Edena_of_Neith
First Post
The original Sword Berserk was created by a conniving orcish wizard, who used that first Sword to good effect against his tribe's gnollish enemies. Later, after he became chieftain of his tribe, he let out the secret of the Sword's manufacturing process to other shamans, and several dozen of these Swords were produced across the orcish lands. For some reason, despite valiant efforts and hard research, no other race has been able to reproduce one of these weapons. However, a member of any race can pick up and use one of the Swords, even against the orcs who created them.
The typical Sword Berserk is a long sword or two-handed sword, double edged and with a needle point, with a pommel of cold iron and an onyx stone set therein. The iron blade is heavy and awkward (30 to 50 pounds!!) and seems to be rather useless as a weapon: it is far too thick and heavy, despite strangely razor sharp edges. All the finely, beautifully etched runes on the blade and pommel, albeit orcish in nature, bely the clumsy clubbish apparent nature of the weapon.
Furthermore, if wielded normally somehow, this weapon glows with a baleful whitish light when wielded in combat, and this light reveals the wielder and thus makes him an easier target in combat. A faint sound, like a snarl or wail, can be heard from the Sword in combat, further singling out the wielder.
The Sword does 1 to 12 points of damage in normal combat, plus 3 (these weapons are typically + 3 with no additional enhancement bonuses), plus whatever strength bonus the user has. Typically, 16 strength is needed to wield such a clumsy, awkward club-like weapon, and even then with a - 4 penalty. For those with 19 strength or higher, though, the penalty is dropped.
However, if the Sword is thrown by a wielder who understands it's true powers, the Sword comes to life, and it's full powers are revealed. The throw need not be powerful or far: a strained 2 foot heave by a weak halfling will do the job, if the halfling understands the Sword's true powers.
Upon being thrown, the Sword will fly out to wherever it was the wielder wanted it to go and land, up to 1,000 feet away. This will take 1 segment (2nd edition) or 1 round (3rd edition.) Immediately upon the next segment or round, the Sword will manifest in all it's awful power, going into it's fury.
The Sword becomes akin to a Dancing Sword, in that it will fight and move by itself. The analogy doesn't quite fit, though: this Sword fights like a street brawler, hitting with the pommel, slamming with the flat of the blade, flailing here, there, and everywhere, like the lowliest rat (or elf, as the orcs would say) cornered in some dreadful place. There is none of the eloquence of the Bladesinger or Duelist, none of the honor and nobility of the Cavalier or Paladin, none of the finesse of the Fencer, just the brutality of a free for all slugfest in the lowliest dive or dark alley of a City of Terrors.
The Sword's light blazes out like a beacon, the heart of the blade white, the edges dark purple and red - this bright, cold, baleful light has no magical terror power in itself, but it tends to strike terror into the hearts of all nevertheless - and the weapon screams, wails, and snarls like a dozen ogres, elves, and kobolds all being tortured with hot irons simultaneously, even as they are vowing horrific and eternal revenge upon their torturers. Such is the nature of this weapon, the Sword Berserk, and in it's fury it can be heard even above the din of a major battle.
The Sword Berserk in it's full power is still a + 3 weapon.
The Sword Berserk ignores armor not made out of steel or a stronger substance, simply cutting right through it (monsters only lightly armored similarly lose their protection.) If the opponent is wielding a defensive weapon, made of a substance weaker than steel, to counter the attacks of the Sword Berserk, that weapon is likely destroyed with no benefit to the defender, and no delay to the Sword Berserk.
The Sword Berserk fights as a 20th level fighter (both 2nd and 3rd edition.) It strikes twice per round (2nd edition) or 5 times per round (3rd edition, as per the fighter rules.) It can be Hasted, in which case it's attacks increase to 3 per round (2nd edition) or 6 per round, with 2 primary attacks (3rd edition.) Hasting the Sword does not affect the duration of it's fury (see below.)
The Sword Berserk strikes for 4 - 24 points of damage, plus 3 for it's magic, plus it's own strength bonus. The Sword has a 23 strength, and bonuses are calculated accordingly (in 2nd Edition, that would be a + 11 to damage.) In addition, the Sword gains it's own strength bonus in attempts to hit (in 2nd Edition, that would be a + 5 bonus to the attack roll) as well as it's + 3 magical bonus.
