In Days of Old When Knights Were Bold
A few days ago, I posted D&D 5E stats for the sacred bundle and the thunder bird from the AD&D Deities & Demigods. Today, I return that tome and venture into the Arthurian Mythos for inspiration.
Also, to digress just briefly, it’s the last days of the Spes Magna Games 25th Wedding Anniversary Sale. Huzzah!
Carnwennan
Weapon (dagger), legendary (requires attunement)
White leather wraps this finely wrought dagger’s hilt. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. Against evil creatures that cast spells, Carnwennan deals an extra 2d6 slashing damage. When this dagger is held, it shrouds you in shifting shadows. Attackers have disadvantage on attack rolls against you, although attackers who do not rely on sight are immune to this effect.
Excalibur
Weapon (longsword), artifact (requires attunement by a good fighter, paladin, or ranger)
This remarkable blade belongs to the Lady of the Lake, an extremely powerful seelie queen. Its most famous wielder was King Arthur.
Excalibur is a magic, sentient longsword that grants a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. It has all the powers of a sword of sharpness (DMG, p. 206).
Random Properties. Excalibur has the following random properties.
* 1 minor beneficial property
* 1 minor detrimental property
Leadership. While Excalibur is on your person, you have advantage on Charisma checks and saving throws.
Sentience. Excalibur is a lawful good weapon with an Intelligence of 12, a Wisdom of 16, and a Charisma of 15. It has hearing and normal vision out to a range of 60 feet. The speaks, reads, and understands Common and Sylvan. Excalibur has the Destiny Seeker special purpose. It is convinced that it and its wielder are destined to rule justly and wisely.
Destroying Excalibur. It does not seem that Excalibur can be destroyed, but it can be removed from the Material Plane by slaying its wielder and tossing it into a lake within a pristine, sylvan setting. The Lady of the Lake then takes the sword back to her realm.
Excalibur’s Scabbard
Wondrous item, artifact (requires attunement by a good fighter, paladin, or ranger)
Decorated with jewels and skillful embroidery, Excalibur’s Scabbard also belongs to the Lady of the Lake.
The scabbard will hold only Excalibur. No other blade can be sheathed in it. Anyone who attempts to sheath a weapon other than Excalibur in the scabbard must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw. On a successful save, the wielder takes 3d6 radiant damage, and the offending weapon is thrown 1d6x10 feet in a random direction. On a failed save, the wielder takes the same damage, and the offending weapon vanishes into the realm of the Lady of the Lake.
While carried, the scabbard protects its owner, who gains resistance to piercing and slashing attacks and to necrotic damage. The owner also gains advantage on saving throws against effects that cause necrotic damage.
Random Properties. Excalibur’s Scabbard has the following random properties.
* 1 minor beneficial property
Destroying the Scabbard. It does not seem that the scabbard can be destroyed, but it can be removed from the Material Plane by slaying its owner and tossing it into a lake within a pristine, sylvan setting. The Lady of the Lake then takes the scabbard back to her realm. If Excalibur is not with the scabbard when this occurs, then Excalibur vanishes from its location and returns to the Lady.
Merlin’s Staff
Staff, artifact (requires attunement by a druid or wizard)
Merlin’s Staff appears to be nothing more than a snarled length of wood, crudely sanded and devoid of decoration or lacquer. It was wielded by Merlin, perhaps the most powerful spellcaster who ever lived. Stories vary on its origin. Some say Merlin made it himself, while others claim the staff was a gift to Merlin from his infernal father.
Regardless, this artifact acts as a staff of striking (DMG, p. 203) that functions up to three times per long rest as if the wielder had expended 3 charges. (Merlin’s Staff itself has no charges.)
Random Properties. Merlin’s Staff has the following random properties.
* 2 minor beneficial properties
* 1 major beneficial property
* 1 major detrimental property
Spell Absorption. When holding the staff, you have advantage on saving throws against spells. You can use your reaction when another creature casts a spell that targets only you. If you do, Merlin’s Staff absorbs the magic of the spell, canceling its effect and gaining a number of points equal to the absorbed spell’s level. You can use a bonus action when you cast a spell to expend a number of points equal to the level of the spell you’re casting. If you do so, you do not expend that spell slot. Merlin’s Staff can never have more than 18 points stored at any given time. If absorbing a spell would cause Merlin’s Staff to exceed this limit, the spell is not absorbed and takes effect normally.
Spell Storing. Merlin’s Staff can store up to 5 levels worth of spells at a time. Any creature can cast a spell of 1st through 5th level into the staff by touching the staff as the spell is cast. The spell has no effect, other than to be stored in the staff. If the staff can’t hold the spell, the spell is expend without effect. The level of the spell determines how much space it uses. While holding Merlin’s Staff, you can cast any spell stored in it. The spell uses the slot level, spell DC, spell attack bonus, and spellcasting ability of the original caster, but is other treated as if you cast the spell. The spell cast from the staff is no longer stored in it, thus freeing up space.
Destroying the Staff. Merlin’s Staff can be destroyed by taking it to the Shining Forest on Olympus. There the staff must be planted and watered with seven gallons of holy water from each the Sacred Springs found on the Seven Heavens, the Twin Paradises, Elysium, and the Happy Hunting Grounds. This opens a portal to the infernal realm ruled by Merlin’s father, after which the staff must be ground to sawdust beneath the eighty-one wheels of the Hellgrinder.
