Magical Axe, homebrew, want advice to make sure it's balanced

[Sirion8288]

Hey all,

My group defeated a basilisk and were able to successfully remove the spine. They hired someone to make an axe out of the spine to harness the creatures magical abilities. I made the Battleaxe for their barbarian, which adds a +1 to attack rolls and damage, and it does magical slashing damage. However, I am thinking about adding one of the following...

Option 1: Once per short rest, you can harness the magical energy of the basilisk into a single powerful strike. After landing an attack, you can choose to utilize the basilisk’s Petrifying Gaze. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 10 + your Constitution modifier). On a failed save, the creature magically begins to turn to copper and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified into copper until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.

Option 2: As an action, you present the front of the axe to your foes. The blades of the axe glows brightly and you activate the Basilisk's Petrifying Gaze. Any creature (foes or allies) who are within 30 feet in front of you and who can see the light emanating from the axe, must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature magically begins to turn to copper and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. You can do this action once per long rest.

I can see Option 1 being more balanced in that it's against one unit, like a boss. But Option 2 will give the barbarian the ability to handle a large group of units quite well...prolly a little too OP.

What are y'all's thoughts?

Thanks!

-Sirion

[Gtdead]

Don't remember if barbarian gains an extra ASI or not, but I think most barbarians will stay at 16 con up to lvl 15 or something. Vhuman PAM, 4 GWM, 8 STR, 12 STR.

So essentially the DC is the same in both options. The difference is that one is aoe and the other is single target so the power difference between the two is extreme.

Personally I'd pick the first option and make it a bonus action without needing an attack.

[Sirion8288]

Ya, I also thought the AOE was too strong, even if it's only 30 feet and can affect allies.

Ok, so option one. How about this...After landing an attack, can use the magical ability to attempt to petrify the opponent. Now, should this happen once per short rest, or make it have like three charges or something?

-Sirion

[Mr Adventurer]

If you wanted something more moderate, easier to balance, and less flashy, you could instead go with: while wielding this axe you have Advantage on savings throws made to avoid being turned to stone or petrified.

If you wanted to keep it offensive, I would probably go with:

When you hit a target with this weapon, you can take a bonus action to cause the haft to flash with power. If you do, the target of your attack must make a Constitution saving throw DC 13 or be Restrained as they slowly begin to turn to stone. They may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns. If they fail ten saving throws, they are turned to stone as though by a Flesh to Stone spell.

[Unoriginal]

Sorry if I'm focusing on something trivial, but why does it turn the target into copper?

The PCs are just going to start selling either copper statues or large chunks of copper, depending which is more valuable at the time.

[Sirion8288]

This basilisk was an abomination, created by an evil being. Instead of stone, the creatures turn into copper.

[Unoriginal]

This basilisk was an abomination, created by an evil being. Instead of stone, the creatures turn into copper.

Fair.

Still, if that axe can produce actual precious metal, a ton of people are going to want it. It's not quite on the infinite coinpurse level but it's still pretty up there.

[JackPhoenix]

There's a very rare sword in an adventure that forces the target to make DC 15 Con save to avoid being restrained, then petrified on the next turn on nat 20. More random, but pontentially usable more often than your first version. No-fleshy creatures and anything with legendary actions are immune.

It's also cursed, doing the same to the wielder if he rolls nat 1.

[Sirion8288]

So I am wondering, have this ability usable with every bonus action (if the person made a successful attack that is). Once per long rest. Three charges. Or etc.

[Yakk]

Cuprum Mortem: (Attunement)
This magical greataxe was crafted from the spinal column of a basilisk abomination. Its boney origins are revealed in its shape, and it is covered in what appears to be a plating of green oxidized copper. When attacking with this axe, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. In addition, the wounds caused by this axe partly turn the flesh to copper; all damage by this axe lowers the creature's maximum HP, as healing the flesh turned copper is impossible. The maximum HP reduction lasts until the partial petrification is cured by a greater restoration spell.