The Sword Berserk has instantaneous control of it's movement in the air, able to accelerate to full speed instantly, decelerate to hovering instantly, turning and flying in any direction, and otherwise doing as it pleases.
The Sword Berserk, can move at up to 100 miles per hour.
The Sword Berserk has an Intelligence of 14, for the purposes of it's intellectual ability to defeat foes by assorted cunning, devious, and dirty tactics, as well as by the usual brute force and the effective employment of that force. However, the Sword will not speak to anyone, including it's Wielder, nor can it be communicated with except by magical means. Whoever employs magic and establishes communication will find the Sword unfriendly, uncommunicative, and it will generally only want to discuss all the assorted ways it knows to kill people, other assorted military tactics and strategy, and so on.
The Sword might become more friendly if the person communicating with it brings up new and ingenious ways to kill which the Sword had not previously thought upon.
When in it's fury, the Sword will refuse to communicate: it can hear attempts to communicate with it, but it does not care to respond, since it is so busy killing people. A Limited Wish or like spell would force it to communicate, which it would do concurrently with it's fury and it's attacks. The Sword will remember who forced it into a conversation while it was busy with it's killing, too! (see below)
The Sword Berserk, while in it's fury, will go after targets in the following preference:
A single target stated by the wielder, before or as the Sword is thrown. Upon stating this foe, the wielder also implicates all the allies of that person or being, and the Sword will go after them after killing the initial target.
Any opponent who tries to employ any kind of magic on it, starting with the opponent who used the most powerful magical spell (the Sword Berserk saves as a 20th level fighter, has a 14 wisdom, and has 1,000 hit points for purposes of determining the effects of incoming spells and attacks. A Wish, Limited Wish, Anti-Magic Shell, and/or successful Dispel Magic/Remove Curse (against 20th level) will cause the Sword to go quiescient and fall to the ground.)
Any elf or drow.
A rival orc tribe.
The opponent with the most powerful spells available (the Sword has enough omniscience to know)
The opponent with the most powerful magical items available. (the Sword has enough omniscience to know)
The opponent with the most hit points, then the opponent with the second highest hit point tally, and on down (use original hit points for this purpose, not current hit points.)
Anything, and everything, else that was an active hostile to the Wielder and/or anyone in his party (or group, or tribe, etc.)
The Sword Berserk will attempt to kill opponents by the quickest and most expedient methods possible. If an opponent is on a ledge, the Sword will use it's 23 strength to push him off. If many opponents are under a tree, the Sword will cut down the tree (it can cut through 6 feet of hardwood per 3rd edition round, or 12 feet of softwood.) If a fire is burning, the Sword will attempt to use it to somehow immolate it's enemies. If the Sword's foes are fighting in water, shoving them under and drowning them is an option.
With it's own damage of 4 - 24 plus bonuses, and it's many attacks per round, the Sword knows it can probably kill the enemy quickly and efficiently with it's edge, point, weight, and it's great strength, but it will not hesitate to use every conceivable means and object at it's disposal to down it's foes as quickly as possible, if a quicker and more efficient method of killing is perceived to exist.
In 2nd Edition, the Sword can forego one or more of it's allowed attacks, in order to take alternate measures (such as chopping through a building's supports to collapse it) to quickly kill the foe.
In 3rd Edition, the Sword would attack and/or use Partial Actions to accomplish it's ends (in 3.5, it would either attack or forego attack for other options.)
The Sword Berserk does not have the words Mercy, White Flag, Surrender, Negotiate, or anything of the sort in it's repetoire. It will not stop, unless destroyed or magically halted, until every opponent is dead.
The Sword Berserk has it's own form of Detect Life and Detect Unlife constantly in operation. It will remember every opponent on the battlefield, even those it did not fight and who were far away from it during the battle, and it will seek them all out if they yet live, moving at maximum speed (100 miles per hour) to fallen, trapped, and unconscious opponents to deliver the Coup de Grace.
