Evocative +1 Sword Replacements

So I've complained in the past about the profoundly lame effect of "+X" magic weapons and
armor on a game.  I don't take it back.  In the Vaults of Pahvelorn game my 7th level thief has
a 'magic sword' made of elf metal - it is one of the few magic weapons in the party.  It doesn't
do much except glow in moonlight and hurt certain undead that are immune to non-silver
weapons.  That's enough though. 

Clearly it's magic but I can't see it doing anything special

Magical swords are a very D&D thing, everyone wants one, and why not - they're pretty cool. 
The problem with weapons that give a bonus to attack and damage is that they become
expected, and lack any kind of excitement, weirdness or mystery.  I don't want magical items
to be commonplace and I don't want them to be dull, ready for replacement when the next
level of 'plus' comes along.  I want my magic slightly terrifying.  Beyond not being flavorful
'plus' magical weapons simply create an arms race between player treasure recovery and
monster armor class.  This is how many an MMO works.  It's not that being 80th level is better
then being 60th, it's just that the dungeons you've raided give you equipment that cuts the
necessary .5 more seconds of killing a creature of the same level. There's nothing wrong with
this approach in a video game, especially if cool graphics back it up, but in a table top game
combat mechanics are frequently boring.  I firmly think that player interest and excitement is
held by the discovery of mysterious artifacts that do specific things and tell specific stories. 
One needn't make magic items perfect for every player in a tabletop game, because as a GM
one can tailor their odd powers can to the events at hand.

Below are 10 magical swords with powers that are somewhere in the range of +1 to +2 and
should actually be interesting.  Some are vaguely unsettling, others very situational and
others potentially annoying.  I think the list can be easily used to make even better swords
(improved bonuses and no side effects) or cursed weapons (worse side effects).

Name & Description

D10
Powers Complications

1 Phantom Sword - Seemingly brittle and ancient, this blade is haunted by the spirits
of its past wielders.  After the first round of combat (where it is useless) a
shimmering spectral blade coalesces around the weapon’s blackened core of rotted
 iron.

Ignores up to 5 points of armor, but Haunted by the souls of ambitious

does not affect natural armor or warriors, may push wielder into berserker
magical warding. rage. Save vs. Wisdom after 1D6 rounds of
combat.

Searing Sword – a blunt blade of blackened steel, the magic of this weapon heats it
to red hot as battle continues.  As it begins to glow and crackle, runes of power
shine menacingly on the blade and pommel.
2 Each combat round after the first the Each combat round after the first the
searing sword gains a +1 cumulative weapon heats, burning the wielder for
damage bonus and may ignite damage equal to its damage bonus. Heavy
flammable objects. gauntlets reduce this by 1.

Necromancer’s Spine – A white metal weapon, usually a smallsword or rapier, with

etchings of bones and mocking skeletons along its blade.  The weapon’s magic  is
not strictly martial, but humanoids slain with it will quickly rise from death and
battle on behalf  of the sword’s wielder.

3 Humanoids killed with the sword will
return from death in 1D4 rounds to
serve their killer as undead
thralls.  Without necromantic training
these undead will serve for 1D4 turns
after rising.
Sometimes the dead raised by the
Necromancer’s Spine will turn on the
sword’s wielder after battle.  When no
enemies are available to attack the sword’s
thralls must check (1 in 6 chance) or turn
on their master.

Glass Sword – clear, translucent or solid and smoky these swords of alchemical
glass were once made in numbers to equip the legions of the ancients.  They are
preternaturally sharp, and on a solid strike are capable of easily bisecting even an
armored enemy.

4 Exploding damage - on a strike doing On an attack roll of 1 (or if used to hack or

maximum damage the weapon will
do an additional die of damage. This
effect stacks, with every roll of
maximum damage allowing an
additional die.
pry at stone, metal or wood) even
alchemical glass may shatter, destroying
the weapon.  Roll a 1D6 and on a 1 the
blade shatters.

Headsman’s Blade – A huge unwieldy two handed sword, engraved with at least
one pithy maxim about the inevitability of death, and encrusted the decorative
silverwork depicting skulls, scales and law scrolls this sword actively seeks to
behead enemies.
5
On an attack roll of ‘20’ the huge The Headsman’s Blade is difficult to use
sword will cleave the head of any even for a trained warrior of great strength
enemy with HD of up to double the and it’s wielder will strike at a -1 to hit.
wielder’s.  This is usually fatal.

6 Living Blade– A paddle of wood, more club than sword, it is carved with a pattern
 of thorns and leaves.  The weapon is still alive and its magical thornwood edges bite
and tear at enemies just as a steel blade would.  The Living Sword also possesses
the ability to grasp and entangle opponents.

When an opponent rolls a ‘1’ to
attack while facing the Living blade,
their weapon has become entangled
the Blade’s tendril to be snatched
and cast 1D4x10’ away.
The weapon has a mind of its own and
becomes frustrated when it fails to kill an
enemy in combat.  At the end of any
combat where it does not kill an opponent
the blade will tear at it’s wielder’s wrist
drinking 1D4 HP of blood.

Warded Blade – Well crafted from the finest steel, etched with righteous glyphs of
power, these weapons are forged for holy warriors.  They revile and repel magic,
offering great protection from the corruption of arcane magic.

7 All spells cast against the wearer of a
Warded Blade require a Save vs.
Spells by the Caster to invoke. This is
in addition to any other save
attempts against their effects.
All arcane spells cast by allies of the
wielder require a Save vs. Spells by the
caster to succeed.

Stone Cleaver – A heavy blade of gray stone cracked and reeking of elemental
power this weapon is carved from the heart stone of a powerful earth spirit and
inlaid with geometric sigils in black marble.

8 On a successful strike the wound will
begin to petrify, slowing the victim
and making them strike last in any
subsequent round.
The petrifying power of the cleaver works
on the wielder as well who will have a -2 to
initiative (or always strike last in a round if
using group initiative – though before the
cleaver’s victims).

Cold Iron Sword  - resembling a bar mace, the cross section of this pitted iron
weapon is cross shaped, and the whole item has a crude unfinished look. The
Sword’s rough appearance derives from its manufacture.  Cold forged from raw
meteoric iron, uncorrupted by the earth it is capable of banishing  devils, demons
and other outsider entities.
9
When any creature of non-terrestrial Outsider creatures hate this weapon, and
origin is struck for maximum damage, can sense it’s presence.  Regardless of their
it is instantly banished to its home original intentions they will seek to destroy
plane. it, either demanding it be turned over to
them or slaying its owner to seize it.

10 Blooddrinker Blade – Sinuous and red, with a hilt of tarnished brass and ten glyphs
of diabolic power along its blade, the Blooddrinker feasts on the souls  those it slays
and allows its wielder to regain his strength by devouring any scraps that remain.

After battle the owner of the blade Wielding a Blooddrinker blade takes its toll
may lick the blood off of it regaining on the wielder as well as the weapon’s
1 HP as long as it has struck an victims, and the sword will syphon 1HP per
enemy.  For each enemy actually HD from any future HP rolls made by the
 slain with the blade it will heal 1D4 wielder.
HP.
Posted by Gus L at 8:43 PM 

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