How broken is this legendary sword and help me fix it while keeping the flair

[stenver]

So my party found an artefact sword that used to be wielded by a demigod devil. The party paladin is the only one who can wield it and is very conflicted about it. They have not yet identified it, so I still have a chance to modify it.



Azure Wrath - Adamatinum Greatsword of bloodlust
Requires attunement for magical features
Sword has mind and is evil

Sword is made of Adamatinum, is considered magical and crit range is increased by 1(e.g. 20 -> 19)

When hitting an enemy with it, enemy must make DC 13 constitution saving throw or lose 1d4 strength until short rest. The wielder gains the strength of the enemy. Add 1 strength point until short rest.
When killing an enemy with it, the target immediately dies and the killer gains HP equal to the damage of last hit.

Action: Forced bloodlust. As an action, you stab yourself into stomach, giving an automatic critical hit against yourself. This will put you into bloodlust.

Curse: When killing an enemy with it, the wearer must make a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or go into bloodlust.
Curse: When the wearer of this sword tries to make a non-lethal attack, he must succeed a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or the attack is lethal.
Curse: This sword is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the axe, keeping it within reach at all times. Any other weapons you use will have a disadvantage on attack rolls.
Curse: If you are not attuned to the weapon and try to part with it, you must succeed a DC 15 charisma saving throw or feel overwhelming need to keep it and attune to it. Should the weapon be forcibly removed from you, an itching feeling to retake the weapon will stay with you forever.

Bloodlust:
When the wearer of this sword goes into bloodlust, the sword becomes +3 enchanted sword.

While the wearer is in bloodlust, he is under the effects of Haste spell.

While wearer is in bloodlost, he will choose a random nearest creature every round to attack. He will unleash his full attacks against this creature. The only way to suppress from attacking anybody is with DC 20 wisdom saving throw, after which the bloodlust ends.
If there is none to attack within 120 feet, then the bloodlust ends on DC 20 wisdom saving throw. Otherwise the wielder of the weapon will go and attack the corpses around it. If there have been nobody to attack for 3 rounds, then the bloodlust ends.

While the bloodlust lasts, the wearer gains 2 legendary actions which restores at the beginning of every round.
* (1 actions) - Charge as a lightning into a new target, gaining an advantage on the attack and knocking him prone unless he succeeds on DC 15 strength saving throw. The charge does not trigger an opportunity attack. The new target can be chosen by the wielder.
* (2 actions) - Whirlwind - attack all enemies around you once in 10 feet radius.

If the bloodlust ends, the wearer gains 2 levels of exhaustion and loses the temporary strength gained.


How broken is the sword and how to make it more not broken, while keeping the flair it has. I want the sword to really give power to the wielder, while at the same time corrupting him and bringing unneeded suffering to him and those around him. Basically, a deal with the devil.

Note that the party is level 14, so pretty much everything is broken at this point.

[Shaofoo]

From a glance I would just chop up a lot of extraneous things, simplicity will go a long way.

First of all stat damage must go. Stat damage has no place in 5e at all especially when it comes to enemy stat damage. If you want to say the enemy has disadvantage on all strength rolls if you want.

HP on kill is okay but I would rather say that you gain HP based on your actual character level than the damage dealt last.

I would remove the crit on yourself for bloodlust and the first two curses to activate bloodlust. The second curse is pointless because there is no way to do a non lethal attack, you just choose your killing blow to not kill except the sword kills anyway so it is moot.

I think the sword should always be a +3 sword, much easier.

The disadvantage can be easily pared down to "Every turn you must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or you are forced to move to the closest creature and perform the Attack option" adding extraneous stuff just adds on the bloat.

I would also remove both legendary actions from the sword as well, they just add bloat.

I would also just add one exhaustion after the end of the battle since bloodlust seems to have no ending since apparently attacking a corpse is enough to satisfy it so just drag a corpse to hack at it constantly and never have to worry about ending.

[MrFahrenheit]

You can keep all those things, actually, but limit how often and/or how the perks activate:

For example: at will but recharges on a 6 (rolled like dragon's breath attacks recharging on a d6), and only one of the properties activates on a 6 (determined via separate roll).

Alternate example: all effects activate, but only once per day. Recharges every morning (in this case, you may want to keep one of the smaller effect consistently on).

Alternate example 2: effects activate on crits only, but don't need recharging, so all crits cause it.

[stenver]

I simplified the weapon quite a bit.
One thing I really want to keep is going into bloodlust by stabbing yourself. It is a huge thing in terms of lore.

I also don't really want it to be a +3 sword constantly for 2 reasons. 1 - I in general hate +x modifiers on magical items. 2 - I want the bloodlust to give a big power boost, so going into it would be kind of a win-some-lose-some.

What do you think about now?



Azure Wrath - Adamatinum Greatsword of bloodlust
Requires attunement for magical features
Sword has mind and is evil

Sword is made of Adamatinum, is considered magical and critical range is increased by 1(e.g. 20 -> 19)

When an enemy against the enemy will drop it to 0 HP, the target immediately dies and you gain HP equal to twice the character level and make a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or go into bloodlust.

