A reward in my Oriental Adventures campaign. Posted here for my PCs to reference. I am using the nemuranai tag for OA magic items since in Japanese Mythology magic items are not forged or made (this is seen as disrespectful to the indwelling spirit). Instead, the items awaken through various processes – spontaneously, or through powerful magic.
Inspired by the blade of the same name from Alita: Battle Angel.
THE DAMASCUS BLADE
Weapon (short sword), legendary (nemuranai, requires attunement by a battle angel)
Omen: The weapon quietly gives off a grima sound when it is used as it slices atoms in half.
This blade is as hard as diamond and can only be honed with high-pressure water or supersonic waves. It consists of rare metals, including scandium, yttrium and lutetium, and had patterns suggestive of Damascus steel.
As a nemuranai item, the weapon improves in line with your proficiency modifier:
- +2
- Magic I. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
- Construct Bane I. This is a +2 weapon vs constructs.
- +3
- Magic II. You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
- Construct Bane II. This is a +3 weapon vs constructs.
- +4
- Magic III. You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
- Construct Bane III. This is a +4 weapon vs constructs.
- Martial Arts Weapon. When using the Damascus blade you add your Martial Arts damage die to the damage of the Damascus blade. It also considered an unarmed attack for the purposes of monk class abilities that have this prerequisite.
- +5
- Defender. The first time you attack with the sword on each of your turns, you can transfer some or all of the sword’s bonus to your Armor Class, instead of using the bonus on any attacks that turn. For example, you could reduce the bonus to your attack and damage rolls to +1 and gain a +2 bonus to AC. The adjusted bonuses remain in effect until the start of your next turn, although you must hold the sword to gain a bonus to AC from it.
- Booming Blade. On a hit, if you so choose, the target suffers the attack’s normal effects, and it becomes sheathed in booming energy until the start of your next turn. If the target willingly moves before then, it immediately takes 1d8 thunder damage, and the effect ends. This spell’s damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 11th level, the melee attack deals an extra 1d8 thunder damage to the target, and the damage the target takes for moving increases to 2d8. Both damage rolls increase by 1d8 at 17th level.
- +6
- Smite. When you roll a 20 on an attack roll made with this weapon, the target takes an extra 7 slashing damage, or 14 force damage if it’s a construct. If a construct has 25 hit points or fewer after taking this damage, it is destroyed.
Tsukumogami
Nemuranai were man-made items of exceptional quality that had had their kami awakened, either through the skill used in creating them or through their association with great deeds. These items can usually only be attuned or used by a single person. They grow in power as the hero who owns it also grows in fame, honour and power.