Legionslayer Axe (3.5e Equipment)

Legionslayer Axe
''This black axe is covered in golden flecks of thinaun, and looks worn from battle (though it is no less deadly). The edge always seems to be slick with a thin layer of fresh blood. It radiates faint evil.''

The legionslayer axe is a bodyfeeder battleaxe +1 that grants the user the ability of the Great Cleave feat. If the user already has the Great Cleave feat they may make 2 attacks against each creature they cleave instead of one at the same bonus as the first cleave attack. When the legionslayer axe kills a creature, its soul is absorbed into the axe and grants it 1 charge. The creature's soul cannot be recovered until the axe is destroyed, or depleted of charges. The legionslayer axe can hold up to 50 charges. Any time a user makes an attack they may spend 5 or more charges to add +1d8 damage to their attack for each 5 points of damage they deal. They can spend it all at once (10d8 for all 50 charges) or bit by by.

Seems like a good deal, there is only one problem. When the soul charges of the axe are depleted to 0 or less (rendering it at 0 souls for recharging), the axe immediately extends black tendrils to grapple the target (a grapple check of +15) and the user must make a Fortitude save DC 25 or die as its soul is ripped from its body and put into the axe, giving it 1 charge. It will attempt to absorb the users soul each round it has a grapple on the user until they die or they are forcably removed.

Overcharging the axe does no good either. If the number of soul charges ever exceeds 50 charges, pale green tentacles extend in a similar way as if the axe was depleted and grapple the user. The user must then succeed on a DC 25 Will save, or become permenantly dominated as if dominate monster by a hostile collective of stolen souls driven insane by confinement and the evil of the axe. The dominated user is hostile to all living creatures and bloodthirsty, becoming chaotic evil and breaking all former ties and alliances. The effect can only be broken by break enchantment or greater effects. Protection from Evil and its variants suppress, but do not cure the subject. The axe must be pryed away from the creature before break enchantment is cast or else they will simply fall under its influence again immediately.

The worst part; there is no way to tell how many charges are within the axe. A discovered legionslayer axe holds 1d100 / 2 charges when found. The axe radiates only faint evil, but becomes overwhelming evil once its nastier side effects and ghostly tentacles are manifested.

Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, magic jar, trap the soul, vampiric touch.

Cost to Create: 12,500 gp, 1000 EXP, 25 days.