Wrenn
2015-08-01, 10:31 PM
So, I wanted to introduce Nightblood from Brandon Sanderson's novel Warbreaker into my game. If you're unfamiliar with the story, basically it's an intelligent sword brought to life (awakened) with the command to 'Destroy Evil'. But, it's a sword, and it has no real concept of good and evil. Also, it feeds on the wielder's life force, tempts unscrupulous people to draw it, and basically kills everything with one hit when finally drawn in the book. The huge drawback keeps Vasher, the wielder, from drawing him except when in dire need (a.k.a. dramatic finale).
So to recreate this I made it an intelligent longsword that works as a warhammer as long as it's sheathed. The Aura of Temptation is a neat tool the players can use to set up ambushes and such. And then there's the big one, Bringer of Death.
I really envision this ability as a win button with great cost. This ability should change the dynamic of almost any encounter, the conflict comes from 'Do I want to use this now?'. The player, whoever has it, will always have a +2 Warhammer. But, underneath that warhammer is this power that he can pull in a pinch, but suffer for that choice for days to come. That's why I gave exhaustion as the drawback, to make the decision to pull out the win condition that much tougher a choice. This isn't something you use against orcs, it's something you use when fighting a dragon. Additionally, as a DM, I'll have to make sure that those days spent recovering are not just hand waved, at all. Otherwise, the choice becomes meaningless if they can just rest for 3 or 4 days without anything happening after using this.
Does that make sense? Does it sound like a fun, interesting choice? Is a 3d6 bonus to damage worth the days spent recovering from exhaustion?
Check it out, critique away. I know it isn't exactly faithful, but it's a level 6 party I'm thinking about introducing it to.
Nightblood
Weapon (Longsword), Legendary (requires attunement by a creature of non-evil alignment)
Nightblood was fashioned in the early days of magical discovery, when the art of creating sentient weapons was young. Its creator gave Nightblood one command, to destroy evil. Unfortunately, Nightblood is a sword, and as such has no concept of good and evil beyond an elementary understanding.
Nightblood is held within a magical silver sheathe that dampens some of its abilities. The sheathe is almost a prison for the more aggressive part of Nightblood's personality. The blade is solid black and thick black smoke both rises from it and drips to the ground as if it can't decide which way it should go. When drawn, a spray of black liquid is flung from the blade, immediately evaporating to mist around the wielder.
You gain a +2 bonus to attacks and damage with this weapon and it has the following properties.
Thou Shall not Draw. When used in its sheathe, Nightblood acts as a Warhammer.
Aura of Temptation. Nightblood reaches out to those around it, touching them with its power. Those of pure heart are sickened by Nightblood's touch as they feel the power of the souls that Nightblood has absorbed, warning them away. Those of evil intent, as Nightblood understands evil, are overcome by an overwhelming sense of greed and are tempted to draw him so that he can absorb their souls.
When activated, any creature within 30ft of Nightblood must make a Wisdom Save (DC-15). Nightblood can only activate this ability once per day and cannot activate the ability while in an attuned creature's possession unless that creature allows it.
On a failed save, if the creature is of a good alignment then it is Stunned for 1 round and Poisoned for 1 minute. The creature may make another Wisdom save at the end of each of its turns to end the Poisoned effect. The Poison effect immediately ends if the creature moves out of the aura's reach.
If the creature is of a neutral or evil alignment then it is Charmed by Nightblood for 1 minute. Nightblood immediately commands the creature to draw it from its sheathe. The creature will fight off any other creature attempting to take possession of Nightblood. The creature may make another Wisdom save at the end of each of its turns to end the Charmed effect.
If a creature is attuned to Nightblood the aura does not affect it.
Bringer of Death. When Nightblood is released from its magical prison black smoke pours forth from its blade as its rage is set free and it screams into it's wielder's head to “KILL THEM ALL”. Coils of solid smoke wrap around the wielder's forearm, pulsing like thick veins. The veins creep higher and higher the longer Nightblood is wielded, until the sword consumes the wielder's soul, adding it to the others Nightblood has killed over the millenia. Additionally, Nightblood never remembers the things that happen while in a rage. It's almost as if a separate personality, one full of hate and blood-lust, replaces the normally jovial and innocent personality.