Action: Forced bloodlust. As an action, you stab yourself into stomach, giving an automatic critical hit against yourself. This will put you into bloodlust.

Curse: This sword is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the axe, keeping it within reach at all times. If you try to use any other weapons, then you must succeed on a DC 15 wisdom saving throw to do so. If you are not attuned to the weapon and try to part with it, you must succeed a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or feel overwhelming need to keep it and attune to it. Should the weapon be forcibly removed from you, an itching feeling to retake the weapon will stay with you forever.


Bloodlust:
When you go into bloodlust, the sword becomes +3 enchanted sword and you become under the effects of Haste spell and ignore opportunity attacks.

While you are in bloodlust, every turn you must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or you are forced to move to the closest creature within double your movement speed reach and perform an Attack action. If you succeed the saving throw, the bloodlust ends. If there is nobody to attack, you will attack a nearest corpse up to 2 rounds, after which the bloodlust ends.

While you are in bloodlust, you can use an action to do a whirlwind attack, attacking all enemies around you in 10 feet radius

If the bloodlust ends, the you gains 2 levels of exhaustion.





so just drag a corpse to hack at it constantly and never have to worry about ending.

Yeah, that's not how I really meant it. I would add "and you are unable to move from next to target", but I feel it's unnecessary. This kind of abuse can be solved by talking to player's in the table and just telling that they are not really thinking and dragging the corpse, just attacking it maniacally.

[Mellack]

Do you want them to use this item or for it to just be a story piece? If I were a member of this party I would not go with anyone who used it. Attacking your own party would just be a killer.

[Shaofoo]

The problem with exhaustion as an ending mechanic is that you can be forced into bloodlust when you kill an enemy thus you are stacked with extreme penalties against your will. this wouldn't be so bad if you weren't basically forced to use the sword just for having it on your person, not even attuned just for being with it. If you gave me such a sword I would write off my character as dead because I can't see constant exhaustion to be good.

You should consider the ending penalty to be something else, either a big Max HP penalty that can be fixed either with a long rest or with the HP on kill function of the sword (Or make the Max HP penalty be lessened if you can kill enemies).

[BiPolar]

I love this thing! It has so many powerful options and curses attached to it (will he know the curses?) that it makes it a very hard decision to attune it or even keep it.

I might adjust the strength stealing to a higher DC so that they aren't getting big strength boosts all the time.

Otherwise, this is great. It's got ridiculous powers, but the person using it could easily kill off his party during bloodlust.

[KorvinStarmast]

Curse: This sword is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the axe, keeping it within reach at all times.

Is it a sword or an ax?
Does it morph into an great ax when you go into blood lust?


When an enemy against the enemy will drop it to 0 HP, the target immediately dies and you gain HP equal to twice the character level and make a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or go into bloodlust.
Whose character level: the one who just died or the person wielding this sword? If it's a monster, is the gain per HD or per CR? That whole passage needs to be edited for clarity, by the way, since I don't get "when and enemy against the enemy will drop it to 0HP ... what does that mean?


Action: Forced bloodlust. As an action, you stab yourself into stomach, giving an automatic critical hit against yourself. This will put you into bloodlust.

Is this action a choice by the character with the sword, or is this what happens when the save is missed and the bloodlust happens due to the will of the sword overcoming the will of the character?


If the bloodlust ends, the you gains 2 levels of exhaustion.Don't you mean "When the bloodlust ends" in that part?

[stenver]

Do you want them to use this item or for it to just be a story piece?

I want it to be a hard choice wether or not to use this item. It will be the most powerful and the most dangerous sword they will ever find.


Is it a sword or an ax?

It's a sword, this is a typo, as initially it was supposed to be an axe.


You should consider the ending penalty to be something else

How about this: "If the bloodlust ends, you are stunned for 2 rounds."


I love this thing! It has so many powerful options and curses attached to it (will he know the curses?)

Thanks! He doesn't know the specifics of the curses yet, but he knows that it's cursed, super powerful and evil.

[BiPolar]

I want it to be a hard choice wether or not to use this item. It will be the most powerful and the most dangerous sword they will ever find.



It's a sword, this is a typo, as initially it was supposed to be an axe.



How about this: "If the bloodlust ends, you are stunned for 2 rounds."



Thanks! He doesn't know the specifics of the curses yet, but he knows that it's cursed, super powerful and evil.


Definitely keep the exhaustion, it makes it an even bigger decision to use it - although if I had a choice, I would not. But the fun thing is...there might not be a choice if the DC check is failed and he has to attune to it!

[Mellack]

The exhaustion is going to kill the user quickly. Going into bloodlust 3 times in a day will cause death. That could easily happen in the standard 6-8 encounter day. Then add in how you only regain one exhaustion level per long rest, they will build much faster then be removed.

[Shaofoo]

Definitely keep the exhaustion, it makes it an even bigger decision to use it - although if I had a choice, I would not. But the fun thing is...there might not be a choice if the DC check is failed and he has to attune to it!

