D&D 5E Help me build the mythical first Hexblade (need the 5e mechanics veterans' help)

[Eilathen]

Hi everyone,

I posted this on another forum as well, but I though that the more expert eyes I have on this, the better, so here goes (post copy-pasta from the other forum) :

So I found this on another forum and I was like "Hey, this person is exactly like me...and now i want to know as well..." ^^

So here's the post

I am a big fan of the Hexblade Warlock and love the little lore-text that introduces it in Xanatar's Guide. There it talks about the weapons and it also mentions that the first weapon ever created was by the Raven Queen.

Have any of you ever statted that sword? How would you stat it, if you wanted to?

I like the idea of it working like one of the Vestiges of Divergence out of Matt Mercer's Exandria Setting, which means the weapon has different states of awakening (aka it grows with the character who wields it). The Vestiges have 3 stages - dormant, awakened and exalted. In every state the item gets more power so that it stays useful to characters growing in level.

I don't have any idea so far what kind of powers would be apporpriate for the different states. I am not that well versed in the balance and deep mechanics of DnD 5e, that's why I hope you knowledgeable folks have ideas, opinions or maybe even already done that work (I can't be the only one who found that lore snippet inspiring, right....right?!?? ).

So, what stories do the bards tell about that primordial weapon and its powers?

Thanks for any help!

P.S.: I am totally ok with you going full on awesome artifact, especially if you follow the Vestiges built and put the almost-OP stuff in the last state of the weapon. But I'm also very much OK with a well balanced version. In other words, throw all kinds of cool stuff at me if you feel like it.

What do you all think? How would a very old artifact, created by the Raven Queen herself look like? How powerful? And what kind of powers? I do like the idea of designing it along the Vestiges of Divergence idea by Mercer with the 3 states that unlock as you hit certain levels and/or storypoints.

DnD 5e experts, I turn to you for help. And as the other person said...I'm ok with all kinds of versions...from the well balanced to the totally crazy powerful stuff

Thank you!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

There are stats for Blackrazor on page 216 of the DMG.

 

[Lucas Blackstone]

Personally I would have it be far more powerful then the Vestiges. It's an item that has so much power that it creates agents that are capable heroes or villians in their own right. Consider how powerful other patrons are. Demon/Devil lords, fae lords, lovecraftian horrrors. A vestige is a powerful and old weapon, with some great abilities, but should pale in comparison to a weapon powerful enough to be a hexblade patron. Essentially they would be ultra strong NPCs.

If I were to allow one as a weapon, the character would almost be the gear for the weapon rather then the weapon be the gear for the character. Perhaps the weapon has been grooming the Hexblade the whole time to be a suitable vessel for it to enact a plot upon an enemy or something like that. High probablity of dominating the creature who dares to wield it.

 

[Eilathen]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Blackrazor is name-dropped in the description, true, but is seperate from the first ever weapon made (by the Raven Queen, as said). Blackrazor doesn't strike me as a good choice for a weapon if it is supposed to be by the RQ.

@Lucas Blackstone - That'd be an interesting idea as well, true. But I don't think I'd want to play a character who's equipment for a weapon instead of the other way around. What i would do, for sure, is make the RQ have an interest in the Character and expecting them to fullfil her bidding from time to time.
I do think that you can scale a Vestige if you want. I just meant use the tier-idea of Vestiges, not that the item must be of a similar power to Matt's items. You can pack as much power into those 3 stages as you want. I'd be really curious to see what kind of level of power you have in mind for the weapon. If you feel like building it for me, I'd be thrilled.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The lore connection between Blackrazor and the Raven Queen is a little convoluted, and requires familiarity with the works of Michael Moorcock. However, it gives a good idea of what the power level of such a weapon should be. Clearly, it is something only a high level character should have.

One alternative to the "vestiges" idea (weapon grows more powerful with the character level) is to have the weapon be broken. The hexblade has a fragment of the weapon, and it is using the PC as a tool to reassemble itself. Eventually, when the PC reaches an appropriate level, they can find the last fragment and rebuild the weapon.

 

[Eilathen]

You mean Blackrazor is the DnD stand-in for Stormbringer, Elric's sword? Is that official comment? Anyway, I still don't think it makes it a good Raven Queen item...Stormbringer was more linked to chaos and demons and not the god of fate and death. Although i do admit that I have not that much knowledge about the books as I couldn't get through them (tried two times).

Yes, the broken idea is kind of nice. It's something that a poster on the other forum went with. And it makes assembling the weapon its own quest, which can be cool.