Pearler's Blade (Patreon)

Weapon (dagger), uncommon

This peculiar blade is made with a clamped-together pair of sharpened oyster shells. Its handle has been patinaed from use near the water over time and has a pearlized, wave-like design just above its wooden grip. A single pearl is implanted within the blade and always has a watery sheen.

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. If the dagger is left to rest in water for 8 consecutive hours, there is a chance that the blade opens up at the end of that time to reveal a single white pearl worth 100 gp. The percent chance to open is equal to 10 times the highest challenge rating of any creature slain with the dagger since it was last left to rest in the water, up to a maximum of 50 percent. The blade closes again once the pearl is removed.

The student handed his course materials list to the huntress. He was well past the typical deadline for requesting materials, and he knew it. She knew it, too, and made sure to scowl at the young wizard as she scolded him.

"Do you have any idea how many pearls it takes to supply this college? I'm somehow expected to provide enough Identify components for half the Spire's divination courses, and all the crafting tracks, and I'm just meant to magically find enough pearls to do it every semester? And then I have kids like you coming in here late, shifting your stress over to me to help you out of a bind?"

The boy hung his head, saying, "I know, I know. I'm so sorry I'm late. I've been trying to scrape together enough materials on my own, but good pearls are so hard to find when there are others like me checking every other shell out there. Is there any way—"

She turned her head to the case behind her and waved him into silence. With well-practiced theatrics, she wedged a drawer open to reveal a shell-like dagger sitting beside a bed of perfect pearls.

"The answer is that I do know how tough it is. And now you know to appreciate how hard I work for your sake. Bring me something nice next time you come by. I like pastries."