The Harvester

Weapon (scythe), rare (requires attunement)

A local lord sent a collection party to farmlands that he had not received taxes from for some time. The party found only slaughtered townsfolk, diseased crops, and the grinning corpse of a farmer clutching this scythe with his rigid, lifeless hands. The blade of this scythe is made of cold, dark iron, and its oaken snath is stained crimson with dried blood. Carved into its base is a menacing skull with two smokey, florescent green eyes.

The scythe is a martial melee weapon that deals 2d6 slashing damage and has the reach and two-handed properties. Additionally, the scythe deals an extra 2d6 necrotic damage on a hit. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. While you are attuned to this scythe, you are considered proficient with it even if you lack proficiency with martial weapons.

The scythe has 2 charges. When you hit a creature with the scythe, you can use a bonus action and expend 1 charge to reduce the target’s hit point maximum by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. In addition, you gain temporary hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or similar magic.

The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The scythe regains all expended charges daily at dusk.

Curse. This scythe is cursed by a malevolent presence that constantly whispers in your ear, coercing you to use it. Becoming attuned to it curses you until you are targeted by the remove curse spell or similar magic. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the scythe, keeping it within reach at all times.

Whenever you expend one of this scythe’s charges, there is a 10 percent chance that you become maddened by rage.

While maddened, you must use your action each round to attack the creature nearest to you with the scythe. If you can make extra attacks as part of the Attack action, you use those extra attacks, moving to attack the next nearest creature after you fell your current target. If you have multiple possible targets, you attack one at random. You remain maddened for 2 minutes or until you start your turn with no living creatures within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear.