Scythe of Death
Scythe of Death
Weapon (Glaive), Legendary (Requires Attunement)
“The rider’s name was Death.”
-Revelation 6:8
Forged from the sheer willpower of the Horseman of Death, this weapon’s natural form is that of a massive scythe can be wielded as a magic glaive (1d10 slashing) by a creature attuned to it. However, when you first attune to it, you can choose that it take the form of a different melee weapon. Regardless of the form that it takes, you are proficient with it when you wield it. The Scythe of Death is an incarnation of the Horseman’s consciousness and willpower, and thus, even if the Horseman is destroyed, the scythe will live on, seeking a new host to carry out its mission.
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with this magic weapon, which deals an extra 2d6 necrotic damage to any target it hits. Additionally, the Scythe of Death ignores any resistance or immunity to necrotic damage the target might have. Furthermore, you have advantage on attack rolls made against Undead, and you deal double damage to undead creatures.
Spells. The Scythe allows your spells that deal necrotic damage to ignore any resistance or immunity to necrotic damage that a target might have. Additionally, when you attune to the Scythe, you may choose a spell of 5th level or lower that you are able to cast and that deals damage other than necrotic. That spell is now modified to deal necrotic damage rather than its normal damage type when you cast it.
Power Word Kill. As an action, you can cast power word kill from the scythe. Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again until you have finished 1d4 Long Rests.
Necrotic Transfiguration. If you die while attuned to the Scythe of Death, you must make a choice. You can allow your soul to finally pass on to its eternal rest, or you can offer your soul as a vessel to the Scythe of Death. If you offer your soul to the Scythe, your body is permanently transfigured into an Avatar of Death. Your class abilities, alignment, and personality are lost, and are replaced by the stat block of the Avatar of Death, which rises in the space where you died with full hit points. At the discretion of the GM, you may continue to play using the stats of the Avatar of Death, but this transformation is irreversible and your character’s traits, desires, and personality are replaced by the traits, desires, and personality of the Scythe of Death (see below). Only once you are slain in your new form does your soul finally regain its identity and pass on.
Sentience. The Scythe of Death is a sentient Lawful Neutral weapon. It has hearing and darkvision out to a range of 120 feet, and can communicate telepathically with its wielder using images and feelings, but not language. If the Scythe of Death is required to make an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma check, it uses the stats of the Horseman of Death.
Personality. The Scythe of Death sees itself as the protector of the natural order and the guardian of the domain of death. The Scythe is not malicious or bloodthirsty, but also has no compassion. In the eyes of the Scythe, all creatures have a right to life, but when it is a creature’s time to die, nothing should stand in the way of its demise. The Scythe usually has a cold and logical personality, but is driven to senseless rage by the presence of creatures of the “Undead” creature type. Creatures that seek immortality by perverting the natural order (such as liches) are the mortal enemy of the Scythe of Death.
scythe of death
spell-splitter
Azrael's Guide to the Apocalypse, printed pages 175, 176.