Help making a magic pitchfork

[moonfly7]

So, back in the first game I ever DMed my players came across a village under siege. The party helped deal with the bandits because the peasants were getting killed brutally on their own. One random guy though, he rolled 4 separate crits, never took a single point of damage no matter how many attacks went his way, and killed at least 7 bandits on his own with his pitchfork. There were no alterations to his stats, he was just a peasant with a pitchfork.
So I decided the pitchfork was magical, and he became a minor ally NPC they'd call on here and there.
Fast forward to now. That game ended a year ago. I now run a new game with the same group. It's in the same world but hundreds of years later. I want to have the magic pitchfork make an appearance as a reasonably powerful magic item. And I don't know what it should do.
Here's what I do know:
It's at least plus 1
It has the throwing and returning properties
It needs at least 1 interesting and unusual feature that makes it st and out.

And if you have any ideas why on earth someone enchanted a pitchfork with reasonably powerful magic I'd love to here it.

[MrStabby]

I would add that it crits on an 18,19 or 20 if there is no champion or paladin (or I suppose warlock that can smite) in the party.

You could makeit more specific and say it crits on this range if the enemy is the same race as the wielder (assuming the bandits were).

Then it gives some temp HP on a critical hit?[

[BigRedJedi]

It's actually the lost trident of an oceanic deity (maybe the deity is dead/missing/blocked), is sentient, but fell into the hands of a good-hearted farmer who mistook it for a fancy pitchfork. As the trident is moderately vain, it has assumed the appearance of a normal pitchfork and awaits the day that a descendant of the deity's bloodline again wields it, with the intent to guide the wielder to ascension/freeing/awakening its deity.

Expanded crit range, probably best if only 19-20, is good, along with throwing/returning.

[Brawnspear]

Farming Fork of Expansive Labor (requires attunement)

Martial Versatile Thrown Weapon 1d8 Piercing, Range 20/60

If you have proficiency with farming implements you have proficiency with this weapon

Special Properties:

Double user's proficiency bonus when performing farming related tasks
The weapon returns to the user's hand after any thrown attack
When you successfully hit an enemy or object with this weapon you can attempt to start a grapple as normal using your Athletics check or the Fork's whichever is better (Fork's Athletics score is Double user's proficiency +3)
An enemy or object grappled by the weapon on a thrown attack is pulled back to the user when the weapon returns
User may use a bonus action to throw a grappled target, a creature is entitled to a Strength Saving throw at DC 15 (or 8+User's prof+Str bonus if better) or be thrown up 30 ft, take 2d6 damage and fall prone. A successful save negates this effect. An object thrown in this way lands safely anywhere within 30 ft.


Sure makes moving hay bales a breeze!

[moonfly7]

I would add that it crits on an 18,19 or 20 if there is no champion or paladin (or I suppose warlock that can smite) in the party.

You could makeit more specific and say it crits on this range if the enemy is the same race as the wielder (assuming the bandits were).

Then it gives some temp HP on a critical hit?[
Increased crit range is good

It's actually the lost trident of an oceanic deity (maybe the deity is dead/missing/blocked), is sentient, but fell into the hands of a good-hearted farmer who mistook it for a fancy pitchfork. As the trident is moderately vain, it has assumed the appearance of a normal pitchfork and awaits the day that a descendant of the deity's bloodline again wields it, with the intent to guide the wielder to ascension/freeing/awakening its deity.

Expanded crit range, probably best if only 19-20, is good, along with throwing/returning.
Not feeling the "it's really a trident" vibe. I definitely want it to be flat up an actual enchanted pitchfork.

Farming Fork of Expansive Labor (requires attunement)

Martial Versatile Thrown Weapon 1d8 Piercing, Range 20/60

If you have proficiency with farming implements you have proficiency with this weapon

Special Properties:

Double user's proficiency bonus when performing farming related tasks
The weapon returns to the user's hand after any thrown attack
When you successfully hit an enemy or object with this weapon you can attempt to start a grapple as normal using your Athletics check or the Fork's whichever is better (Fork's Athletics score is Double user's proficiency +3)
An enemy or object grappled by the weapon on a thrown attack is pulled back to the user when the weapon returns
User may use a bonus action to throw a grappled target, a creature is entitled to a Strength Saving throw at DC 15 (or 8+User's prof+Str bonus if better) or be thrown up 30 ft, take 2d6 damage and fall prone. A successful save negates this effect. An object thrown in this way lands safely anywhere within 30 ft.


