Archives of Nethys
This Item may contain spoilers from the The Dead God's Hand Adventure
Unique Artifact Cursed Divine IntelligentSource The Dead God's Hand pg. 145
Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk 3
Base Weapon Longsword
Perception +11; precise darkvision 40 feet, imprecise hearing 30 feet
Communication telepathy (Azlanti, Chthonian, Common)
Skills Deception +13, Intimidation +11, Occultism +10, Religion +11
Int +2, Wis +3, Cha +5
Will +11
Nethys Note: This artifact contains spoilers for The Dead God's Hand. Read at your own risk.
Meloth's Lifedrinker is a +1 longsword whose blade appears to be made of obsidian pitted with pocks and scars that, upon closer examination, are tiny images of screaming faces, their haunted visages twisted in pain and fear. It was once a much more powerful weapon, until Sarnax used it as a prison to contain the essence of its original wielder—a demon lord named Meloth. The magic that once granted the blade its power immediately transformed and refocused into the task of serving as a prison for the demon lord, leaving the sword a shadow of its prior glory and infusing it with an unnatural weight three times that of a typical longsword. Over the centuries, Meloth has become able to observe and manipulate the world around the blade, as detailed in the adventure.
Meloth's ability to influence the world around him via illusions is limited to those events detailed in the adventure, but a PC who ends up carrying the cursed sword for an extended length of time (beyond the scope of this adventure) might find similar illusions manifesting to further torment them, their companions, and anyone around them. Even then, Meloth won't directly communicate with his wielder unless he's fused to them.
A character who holds Meloth's Lifedrinker must make a DC 18 Will save to resist Meloth's influence at the end of every round they continue to hold the weapon (one can safely—but awkwardly—transport Meloth's Lifedrinker by picking it up, moving, and then dropping it before ending one's turn).
Critical Success The character is temporarily immune to Meloth's influence for 24 hours and can carry or wield the sword normally as a +1 longsword.
Success The character is unaffected by Meloth’s influence this round.
Failure Meloth's Lifedrinker fuses with the character. As part of this bond, Meloth absorbs some of the character's life, reducing the character's maximum HP by 6 (to a minimum of 1) for as long as the character remains fused to the sword. Meloth now communicates with the fused character via telepathy— encouraging them through lies, coercion, and threats to commit more and more atrocities while seeking a way to somehow free him from this prison.
Critical Failure As failure, but it reduces the character’s maximum HP by 12 (to a minimum of 1).
Meloth's LifedrinkerItem 4
Source The Dead God's Hand pg. 145Meloth's Lifedrinker (Improved)Item 7
Source The Dead God's Hand pg. 145If during the first interlude of the Test of Aroden a PC allows Meloth to awaken the blade, the result empowers Meloth's Lifedrinker into a +1 striking wounding longsword. As long as a character carries Meloth's Lifedrinker, they can speak and understand Chthonian. In addition, this empowered version of the blade gains the following activations.
Activate—Lifedrink [reaction] (death, divine, void); Trigger Meloth's Lifedrinker scores a critical hit on a living creature with a level equal to or higher than its wielder; Effect Meloth's Lifedrinker inflicts 1d6 additional void damage to the living creature. If the creature struck by the critical hit is slain by its damage, the blade impales its victim. Black, oily energy like wet smoke pours from the victim's eyes and flows to the ebon sword, desiccating the corpse in an instant as all of its liquid seeps into the Lifedrinker, leaving the body a dried-out husk.
The first time this happens when its wielder is at least 10th level, Meloth's Lifedrinker's +1 weapon potency rune permanently becomes a +2 weapon potency rune. The first time this happens when its wielder is at least 12th level, Meloth's Lifedrinker's striking rune permanently becomes a greater striking rune. The first time this happens when its wielder is at least 16th level, Meloth's Lifedrinker's +2 weapon potency rune permanently becomes a +3 weapon potency rune. And the first time this happens when its wielder is at least 19th level, Meloth's Lifedrinker's greater striking rune permanently becomes a major striking rune.
Activate—Vision of Meloth [two-actions] (concentrate, death, emotion, fear, mental); Frequency once per day; Effect Meloth's Lifedrinker causes a creature within 60 feet to experience a harrowing vision in which Meloth, as he appeared in life (a vaguely humanoid horned demon not quite bat nor leech nor blood-drinking fly), leaps from the blade to surge forward and devour the target. The wielder of Meloth's Lifedrinker sees this as well, but no other observers do. The targeted creature takes 6d6 mental damage with a Will save; the DC is equal to the wielder's class or spell DC, whichever is higher. If the target is reduced to 0 HP by this effect, the vision becomes reality and kills the target instantly. Onlookers see only the target swiftly and gorily consumed by unseen mouths over the course of a few seconds, after which a mutilated carcass drops to the ground, lifeless. As an intelligent weapon, Meloth's Lifedrinker can activate this ability on a whim, and often does so when the sword senses a creature that would be likely to die as a result of this activation—be that creature friend or foe of the wielder.
Critical Success The target is unaffected.
Success The target takes half damage and is frightened 1.
Failure The target takes full damage and is frightened 2.
Critical Failure The target takes double damage, is frightened 4, and is slowed 1 as long as it remains frightened.
Shelyn's Corner
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