Bloodroot Ward (Patreon)

🛡️🌹🩸 You discover a traveler’s lifeless body that bear unusual wounds. Strange cuts, neither resembling animal attacks nor weaponry. Amid his belongings, you find a wooden shield, its face intricately carved.  As you grasp the shield, a creature emerges from the shadows, it’s claws slashing across your face. Blood flows, but instead of pain, you feel a surge of protection. The enchanted shield absorbs the attack, channeling your life essence to shield you from harm.  Your party swiftly dispatches the creature, but the shield absorbs your dripping blood, crimson tears falling from its eyes.

The following day, your arrival in a nearby town introduces a development. The shield stabs you with thorns, drawing upon your life essence once more. Your attempts to discard the shield prove futile as the thorns dig deeper into your flesh..  You turn to a wizard for guidance, who reveals that the shield originates from the Godwoods, a sacred orchard of sentient trees. The curse afflicting the shield, he explains, can only be lifted by returning it to the soil from which it came. Failure to do so will result in the relentless siphoning of your life force. Will you and your party rid yourselves of this malevolent item, or will you decide to make use of its blood powered protection? 🛡️🌹🩸

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bloodroot Ward

Armor (shield), rare (requires attunement)

This wooden shield appears weathered and aged, with deep crimson veins crisscrossing its surface like the roots of a tree.

This shield has 3 charges and regains all expended charges at dawn.

When you are hit by a bludgeoning, slashing, or piercing attack while wielding this shield, you can expend one of the shield's charges as a reaction to absorb the blood drawn by the blow, gaining temporary hit points equal to half the damage taken from that attack (rounded down). Following this absorption, the shield starts to weep blood continuously for 1 minute.

Cursed. The Bloodroot Ward has a thirst for blood. If it doesn't absorb blood at least once in a 24-hour period, sharp thorns emerge from its surface at the next sunset. When donned, the wielder takes 1d6 piercing damage from the thorns digging into their hand. They must then make a Constitution saving throw (DC 15); on a failed save, the shield becomes stuck to their hand and requires a Strength (Athletics) check (DC 18) to be removed.