When Nightblood is unsheathed it immediately initiates a conflict with its wielder. Nightblood and the wielder make opposed Charisma checks.
If Nightblood wins the opposed check then the wielder is sent into a battle rage and compelled to kill the closest non-good aligned creature. While raging all damage dealt by Nightblood is necrotic and it deals and additional 3d6 damage.
Additionally, the wielder of Nightblood suffers 1 level of exhaustion each round he wields Nightblood. The effects of the exhaustion do not take affect until the rage ends, except for death, which takes effect immediately.
The wielder may make a new opposed check at the end of each of his turns. If the wielder succeeds then the rage ends and Nightblood may not attempt to enrage the wielder again for 24 hours.
If the wielder is attuned to Nightblood he has Advantage on the Charisma check. If the attuned wielder succeeds on the Charisma check he may choose to enter the rage without the compulsion to kill the closest non-good aligned creature.
Destroyer. Nightblood always deals max damage against unattended objects.
Sentience. Nightblood is a sentient chaotic-neutral weapon with an Intelligence of 12, Wisdom of 10, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and darkvision out to 120ft.
Nightblood can communicate telepathically with anyone within 30ft. It can read, write, and speak Common. It can communicate telepathically with an attuned creature within 120ft and knows all the languages that the attuned creature knows.
Personality. Nightblood has a very deadly innocence about it. It has been created to destroy evil, though it has no understanding of the concept, only what it has been taught by wielders over the years. Unfortunately, these concepts have been corrupted by unscrupulous wielders in the past.
Nightblood always seeks affirmation in its actions and judgments, valuing approval from its wielder above everything. If Nightblood is friendly with its attuned wielder then it will comply with requests the wielder makes, i.e. activating Aura of Temptation when the wielder commands or while in the wielder's possession.
Nightblood knows that it is a sword and knows that it is meant to destroy evil and will constantly push an attuned wielder to draw him and kill.
If Nightblood goes three days or more without killing someone he will initiate a conflict with his wielder. If Nightblood wins the conflict he will compel the wielder to drop him somewhere that he can then use his Aura of Temptation to enthrall a non-good aligned creature.
So to recreate this I made it an intelligent longsword that works as a warhammer as long as it's sheathed. The Aura of Temptation is a neat tool the players can use to set up ambushes and such. And then there's the big one, Bringer of Death.
I really envision this ability as a win button with great cost. This ability should change the dynamic of almost any encounter, the conflict comes from 'Do I want to use this now?'. The player, whoever has it, will always have a +2 Warhammer. But, underneath that warhammer is this power that he can pull in a pinch, but suffer for that choice for days to come. That's why I gave exhaustion as the drawback, to make the decision to pull out the win condition that much tougher a choice. This isn't something you use against orcs, it's something you use when fighting a dragon. Additionally, as a DM, I'll have to make sure that those days spent recovering are not just hand waved, at all. Otherwise, the choice becomes meaningless if they can just rest for 3 or 4 days without anything happening after using this.
Does that make sense? Does it sound like a fun, interesting choice? Is a 3d6 bonus to damage worth the days spent recovering from exhaustion?
Check it out, critique away. I know it isn't exactly faithful, but it's a level 6 party I'm thinking about introducing it to.
Nightblood
Weapon (Longsword), Legendary (requires attunement by a creature of non-evil alignment)
Nightblood was fashioned in the early days of magical discovery, when the art of creating sentient weapons was young. Its creator gave Nightblood one command, to destroy evil. Unfortunately, Nightblood is a sword, and as such has no concept of good and evil beyond an elementary understanding.
Nightblood is held within a magical silver sheathe that dampens some of its abilities. The sheathe is almost a prison for the more aggressive part of Nightblood's personality. The blade is solid black and thick black smoke both rises from it and drips to the ground as if it can't decide which way it should go. When drawn, a spray of black liquid is flung from the blade, immediately evaporating to mist around the wielder.