If you score a critical hit with the is weapon, the petrification starts to expand. At the start of each of the creature's turns it must make a DC 13 constitution saving throw; on success, the effect ends. On the first failure the creature becomes restrained, and on the second failure the creature is killed as their skin and circulatory system is turned into copper. If a greater restoration is cast on the mostly intact corpse within 24 hours, the effect is reversed, but the creature remains dead.

If you aren't attuned to this axe, each turn you are holding the axe, and every time you hit with it, you take 1d6 acid and 1d6 necrotic damage as its magic turns your flesh to copper.

---

If harvested, this copper is a small fraction of the creature's weight. Once cleaned, it would be worth about:

Tiny: 1 sp (0.2 lbs)
Small: 5 sp (0.5 lbs)
Medium: 1 gp (2 lbs)
Large: 5 gp (10 lbs)
Huge: 15 gp (30 lbs)
Gargantuan: 50 gp (100 lbs)

(I did the math, those are about right, once you round; coins are 50 to the lbs, so 100 cp are worth 1 gp and weigh 2 lbs. I have copper yield growing with the square of the size of the monster, not the cube, as it is mostly a surface effect.)

[Sirion8288]

Cuprum Mortem:
This magical greataxe was crafted from the spinal column of a basilisk abomination. Its boney origins are revealed in its shape, and it is covered in what appears to be a plating of green oxidized copper. When attacking with this axe, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. In addition, the wounds caused by this axe partly turn the flesh to copper; all damage by this axe lowers the creature's maximum HP, as healing the flesh turned copper is impossible. The maximum HP reduction lasts until the partial petrification is cured by a greater restoration spell.

If you score a critical hit with the is weapon, the petrification starts to expand. At the start of each of the creature's turns it must make a DC 13 constitution saving throw; on success, the effect ends. On the first failure the creature becomes restrained, and on the second failure the creature is killed as their skin and circulatory system is turned into copper. If a greater restoration is cast on the mostly intact corpse within 24 hours, the effect is reversed, but the creature remains dead.

If harvested, this copper is under 1% of the creature's weight. Once cleaned, it would be worth about:

Tiny: 1 sp
Small: 5 sp
Medium: 1 gp
Large: 5 gp
Huge: 15 gp
Gargantuan: 50 gp

(I did the math, those are about right, once you round).

Alright, that's badass. I love it.

[Droppeddead]

Alright, that's badass. I love it.

I like the idea of the value of the salvagable copper being dependent on the size of the target and it's a good idea to use a fixed DC (because it's the axe that causes the petrification, not the barbarian wielding it). That said, the powers described is really, REALLY powerful. It working on every attack, needing greater restoration to cure is amazingly strong and as a DM, ask yourself if that's something you want in your game.

I would either restrict it's use to 1D3 charges per day and lowering the restoration spell to lesser restoration OR only working on crits. And remember, even with it just working on crits it can ruin the local economy since even the slightest wound demands the consumation of 100 GP worth of diamond dust to restore.

As a side note, isn't it the eyes of a basilisk that causes petrification and not the spine? :P

[Hellpyre]

I don't think it working on each hit is terrible, but it should be restorable without resorting to magic. Keeping a magic cure for the crit-based full petrification is fine, but the regular HP drain should fade on a long rest.

[Bobthewizard]

These comments refer to the original post's option 1.

Instead of charges per rest that the player can decide to use, I would make it more random, having the effect occur on a natural 20. That way, the player still sees the cool effect every 3-4 combats, but they can't just save it for every boss. 1 in 20 hits being really powerful would be pretty cool, unless it's a fighter with 3 attacks and action surge.

If a natural 20 is too rare, you could drop it to 19 or 20, so 1 out of every 10 hits. If that's still too rare, you could have the initial restraint be automatic when it triggers and the first saving throw occur at the the target's next turn. I'd probably do that anyway if it's random.

