Converting Frostrazor to 5e

[QuietBrowser]

So, we all know the White Plume Mountain Weapons: Blackrazor, Wave and Whelm. These three weapons have been in literally every single edition of the game so far, and I would know, as I just spent the last couple of days tracking down their stats. They're some of the most iconic magical weapons to come out of D&D.

But, what few people remember is that, in their 2nd edition appearance, "Return to White Plume Mountain", they gained a sibling. Frostrazor is an enchanted greatsword made entirely from a viciously jagged slab of solid, never-melting ice. Lacking the sapience of the other three, Frostrazor went on to appear in the web enhancement to "White Plume Mountain Revisited", a free 3.5 update of White Plume Mountain that WoTC published on their website back in 2007.

What I'm curious to know is, do people think that Frostrazor could likewise be updated to 5e? The others appear in the DMG, but Frostrazor has gone unmentioned since the aforementioned web enhancement.

The issue with Frostrazor is how to handle it. Traditionally, despite being made of ice, Frostrazor has had no ice-related powers, beyond its ability to cast Ice Storm 1/day in 3.5. Rather, its focus has been on its ability to embed life-draining shards of ice in its victims. In AD&D, depending on what number you rolled, this could transfer 1 hp per round for 10 rounds, 3 hp per round for 10 rounds, 1 Strength point per 2 rounds for 10 rounds, or 1 level. In 3.5, in an attempt to simplify this, the shard did 1 hit point (and, at a high enough level, 1 Constitution point) of damage each round until the victim was cured or killed and the shard's victim could be targeted by innate Rays of Enfeeblement, Enervation and Fingers of Death spells from the sword itself.

So, how might a 5e version of the blade look? I have to admit, the first thing to come to mind is to make it a +3 greatsword with bonus Cold damage and the ability, 3/short rest, to make a strike that leaves a soul-sapping shard embedded in the target, causing Necrotic damage for 10 rounds. But, if you think the weapon is possible to convert to 5e, how would you do it?

 

[hastur_nz]

5e keeps things pretty simple, even artefacts, so Frostrazor should be in the same ball-park as Blackrazor, and also in line with how spells etc work in 5e. So with that in mind, I'd say your idea is close but too much - I don't know it needs extra cold damage or not, and a power should be once per rest (short or long) not three times, and if it gives ongoing damage the target should get a save each round to 'shake it off' (in which case, the damage per round should be significant).

 

[QuietBrowser]

For comparison's sake, in 5e, Blackrazor:

• Is a +3 Greatsword.
• Gives you temp HP equal to the victim's maximum HP when you kill a non-construct with it.
• Said temp HP lasts for 24 hours.
• Whilst you have that temp HP, you have Advantage on all attack rolls, all saving throws, and all ability/skill checks.
• Whenever you kill a new victim, the clock on this countdown essentially resets itself.
• Can give you 10 rounds of "free" Hasting each day.
• Gives you the "Soul Hunter" trait so long as you have it in hand.
• "Soul Hunter" amounts to "automatically sense all Tiny or larger non-construct, non-undead creatures within 60 feet".
• Grants you Immunity to Charm and Fear whilst you have it in hand.
• Inflicts 1d10 Necrotic damage and heals the target by 1d10 hit points if you hit an undead creature with it.
• Renders any creature killed by it (including you) impossible to resurrect with anything less than a Wish.

So, with all of this for Blackrazor, you can see why I feel Frostrazor as a +3 Greatsword that deals damage that counts as both Slashing and Cold for damage resistances/vulnerabilities/immunities and can be used to deliver a life-sapping shard 3/short rest, with the victim of a shard taking 3d6 Necrotic damage per round for 10 rounds, is at least within clutching distance of fair by comparison, yes?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Sounds fine to me.

Sent from my LG-D852 using EN World mobile app

 

[Dualazi]

You could likely incorporate the draining crystals part in one of two ways; 1) having it be a continuous save-ends effect for the victim, or 2) requiring the wielder to maintain concentration while the shards drain life from the enemy.

 

[DmMic]

So this is blatantly taken from the 3.5 "Outside White Plume Mountain", but rearranged to fit 5e. Since the greatsword's abilities relied heavily upon its critical hits, I thought it best to keep that function. So here we go...

Frostrazor
Weapon (greatsword), legendary (requires attunement)

Frostrazor is greatsword forged of a single piece of unknown translucent white crystal. The white steel hilt is carved in an icicle motif. Its sheath is formed of the skin of a white dragon and decorated with the claws and teeth of the beast. When drawn, Frostrazor freezes over with ice. When it scores a critical hit, it makes a sound like ice cracking.
You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls you make with this magic weapon.

You gain the following benefits while you wield Frostrazor:
• Winter Warding: You have resistance to cold damage.
• Chill of the North: You can cast Ice Storm (save DC 15). Once you have done so, Frostrazor can’t be used this way until the
next dawn.
• Implanted shard: When Frostrazor’s wielder scores a critical hit against a foe, a small sliver of the sword breaks off and
implants itself in the wound. Each subsequent round, the shard deals 1d6 points of necrotic damage as it burrows deeper into
the host. Removing the shard requires a successful DC 15 Medicine check.
The shard returns to Frostrazor after the victim removes it or dies.
• Enfeebling shard: When a shard is implanted in a victim, the wielder of Frostrazor may cause a ray of enfeeblement spell
effect as a reaction to affect that victim. This ability can be used 3/day.
• Death Shard: If Frostrazor has implanted a shard in a victim, the wielder can activate a finger of death effect in that victim as
a reaction. This ability can be used 1/day.

 

[QuietBrowser]

That looks wonderful! I do personally think that I'd mod it so that damage inflicted by strikes with Frostrazor also counts as Cold for triggering Vulnerability, because it just makes sense that a blade like that would do as much cold damage as slashing damage, but for the direct spell-like powers, that looks awesome.