The Sword can smash it's way through a heavy dungeon door in a single 3rd edition round. It can hack through an iron door in a similar amount of time. For steel, the Sword will back up, and drive itself at full force into the door, punching a hole in it up to the pommel (similar to the way straws can be blown deep into telephone poles during tornadic winds.) After 4 such strikes, the Sword will have cleared an opening for itself and will pass through. Mithril and adamantine will stop the Sword from breaking through, and the Sword will realize it cannot pass and immediately attempt another route.
The Sword can hack it's way through 3 feet of granite in 1 3rd Edition round, each and every round. If sealed in stone somehow, it will cut itself room for movement in 1 to 10 rounds, then start breaking out at the rate of 3 feet per round (if sealed in mithril or adamantite, it is trapped.) The Sword can chop through 6 feet of hardwood or 12 feet of softwood per round.
Of course, if there is another entrance to the room where the enemy is hiding, and the Sword knows this, it will fly around to that door to see if it is open!
The Sword can break through Walls of Stone and Walls of Iron in a single 3rd edition round. It can break through Walls of Force in 1 to 4 rounds.
The 2nd Edition Rope Trick will apparently defeat the Sword: the Sword will wait until those within open the portal (even slightly) and then flash in and the carnage will begin. The Sword will know when the portal is opened.
A person somehow jumping into a Bag of Holding and closing it (or someone else closing it) will thwart the Sword. The Sword will attempt, using it's pommel, to open the Bag back up. If it succeeds, it will dive in and kill the person within. If it fails, it will seek out the next target.
The Sword will chase enemies through open Gates, Astral Portals, or similar affairs. If people in a Plane Shift are holding hands and about to disappear, the Sword will attempt to reach and touch one of them before they go: if it succeeds, it goes with them and the party begins.
Stoneskin will thwart the Sword. If possible, the Sword will attempt to entrap or bury such a person in debris, instead of striking at the protected figure. Or, perhaps, picking up the Stoneskinned person (that's not an attack!) with it's 23 strength, carrying him high into the air, and dropping him to his death.
Protection from Magical Weapons will also thwart the Sword, and it will react as per Stoneskin.
The Sword will not attempt to penetrate a Prismatic Sphere, as it is not stupid. It will fly around Prismatic Walls and other such unbeatable defenses, if it can ... or hack it's way around them, through solid rock if need be.
The Sword will know a Sphere of Annihilation for what it is. It will try to use the Sphere to it's advantage, by knocking people into it.
If the opponent is a regenerating creature, the Sword will realize this after the first successful blow. The Sword will attack until the creature is at - 30 hit points, at which point it is dismembered and the Sword has flung the pieces for hundreds of feet in every direction.
- - -
All Swords Berserk carry a curse (the orcs would not call it a curse ...) and this curse has rebounded upon many non-orcs who dared to use them. Quite a number of TPKs have occurred when foolish men, elves, dwarves, drow, and others have tried to take advantage of the power of the Sword Berserk.
If used as a normal weapon, the Sword's curse is not invoked and it functions normally, if awkwardly.
But ...
If thrown, the Sword is imbued with the Wielder's passion, his desires, and most importantly his death wish upon the enemy (and if any being, no matter how august or saintly or whatever it claims to be, throws a Sword Berserk and deliberately invokes it's power knowing what that power will do, that counts as a death wish upon the enemy!)
The death wish gives the Sword it's power of fury. But it also stipulates that said fury must last for a certain length of time.
The Sword Berserk MUST fight for a number of MINUTES (3rd Edition) or TURNS (2nd Edition) equal to THRICE the level of the person who threw it, or for 6 - 36 minutes/turns, whichever is LONGER. There is no exemption from this necessity for the Wielder: since he willed it to life, no spell or desire of his, short of a Wish or Miracle, will stop the Sword. Anyone else with the Wielder may attempt to stop the Sword, but they must overcome the Sword's 20 levels AND the Wielder's levels added together (if the Wielder is 15th level, that's 35th level.)
If the Sword runs out of enemies of the Wielder's to fight, it looks around for something else - always something sentient, and it can distinguish sentient from non-sentient - to kill.
The Sword will first choose any bystanders who are so unfortunate as to be standing within 1,000 feet of the Wielder, and then use the priority list given above.
Once it is finished with them, or if no bystanders stood within 1,000 of the Wielder, or if the Wielder is not present (he, being smart, Teleported, Planeshifted, or Worldwalked away), the Sword then turns on the Wielder's allies.