[Yakk]

Most things the barbarian hits with the axe will die in that combat anyhow. So 90% of the utility is blocking the rare healing monster from healing.

The few who survive, I thought it anticlimactic to have them get better after a night's sleep. I consider the "need greater restoration" a weakness more than a strength; if you damage the wrong thing, it is annoying. Overall that is a ribbon.

Well, it makes attuning it really important. The idea that the weapon fully works, it just requires attunement to avoid backlash, is flavorful.

It needing greater restoration is a callback to petrification. It is partial petrification you are reversing.

But if you don't like that ribbon, feel free to remove it.

[Droppeddead]

Most things the barbarian hits with the axe will die in that combat anyhow. So 90% of the utility is blocking the rare healing monster from healing.

The few who survive, I thought it anticlimactic to have them get better after a night's sleep. I consider the "need greater restoration" a weakness more than a strength; if you damage the wrong thing, it is annoying. Overall that is a ribbon.

Well, it makes attuning it really important. The idea that the weapon fully works, it just requires attunement to avoid backlash, is flavorful.

It needing greater restoration is a callback to petrification. It is partial petrification you are reversing.

But if you don't like that ribbon, feel free to remove it.

Well sure, if the party only goes up to dumb monsters that doesn't use any tactics and have never heard of the term "tactical retreat" then the petrification won't be a problem. But the fact that anyone wielding that axe can terrorize a whole population by inflicted small but horrifying wounds that takes a great deal of resources to deal with is probably not something you want include without aferthought.

[Hellpyre]

I'm not generally a fan of designing items, even customized ones, without considering how they affect the world outside of the hands of the one particular PC intended to have one. Especially since an adventuring group was needed to dispatch a basilisk, so greater restoration may not be trivially available, and the party could very easily be under the level required to cast it themselves for a long time. The barbarian getting hit with a mind whammy spell could massively derail the campaign, it being stolen could cause havok in the world, or it could simply make recurring villains less useful. All of those are things worth considering before handing out a custom effect on each hit.

[Yakk]

Sure. The item is brutal.

(a) People aren't going to be mass producing an axe that requires an abomination of nature built by now-dead mad wizard.

(b) Magic can be brutal. This axe is the rough equivalent of magical radioactivity. The real world has actual radioactivity, and it continues to spin, even if dictators use it to poison critics in their tea.

(c) So, enemies who retreat cannot get healed from the wounds. Ok, why does this break the world again?

This has very small impact on the actual combat balance of the item.

And again, if the partially petrified (turned to copper, so green and icky) wounds of this axe heal overnight, that makes the story of what the axe does booooring.

[iTreeby]

I'd probably make it a varient of the vorpal sword. On a nat 20 it does the gaze on the attack target (granting them the same saves as usual) but not limit it to things with heads. I'd possibly add that it doesn't kill golems, just makes them immune to acid and removes other resistances and vulnerabilities. It's less powerful than a vorpal sword but works on more things and generates a fair sum of money.

[Droppeddead]

Sure. The item is brutal.

(a) People aren't going to be mass producing an axe that requires an abomination of nature built by now-dead mad wizard.

No, but they still can and even just a single axe is a terrifying weapon.

(b) Magic can be brutal. This axe is the rough equivalent of magical radioactivity. The real world has actual radioactivity, and it continues to spin, even if dictators use it to poison critics in their tea.

You would need a lot of radioacitive material to even come close to being able to do the damage that the axe does. And of course, the main difference between radioacitivity and the axe is that radioactive material is dangerous to everyone.

(c) So, enemies who retreat cannot get healed from the wounds. Ok, why does this break the world again?

Like I said, it has potentially lifelong consequences and it seriously messes up the economy.

This has very small impact on the actual combat balance of the item.

Sure, if killing stuff is all your game is about then it's not as huge an impact. Many people enjoy other things in their game. If you look at the consequences for the world as a whole, they are far-reaching indeed.

