D&D 5E Can YOU Balance this Magic Item??

[TaranTheWanderer]

Hey, just want to pool the hive mind.

One of the players in our game is going to ask the dm for a custom magic item. We are looking to balance it. We are a 10th level party and the group barbarian wants a giant 'anime' sword. I'm not the DM, but the player was asking my opinion before submitting it to the DM. I'm not good at eyeing these things. Nothing seems overly powerful individually but all together, I'm not sure.

This is what he's come up with:
A giant 10-foot long, +1 Great sword (2 handed, heavy property) This weapon weighs 600lbs

Ability- Because of it's weight and size, If you are not attuned to this weapon you can not lift weild it. When attuned, it is considered to have all the properties of a regular Greatsword (weight/damage etc..) and also includes the following:
Ability- The sword fits in any sheath (even a dagger sheath) but when you draw it, it takes on it's full length
Ability - 10-foot reach, one two handed

The sword has 12 charges that power the following abilities:
Ability Summon- As your action you can expend 1 of your charges to summon the sword to you from any point in the same plain of existence.
Ability Sweep- As your attack action you expend 2 charges to spin around attacking everyone within 10-feet range. Anyone caught in the area must make a dex save or take 2d6+ your strength on a failed save, and half on a successful save.
Ability Smash- As your attack action you expend 2 charges smashing the ground in front of you, everyone must in a 15-foot cone make a dex save or be knocked prone.

Attunement: to attune to this weapon, you must sacrifice a magical weapon which the sword absorbs into itself

Sword regains 1d4+2 charges every long rest. Toying with a recharge cost - possibly sacrificing a non-magical weapon. The amount of recharge is equal to the rolled amount of the damage dice of the weapon. Eg: a dagger would recharge 1d4 charges. Only 1 weapon can be sacrificed/day.

To me, the most powerful ability seems to be the ability to wield a heavy property, 10 foot reach great sword in one hand. I think the barbarian is planning to take Great Weapon Master at 12th, so I could see that as being powerful.

Thanks for your help in advance and any other suggestions are welcome!

 

[BookTenTiger]

I don't have any balancing suggestions, but I want to say this looks like a really fun item! I like how you are adding different abilities that are very cinematic.

 

[Spankypants]

Does sound fun! If you later find flaws in the process, this could be "balanced" by the giants who come looking for their heirloom...

 

[Bacon Bits]

Ability- If you are not attuned to this weapon you can not lift it.

This is the most powerful ability by far, IMO. It's basically an Immovable Rod. Anybody who has read the Thor comics will have a number of ideas for abusing this. It also raises questions like if the weilder can be lifted.

Every other ability is just "this deals a lot of damage" and is another example of players trying to backdoor Monkey Grip. That makes me sigh internally, but okay.

To me, the most powerful ability seems to be the ability to wield a heavy property, 10 foot reach great sword in one hand. I think the barbarian is planning to take Great Weapon Master at 12th, so I could see that as being powerful.

I guess I don't see why it's Heavy if it's not Two-handed. A de facto weapon rule is that all Heavy weapons are Two-handed. Conceptually I kinda struggle with ignoring that. Like, Sun Blade is a longsword with the Finesse property because it's a lightsaber. Why isn't this a Greatsword with Versatile and Reach but losing Two-handed and Heavy? Or a Greatsword that lets an attuned creature choose to either have it both Two-handed and Heavy or choose to have it Versatile.

Otherwise it's probably a Legendary item.

 

[MattW]

Don't let it automatically recharge after a "short rest". If it has only 12 charges and CANNOT BE RECHARGED then it will be a "cool" magic item that gets used in real emergencies.

If you want it to be recharged, make it an interesting cost. Of course, that will vary on what your players find interesting and fun. A dark campaign might require a month of the wielder's lifespan per charge... A lighter one might require the barbarian to sacrifice something to his gods (booze, gold, sheep, whatever).

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

This is the most powerful ability by far, IMO. It's basically an Immovable Rod. Anybody who has read the Thor comics will have a number of ideas for abusing this. It also raises questions like if the weilder can be lifted.

Every other ability is just "this deals a lot of damage" and is another example of players trying to backdoor Monkey Grip. That makes me sigh internally, but okay.