It is not a choice, if you kill an enemy there is a chance that you will get into the bloodlust and you already mention the item forcing itself to be used just by existing.

You will be forced into being exhausted against your will, I don't consider an item that can kill me without me doing anything wrong to be fun. The Deck of Many Things can kill me but I have to draw the cards for it to have a chance, it doesn't draw itself and force me the results.

Of course it is a cursed item so I am not saying that the benefits should outweigh the penalties but there is no choice apparently.

[Mellack]

I want it to be a hard choice wether or not to use this item. It will be the most powerful and the most dangerous sword they will ever find.



If you want it to be a choice, you need to give them the option to not use it. You said they don't know of its powers, but they need a save to even leave it. Just carrying it will force them to use it eventually due to a missed save. It is not really a choice, just a matter of how many rolls until it takes them over.

[KorvinStarmast]

If I may repeat a point from above, it makes no sense to write "if the bloodlust ends" but instead "when the bloodlust ends" since you never indicate that the bloodlust is a permanent condition, but indeed identify it as a temporary condition, usually found during combat.

Secondly, two levels of exhaustion per bloodlust is, as noted above, lethal. You die at 6. Here is exhaustion according to the book:

Exhaustion
Exhaustion is measured in six levels. An effect can give a creature one or more levels of exhaustion, as specified in the effect’s description.
Level Effect
1 Disadvantage on ability checks
2 Speed halved
3 Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
4 Hit point maximum halved
5 Speed reduced to 0
6 Death

If an already exhausted creature suffers another effect that causes exhaustion, its current level of exhaustion increases by the amount specified in the effect’s description. A creature suffers the effect of its current level of exhaustion as well as all lower levels. For example, a creature suffering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved and has disadvantage on ability checks.
An effect that removes exhaustion reduces its level as specified in the effect’s description, with all exhaustion effects ending if a creature’s exhaustion level is reduced below 1.

Finishing a long rest reduces a creature’s exhaustion level by 1, provided that the creature has also ingested some food and drink.
If your response is "Well, I guess the player better make that saving throw" then you need to ask yourself what your intention is towards your players.

On the other hand, when it comes to being a cursed sword, this bad boy is CURSED in a big way.

[stenver]

Yeah, the more I think about it myself as well, the 2 levels of exhaustion is deep. I want the sword to be extremely dangerous, but also something that can actually be useful.

I am currently on the fence between the following choices -
* Stunned for 2 rounds when the bloodlust ends
* Disadvantage on all attack rolls until short rest or bloodlust again.
* 1 level of exhaustion

[Shaofoo]

I would say no to any exhaustion, especially since the sword forces itself to be used just by being with the person. Being stunned or disadvantage is okay to me since that is temporary.

[stenver]

So this is my current version of the weapon. Any other problems, corrections or maybe even cool add-ons you guys would suggest?



Azure Wrath - Adamatinum Greatsword of bloodlust
Requires attunement for magical features
Sword has mind and is evil

Sword is made of Adamatinum, is considered magical and critical range is increased by 1(e.g. 20 -> 19)

When an attack against the enemy will drop it to 0 HP, the target immediately dies and you gain HP equal to twice the character level. In addition, you make DC 15 wisdom saving throw or go into bloodlust.

Action: Forced bloodlust. As an action, you stab yourself into stomach, giving an automatic critical hit against yourself. This will put you into bloodlust.

Curse: This sword is cursed, and becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the axe, keeping it within reach at all times. If you try to use any other weapons, then you must succeed on a DC 15 wisdom saving throw to do so. If you are not attuned to the weapon and try to part with it, you must succeed a DC 15 wisdom saving throw or feel overwhelming need to keep it and attune to it. Should the weapon be forcibly removed from you, an itching feeling to retake the weapon will stay with you forever.


Bloodlust:
When you go into bloodlust, the sword becomes +3 enchanted sword and you become under the effects of Haste spell and ignore opportunity attacks.

While you are in bloodlust, every turn you must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or you are forced to move to the closest creature within double your movement speed reach and perform an Attack action. If you succeed the saving throw, the bloodlust ends. If there is nobody to attack, you will attack a nearest corpse up to 2 rounds, after which the bloodlust ends.

While you are in bloodlust, you can use an action to do a whirlwind attack, attacking all enemies around you in 10 feet radius

When the bloodlust ends, you are stunned for 2 rounds from exhaustion and overwhelming feeling of depression.

[Shining Wrath]

Broken.

If you can find a crowd of mooks - for example, you bring a bag of giant rats with you - you can raise your strength to 30 or more. No upper limit given, and every time you hit a new foe you gain one strength.
Automatic +3 weapon at the price of 19 (4d6+5) HP. In a party with healers, two or three L1 spell slots (cure wounds) give you a +3 weapon
Whirlwind combined with raising your strength allows the bearer to charge into the mooks, hit half a dozen or a dozen, raise strength by +6 or +12, and then move on to the boss once the mooks are dead.


The curse seems fair enough. You need to clarify if "random" and "nearest" means "always nearest, choose randomly among ties" or "random creature that can be reached in one move".