Nightmare Blade (3.5e Equipment)

Nightmare Blade
It has been said that demons exist to bring woe upon mankind, and yet many of the worst atrocities which blight the world were born from man's carelessness. Such was the case of the nameless blade, forged for battle and wielded by many a great warrior over the ages. It was inevitable that it would find its way into the hands of darker hearts, and the once proud blade soaked in murder-born blood. Centuries of warfare imbued the blade with the blood-thirst of mankind, and it awoke unto the world as a demon by the name of Holocaust, and its material form known as the Nightmare Blade. Summary::The Nightmare Blade is a terrible cursed shapeshifting blade which is nevertheless prized for its destructive capabilities. It takes on an organic appearance, forged from meat and bone, but is as hard as steel.

The Nightmare Blade is a intelligent +6 anarchic unholy vampiricSpC vicious weapon which generally defaults to a greatsword. However, it can transform into any weapon as a standard action and often does so of its own volition to best fit the user's preference. When a creature is slain by by the weapon, their soul is torn from their body and consumed, preventing revival by anything short of wish or miracle and healing the wielder of the blade 1 hp per HD the absorbed creature possessed, as well as clearing them of any afflictions covered by the heal spell. This benefit is doubled if it consumes the soul of a neutral creature, and tripled if it absorbs the soul of a good aligned creature. It is a euphoric experience for the wielder, who often will proceed to crave more and more.

As an intelligent weapon, the Nightmare Blade is a chaotic evil aligned weapon that has Int 26, Wis 26, Cha 28, and an Ego of 51. It has four lesser powers and three greater powers, and a special purpose to destroy its counterpart, another shapeshifting weapon known as Aethereal Blade. It has 120 ft. darkvision, blindsense, and hearing and telepathy (though it rarely speaks and does not possess normal speech). It has the following powers:

At will- detect magic, detect thoughts (DC 21); 3/day-fear (DC 23), locate object; 1/day-major image (DC 22), wall of fire (DC 23) (ring shape with the wielder at the center). The spell DCs are Charisma based, at caster level 20th.

When faced against Aethereal Blade, its special power activates; phantasmal killer at will, which it will often use on its own every round when able.

As a major artifact, few things can stop the indestructible blade. If stabbed with the Aethereal Blade, it will join with its other half and both will go inert. The subsequent blade can then be destroyed by normal means. The powerful selfless sacrifice by a major deity of war may also allow the blade to be broken by traditional means. Holy epic weapons can technically damage it, sundering it, but the weapon will still be alive and active and merely bringing the shards within 30 feet of each other will reform the blade within 1 round. Breaking the blade (permanently or otherwise) may release the demon Holocaust within, a lesser paragon balor who lives in his own divinely morphic demiplane under his control, an unfortunate surprise for any seeking to control or destroy the weapon.

When Nightmare Blade is without an owner (even if it is broken), it can emit a sympathy effect to guide creatures into grasping its blade. It has no compulsions in dominating and controlling creatures which do not give it souls or follow a chaotic evil path.