D&D 5E Starting Weapon Idea

[ManBagel]

I plan on running a campaign and I was wondering if I could start off the players with a Moonblade. I was thinking of the weapon not believing in killing and it can cast spare the dying to stop those the blade harms from dying. Like a curse for it’s beliefs. I was also thinking it acts like the magic items in Guide to Wildmount with the dormant stage and so on. Any ideas or abilities that could be Spinned?

 

[MerricB]

You can do anything you like.

Note that under the rules, when you make a melee attack that reduces a foe to 0 hit points, you then can choose either to kill or to knock the target unconscious- so the Moonblade wouldn't need to cast "spare the dying", it could automatically pull the blow.

Have you considered what happens if your players object and kill the foe anyway? Does the Moonblade do anything? Would your players enjoy it?

Cheers!

 

[ManBagel]

I plan for the weapon to stop death since it’s morally thinking no one should die unless they are evil for no reason. Example a person is a bandit but only does it to support her family. The blade senses why they are doing what they are. If they harm for a no reason then it allows them to die. The reason why I said Spare The Dying was so it could cast it at a distance to stop someone else from dying. (Modified so the spell is ranged)

 

[Flamestrike]

I plan on running a campaign and I was wondering if I could start off the players with a Moonblade. I was thinking of the weapon not believing in killing and it can cast spare the dying to stop those the blade harms from dying. Like a curse for it’s beliefs. I was also thinking it acts like the magic items in Guide to Wildmount with the dormant stage and so on. Any ideas or abilities that could be Spinned?

No dramas with it, just start it off as non-magical, and let it 'level up' as the PC does. Non magical to start with, then +1 at T2, +2 at T3 and +3 at T4.

Personally If a PC wanted a Moonblade I'd have him refluff and rename the Hexblade class as the Moonblade class (with the Pact weapon being fluffed as the blade).

His link to the blade as a member of Elven royalty is represented at 1st level by gaining his Charisma to hit and damage (hex warrior), growing into the weapon becoming magical at 3rd level (pact of the blade) with a +1 to hit and damage, and being able to be shunted away to an extradimensional space, and being used as an arcane focus (Improved pact weapon), before growing in power more and letting him eldritch smite with it and attack twice with it at 5th level (thirsting blade and eldritch smite) and then letting him unlock the fearsome 'Elfshadow' ability at 6th level (Summon Spectre).

I've played this exact PC before. It works a treat.

 

[Flamestrike]

I plan for the weapon to stop death

Elf craftsman (looking at the other elves): 'Hey; lets make weapons that stop death!"
Other elves: 'Yeah! Great idea!'

(Elven empire falls to ruin).

 

[DammitVictor]

Elf craftsman (looking at the other elves): 'Hey; lets make weapons that stop death!"
Other elves: 'Yeah! Great idea!'

(Elven empire falls to ruin).

The nice thing about non-lethal weapons is that you can always use lethal weapons afterwards.

The reverse doesn't work as well.

 

[Weiley31]

No dramas with it, just start it off as non-magical, and let it 'level up' as the PC does. Non magical to start with, then +1 at T2, +2 at T3 and +3 at T4.

Personally If a PC wanted a Moonblade I'd have him refluff and rename the Hexblade class as the Moonblade class (with the Pact weapon being fluffed as the blade).

His link to the blade as a member of Elven royalty is represented at 1st level by gaining his Charisma to hit and damage (hex warrior), growing into the weapon becoming magical at 3rd level (pact of the blade) with a +1 to hit and damage, and being able to be shunted away to an extradimensional space, and being used as an arcane focus (Improved pact weapon), before growing in power more and letting him eldritch smite with it and attack twice with it at 5th level (thirsting blade and eldritch smite) and then letting him unlock the fearsome 'Elfshadow' ability at 6th level (Summon Spectre).

I've played this exact PC before. It works a treat.

You can also use the Vestments of Divergence rules from Wildemount. That also gives you the option of a levelable up weapon. And if you have Spectral Guardians, you can flavor that as summoning Elf Shadows too.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

I plan for the weapon to stop death since it’s morally thinking no one should die unless they are evil for no reason. Example a person is a bandit but only does it to support her family. The blade senses why they are doing what they are. If they harm for a no reason then it allows them to die. The reason why I said Spare The Dying was so it could cast it at a distance to stop someone else from dying. (Modified so the spell is ranged)

How would it do this? Have an ability like the sprite does to detect evil alignment?

Note that this ability is a bonus, not a curse. If the character wants a person dead and doesn't care about the sword's wishes they can just stab them repeatedly with knives to kill them.

 

[aco175]

Just make sure you have the payer buy in before you force something upon him. You may find that he discards the weapon with too heavy a hand.

Also, you need to look at how this can be gamed. At some point the player will think he can just kill everyone and that the weapon will sort out who is evil or deserves it over who is just doing it to save his family.

You also have the point of alignment of the weapon which aligns with the elven view or another view of what the DM thinks is good/evil.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The nice thing about non-lethal weapons is that you can always use lethal weapons afterwards.

The reverse doesn't work as well.

Well, that depends on what you're trying to do, doesn't it? I mean, I've had a lot of fun getting into pillow fights with people after having shot them in the face. I always seem to win the pillow fights too!