Health Drain Weapons?

[Frywick]

I'm looking to add a weapon into my campagin that has the risk of draining the user's HP but can have a pay off if they actually hit, like a health increase or a damage buff. I tried a similar thing in a previous campagin in a different system but they decided that it wasnt worth the trade off. Is there a weapon that currently exists that does what i'm looking for? If not, I wouldn't mind suggestions on how to incentivize the use of a weapon more should i need to homebrew it. Thanks for the answers.

[Moo, I'm Human]

Do something like the TF2 Three Rune Blade, if you hit, they take bonus damage, if you miss, you do!

[Deox]

I'm looking to add a weapon into my campagin that has the risk of draining the user's HP but can have a pay off if they actually hit, like a health increase or a damage buff. I tried a similar thing in a previous campagin in a different system but they decided that it wasnt worth the trade off. Is there a weapon that currently exists that does what i'm looking for? If not, I wouldn't mind suggestions on how to incentivize the use of a weapon more should i need to homebrew it. Thanks for the answers.

Something akin to this is the vicious (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#vicious) property from D&D 3.5. Each hit did additional damage, however the wielder also took a small portion.

[Slipperychicken]

Something akin to this is the vicious (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#vicious) property from D&D 3.5. Each hit did additional damage, however the wielder also took a small portion.

I came here to post exactly this.

[JackPhoenix]

There you go:


"Black Spear", in fact called Bloodthorn. Spear made from one piece of organic-looking, reddish black material, feels wet and slightly sticky on touch. When the wielder cuts himself on its blade, the spear feeds on his blood, causes him 1d6 necrotic damage each round and does +2d6 necrotic damage to the target. What the characters don't know is that it actually heals the wielder on crits or killing blows. Used by bard about twice, she prefers her (non-magic) longbow or "dagger"

[Foxhound438]

Something akin to this is the vicious (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#vicious) property from D&D 3.5. Each hit did additional damage, however the wielder also took a small portion.

pretty much how I would handle it, though perhaps toning it down to a d8/d4

could be fun if they don't know it's magical right off, ie they hit and their hands go numb for apparently no reason.

[Slipperychicken]

What the characters don't know is that it actually heals the wielder on crits or killing blows. Used by bard about twice, she prefers her (non-magic) longbow or "dagger"


could be fun if they don't know it's magical right off, ie they hit and their hands go numb for apparently no reason.

This kind of thing is why I always make sure that someone in the party can identify magic items. Also why I always run the loot through detect magic before deciding what to do with it.

[JackPhoenix]

This kind of thing is why I always make sure that someone in the party can identify magic items. Also why I always run the loot through detect magic before deciding what to do with it.

Yep...it is the party's problem, they can't identify it on their own, and haven't hired anyone else to do so despite my suggestions.

[thebiglost1]

Yep...it is the party's problem, they can't identify it on their own, and haven't hired anyone else to do so despite my suggestions.

Can't they just spend a rest working on identifying it?

[Slipperychicken]

Can't they just spend a rest working on identifying it?

It's in the rules, but I know my DM thinks that's cheap and doesn't allow it.

[JackPhoenix]

Can't they just spend a rest working on identifying it?

Propably something to do with fact we've ported from PF to 5e mid-campaign and only paladin's player is somewhat familiar with the system, and she doesn't care about the item. The sorcerer's player doesn't have time to learn the rules properly thanks to university, and the bard player is just too damn lazy (he spent 2 hours trying to convince me to level up his character for him...then it took him about 5-10 minutes to do it himself)