[Swordtember] Day 28 - Phantom Cutters! (Patreon)
Content
Phantom Cutters
Weapon (shortsword), rare (requires attunement)
Component: fey psyche
Many might look at the odd configuration of these weapons and think them more suitable for trimming hedges than serving in battle. The true cutting power of the blades, however, is not in the sharpness of their steel, but in their ability to sever a creature’s connection to its own body. Coincidentally, they also do trim a good hedge.
These two shortswords can only be attuned to as a unit, and only take up one attunement slot. As a bonus action, you can join them at the hilt, or separate them. In their joined form, they become a singular weapon with the two-handed and finesse properties, and a d10 damage die. You are considered proficient with it while attuned to the swords.
Shear Nerve. While holding these blades in their separated form, you can use an action to perform a special cut against a creature within 5 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or perceive its hands as having been cut off for 1 minute. While this effect lasts, the creature can’t perform any tasks that require the use of its hands (GM’s discretion), such as manipulating weapons or spell foci, performing the somatic components of spells, or attacking with claws or fists. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Once this property of the swords has been used, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Soul Slicer. While holding these blades in their joined form, you can use an action to begin spinning them until the end of your turn, with such incredible speed that they cut right through to a creature’s essence. While spinning the blades, your movement speed is halved, and whenever you move within 5 feet of a creature, it must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d6 slashing and 5d6 psychic damage on a failure, or half as much damage on a success. A creature can only be damaged by this property once per turn. Once this property of the swords has been used, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
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Uncommon variant: Reduce the save DCs to 13, and the slashing and psychic damage to 4d6. The effects of the Shear Nerve property last until the end of the affected creature’s next turn instead of 1 minute.
Very rare variant: Increase the save DCs to 16, and the slashing and psychic damage to 6d6. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with these magic weapons.
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