Nail of Mundanity (Patreon)

Weapon (dagger), rare

This leather-wrapped spike has been hammered into a sharpened edge. Eldritch runes run along the back of its blade, and a crude, eye-like rune has been gouged into its side. A creature hit with this weapon takes an extra 1d8 force damage from the attack. An aberration always takes the maximum amount of force damage from the dagger.

When you reduce an aberration to 0 hit points using the dagger, you can choose to speak the dagger's command phrase (no action required). When you do, the creature is transformed into a humanoid commoner (as if by the true polymorph spell) with 1 hit point and the dagger magically buried within its chest, with only the head of the nail showing. The commoner's race is random, although it is typically related to the surrounding terrain. Roll a d4 to determine its general age: child (1), adolescent (2), adult (3), or elderly (4). A creature is immune to this effect if it has the Legendary Resistance trait.

For the next 7 days, you have advantage on Charisma checks you make to interact with the commoner.

The dagger remains in the creature's chest until the effect is dispelled, the creature dies, or until you use an action to speak the command word again (provided that you're both on the same plane of existence). If the dagger is removed, the creature is immediately slain. The dagger then falls from its chest, and this property can't be used again until 7 days have passed.

The half elf drifted around the room, movements graceful yet near-inhumanly fluid.

"You want my story? Excellent! I'd figured I'd been forgotten! Now, to begin… deep within the realms of madness, my abominations faced and fell before the stalwart adventurers! But I—a terror in those days, I promise—fought them to a standstill, forcing them to their last resort."

He opened his tunic to reveal a metal stud.

"I became what you see now. Still, despite the nail's nature I pulled against the group…

"Until I paid attention. One stood out: a dwarven craftsman, born with no magic but with an artisan's will. My perfect opposite, someone I never would've noticed before, yet I sought any excuse to work with him during their journey.

"I thought it'd all be temporary, that I'd seek a cure once I understood my new life, but…"

He adjusted a ring on his hand, polished with evident care.

"…once I had, it would've been quite unfair to my husband."

—Interview with Od'drask'tar'gel of the Thousand Stars O'dell, shopkeeper of Odds and Mends, recorded in Exiles of the Planes