After it is finished killing the Wielder's party/allies/etc., the Sword then heads for the largest group of living beings around, regardless of distance, flying at top speed to reach them.
Only after the full time has elapsed, will the Sword go quescient, flying back (if possible) to it's Wielder's hand, who can choose to throw it again immediately (!) or sheath it like any normal sword.
If a party of adventurers tries to circumvent this curse, they could be in for a surprise.
If the OWNER of the Sword is a low level character, then he can throw it and it's fighting time will be shorter (short enough, perhaps, that the party will survive the Sword's fury.)
But if a HIGH LEVEL character is the owner of the Sword, and he gives it to a low level character to throw, hoping to shorten the time, the Sword is counted as having been thrown by BOTH characters, and their levels are added together to figure out the duration of the Sword's fury!
The Sword will not kill it's Wielder. However, if he gives it to another to throw, the Sword will kill that person if it has finished up with it's other targets and has now come back to attack the party.
Attempting to throw the Sword by remote, via a catapult, ballistae, or the like, will result in the levels of EVERYONE involved in the operation of said catapult, ballistae, etc. PLUS the level of the Wielder, being added together and calculated for purposes of how long the Sword's fury will last.
- - -
Whenever a Sword Berserk is thrown and it's fury invoked, there is a 1/10th of 1% noncumulative chance that it will become Uncontrolled.
An Uncontrolled Sword will remain in fury indefinitely, attacking anything living, undead, or moving, until such a time as it is stopped by a Limited Wish (which will briefly stop it), a Wish or a Miracle, an Epic Spell, or the Sword is somehow entrapped or destroyed.
A number of disasters have occurred with Swords Berserk where entire settlements or areas were scoured of life by an Uncontrolled Sword.
If the Wielder wants his Sword Berserk back after it went Uncontrolled and has been stopped, he only needs to convince the archmage, high clerist, or other (likely very outraged) high level character or NPC to give it back to him.
If the Wielder was the one who used the Wish, Miracle, or whatever it was that stopped the Sword, and he wishes to take it back - along with the blame for everything that happened during the time the Sword was Uncontrolled - that's his right too!
(The 1/10 of 1% roll is not made until the Sword's normal fury period is about to end, unless the DM rolls in secret. NOBODY except the DM knows whether the Sword will become Uncontrolled until it either does or does not do so!)
The typical Sword Berserk is a long sword or two-handed sword, double edged and with a needle point, with a pommel of cold iron and an onyx stone set therein. The iron blade is heavy and awkward (30 to 50 pounds!!) and seems to be rather useless as a weapon: it is far too thick and heavy, despite strangely razor sharp edges. All the finely, beautifully etched runes on the blade and pommel, albeit orcish in nature, bely the clumsy clubbish apparent nature of the weapon.
Furthermore, if wielded normally somehow, this weapon glows with a baleful whitish light when wielded in combat, and this light reveals the wielder and thus makes him an easier target in combat. A faint sound, like a snarl or wail, can be heard from the Sword in combat, further singling out the wielder.
The Sword does 1 to 12 points of damage in normal combat, plus 3 (these weapons are typically + 3 with no additional enhancement bonuses), plus whatever strength bonus the user has. Typically, 16 strength is needed to wield such a clumsy, awkward club-like weapon, and even then with a - 4 penalty. For those with 19 strength or higher, though, the penalty is dropped.
However, if the Sword is thrown by a wielder who understands it's true powers, the Sword comes to life, and it's full powers are revealed. The throw need not be powerful or far: a strained 2 foot heave by a weak halfling will do the job, if the halfling understands the Sword's true powers.
Upon being thrown, the Sword will fly out to wherever it was the wielder wanted it to go and land, up to 1,000 feet away. This will take 1 segment (2nd edition) or 1 round (3rd edition.) Immediately upon the next segment or round, the Sword will manifest in all it's awful power, going into it's fury.
The Sword becomes akin to a Dancing Sword, in that it will fight and move by itself. The analogy doesn't quite fit, though: this Sword fights like a street brawler, hitting with the pommel, slamming with the flat of the blade, flailing here, there, and everywhere, like the lowliest rat (or elf, as the orcs would say) cornered in some dreadful place. There is none of the eloquence of the Bladesinger or Duelist, none of the honor and nobility of the Cavalier or Paladin, none of the finesse of the Fencer, just the brutality of a free for all slugfest in the lowliest dive or dark alley of a City of Terrors.