You gain a +2 bonus to attacks and damage with this weapon and it has the following properties.
Thou Shall not Draw. When used in its sheathe, Nightblood acts as a Warhammer.
Aura of Temptation. Nightblood reaches out to those around it, touching them with its power. Those of pure heart are sickened by Nightblood's touch as they feel the power of the souls that Nightblood has absorbed, warning them away. Those of evil intent, as Nightblood understands evil, are overcome by an overwhelming sense of greed and are tempted to draw him so that he can absorb their souls.
When activated, any creature within 30ft of Nightblood must make a Wisdom Save (DC-15). Nightblood can only activate this ability once per day and cannot activate the ability while in an attuned creature's possession unless that creature allows it.
On a failed save, if the creature is of a good alignment then it is Stunned for 1 round and Poisoned for 1 minute. The creature may make another Wisdom save at the end of each of its turns to end the Poisoned effect. The Poison effect immediately ends if the creature moves out of the aura's reach.
If the creature is of a neutral or evil alignment then it is Charmed by Nightblood for 1 minute. Nightblood immediately commands the creature to draw it from its sheathe. The creature will fight off any other creature attempting to take possession of Nightblood. The creature may make another Wisdom save at the end of each of its turns to end the Charmed effect.
If a creature is attuned to Nightblood the aura does not affect it.
Bringer of Death. When Nightblood is released from its magical prison black smoke pours forth from its blade as its rage is set free and it screams into it's wielder's head to “KILL THEM ALL”. Coils of solid smoke wrap around the wielder's forearm, pulsing like thick veins. The veins creep higher and higher the longer Nightblood is wielded, until the sword consumes the wielder's soul, adding it to the others Nightblood has killed over the millenia. Additionally, Nightblood never remembers the things that happen while in a rage. It's almost as if a separate personality, one full of hate and blood-lust, replaces the normally jovial and innocent personality.
When Nightblood is unsheathed it immediately initiates a conflict with its wielder. Nightblood and the wielder make opposed Charisma checks.
If Nightblood wins the opposed check then the wielder is sent into a battle rage and compelled to kill the closest non-good aligned creature. While raging all damage dealt by Nightblood is necrotic and it deals and additional 3d6 damage.
Additionally, the wielder of Nightblood suffers 1 level of exhaustion each round he wields Nightblood. The effects of the exhaustion do not take affect until the rage ends, except for death, which takes effect immediately.
The wielder may make a new opposed check at the end of each of his turns. If the wielder succeeds then the rage ends and Nightblood may not attempt to enrage the wielder again for 24 hours.
If the wielder is attuned to Nightblood he has Advantage on the Charisma check. If the attuned wielder succeeds on the Charisma check he may choose to enter the rage without the compulsion to kill the closest non-good aligned creature.
Destroyer. Nightblood always deals max damage against unattended objects.
Sentience. Nightblood is a sentient chaotic-neutral weapon with an Intelligence of 12, Wisdom of 10, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and darkvision out to 120ft.
Nightblood can communicate telepathically with anyone within 30ft. It can read, write, and speak Common. It can communicate telepathically with an attuned creature within 120ft and knows all the languages that the attuned creature knows.
Personality. Nightblood has a very deadly innocence about it. It has been created to destroy evil, though it has no understanding of the concept, only what it has been taught by wielders over the years. Unfortunately, these concepts have been corrupted by unscrupulous wielders in the past.
Nightblood always seeks affirmation in its actions and judgments, valuing approval from its wielder above everything. If Nightblood is friendly with its attuned wielder then it will comply with requests the wielder makes, i.e. activating Aura of Temptation when the wielder commands or while in the wielder's possession.
Nightblood knows that it is a sword and knows that it is meant to destroy evil and will constantly push an attuned wielder to draw him and kill.
If Nightblood goes three days or more without killing someone he will initiate a conflict with his wielder. If Nightblood wins the conflict he will compel the wielder to drop him somewhere that he can then use his Aura of Temptation to enthrall a non-good aligned creature.