D&D 5E Is This Legendary Sword Overpowered?

[Flamestrike]

On a successful critical hit with this weapon you have advantage on Str checks and saving throws, and attack rolls based on Strength for X (minutes? Hours?)

 

[pontinyc]

In 5e you need to be mindful of short and long rest frequencies and thr number of encounters between rests.

The game is largely balanced around 6 or so encounters between long rests, with a short rest every 2 encounters or so.

Start there and everything else will fall into place.

This is great point, Flamestrike. Unfortunately my group and I can only play for a max of three hours, usually two, a week. This can make it tough to get enough encounters in to tax their resources so I wind up bumping the CR on the few encounters they do have. Not working great so far, admittedly.

 

[pontinyc]

On a successful critical hit with this weapon you have advantage on Str checks and saving throws, and attack rolls based on Strength for X (minutes? Hours?)

The idea would be that it would last until your next rest.

 

[the Jester]

The two things I will comment on are the save DCs and the instant death mechanic.

First, save DCs for items are typically set by the item's rarity, with legendary items having a save DC of 19. If you deviated from this on purpose, cool; but if not, be aware that that is the default.

Second, the possible instant death thing- I do not like that. This is a matter of personal taste, but I'd change this to some kind of long term effect that gradually gets worse each time it would have come up- perhaps a lowering of maximum hps, maybe a drain of HD, whatever- that can't be recovered from until the wielder breaks attunement and receives a remove curse, with a further note that re-attuning will immediately institute some kind of whammy on the creature.

 

[the Jester]

This is great point, Flamestrike. Unfortunately my group and I can only play for a max of three hours, usually two, a week. This can make it tough to get enough encounters in to tax their resources so I wind up bumping the CR on the few encounters they do have. Not working great so far, admittedly.

There's no reason one game day can't take place over multiple sessions.

 

[pontinyc]

There's no reason one game day can't take place over multiple sessions.

Excellent point. A bit off-topic for the thread but any suggestions on how to discourage shorts rests outside of having random encounters interrupt them? I think that's another issue. . . I'm letting them rest too often.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Excellent point. A bit off-topic for the thread but any suggestions on how to discourage shorts rests outside of having random encounters interrupt them? I think that's another issue. . . I'm letting them rest too often.

You shouldn't discourage them. Probably you should look into the alternate rest rules and use one that fits your game better.
I use a custom vatiant, but overall 1 night short rests and 1 week long rest is helpful in a game, where encounters are rare.
I do like to combine this variant with the healing surge variant. In this variant short rests heal 1/4 of your hit dice and as an action you can spend up to half your hit dice for healing.

 

[Flamestrike]

This is great point, Flamestrike. Unfortunately my group and I can only play for a max of three hours, usually two, a week. This can make it tough to get enough encounters in to tax their resources so I wind up bumping the CR on the few encounters they do have. Not working great so far, admittedly.

Dude, what's your session length got to do with it?

They don't come in to each session fully rested mate.

At the end of each session, grant them short rest only. For thr first session each month grant them a long rest (if you must link resting and resource recovery to sessions ending).

Otherwise, at the end of each session record spell slots, HD and HP etc used. Get them to hand over character sheets if you have to

 

[the Jester]

Excellent point. A bit off-topic for the thread but any suggestions on how to discourage shorts rests outside of having random encounters interrupt them? I think that's another issue. . . I'm letting them rest too often.

Time is passing. Maybe that means nothing and they're free to rest. But maybe it means that the one pc who got bit by a vargouille is that much closer to dying, or they are likely to have another random encounter or five (unless they find a safe place to hole up!), or the guy they are trying to rescue is gonna get tortured or killed, or their rivals are that much closer to finding the hooptie both groups are after, or the water will be that much closer to rising and filling the dungeon, or the merchant who wants to hire them is going to have to leave town without them, or......

 

[Flamestrike]

Excellent point. A bit off-topic for the thread but any suggestions on how to discourage shorts rests outside of having random encounters interrupt them? I think that's another issue. . . I'm letting them rest too often.

Doom clocks. Have them on a timer for the quest at hand

'Stop the Cultists from completing the ritual by midnight or else the captured townsfolk are sacrificed, a Demon is summoned, and you don't get paid'

You can also simply switch to the 'Gritty realism' rest variant. It makes Short rests an overnight affair, and Long rests take an entire Week.

There are plenty of options (mechanical, story etc) for you to use to police the Adventuring day.

You dont have to hit the [6 encounter/ 2 short rest] adventuring day every single adventuring day. Just aim for that as a median (with some days shorter, and some days longer)

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