Welcome to the first installment of Magical Market, an article devoted to providing a number of new and unique magical items. This week I’ve been reading The Brinewall Legacy, the first adventure in the Jade Regent Adventure Path, as we’ll be reviewing it in our podcast this Friday. One of the things that struck me in the adventure were the named and unique weapons that had cool abilities, while still being available at low levels. As a result, I thought I’d try to make a few unique weapons here.
Death's Whisper
This +1 dagger was custom-made for the leader of a powerful assassin’s guild. Its appearance is plain and nondescript, with a serviceable steel blade and a simple black handle. Its only concession to adornment is an inscription on the handle, which reads “It is a blessed man who knows not his time.”
Three times per day, as a spell-like ability, the wielder may cast either invisibility or silence.
Ebon Reaper
This +1 scythe is rumored to have been crafted from the souls of the restless dead, though in fact it is forged from more mundane materials: the blade is finely-carved ebony, and the long handle is actually made from the spine of the necromancer Kel-suth. In fact, the weapon serves as a prison for Kel-suth’s soul, and it is his spirit that grants it its power. The weapon was crafted by Kel-suth’s apprentice, who slew his master and bound his spirit to the scythe not only to prevent his master from returning, but also to grant himself a powerful weapon.
Ebon Reaper has three special abilities. The first is that, once per day, the wielder may cast phantasmal image as a spell-like ability (DC 18).
The second is that any time Ebon Reaper deals damage to a living creature, it deals an additional 1d4 points of negative energy damage. This second ability counts as a +1 equivalent magic weapon special ability for the purposes of further enchanting the blade.
The third is that, once per day, the wielder may confer with the spirit of Kel-suth for advice and guidance. Consulting the spirit in this way takes 10 minutes, and provides a +4 circumstance bonus to a single Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), or Spellcraft check. In the case of Knowledge checks, this ability also allows the check to be made untrained.
Icicle
This magical longbow is crafted from wood harvested from the frozen north, in places where frost stays on the ground the entire year. Its strings are made from the tendons of winter wolves, and it was personally blessed by a powerful priest of the god of winter. It is always cold to the touch, even in the warmest environments.
For most of its history, Icicle has been held by various barbarian chieftains in the frozen north, who use it not only as a source of limitless ammunition (see below), but also as a status symbol. It is believed that the winter gods smile on any tribe whose leader wields Icicle, and that such tribes will not be visited as heavily by winter weather as their rivals. In recent years, Icicle has been seen outside the frozen north, most recently in hot and steamy jungles.
While Icicle does not have an enhancement bonus, it does have magical properties. At will, as a standard action, the wielder can have the bow create a single arrow made of pure frost and fire it. This spell-like ability functions identically to the spell ray of frost.
Skullcrusher
This +1 battleaxe was forged with the blood of over a dozen barbarian chieftains mixed into its steel, in order to grant their battle prowess to those who wield it.
If the wielder has the rage class feature, he can use that class feature for an additional 15 rounds each day. Otherwise, the wielder can cast rage as a spell-like ability three times per day. If the weapon changes wielders after this ability is used at least once in the day, every 5 rounds of additional rage reduce the number of times the rage spell-like ability can be cast by 1, and vice versa.
Additionally, whenever Skullcrusher confirms a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d8 points of damage to the target. This additional damage is not modified by the weapon’s critical hit modifier.
Vengeful Cyclone
This +1/+1 two-bladed sword contains the trapped essence of a malicious spirit that controlled the winds to cause mayhem and mischief throughout the land. The spirit was eventually subdued by Jorg Steelsoul, a warrior and renowned smith, who forged its spiritual essence into this fine sword, which he then presented to the local lord as proof of his conquest over the spirit.
This unique origin gives Vengeful Cyclone a number of unique powers. First of all, once per day, the wielder can, himself, harness the power of the winds. This spell-like ability functions as either the spell gust of wind or the spell protection from arrows. Secondly, whenever Vengeful Cyclone confirms a critical hit, it deals an additional 1d6 points of sonic damage to the target. This additional damage is not modified by the weapon’s critical hit modifier.