Sure makes moving hay bales a breeze!

I absolutely love this stat up. Perchance do you have any more for this weapon?

[iTreeby]

Make it so you can't wield it with proficiency because it is an improvised weapon!

[Quietus]

Make it so you can't wield it with proficiency because it is an improvised weapon!

Better would be that weapon proficiency doesn't apply, and instead as noted upthread, proficiency with farm tools is what you'd use.

The real question is, why does the magic need to be spelled out? Do you intend your PCs to get this and use it as a weapon? If so, you don't want to go too strong. Do you intend to have another NPC pick up the pitchfork and build their own legend? Be careful, lightning rarely strikes twice.

If you aren't expecting this to fall into your PCs hands as a powerful weapon, then I'd have at least some, if not all, of its abilities only be useful when it is wielded in defense of one's homestead. Then I'd give it functions that are subtle. +1 is fine, throwing/returning is a little flashy but clearly established. I'd probably have it give some kind of AC bonus (Mage Armor? Maybe +2 AC as a reaction?), and that's probably it. And I would tie every single one of these features to defending the homestead, outside of that its magic is extremely limited - it never rusts or wears, and MAYBE it adds expertise with farming tools if the user is already proficient.

[jh12]

And if you have any ideas why on earth someone enchanted a pitchfork with reasonably powerful magic I'd love to here it.

The enchanter didn't. The enchanter enchanted a very powerful sword, a +3 sword that always returned to it's bearer's hand after being thrown, as long as the bearer was alive that is. It's not the enchanter's fault the sword's bearer died in mid-flight, leaving it nothing to return to, and the enchanter can't be held responsible for what the farmer did with the sword after discovering it in the middle of his ruined field, crops broken and trampled by two armies who didn't give a thought to the little people they were trampling underfoot. Sometimes you beat a sword into a plowshare, sometimes you beat a sword into a pitchfork, and the farmer needed another pitchfork.

Reworking the sword cost some of its potency, dropping the pitchfork to a +1 that can't be thrown away, but left some residual magic in the tines, allowing it to pick up a new property from its new surroundings and function. Given that your fighting farmer was virtually untouchable, it should provide some solid defensive benefits. Every time the fighting farmer hit a target with the pitchfork, a cloud of hay and dust envelopes the target giving the fighting farmer +2 AC against all attacks by that target (or giving the target disadvantage on all of its attacks) until the start of the fighting farmer's next turn.

[Spacehamster]

Bob (evil bane pitchfork)

Very Rare
simple, versatile 1d6/1d8, thrown,
returning, sentient(chaotic good)

This +2 magical pitchfork functions as a simple weapon and deals an additional 2d6 radiant damage
against opponents of any evil alignment and also has a critical hit on a roll of 19-20 against such foes.
The pitchfork is sentient and the result of the soul of the farmer bob accidentaly attatching to said pitchfork
when his soul were supposed to be sucked out by an evil lich attacking the village eons ago, Bob speaks
telepathically with the wielder in a hickish accent using simple language curried with swearing

[moonfly7]

The enchanter didn't. The enchanter enchanted a very powerful sword, a +3 sword that always returned to it's bearer's hand after being thrown, as long as the bearer was alive that is. It's not the enchanter's fault the sword's bearer died in mid-flight, leaving it nothing to return to, and the enchanter can't be held responsible for what the farmer did with the sword after discovering it in the middle of his ruined field, crops broken and trampled by two armies who didn't give a thought to the little people they were trampling underfoot. Sometimes you beat a sword into a plowshare, sometimes you beat a sword into a pitchfork, and the farmer needed another pitchfork.