The Sword's light blazes out like a beacon, the heart of the blade white, the edges dark purple and red - this bright, cold, baleful light has no magical terror power in itself, but it tends to strike terror into the hearts of all nevertheless - and the weapon screams, wails, and snarls like a dozen ogres, elves, and kobolds all being tortured with hot irons simultaneously, even as they are vowing horrific and eternal revenge upon their torturers. Such is the nature of this weapon, the Sword Berserk, and in it's fury it can be heard even above the din of a major battle.
The Sword Berserk in it's full power is still a + 3 weapon.
The Sword Berserk ignores armor not made out of steel or a stronger substance, simply cutting right through it (monsters only lightly armored similarly lose their protection.) If the opponent is wielding a defensive weapon, made of a substance weaker than steel, to counter the attacks of the Sword Berserk, that weapon is likely destroyed with no benefit to the defender, and no delay to the Sword Berserk.
The Sword Berserk fights as a 20th level fighter (both 2nd and 3rd edition.) It strikes twice per round (2nd edition) or 5 times per round (3rd edition, as per the fighter rules.) It can be Hasted, in which case it's attacks increase to 3 per round (2nd edition) or 6 per round, with 2 primary attacks (3rd edition.) Hasting the Sword does not affect the duration of it's fury (see below.)
The Sword Berserk strikes for 4 - 24 points of damage, plus 3 for it's magic, plus it's own strength bonus. The Sword has a 23 strength, and bonuses are calculated accordingly (in 2nd Edition, that would be a + 11 to damage.) In addition, the Sword gains it's own strength bonus in attempts to hit (in 2nd Edition, that would be a + 5 bonus to the attack roll) as well as it's + 3 magical bonus.
The Sword Berserk has instantaneous control of it's movement in the air, able to accelerate to full speed instantly, decelerate to hovering instantly, turning and flying in any direction, and otherwise doing as it pleases.
The Sword Berserk, can move at up to 100 miles per hour.
The Sword Berserk has an Intelligence of 14, for the purposes of it's intellectual ability to defeat foes by assorted cunning, devious, and dirty tactics, as well as by the usual brute force and the effective employment of that force. However, the Sword will not speak to anyone, including it's Wielder, nor can it be communicated with except by magical means. Whoever employs magic and establishes communication will find the Sword unfriendly, uncommunicative, and it will generally only want to discuss all the assorted ways it knows to kill people, other assorted military tactics and strategy, and so on.
The Sword might become more friendly if the person communicating with it brings up new and ingenious ways to kill which the Sword had not previously thought upon.
When in it's fury, the Sword will refuse to communicate: it can hear attempts to communicate with it, but it does not care to respond, since it is so busy killing people. A Limited Wish or like spell would force it to communicate, which it would do concurrently with it's fury and it's attacks. The Sword will remember who forced it into a conversation while it was busy with it's killing, too! (see below)
The Sword Berserk, while in it's fury, will go after targets in the following preference:
A single target stated by the wielder, before or as the Sword is thrown. Upon stating this foe, the wielder also implicates all the allies of that person or being, and the Sword will go after them after killing the initial target.
Any opponent who tries to employ any kind of magic on it, starting with the opponent who used the most powerful magical spell (the Sword Berserk saves as a 20th level fighter, has a 14 wisdom, and has 1,000 hit points for purposes of determining the effects of incoming spells and attacks. A Wish, Limited Wish, Anti-Magic Shell, and/or successful Dispel Magic/Remove Curse (against 20th level) will cause the Sword to go quiescient and fall to the ground.)
Any elf or drow.
A rival orc tribe.
The opponent with the most powerful spells available (the Sword has enough omniscience to know)
The opponent with the most powerful magical items available. (the Sword has enough omniscience to know)
The opponent with the most hit points, then the opponent with the second highest hit point tally, and on down (use original hit points for this purpose, not current hit points.)
Anything, and everything, else that was an active hostile to the Wielder and/or anyone in his party (or group, or tribe, etc.)
