D&D 5E Ivory (Mimic) Sowrd

[Shrapp Hamnier]

I'm thinking of having my party find this interesting... weapon on one of their adventures. Probably one where there are just a ton of mimics everywhere, so the fact that this thing turns out to be a mimic shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

My question is if it seems balanced, and if there is a way I can more succinctly describe it. Thank you in advance.

Edit: I've changed to a new style of how the sword remains a viable option at least for a while, and made its berserk ability the random version.



Ivory (mimic) sword: it is impossible to tell if this white longsword is made out of ivory or some bleached metal. Basic investigation reveals only that it seems unusual and quivers slightly in one's grasp. Better investigation reveals it is in fact an albino mimic. It can be convinced it to take the form of any melee two-handed or versatile weapon by spending a week of downtime training with the mimic and another of the desired weapon. The mimic maintains all the stats of the weapon, except two handed weapons can be used with one hand, versatile weapons use their two handed damage when used with one hand, and either type of weapon gains +5 to damage if still used with both hands (it seems to twist to get maximum damage).

To keep the mimic friendly, it must be fed as though it were another party member, otherwise it attacks its wielder. When attacking, if it lands a critical hit, after dealing damage the mimic attaches to the attacked creature and remains attached dealing its normal mimic damage at the end of each of your turns until the creature is dead. It must then be allowed 10 minutes to eat its fill before it can be retrieved again as a weapon. Any valuables carried by the victim are left unscathed (though a but slimy) in a pile.

 

[Satyrn]

I barely worry about balance in magic items - so long as they're not overwhelming it doesn't matter to me - and I'd worry even less about an item that could just up and leave at its whim.

So, I like this item. It's cool. Personally, though, I'd handle it a little differently, because as you've got it it still feels too much in under the players control.

Instead of that +5 to attack and bonus damage, I'd say that on a crit, the mimic attaches to the target. This way the player doesn't get to control when the mimic does its thing; and the well-defined trigger means you as the DM don't have to ever think about it (except for the first time, as you surprise the players with this cool feature!)

 

[Wednesday Boy]

That's such an incredible concept for a magic item. As a player I wouldn't care how good it actually is mechanically. Using a mimic weapon is the epitome of awesome and that alone would have me hooked.

And I really like Satyrn's idea of it getting hungry and going berserk on its own.

Aw man, now I want to play a beastmaster ranger with a mimic as his sidekick.

 

[jaelis]

It is a little confusing that the sword is bone white, but still appears to be made out of steel...

 

[Shrapp Hamnier]

I barely worry about balance in magic items - so long as they're not overwhelming it doesn't matter to me - and I'd worry even less about an item that could just up and leave at its whim.

So, I like this item. It's cool. Personally, though, I'd handle it a little differently, because as you've got it it still feels too much in under the players control.

Instead of that +5 to attack and bonus damage, I'd say that on a crit, the mimic attaches to the target. This way the player doesn't get to control when the mimic does its thing; and the well-defined trigger means you as the DM don't have to ever think about it (except for the first time, as you surprise the players with this cool feature!)

Interesting. I really want the player and the mimic to basically form a pact with each other. "Hey, you help me in combat, and I'll make sure you never go hungry." But I do really like the mimic just going berserk on its own.

That's such an incredible concept for a magic item. As a player I wouldn't care how good it actually is mechanically. Using a mimic weapon is the epitome of awesome and that alone would have me hooked.

And I really like Satyrn's idea of it getting hungry and going berserk on its own.

Aw man, now I want to play a beastmaster ranger with a mimic as his sidekick.

So maybe I won't worry about giving it a gimic (beyond, you know, the obvious). It just seems like it attaching to your target on a crit is almost a punishment... and of course as I type this, I come up with a replacement gimic.

It is a little confusing that the sword is bone white, but still appears to be made out of steel...

The idea is anything the albino mimic turns into is also albino, hence why it had to come up with something other than a white chest or other thing mimics usually turn into. Most things that are that different adventurers are more wary around, but unusual weapons are sought after almost more ravenously than gold. Its deductive reasoning would probably be a BIT different, but that would be the general idea. As for it being made of steel, it can appear to be made of something despite being a different color (this in fact adds to the exoticness).

 

[Wednesday Boy]

The idea is anything the albino mimic turns into is also albino, hence why it had to come up with something other than a white chest or other thing mimics usually turn into. Most things that are that different adventurers are more wary around, but unusual weapons are sought after almost more ravenously than gold. Its deductive reasoning would probably be a BIT different, but that would be the general idea. As for it being made of steel, it can appear to be made of something despite being a different color (this in fact adds to the exoticness).

Its albinism is a good rationale for why it would strike a mutually symbiotic relationship with the adventurer. If everything it turns into is white, its camouflage would rarely work and it would likely have a difficult time feeding itself. But if it can pal around as the adventurer's sword it'll get all the food it wants.

 

[Shrapp Hamnier]

Its albinism is a good rationale for why it would strike a mutually symbiotic relationship with the adventurer. If everything it turns into is white, its camouflage would rarely work and it would likely have a difficult time feeding itself. But if it can pal around as the adventurer's sword it'll get all the food it wants.

Exactly.

 

[Satyrn]

So maybe I won't worry about giving it a gimic (beyond, you know, the obvious). It just seems like it attaching to your target on a crit is almost a punishment... and of course as I type this, I come up with a replacement gimic.

I kinda thought the same thing afterward. My suggestions are often meant to be examples of what I mean rather than suggestions on specific examples - so if triggering on a crit felt wrong to you I hoped it would at least lead you to thing of something else, something better

I also came up with a cooler, better trigger: When the wielder rolls a 1 on an attack roll with the weapon, he can reroll the attack (like the Halfling's luck feature! ). If the reroll hits, the mimic attaches and does it's thing.

See, rather than than taking away the weapon on a crit, he gets a chance to turn a miss into a hit - at the the cost if losing the weapon.

And though he's lost the weapon, the party has gained an ally combatant for as long as the target lives, so even that's not a big loss.

 

[Shrapp Hamnier]

I kinda thought the same thing afterward. My suggestions are often meant to be examples of what I mean rather than suggestions on specific examples - so if triggering on a crit felt wrong to you I hoped it would at least lead you to thing of something else, something better

I also came up with a cooler, better trigger: When the wielder rolls a 1 on an attack roll with the weapon, he can reroll the attack (like the Halfling's luck feature! ). If the reroll hits, the mimic attaches and does it's thing.

See, rather than than taking away the weapon on a crit, he gets a chance to turn a miss into a hit - at the the cost if losing the weapon.

And though he's lost the weapon, the party has gained an ally combatant for as long as the target lives, so even that's not a big loss.

I thought of that too, but i have always treated 1 as things like stumbling and cutting yourself, take damage equal to your level. Maybe 2-3? Or if you fail by more than 5?

 

[Satyrn]

I thought of that too, but i have always treated 1 as things like stumbling and cutting yourself, take damage equal to your level. Maybe 2-3? Or if you fail by more than 5?

How do you handle the halfling's luck feature? (he asks, guessing you haven't actually needed to yet)