Blightsteel (3.5e Equipment)

Blightsteel
Blightsteel uses the Functional Weapons of Legacy variant rule.

''This dark steel greatsword has a glossy green sheen, a wide flat blade, and a shovel-like tip. It seems to grow more glossy when seeped in death and the destruction of mortal beings.''

The greatsword Blightsteel's origin was forged in an unknown land which was cursed with a painful cycle of reincarnation. Seeking to end the turning of the wheel of life its creator took it and set out to slay Death itself and end the concept of mortality once and for all. While it seems unlikely he succeeded, the blade persisted after him and escaped into other lands to be wielded by those who shun aging and death. It starts out as a +1 greatsword with a glossy pale green shine and a spade-like tip which can be used as a makeshift shovel. It crackles with a strange blade haze when swung and deals +1 additional negative energy damage if it hits touch AC, or by making a touch attack as a standard action (do not add Strength or Power Attack if you only hit touch AC). Negative energy damage can strike ethereal creatures, though in the case of ghosts it will only end up healing them. However as various rituals are made and power is gained, the weapon starts taking on stronger powers. There are five rituals that are performed, they must be performed in order (the 2nd ritual must be completed before you start the 3rd, even if you achieve the 3rd level pre-requisites). Rituals cost gold (in the form of feeding the blade raw materials) and xp, with an additional pre-requisite. Once the 1st level ritual is unlocked, the sword displays its omen effect. You can take time out and spend 8 hours bringing the weapon to the next level once you have the pre-requisites.

Blightsteel is a unique magic item, on its way to becoming an artifact. While it has a price, it cannot be completely destroyed. If reduced to 0 hp, it instead falls inert in a broken condition, and unable to be used until repaired, but is not destroyed as items usually are. It is treated as an artifact against the effects of mage's disjunction.

Omen: When drawn the sword "screams", and it leaves trails of green and black energy in its wake. They say if you stare into its glossy sheen long enough you still start to see terrible things.

1st Ritual (Dig up the Dead)
Blackstone Blade: The weapon counts as being made of Onyx regardless of actual composition.

Lesser Hexblade: If the creature it strikes is under the effect of a penalty (such as a penalty to an ability score) the penalty is worsened by 1 for the duration of the effect. Multiple attacks do not stack the penalty increase.

Intelligence: The blade awakens as an intelligent weapon with the following statistics. Blightsteel, Lawful Evil Greatsword +1, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12, Ego 5, 30 ft. vision and hearing, empathy. It can determine if a creature which touches the blade is mortal or immortal, and if they are living, unliving, or undead. This information can be communicated via empathy clearly in spite of using no words.

Blightsteel is interested in the end of mortality, and promotes schemes to become immortal or promote immortality in others. However it does not have any issues with ending lives and often will in the hopes that the next creature born is more pliable to leaving mortality behind. As far it is concerned that is the just reward for someone who has not sought freedom through immortality. It is reluctant to kill immortal creatures such as constructs, undead, and many outsiders.

Littledark: The weapon now deals +1d4 negative energy damage instead of 1 negative energy damage.

Pre-Requisites: BAB +3, must rob a grave and impale the corpse with the sword and leave it for 24 hours to absorb the energy of death from it.

Cost: 3000 gp, 120 xp

2nd Ritual (Return to Undeath)
Ally of the Dead: Blightsteel automatically sheds the effect of desecrate (with the sword counting as an alter), and mindless undead do not automatically attack you unless ordered to.

Animate Dead: Blightsteel may use animate dead 1/day as a spell-like ability, but you must still provide components. The Onyx weapon quality does work with this.

Rebuke Undead: The wielder may raise Blightsteel and rebuke undead as a cleric of their level. They may do this up to 1+the weapon's effective enhancement bonus+the number of rituals unlocked/day. With no other enhancements the 2nd ritual stage +1 greatsword has it 4/day. Rebuke attempts cannot be used to fuel other abilities or feats.

Pre-Requisites: BAB +6, a creature which was under a penalty or curse must be slain by you, then returned by any means (via raise dead or undeath).

Cost: 10,000 gp, 400 xp

3rd Ritual (Reborn in Darkness)
Deepdark: The weapon now deals +1d6 negative energy damage instead of 1d4, and gains additional +1d10 or more damage on a critical as per flaming burst.

Greater Hexblade: If the creature it strikes is under the effect of a penalty (such as a penalty to an ability score) the penalty is worsened by 2 for the duration of the effect. Multiple attacks do not stack the penalty increase.

Guarded Immortality: The wielder is immune to negative energy and negative energy effects (or positive energy if the wielder is undead or otherwise powered by negative energy).

Pre-Requisites: BAB +9, must endure either 1/2 your total HD in negative levels or 10 negative energy damage per HD in a single round and lived.

Cost: 21,000 gp, 840 xp

4th Ritual (The Spreading Darkness)
Create Undead: Blightsteel may use create undead 1/day as a spell-like ability, but you must still provide components. The Onyx weapon quality does work with this.

Shroud of the Undying: Undead under your control have a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and +4 turn resistance.

Undying Knight: When you kill a creature with the weapon you may animate them as an immediate action as per animate dead. The undead creature does not add to your total pool of undead you can control at one time, and only lasts for 1 round/level before crumbling into dust unless you provide sufficient onyx (or use the Onyx quality of your weapon) before the duration is up as a standard action touch attack. Doing so causes the undead to persist and join your control pool as normal. Using this ability uses up your use of animate dead for the day.

Pre-Requisites: BAB +12, must convince an intelligent undead to become helpful or loyal to you of its own free will.

Cost: 36,000 gp, 1440 xp

5th Ritual (Free of the Wheel of Life)
Intelligence: The blade's intelligence is improved as follows. Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 14, Ego 11, 120 ft. vision and hearing. It cans the ability to speak Common, and a special purpose and dedicated power. Its purpose is to seek an end to the cycle of life and rebirth and establish immortality, and it gains its dedicated power whenever facing an opponent which actively seeks to obstruct the acquisition of immortality. Against those creatures if it makes a killing blow it instead transforms them into an immortal, invulnerable, and helpless lump of flesh vaguely resembling their original forms and constantly growing mouths and devouring itself. It renders the creature in eternal pain, but it has effectively infinite regeneration. Nothing short of a wish or miracle can allow the creature to die (and subsequently be revived afterwards). When in this state it crackles with black energy angrily and those struck with it become aware of its terrible curse.

Superior Hexblade: If the creature it strikes is under the effect of a penalty (such as a penalty to an ability score) the penalty is worsened by 3 for the duration of the effect. Multiple attacks do not stack the penalty increase.

Undying Body: As long as the weapon is wielded the creature may treat themselves as undead, including undead traits and immortality. They visibly show signs of their unnatural state of being.

Utterdark: The weapon now deals +2d6 negative energy damage instead of 1d6, and gains additional +2d10 on a critical instead of +1d10 (per Flaming Burst).

Pre-Requisites: BAB +15, must defeat a minion of death or mortality (such as a grim reaper figure or inevitable designed to enforce life and death) with a CR equal or higher than your character level. You must make the killing blow, and then re-animate them (if they can be re-animated). You do not need to keep them after re-animation.

Cost: 55,000 gp, 2200 xp

Prerequisites: N/A.

Cost to Create: Unique item, cannot be created.