Soul Sword

A Soul Sword is among the most potent of magic weapons, but it can be difficult to describe what it actually does. Each Soul Sword is a blank slate of the raw power of the universe, the secret runic language that describes, defines, and thus empowers every aspect of reality. When a Soul Sword comes in contact with its wielder, it’s vast reserve of undefined energy draws its form and function from the secret true runes that describe that wielder. Thus the Soul Sword of a dragonborn warlock is very different from one wielded by a dwarven cleric. In each case, the powers of the Soul Sword are drawn from the inner nature of its wielder, but the end result is very different.

Soul Swords in a Campaign

A Soul Sword can be used many different ways by a GM. At its base, it’s a progressive magic item that can always serve as an appropriate weapon for a character of a given level. As a GM you can add it to a game as just a fun magic item—since it requires attunement a player picking up a Soul Sword simply keeps attuning to it to gain it’s higher-level powers and can’t ever attune to more than two other items.

Used this way the item is nothing more than a bit of flavor attached to a versatile magic item a character can enjoy for their whole career.

Alternatively, an entire campaign can be built around one or more Soul Swords. It can serve as a rare and unifying item that brings the PCs together without causing them to all have exactly the same options. Like the classic Knights of the Round Table, if the GM chooses to make a group of heroes the Soul band, each with their own Soul Sword, it can help build a common legend while still giving each character their own different spotlight of function and special options.

Soul Swords can be used in much the same way an artifact can without the same level of impact to the balance of a campaign. They can serve as Macguffins for players to seek, or protect from others that seek it out to use for evil purposes.

Perhaps a given evil can only be permanently killed by having five Soul Swords thrust into its heart, setting the players on a race to find enough of the weapons to defeat their foe once and for all. Or maybe an evil force seeks to combine a set of Soul Swords into one world-conquering weapons, and the only way to foil such efforts is for the players to find and protect the powerful weapons.

Attunement

Soul Swords require attunement, and have special attunement rules. Their attunement is broken into 20 levels, and each level of ability requires you be that level before you can attune to that power. As a result, each time a character attuned to a Soul Sword gains a new level, they must attune with it again (replacing any previous attunement with that Soul Sword).

A Soul Sword’s Form

While a Soul Sword always takes the form of a finely-crafted sword of some kind when not attuned to a wielder, as soon as it is attuned it changes to into whatever weapon its owner is most skilled with. It also slowly grows to match its wielder in other ways, with their mark or heraldry becoming part of its ornamentation, it’s style matching their own, and its apparent craftsmanship emulating that of the culture its wielder most identifies with. It is not the case that all Soul Swords of lawful good paladins look like gold-and-ivory angelic blades and all those of chaotic evil tiefling warlocks look like twisted staves of batwings and dragonfangs… but certainly some do.

Soul Sword Powers

The powers of a Soul Sword are determined by the mystic connections the wielder has with the universe around them. These connections, known as nexus, represent the true nature of the wielder as written on their soul in the ancient runic marks that predate any language or mortal culture. Most powers come from a wielder’s major nexuses, which have the strongest impact on their true self, while some may be drawn from minor nexuses.

Soul Sword

At each attunement level, a Soul Sword either gains a set increase to its combat effectiveness, or gains a power drawn from its wielder’s nexuses.

While the wielder has no power of which abilities are gained, the GM should work with the player to pick appropriate choices from the nexuses the player’s character qualifies for. You cannot select a nexus power more than once unless it says otherwise. At each attuned level of the Soul Sword you can select a power of the appropriate level from any nexus you possess. You can always select a minor power in place of a moderate or major one, and a moderate power in place of a major power. Once your power for a given attunement level is selected (and any choices required by each power made), those choices cannot be changed. If a character loses their Soul Sword and later regains it (or any other Soul Sword), all the powers they previous had previously attuned levels remain the same.

Major Nexuses

Major nexuses are forged by the most powerful runic elements of a character’s soul, generally as part of their class or heritage.

Barbarian

Minor Power: Your rage does not end early when you are knocked unconscious, unless you wish for it to end.

Minor Power: You gain the danger sense barbarian class feature. If you already have that feature, instead it functions even when you are blinded or deafened.

Moderate Power: Select a primal path other than your own. You gain the 3rd level feature of that path.

