Nightbringer
Weapon (Longsword), Legendary Artifact (requires attunement), Sentient, Cursed.
Nightbringer is a weapon forged from a single drop of blood shed by the Chained God when he cut himself on the mote of absolute evil that formed the Abyss.
You gain +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Nightbringer also has the following properties:
- Critical strikes deal an extra 2d8 necrotic damage.
- A creature struck with the Nightbringer loses immunity and resistance to necrotic damage, if any, until the end of its next short rest.
- You can speak and read Abyssal.
- Undead have disadvantage on all attacks against you.
While wielding this weapon, you also gain the following abilities:
- Lord of the Shambling Dead: Once per day you can speak the command word and all undead within 30 feet of you must succeed on a wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you until the next dawn.
- Devourer of souls: When you reduce a foe to 0 hit points with Nightbringer, you gain an amount of hit points equal to the damage dealt to kill the creature. If you are already at maximum hit points or this takes you to maximum hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to the excess healing. You can do this once per short rest.
A wielder cannot break attunement with Nightbringer unless the sword is pleased with its owner.
Concordance with the Nightbringer
| Starting score | 5 |
|---|---|
| Owner gains a level | +1d10 |
| Owner is undead | +2 |
| Owner slays a level 18 or higher follower of a good deity | +2 |
| Owner kills a priest of Orcus | +1 |
| Owner fights a battle without using Nightbringer | -2 |
| Owner refused to follow Nightbringer’s suggestion | -2 |
Levels of Concordance
- Pleased 16-20
- Satisfied 12-15
- Normal 5-11
- Unsatisfied 1-4
- Angered 0 or lower
Pleased
Nightbringer and its wielder have formed a powerful team, with the sword pleased that it has found a warrior willing to take up arms in its unholy crusade.
- Critical damage increases another 2d10.
- You gain immunity to Necrotic damage.
- You gain advantage on all attacks with Nightbringer against Undead.
- Feast of Life: As a bonus action, you may expend a hit die. The next time you deal damage with Nightbringer, you deal an extra 2d10 damage. You can do this once per long rest.
- Shadow Life: If you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, you gain 1 hit point. Yhou lose 1 Concordance with Nightbringer.
- Call of Orcus: You and up to eight willing allies teleport to Thanatos, the realm of Orcus.
Satisfied
The wielder has slain Nightbringer’s enemies and gained the sword’s confidence that he or she is a skilled warrior who can help bring about its aims.
- Feast of Life: As a bonus action, you may expend a hit die. The next time you deal damage with Nightbringer, you deal an extra 2d10 damage. You can do this once per long rest.
Normal
The sword is neither pleased nor angry with its wielder. It waits to see how its new bearer handles himself in battle, hoping that he is a bloodthirsty, driven combatant who can prove useful in its dark crusade.
Unsatisfied
Nightbringer craves battle, and denying it the chance to devour the souls of its enemies pushes it to seek a new master. It works in subtle ways to ensure the death of its owner.
- Turn the Edge of Chance: Each time the Nightbringer's owner is hit with an attack that isn't a critical hit, roll a d20. On a 19 or higher, the hit is a critical hit. Nightbringer uses this ability every time the bearer is hit.
Angered
If Nightbringer’s wielder angers the sword, it takes matters into its own hands, arranging the death of its bearer so that it may find a more amenable wielder.
- Nightbringer's owner takes a -5 penalty on death saving throws.
- Turn the Edge of Chance: Each time the Nightbringer's owner is hit with an attack that isn't a critical hit, roll a d20. On a 19 or higher, the hit is a critical hit. Nightbringer uses this ability every time the bearer is hit.