Reworking the sword cost some of its potency, dropping the pitchfork to a +1 that can't be thrown away, but left some residual magic in the tines, allowing it to pick up a new property from its new surroundings and function. Given that your fighting farmer was virtually untouchable, it should provide some solid defensive benefits. Every time the fighting farmer hit a target with the pitchfork, a cloud of hay and dust envelopes the target giving the fighting farmer +2 AC against all attacks by that target (or giving the target disadvantage on all of its attacks) until the start of the fighting farmer's next turn.
Love this. I'm thinking I don't want nearly as many features as you've given it, because I want it to have only 1 or 2 heavily original enchantments, but I'm going to take some of them definitely. I love the story by the way, it makes a lot of sense.

Bob (evil bane pitchfork)

Very Rare
simple, versatile 1d6/1d8, thrown,
returning, sentient(chaotic good)

This +2 magical pitchfork functions as a simple weapon and deals an additional 2d6 radiant damage
against opponents of any evil alignment and also has a critical hit on a roll of 19-20 against such foes.
The pitchfork is sentient and the result of the soul of the farmer bob accidentaly attatching to said pitchfork
when his soul were supposed to be sucked out by an evil lich attacking the village eons ago, Bob speaks
telepathically with the wielder in a hickish accent using simple language curried with swearing
Not really feeling the 2d6 radiant damage, but the damage is what I want. I think. I'm going to make it just 1d6 no versatile, because it is still an improvised weapon so I want it to be worse than the spear. As for the farmers soul: his name was Barat, not Bob, although you didn't know that. My team ended up turning the entire village into an effective fighting force to handle an army of bandits(around 100) and they made Barat the militias leader after they successfully beat them off. So he was very much the warrior by the end.

[J-H]

Pitchforks are used to pick up and throw (pitch) hay, straw, and similar substances.
I would rate it at a 1d6 two-handed piercing weapon (less powerful than a spear), but granting advantage on Disarm checks.

Peter's Preferable Pitchfork
Rare, requires attunement
This +1 Returning Pitchfork set's the wearer's strength at 18 while attuned and within 5' of the bearer. The bearer can throw anything twice as far as he normally could, including when using the pitchfork for throwing, or throwing the pitchfork. The fork does 1d6 additional piercing damage against creatures with the Animal or Monstrosity type.
Optional: It has a minor protective aura, granting the attuned wearer +1 to AC & saving throws.

[Rawrawrawr]

Murderin' Pitchfork
Weapon (pitchfork), very rare (requires attunement)

This pitchfork is a simple weapon that deals 1d4 piercing damage with the versatile (1d6) and thrown (range 20/60) properties. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls with this weapon.
When this weapon is thrown as part of an attack, it returns to your hand after that attack.
When you kill a hostile creature with this pitchfork, you gain a +1 bonus to AC for 1 minute. This bonus can trigger multiple times, stacking with itself. When you make an attack roll with this weapon while you have this bonus to AC, you can score a critical hit on a roll of 18, 19, or 20.
When you hold this weapon on a farm owned by you, your strength becomes 19 (if your strength is equal to or higher than 19, you don't gain this effect), and you have advantage on attack rolls and ability checks using farmer's tools.

[GnollPaladin]

+1, returns. 1d6.
If the bearer defends home turf, the attacker cannot gain advantage.

If attuned:
Once per long rest, if you crit and utter the words ‘stick around’, the targets movement is reduced to 0. Once per turn, the target may roll str against a dc of 17 to regain normal movement.

[moonfly7]

Murderin' Pitchfork
Weapon (pitchfork), very rare (requires attunement)

This pitchfork is a simple weapon that deals 1d4 piercing damage with the versatile (1d6) and thrown (range 20/60) properties. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls with this weapon.
When this weapon is thrown as part of an attack, it returns to your hand after that attack.
When you kill a hostile creature with this pitchfork, you gain a +1 bonus to AC for 1 minute. This bonus can trigger multiple times, stacking with itself. When you make an attack roll with this weapon while you have this bonus to AC, you can score a critical hit on a roll of 18, 19, or 20.
When you hold this weapon on a farm owned by you, your strength becomes 19 (if your strength is equal to or higher than 19, you don't gain this effect), and you have advantage on attack rolls and ability checks using farmer's tools.


I really like this. I'd want to lower the crit range to 19-20 and make it just +1 to make it a little weaker to be fair for my tastes(I haven't started passing out any +2 weapons yet) but I love the boosts while defending your farm. The AC boost might also need a nerf.