Major Power: You gain the 6th level feature of the primal path selected as a barbarian nexus moderate power. You must have the barbarian nexus moderate power to gain this major power.

Bard

Minor Power: When you grant a creature bardic inspiration, you can choose for it to gain a +1 bonus on its Bardic Inspiration die when used. Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again until you take a short rest.

Minor Power: You gain the song of rest bard class feature. If you already have that feature, you add +2 to the extra hit points creatures benefiting from your song of rest gain.

Moderate Power: Select a bardic college other than your own. You gain the feature gained at 3rd level by the college that does not grant additional proficiencies.

Major Power: You gain the 6th level feature of the bardic college selected as a bard nexus moderate power. You must have the bard nexus moderate power to gain this major power.

Cleric

Minor Power: Your Soul Sword prominently displays your holy symbol, and you can use it as a spellcasting focus for your cleric spells.

Minor Power: Select an additional domain related to your deity. You gain the 1st level feature of that domain.

Moderate Power: You gain the 2nd level feature of the domain selected as a cleric nexus minor power. You must have the cleric nexus minor power that grants a domain feature to gain this moderate power.

Major Power: You gain the 6th level feature of the domain selected as a cleric nexus minor power. You must have the cleric nexus minor power that grants a domain feature to gain this moderate power.

Dragonborn

Minor Power: Select one of the following cantrips—acid splash, chill touch, fire bolt, ray of frost, or shocking grasp. While wielding the sword, you can cast the selected cantrip at will.

Minor Power: Select an additional draconic ancestry for your dragonborn breath weapon. You can use either ancestry when you use your breath weapon.

Moderate Power: Once per day you can use your dragonborn breath weapon even if you have used it since you last took a short rest.

Major Power: The range of your dragonborn breath weapon doubles.

Druid

Minor Power: You gain the wild shape druid class feature and can use it once per day. If you already have that class feature, instead when using it you do not revert to your normal form when you fall unconscious or drop to 0 hit points unless you choose to do so.

Minor Power: You gain one additional cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list.

Moderate Power: Select a druidic circle other than your own. You gain your choice of one of the 2nd level feature of that circle.

Major Power: You gain the 6th level feature of the druidic circle selected as a druid nexus moderate power. You must have the druid nexus moderate power to gain this major power.

Dwarf

Minor Power: While wielding the sword, you can cast alarm once per day.

Minor Power: You have advantage on any check your stonecunning bonus applies to.

Moderate Power: When using a weapon listed with dwarven combat training, you do +1 damage on a successful attack.

Major Power: You have advantage on all Constitution saving throws.

Elf

This includes any elf or half-elf character.

Minor Power: You gain one cantrip of your choice from any spell list.

Minor Power: You gain your choice of either the wood elf fleet of foot, or the drow superior darkvision.

Moderate Power: You gain a 1st-level spell of your choice from the spell list you selected your cantrip. You must have the elf nexus minor power that grants a spell to gain this power. You can cast this spell once per day.

Major Power: You gain a spell of your choice from the spell list you selected your cantrip. You must have the elf nexus minor power that grants a spell to gain this power. The spell must be of a spell level no greater than 1/3 your level. Each time you gain a level, you can change what spell you gain with this power. You can cast this spell once per day.

Fighter

Minor Power: You do +1 damage with attacks made with the Soul Sword. This increases by +1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.

Minor Power: You gain an additional Second Wind, but only recover it after a long rest.

Moderate Power: You select an additional fighting style. It functions when you are wielding the Soul Sword.

Major Power: Select an additional martial archetype. You gain the 3rd level feature of this archetype.

Gnome

Minor Power: You can always attempt a Dexterity (Stealth) check when you are adjacent to a creature larger than yourself.

Minor Power: Your keen hearing and scent warn you of potential danger. Your being blinded does not cause attack rolls against you to have advantage.

Moderate Power: You have advantage on all saving throws against magic.

Major Power: You gain the Skulker feat.

Halfling

Minor Power: You gain the dungeon Delver feat, though it does not increase any ability score.

Minor Power: You base walking speed increases by +5 feet.

Moderate Power: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed.

Major Power: When you roll a 2 on a d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw you may reroll the die and you must use the new roll.

Human

This includes all humans and half-humans.

Minor Power: You gain one ability of the Mobile feat. This minor power can be selected more than once. Each time, it grants you a different ability of the Mobile feat.

