Help me balance a homebrew weapon enhancement.

[Nirhael]

So me and my friends take turn DMing rather casually, the three of them are new to D&D and I have some experience. During the last session, our Barbarian has been scoring some pretty amazing finishing hits and the DM has described them with fancy explosions which ended up causing some fear effect to the victim's allies.

After the dust settled down, I've started contemplating an actual weapon enhancement to replicate the fluff, considering the fact that the Barbarian was wielding a simple Greatsword +1 at level 2 (Reward for level 1-2 quest, wasn't sold/split).

Here's what I have so far:

-5 ft. AoE Fear on kill
-DC 13 Will save
-Wielder gets +4 save bonus
-Wielder gets +1 save bonus on every activation during the same encounter
-Affected targets have -2 to save if exploding target is of the same or similar race.
-Shaken on save failure
-Frightened on save failure by 5 or more
-Panicked on save failure by 10 or more

Note that this is for an enhancement with only a +1 modifier, an 8k gp value weapon is still somewhat acceptable at level 3, 18k gp is not. Thinking of maybe lowering the DC to 11 and wield save bonus to +2, setting a x times/day use limit could be something too but I'd like to avoid that.

Please keep in mind that the effect only triggers if the wielder gets the kill so its effect is somewhat limited.

Thanks in advance for any help. :smallsmile:

[TuggyNE]

I'd just make the wielder immune, have it make affected creatures shaken on a failed save, and maybe leave the save at DC 11.

[eggynack]

I'd just make the wielder immune,
Indeed, though I am amused by the possibility of the sword's wielder being frightened by his own raw power.

[sumptesh]

That seems pretty well balanced. Looking over the description for fear you might even be justified in making the AoE a little larger. Unless your barbarian is completely surrounded the effect isn't going to get much a chance to be used. I think Fear as a spell goes out to 30 feet, so you could consider expanding the AoE to give it a greater chance for influence.

[bekeleven]

That seems pretty well balanced. Looking over the description for fear you might even be justified in making the AoE a little larger. Unless your barbarian is completely surrounded the effect isn't going to get much a chance to be used. I think Fear as a spell goes out to 30 feet, so you could consider expanding the AoE to give it a greater chance for influence.

Something like 10ft at DC11 for a +1, or 20ft at DC14 for a +2?