Sanguine (Patreon)

Weapon (longsword), rare (requires attunement)

This magic weapon appears as an ornate silver hilt with no blade. A DC 17 investigation check reveals there are spikes hidden within the handle.

You deal an extra 2d8 necrotic damage with this weapon. If a creature is reduced to 0 hit points from an attack with this weapon, you gain temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt by the attack. These hit points remain until you take a short or long rest.

Cursed. If you pick this hilt up by the handle, spikes pierce into your hand, preventing you from dropping the hilt. The sword is immediately attuned to you and cannot be dropped until the attunement ends. If you already have the maximum amount of items attuned to you, you must choose one to end your attunement to. You cannot end your attunement to Sanguine until you are targeted by the Remove Curse spell or similar effect. After your hand has been pierced, the blood travels up the hilt, forming a crimson blade.

If a creature has not been reduced to 0 hit points by an attack with this weapon within 24 hours, Sanguine’s spikes pierce into your hand, reducing your maximum hit points by 1d6 until you do. This process repeats every 24 hours from the last time a creature was reduced to 0 hit points by Sanguine.

Blood blades such as these are as ravenous as their creators. Commonly wielded by vampire lords who have no qualms about spilling copious amounts of mortal blood, these swords grant their wielders a wellspring of lifeforce drained from fallen foes. When not employed by their vampiric creators, they can be left as traps to awaken a mortal’s bloodlust, as well as a curiosity to seek out the sanguine lords themselves. The hapless fools could become fine meals, or perhaps new bloodfiends to add to the masters’ ranks.