And again, if the partially petrified (turned to copper, so green and icky) wounds of this axe heal overnight, that makes the story of what the axe does booooring.

If that's your opinion. Personally I think having the ability to destroy whole regions with an axe seems kind of boring.

[Mr Adventurer]

even just a single axe is a terrifying weapon.

I mean. So's a Wand of Fireballs.

[Droppeddead]

I mean. So's a Wand of Fireballs.

A wand of fireballs doesn't require a small fortune of diamond dust to heal even the tiniest of burns, though. You need to see the whole picture.

[Benny89]

Cuprum Mortem: (Attunement)
This magical greataxe was crafted from the spinal column of a basilisk abomination. Its boney origins are revealed in its shape, and it is covered in what appears to be a plating of green oxidized copper. When attacking with this axe, you gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. In addition, the wounds caused by this axe partly turn the flesh to copper; all damage by this axe lowers the creature's maximum HP, as healing the flesh turned copper is impossible. The maximum HP reduction lasts until the partial petrification is cured by a greater restoration spell.

If you score a critical hit with the is weapon, the petrification starts to expand. At the start of each of the creature's turns it must make a DC 13 constitution saving throw; on success, the effect ends. On the first failure the creature becomes restrained, and on the second failure the creature is killed as their skin and circulatory system is turned into copper. If a greater restoration is cast on the mostly intact corpse within 24 hours, the effect is reversed, but the creature remains dead.

If you aren't attuned to this axe, each turn you are holding the axe, and every time you hit with it, you take 1d6 acid and 1d6 necrotic damage as its magic turns your flesh to copper.

---

If harvested, this copper is a small fraction of the creature's weight. Once cleaned, it would be worth about:

Tiny: 1 sp (0.2 lbs)
Small: 5 sp (0.5 lbs)
Medium: 1 gp (2 lbs)
Large: 5 gp (10 lbs)
Huge: 15 gp (30 lbs)
Gargantuan: 50 gp (100 lbs)

(I did the math, those are about right, once you round; coins are 50 to the lbs, so 100 cp are worth 1 gp and weigh 2 lbs. I have copper yield growing with the square of the size of the monster, not the cube, as it is mostly a surface effect.)

NICE! I would go with that 100%. I will implement this item for one of my players who play greataxe Conquest Paladin. He will LOVE it.

[Yakk]

A mundane axe in the real world can cut off people's hands. Diamond dust won't fix that.

I really don't get the pearl clutching.

[JackPhoenix]

A wand of fireballs doesn't require a small fortune of diamond dust to heal even the tiniest of burns, though. You need to see the whole picture.

Well, considering most people have 4 hp, you do need a pile of diamond dust to "heal" them after someone uses a Wand of Fireball on them. Meanwhile, the only ones who really cares about the axe are the PCs. Everyone else either dies anyway, or shouldn't be getting in situations where their HP matter in the first place.

[furby076]

Great idea! like the one proposal where the person even listed the value for said copper, though think it's a tiny bit low. If you are giving this out, then the party is fairly decent level and has gold a plenty. I'd quadruple those values and not think twice. To be honest, if I were the barbarian, I would use those copper enemies as trophies for my base. Kind of like Tercota warriors!

Make it so the ability is rare (1-2 times per long rest) but not so rare it's never used...besides, the saving throw is relatively low for a t3+ group. BBEGs tend to have great saves or legendary saves.

Tell the player you are trying something new and may need to scale back or even possibly scale up

[furby076]

oh, i just thought of so much fun
1) Kill a beholder with this. Open a tavern. Have it floating right in front of the door (on the inside). Commission a wizard to have a perm tensors floating disk under it to make it float. Call the inn "Eye of the Beholder V" :D
2) Kill creatures, and have a metal smith cleanly slice through them to use the copper statues as real life body reference manuals
3) Open a museum showing denizens of the world

This item has so many fun RP attributes