The Sword Berserk will attempt to kill opponents by the quickest and most expedient methods possible. If an opponent is on a ledge, the Sword will use it's 23 strength to push him off. If many opponents are under a tree, the Sword will cut down the tree (it can cut through 6 feet of hardwood per 3rd edition round, or 12 feet of softwood.) If a fire is burning, the Sword will attempt to use it to somehow immolate it's enemies. If the Sword's foes are fighting in water, shoving them under and drowning them is an option.
With it's own damage of 4 - 24 plus bonuses, and it's many attacks per round, the Sword knows it can probably kill the enemy quickly and efficiently with it's edge, point, weight, and it's great strength, but it will not hesitate to use every conceivable means and object at it's disposal to down it's foes as quickly as possible, if a quicker and more efficient method of killing is perceived to exist.
In 2nd Edition, the Sword can forego one or more of it's allowed attacks, in order to take alternate measures (such as chopping through a building's supports to collapse it) to quickly kill the foe.
In 3rd Edition, the Sword would attack and/or use Partial Actions to accomplish it's ends (in 3.5, it would either attack or forego attack for other options.)
The Sword Berserk does not have the words Mercy, White Flag, Surrender, Negotiate, or anything of the sort in it's repetoire. It will not stop, unless destroyed or magically halted, until every opponent is dead.
The Sword Berserk has it's own form of Detect Life and Detect Unlife constantly in operation. It will remember every opponent on the battlefield, even those it did not fight and who were far away from it during the battle, and it will seek them all out if they yet live, moving at maximum speed (100 miles per hour) to fallen, trapped, and unconscious opponents to deliver the Coup de Grace.
The Sword can smash it's way through a heavy dungeon door in a single 3rd edition round. It can hack through an iron door in a similar amount of time. For steel, the Sword will back up, and drive itself at full force into the door, punching a hole in it up to the pommel (similar to the way straws can be blown deep into telephone poles during tornadic winds.) After 4 such strikes, the Sword will have cleared an opening for itself and will pass through. Mithril and adamantine will stop the Sword from breaking through, and the Sword will realize it cannot pass and immediately attempt another route.
The Sword can hack it's way through 3 feet of granite in 1 3rd Edition round, each and every round. If sealed in stone somehow, it will cut itself room for movement in 1 to 10 rounds, then start breaking out at the rate of 3 feet per round (if sealed in mithril or adamantite, it is trapped.) The Sword can chop through 6 feet of hardwood or 12 feet of softwood per round.
Of course, if there is another entrance to the room where the enemy is hiding, and the Sword knows this, it will fly around to that door to see if it is open!
The Sword can break through Walls of Stone and Walls of Iron in a single 3rd edition round. It can break through Walls of Force in 1 to 4 rounds.
The 2nd Edition Rope Trick will apparently defeat the Sword: the Sword will wait until those within open the portal (even slightly) and then flash in and the carnage will begin. The Sword will know when the portal is opened.
A person somehow jumping into a Bag of Holding and closing it (or someone else closing it) will thwart the Sword. The Sword will attempt, using it's pommel, to open the Bag back up. If it succeeds, it will dive in and kill the person within. If it fails, it will seek out the next target.
The Sword will chase enemies through open Gates, Astral Portals, or similar affairs. If people in a Plane Shift are holding hands and about to disappear, the Sword will attempt to reach and touch one of them before they go: if it succeeds, it goes with them and the party begins.
Stoneskin will thwart the Sword. If possible, the Sword will attempt to entrap or bury such a person in debris, instead of striking at the protected figure. Or, perhaps, picking up the Stoneskinned person (that's not an attack!) with it's 23 strength, carrying him high into the air, and dropping him to his death.
Protection from Magical Weapons will also thwart the Sword, and it will react as per Stoneskin.
The Sword will not attempt to penetrate a Prismatic Sphere, as it is not stupid. It will fly around Prismatic Walls and other such unbeatable defenses, if it can ... or hack it's way around them, through solid rock if need be.
The Sword will know a Sphere of Annihilation for what it is. It will try to use the Sphere to it's advantage, by knocking people into it.
If the opponent is a regenerating creature, the Sword will realize this after the first successful blow. The Sword will attack until the creature is at - 30 hit points, at which point it is dismembered and the Sword has flung the pieces for hundreds of feet in every direction.
