Today we’re going to take a look at another unique magical item, though not for an underused melee weapon – instead this idea is one that has been gnawing at the back of my head for a while, an item that allows a character to actually invest some of their limited resources in order to get more power out of the weapon. Hit Dice are a very potent resource that can provide some much needed healing for characters in a pinch. So what happens if we give a warrior class another enticing use for them?
The Blades of Investiture are artifacts of a bygone era. No one remembers exactly who forged the first of them, or for what purpose, but their mark has been made on history more than once, showing up in the hands of heroes and villains alike at crucial moments in time.
The truth is probably stranger than the legends that have sprung up around them – there were originally 21 of these blades created, one a day in a three week long ceremony to arm a chapter of knights in order to bless a military campaign they were about to start on. During this process, each of the knights’ squires were sacrificed, their life forces bound to the weapons that would go on to serve their masters.
The enchantments cast upon the weapons proved to be fruitful in battle, so much so that the chapter immediately ordered the ritual to be written down and sealed within their vaults to be brought out again so that the next generation of chapter knights could also wield these weapons. Only two more were ever created before the knighthood was destroyed, and the book containing the ritual along with it.
Since then these 23 blades have appeared throughout history, often found in dangerous locations where vicious monsters wait to be slain, still in the hands of the fallen heroes that previously attempted. Many of these blades have developed crusades of their own in the years since their creation, the souls of the squires that aided in their construction carrying on their knightly ideals after their physical death.
So there you have it – magical weapons that your high Hit Die classes are going to crave for some extra burst damage. Might even make a barbarian stop and think twice about wielding a humble short sword if they can squeeze an extra d12 of damage out of it a few times per day. But they may have to fight the paladin and rogue off first who are looking to stack on some extra damage to their divine smite and sneak attacks. I’m curious to hear your thoughts about tying up resources like Hit Dice in magic items. It was my first time playing around with the concept and while I’d like to see it in practice on the table before I render a final verdict, but I really like it in concept. How would you use these weapons in your home game?
Ben Erickson
