Magical Item: A merciful sword that refuses to kill its foes, but eagerly drinks in magic. Its main purpose is to absorb all magic, refusing to be sheathed if its purpose isn't met.
Summary
- +3 flutter blade (1Handed, 1d4+1d6 piercing or slashing, 19-20 Crit)
- Move action to switch between slashing and piercing damage
- Symbols on it pulse with a faint sky blue light (rad 10' bright, rad 15' shadowy)
- Merciful: Only does subdual damage
- Mage Killer: On successful hit can steal magic (see below)
- +6 vs Magic items or effects (see below)
- Cursed Item: You can't sheathe the blade without draining magic
Mage Killer
Every successful hit with this blade steals magic, choose one of the following for the blade to eat:
- Up 6 spell levels worth of spells/day
- Up to 2 uses of a Su or Sp ability
- One infinite use Su or Sp ability
- Any spell affect currently on the user
- Any effects of a magical item, disabling it for 1 hour
- If a magical item provides multiple bonuses, only one is disabled.
- e.g. +2 Keen Flaming Weapon: Only one of those 3 effects can be stolen per attack
Note that any ability that is the equivalent of a 7th level spell or higher cannot be stolen. Also Kaern's Blade cannot affect artifacts.
On a Confirmed Critical instead of doing bonus damage, the user can steal the magic instead, being able to store it in the blade for up to 1 Hour. The user can then cast/use as if he is the original source of the magic. If the original source is destroyed, the magic is lost as well.
The owner can specifically choose to target an effect or magical item, treat this as a called shot, but with a +6 Echantment bonus. However when using this the weapon does no damage at all.
Merciful
This blade refuses to kill any living being, specifically any creature termed alive, intelligent or soulled, doing only subdual damage to these creatures.
When this blade deals damage treat it as normal for the purposes of Damage Resistance. Then apply all damage as subdual damage to the creature. The blade cannot take a creature below -5 HP, refusing to damage said creatures. It can still steal magic from them however. Note that some creatures are soulled, but can't go below 0 HP in which case they are brought to at most 1 HP, and any further damage from Kaern's Blade causes them to be Disabled: unable to do any mental or physical actions until 8 hours* or they have 1 HP** worth of healing.
This ability is also affected by the owner's thoughts. Thus if an animated item was seen as a "pet" by the owner, the blade would refuse to destroy it.
Flavour Text
This ability manifests as the blade passing through opponents, and causing them to feel more and more exhausted, or . Thus the blade is still used to slash or stab, but passes through the opponents instead, seemingly turning into a pale blue ghostly blade. Against creatures immune to subdual damage, it works like normal.
Originally named after Lord Kaern, who also created the original "Kaern" (magitech items)
Description
Kaern's Blade is a True Chaotic intelligent magic item, it does not speak, or act in any way by itself, lying dormant most of the time. The blade's refusal to kill and Magic absorption are a facet of its personality, as it was originally made to destroy wards and other magical defenses.
The blade is a pale silver colour, with glowing sky blue symbols along the length.