- - -
All Swords Berserk carry a curse (the orcs would not call it a curse ...) and this curse has rebounded upon many non-orcs who dared to use them. Quite a number of TPKs have occurred when foolish men, elves, dwarves, drow, and others have tried to take advantage of the power of the Sword Berserk.
If used as a normal weapon, the Sword's curse is not invoked and it functions normally, if awkwardly.
But ...
If thrown, the Sword is imbued with the Wielder's passion, his desires, and most importantly his death wish upon the enemy (and if any being, no matter how august or saintly or whatever it claims to be, throws a Sword Berserk and deliberately invokes it's power knowing what that power will do, that counts as a death wish upon the enemy!)
The death wish gives the Sword it's power of fury. But it also stipulates that said fury must last for a certain length of time.
The Sword Berserk MUST fight for a number of MINUTES (3rd Edition) or TURNS (2nd Edition) equal to THRICE the level of the person who threw it, or for 6 - 36 minutes/turns, whichever is LONGER. There is no exemption from this necessity for the Wielder: since he willed it to life, no spell or desire of his, short of a Wish or Miracle, will stop the Sword. Anyone else with the Wielder may attempt to stop the Sword, but they must overcome the Sword's 20 levels AND the Wielder's levels added together (if the Wielder is 15th level, that's 35th level.)
If the Sword runs out of enemies of the Wielder's to fight, it looks around for something else - always something sentient, and it can distinguish sentient from non-sentient - to kill.
The Sword will first choose any bystanders who are so unfortunate as to be standing within 1,000 feet of the Wielder, and then use the priority list given above.
Once it is finished with them, or if no bystanders stood within 1,000 of the Wielder, or if the Wielder is not present (he, being smart, Teleported, Planeshifted, or Worldwalked away), the Sword then turns on the Wielder's allies.
After it is finished killing the Wielder's party/allies/etc., the Sword then heads for the largest group of living beings around, regardless of distance, flying at top speed to reach them.
Only after the full time has elapsed, will the Sword go quescient, flying back (if possible) to it's Wielder's hand, who can choose to throw it again immediately (!) or sheath it like any normal sword.
If a party of adventurers tries to circumvent this curse, they could be in for a surprise.
If the OWNER of the Sword is a low level character, then he can throw it and it's fighting time will be shorter (short enough, perhaps, that the party will survive the Sword's fury.)
But if a HIGH LEVEL character is the owner of the Sword, and he gives it to a low level character to throw, hoping to shorten the time, the Sword is counted as having been thrown by BOTH characters, and their levels are added together to figure out the duration of the Sword's fury!
The Sword will not kill it's Wielder. However, if he gives it to another to throw, the Sword will kill that person if it has finished up with it's other targets and has now come back to attack the party.
Attempting to throw the Sword by remote, via a catapult, ballistae, or the like, will result in the levels of EVERYONE involved in the operation of said catapult, ballistae, etc. PLUS the level of the Wielder, being added together and calculated for purposes of how long the Sword's fury will last.
- - -
Whenever a Sword Berserk is thrown and it's fury invoked, there is a 1/10th of 1% noncumulative chance that it will become Uncontrolled.
An Uncontrolled Sword will remain in fury indefinitely, attacking anything living, undead, or moving, until such a time as it is stopped by a Limited Wish (which will briefly stop it), a Wish or a Miracle, an Epic Spell, or the Sword is somehow entrapped or destroyed.
A number of disasters have occurred with Swords Berserk where entire settlements or areas were scoured of life by an Uncontrolled Sword.
If the Wielder wants his Sword Berserk back after it went Uncontrolled and has been stopped, he only needs to convince the archmage, high clerist, or other (likely very outraged) high level character or NPC to give it back to him.
If the Wielder was the one who used the Wish, Miracle, or whatever it was that stopped the Sword, and he wishes to take it back - along with the blame for everything that happened during the time the Sword was Uncontrolled - that's his right too!
(The 1/10 of 1% roll is not made until the Sword's normal fury period is about to end, unless the DM rolls in secret. NOBODY except the DM knows whether the Sword will become Uncontrolled until it either does or does not do so!)