Moderate Power: You gain the Athlete feat.

Major Power: You gain one of the following feats of your choice: Crossbow Expert, Defensive Duelist, Dual Wielder, Elemental Adept, Healer, Great Weapon Master, Polearm Master.

Monk

Minor Power: When wielding your Soul Sword, you do +1 damage with unarmed attacks. This increases by +1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.

Minor Power: You gain one additional ki point.

Moderate Power: You select an additional monastic tradition. You gain the 3rd level feature of this tradition.

Major Power: You gain the 6th level feature of the monastic tradition selected as a monk nexus moderate power. You must have the monk nexus moderate power to gain this major power.

Orc

This includes any orc or half-orc character.

Minor Power: You gain one ability of the Mage Slayer feat. This minor power can be selected more than once. Each time, it grants you a different ability of the Mage Slayer feat.

Moderate Power: You gain the Savage Attacker feat.

Major Power: You regain your relentless endurance after a short rest.

Paladin

Minor Power: You calculate your lay on hands pool as if your paladin level was one higher. At 7th level this increases to two higher, and at 14th level to three higher.

Minor Power: Your divine sense has it’s ranged doubled, and you can use it an additional two times before you need to take a long rest.

Moderate Power: You select an additional fighting style. It functions when you are wielding the Soul Sword.

Major Power: You gain a spell of your choice from the cleric spell list (or the druid or wizard spell list of you worship a deity associated with druids or wizards, as determined by the GM). The spell must be of a spell level no greater than 1/3 your level.

Each time you gain a level, you can change what spell you gain with this power. You can cast this spell once per day.

Ranger

Minor Power: You gain an additional favored enemy.

Minor Power: You gain an additional favored terrain.

Moderate Power: You select an additional fighting style. It functions when you are wielding the Soul Sword.

Major Power: You gain a spell of your choice from the druid or ranger spell list. The spell must be of a spell level no greater than 1/3 your level. Each time you gain a level, you can change what spell you gain with this power. You can cast this spell once per day.

Rogue

Minor Power: You gain one additional choice with your expertise class feature.

Minor Power: When making a sneak attack with your Soul Sword, you do +1 damage. This increases by +1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.

Moderate Power: Select an additional roguish archetype. You gain the feature granted at 3rd level by that archetype.

Major Power: You gain the 6th level feature of the roguish archetype selected as a rogue nexus moderate power. You must have the rogue nexus moderate power to gain this major power.

Sorcerer

Minor Power: You gain one additional sorcerer cantrip of your choice.

Minor Power: You gain one additional cantrip of your choice from any spell list.

Moderate Power: You gain one additional sorcery point. This increases by +1 at 5th, 11th, and 17th level.

Major Power: You can apply two metamagic options to the same spell. You must pay the full sorcery point cost for both. Once you use this ability, you cannot do so again until after you take a long rest.

Tiefling

Minor Power: You gain one cantrip from the cleric spell list.

Minor Power: You gain one cantrip from the warlock spell list.

Moderate Power: You gain the dark one’s own blessing feature from the fiend warlock patron.

Major Power: You gain the dark one’s own luck feature from the fiend warlock patron.

Warlock

Minor Power: You gain one additional warlock cantrip of your choice.

Minor Power: You gain an additional warlock spell known. At each attunement level, you may change what the selected bonus warlock spell is.

Moderate Power: You gain an additional warlock invocation known.

Major Power: You gain an additional warlock spell slot.

Wizard

Minor Power: You gain one additional wizard cantrip of your choice.

Minor Power: When you use arcane recovery, you recover 1 more level worth of spells than normal.

Moderate Power: Select an additional arcane tradition. You gain one feature granted by that tradition at 2nd level that does not have “savant” in its title.

Major Power: You gain the 6th level feature of the arcane tradition selected as a wizard nexus moderate power. You must have the wizard nexus moderate power to gain this major power.

Minor Nexuses

Minor nexuses are things that impact the true nature of a creature’s runic description, but not to the degree of a major nexus. Most Soul Swords have only one or two powers taken from minor nexuses.

Acolyte

This includes any character with the acolyte background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: While wielding the sword, you can cast guidance at will. If you already have the guidance cantrip, you can instead gain your choice of message or produce flame.

Chaos

This includes any character with any chaotic alignment.