I guess I don't see why it's Heavy if it's not Two-handed. A de facto weapon rule is that all Heavy weapons are Two-handed. Conceptually I kinda struggle with ignoring that. Like, Sun Blade is a longsword with the Finesse property because it's a lightsaber. Why isn't this a Greatsword with Versatile and Reach but losing Two-handed and Heavy? Or a Greatsword that lets an attuned creature choose to either have it both Two-handed and Heavy or choose to have it Versatile.

Otherwise it's probably a Legendary item.

Yeah, the immovable thing is weird. It might be better to say, 'cannot be wielded with proficiency' or something. Essentially, it's totally unwieldly without attunement.

I don't see how it does lots of damage? There's only one damaging property and that's the 10 foot AoE. Which only does 2d6+5 with no chance of a crit because it's a dex save for half. Which could be a lot of damage if he's totally surrounded, if you add it all up together. Unless you are just talking about wielding a 2d6 weapon in one hand as a lot of damage. Once again, in my estimation, the 'monkey grip' seemed the ability most prone for abuse.

The one other ability just knocks people prone. which is a lesser form of Gust of Wind, I think(if I'm remembering the correct spell).

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Don't let it automatically recharge after a "short rest". If it has only 12 charges and CANNOT BE RECHARGED then it will be a "cool" magic item that gets used in real emergencies.

If you want it to be recharged, make it an interesting cost. Of course, that will vary on what your players find interesting and fun. A dark campaign might require a month of the wielder's lifespan per charge... A lighter one might require the barbarian to sacrifice something to his gods (booze, gold, sheep, whatever).

The character is a weapons collector...maybe he has to sacrifice other weapons...although, given the amount of weapons found in an average adventure, I doubt that would be much of a sacrifice.

 

[MarkB]

This is the most powerful ability by far, IMO. It's basically an Immovable Rod. Anybody who has read the Thor comics will have a number of ideas for abusing this. It also raises questions like if the weilder can be lifted.

It's better than an immovable rod, because it can be summoned back to the wielder. You can set it to keep a foe pinned or block a door, leave the area, and then get it back.

 

[Xeviat]

If it's a rare or very rare attunement item with charges that recover daily, it seems fine to me. Make sure those area attacks are specifically actions so they don't work with extra attack and I think its decent as is.

I agree to change the no lift thing. Make it proficiency. You attack with it without proficiency unless you are attuned to it. This keeps it from adding immovable rod features to it. If you wanted that, then make it very rare.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Revised above

This is what he's come up with:
A giant 10-foot long, +1 Great sword (2 handed, heavy property) This weapon weighs 600lbs

Ability- Because of it's weight and size, If you are not attuned to this weapon you can not lift weild it. When attuned, it is considered to have all the properties of a regular Greatsword (weight/damage etc..) and also includes the following:
Ability- The sword fits in any sheath (even a dagger sheath) but when you draw it, it takes on it's full length
Ability - 10-foot reach, one two handed

The sword has 12 charges that power the following abilities:
Ability Summon- As your action you can expend 1 of your charges to summon the sword to you from any point in the same plain of existence.
Ability Sweep- As your attack action you expend 2 charges to spin around attacking everyone within 10-feet range. Anyone caught in the area must make a dex save or take 2d6+ your strength on a failed save, and half on a successful save.
Ability Smash- As your attack action you expend 2 charges smashing the ground in front of you, everyone must in a 15-foot cone make a dex save or be knocked prone.

Attunement: to attune to this weapon, you must sacrifice a magical weapon which the sword absorbs into itself

Sword regains 1d4+2 charges every long rest. Toying with a recharge cost - possibly sacrificing a non-magical weapon. The amount of recharge is equal to the rolled amount of the damage dice of the weapon. Eg: a dagger would recharge 1d4 charges. Only 1 weapon can be sacrificed/day.

To me, the most powerful ability seems to be the ability to wield a heavy property, 10 foot reach great sword in one hand. I think the barbarian is planning to take Great Weapon Master at 12th, so I could see that as being powerful.

Thanks for your help in advance and any other suggestions are welcome!

I edited with some of the suggestions. For your convenience, I quoted the OP.