Thousand Rat Shiv [CARD] (Patreon)

Weapon (dagger), legendary (requires attunement)

A dagger depicting rats multiplying down its blade.

You gain +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. This weapon has 8 charges and regains all charges after a long rest. While attuned to this weapon you ignore the effects of disease, and the weapon gains the following properties:

Plague Bite. When you hit a creature with this weapon you can spend a charge to deal an additional 1d8 poison damage. If you do, the creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. If you score a critical hit against a creature with this weapon it automatically fails the saving throw. A creature poisoned in this way can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. When a creature poisoned this way dies or you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack made with this dagger, the body is consumed and a Swarm of Rats erupts from the corpse. Any time one of these swarms reduces a creature to 0 hit points, another Swarm of Rats erupts from that creature’s corpse as well. All swarms summoned by this dagger and its effects remain for 10 minutes, after which they fade out of existence.

Pack Rat. At the start of your turn, you can use a free action to mentally command these swarms of rats to move in any direction and attack a target as part of that free action. As a bonus action or reaction to taking damage, you can magically swap places with any swarm summoned by this dagger. If you swapped places with a swarm as a reaction the swarm takes the damage in your place.

Inspired by plagues of old, this seemingly innocuous dagger brings ruin to any foe unlucky enough to experience its bite. With every passing moment the horde of vermin amasses as the very earth is blotted from sight. And amongst the shadows of the swarms you prowl, waiting for the perfect time to strike and claim yet another victim, adding to the festering mass that floods the blackened land.