin522]

Theres also the possibility of the soul in the weapon influencing the dwarf to do certain acts depending on the type of soul and the history of the creature the soul came from. Kobold souls might cause the dwarf to move around objects, hiding them from view. Goblin souls could make the dwarf lash out at dwarfs, wounding or killing them. Cat souls..... they have none!

[Neonivek]

Well if an object is possessed by a soul the object could assist or resist the one holding it based on their relationship adding the skill of the soul to its use or against it with a limit of the strength of the soul itself.

Given that they are now an object they may like to be well kept and possibly spoken to.

[varkarrus]

I think  young virgin women should have enormous bonuses to soulpower

This +adamantine double crossbow+ menaces with spikes of adamantine and is possessed by the soul of 1000 virgin dwarves. It is rumored to give the wielder an orgasm.

[sonerohi]

Let's just all agree to ignore that bit from Vakarrus.

[Bunny]

Agreed.

[Aquillion]

It certainly would be less bother than

"Oh, my duke appears to have asked for an adamantine item.  Three times.  And had his hammerer kill 5 dwarves so far for not meeting his mandate.  2 fishermen, 1 weaver, a butcher and... oh, my legendary engraver.  Smashing."

*waits for duke to enter his bedroom*
*locks bedroom door*
*has dwarves repeatedly pull the lever just outside the duke's room*
*watches lava flood the room*
*says goodbye to all those pretty furniture items and engravings*
*waits for new duke to arrive*

"Oh.  This duke doesn't want adamantine he wants...item... fuck.  That bug, again."

*waits for duke to enter bedroom*...

You probably know this, but you don't have to use lava.  You can just board up his door and let him starve, so everything is still fine for the next dwarf.

[Bunny]

You probably know this, but you don't have to use lava.  You can just board up his door and let him starve, so everything is still fine for the next dwarf.

I know, but it is so much less satisfying.  Basides, he can carry on issuing stupid orders while he starves.