Minor Power: You gain the Alert feat, but it does not grant you a bonus to your initiative.

Charlatan

This includes any character with the charlatan background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Actor feat, but it does not grant you a bonus to your initiative.

Criminal

This includes any character with the criminal background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: While wielding the sword, you can cast friends at will. If you already have the friends cantrip, you can instead gain your choice of minor illusion or poison spray.

Entertainer

This includes any character with the entertainer background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: While wielding the sword, you can cast dancing lights at will. If you already have the dancing lights cantrip, you can instead gain your choice of prestidigitation or thaumaturgy.

Evil

This includes any character with any evil alignment.

Minor Power: While wielding the sword, you can cast vicious mockery at will. If you already have the guidance cantrip, you can instead gain your choice of acid splash or poison spray.

Folk Hero

This includes any character with the folk hero background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Lucky feat, but only have two luck points.

Good

This includes any character with any good alignment.

Minor Power: When you give up your inspiration to give it to an ally, you can also grant an inspiration to a second ally. (If your campaign does not use inspiration, instead once per day as a bonus action you can grant an ally advantage on one roll they make.)

Guild Artisan

This includes any character with the guild artisan background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Ritual Caster feat, but only begin with a book with a single 1st-level spell.

Hermit

This includes any character with the hermit background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Keen Mind feat, but it does not increase any ability score.

Lawful

This includes any character with any lawful alignment.

Minor Power: You gain advantage on the first saving throw against enchantment you make after a long or short rest.

Neutral

This includes any character that has neutral as any aspect of its alignment.

Minor Power: Gain any other minor nexus’s minor power.

Noble

This includes any character with the noble background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Charger feat.

Outlander

This includes any character with the outlander background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: While wielding the sword, you can cast druidcraft at will. If you already have the guidance cantrip, you can instead gain your choice of light or mending.

Sage

This includes any character with the sage background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Linguist feat, but it does not increase any ability score.

Sailor

This includes any character with the sailor background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Tavern Brawler feat, but it does not increase any ability score.

Soldier

This includes any character with the soldier background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: While wielding the sword, you can cast blade ward at will. If you already have the blade ward cantrip, you can instead gain your choice of resistance or true strike.

Urchin

This includes any character with the urchin background, or any of its variants.

Minor Power: You gain the Observant feat, but it does not increase any ability score.

Powers By Attunement Level

These are the Soul Sword’s powers as granted with each level of attunement.

Level 1: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with this magic weapon.

Level 2: Minor Power

Level 3: Minor Power.

Level 4: You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

Level 5: Minor Power

Level 6: Moderate Power.

Level 7: Moderate Power.

Level 8: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls, and a +2 bonus to damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

Level 9: Moderate Power

Level 10: Minor Power

Level 11: Moderate Power.

Level 12: You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

Level 13: Major Power.

Level 14: The Soul Sword does an additional +1d6 damage with every successful attack. This damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.

Level 15: Major Power.

Level 16: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and +3 bonus to damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

Level 17: The Soul Sword’s bonus damage increases to +2d6.

Level 18: Major Power

Level 19: Major Power.

Level 20: You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

Power of a Soul Sword

A Soul Sword grows from being a somewhat better than average weapon to being just short of artifact-level power (well above even a typical legendary item). A GM wishing to dial back this power level someone may decide attuned to higher-level powers of a Soul Sword count as a second, or even a third attunement. When using this option, allow a runecaster (see Master Class: The Runecaster) who has access to a Soul Sword to give up one rune known in exchange for counting as having attuned to the weapon one more time than their actual number of attunements.

Two Attunement Option

Attuning to a soul sword gives you access to its listed attunement powers of a level up to half your level (minimum level 1). You may attune to it a second time, which counts as being attuned to two separate items for purposes of your maximum. This gives you access to its listed attunement powers of a level up to your full level.

Three Attunement Option

Attuning to a Soul Sword gives you access to its listed attunement powers of a level up to 1/3 your level (minimum level 1). You may attune to it a second time, which counts as being attuned to two separate items for purposes of your maximum. This gives you access to its listed attunement powers of a level up to 2/3 your level (minimum level 2). You may attune to it a third time, which counts as being attuned to three separate items for purposes of your maximum. This gives you access to its listed attunement powers of a level up to your full level.