[Brawnspear]

I absolutely love this stat up. Perchance do you have any more for this weapon?

You can always tweak damage and bonuses and crit range and the like, so I tried not to focus on that for this.

In addition to the hay hurling qualities I was thinking it might be nice to play up the farming aspect a bit more but in a way that could still be useful in adventures. My feel for this weapon is that a former adventurer finally did what we all talk about, buying a nice plot of land and retiring, but he knew nothing about how to run a farm. So with a hefty chunk of loot he commissioned this tool as an aid in that endeavor.

A final addition to the weapon that can be activated once per long rest:
"It Ain't Much, But It's Mine"
Area: Square 200 ft on a side (about an acre)
Duration: Until Recast
The user can take an action to stake his claim to an area of land, which must be outdoors. The area is immediately affected by the 8 hour version of the Plant Growth spell (double yield) which continues even if a new area is chosen.
In Addition while in this area the user gains the following:

The user gains the ability to cast the Druidcraft, Mold Earth, and Shape Water Cantrips
The fork acts as a dowsing rod, pointing in the direction of the nearest source of fresh water (above or below ground)
The user is affected by the Longstrider, and Enhance Ability (Bull's Strength and Bear's Endurance) spells.


Maybe throw something in there about Animal Husbandry, or harvesting. Possibly also give the "Speak with Plants" spell effects while in your claimed acreage.

[moonfly7]

You can always tweak damage and bonuses and crit range and the like, so I tried not to focus on that for this.

In addition to the hay hurling qualities I was thinking it might be nice to play up the farming aspect a bit more but in a way that could still be useful in adventures. My feel for this weapon is that a former adventurer finally did what we all talk about, buying a nice plot of land and retiring, but he knew nothing about how to run a farm. So with a hefty chunk of loot he commissioned this tool as an aid in that endeavor.

A final addition to the weapon that can be activated once per long rest:
"It Ain't Much, But It's Mine"
Area: Square 200 ft on a side (about an acre)
Duration: Until Recast
The user can take an action to stake his claim to an area of land, which must be outdoors. The area is immediately affected by the 8 hour version of the Plant Growth spell (double yield) which continues even if a new area is chosen.
In Addition while in this area the user gains the following:

The user gains the ability to cast the Druidcraft, Mold Earth, and Shape Water Cantrips
The fork acts as a dowsing rod, pointing in the direction of the nearest source of fresh water (above or below ground)
The user is affected by the Longstrider, and Enhance Ability (Bull's Strength and Bear's Endurance) spells.


Maybe throw something in there about Animal Husbandry, or harvesting. Possibly also give the "Speak with Plants" spell effects while in your claimed acreage.
Typo, I meant to put "lore" not more. stupid auto correct

[Brawnspear]

Typo, I meant to put "lore" not more. stupid auto correct

Haha, in that case I stand by my former adventurer comment :smallbiggrin:

The Fork was created to augment the abilities of Retired Adventurer Herring Macguffin, but his friends just called him Red. Red lost his leg during a fight with an amped up Hay Golem, so he couldn't get around as fast as he used to.
He had a tidy sum stashed away and decided to take up farming. As a going away gift his party Wizard/Artificer/Magicalwhomever whipped this up to give him a leg-up on his new lifestyle.
Using this fantastic fork, Red was able to make the best of his new life, harvesting his fields of wheat in no time, especially once he figured out how to rig up a scythe to his trusty tool.

Having no children of his own, and getting up in years, Red set up MacGuffin's Mighty Deeds, a yearly competition that he used to distribute his wealth to the surrounding farms and villages.
The Event that always drew the biggest crowd was the Hay Toss, and Red would wow the onlookers with his fantastic fork, blowing away the competition. Of course he always performed as an exhibition, never taking a place in the competition. But still he was the standard by which every competitor judged themselves.

Then at the 10th annual Macguffin's Mighty Deeds the unthinkable happened. A twentysomething from a nearby village beat the exhibition score. Red knew he had found someone special and gave up his fantastic fork as a prize to the winner. Since then it has passed from farmhand to farmhand, always finding a willing wielder to protect the common folk, entrusting it's master to pass it on when the time is right.

After all, it takes a true hero to give a flying fork.