Items · Melee Weapons · Magical
Seven Blades of the Serpent
A collection of Ophidian weapons for your perusal.
Grand Blade of the Python
This massive two handed sword can bend like a tentacle and can grasp a foe with its blade. It is long enough to grab a human sized (or smaller) target. The wielder can choose if the flat or the edge of the blade is used, with the flat causing edged damage only if the victim struggles. If the edge is used to constrict the target, it will cause massive damage, eventually severing the grasped portion like massive scissors.
Dagger of the Viper
This dagger is small, slender and has a slightly flamboyant blade. When commended by its wielder, the blade becomes a small poisonous viper and detaches from the dagger's grip. The viper will carry out any commands by its owner and can travel up to 500 feet from the grip. The wielder is obliged to provide some type of prey for the viper once a month, or it will detach on its own to go hunting from time to time. If prevented from hunting it will eventually attack its wielder.
Blade of the Serpent
This weapon is permanently poisoned with snake venom. It is a dangerous weapon to use as it provides no protection for its wielder - even basic maintenance such as cleaning and sharpening pose a poisoning risk. It will also poison any ground the blade touches, eventually poisoning a 20' radius circle where nothing will grow.
Saber of the Sidewinder
This blade, though not poisoned, can flick and strike like a cobra, even with the wielder holding their hands steady. This grants a greater chance to hit one's opponent and these attacks are much more difficult to parry. The blade is aggressive and unsafe to leave unsheathed when not in combat- it will tend to strike at anything that moves suddenly nearby.
Sword of Spitting
This long sword is permanently envenomed and any wounds will be mildly poisoned. In addition, it can periodically spit the venom at an opponent in close combat (5' or less). It will target an enemy's eyes. As with the blade of the serpent, it is a dangerous weapon to own, though its toxin is less deadly.
Sword of Sensing
This sword magnifies nearby body heat, allowing the wielder to detect warm-blooded creatures nearby. Carrying the weapon for too long will make the wielder want to eat small rodents and birds - or more so, if they were previously so inclined.
Saber of Entrancing
This blade will draw the attention of any snake or snake-like creatures, serving to distract them and providing a means to entrance them. More intelligent snake-beings are likely to throw off the effect, but most snakes can be partially controlled by their wielder.
It takes time for the bearer to entrance snakes, and if the performance is interrupted all affected snakes will be enraged with the wielder. Due to the attention it draws from serpents, it has a greater chance to hit them, but will also draw their attacks.
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Seven snaky swords. You should add it to the 7 Things submission. 5/5
4.5/ SWEET!!!!!! Ive got serpent men planned for the future of my game....hehe
The only problem I have is the Saber of the Sidewinder, because a sidewinder is a rattlesnake, and not a cobra. Mechanics are fine, just used to live where there were lots of sidewinders.
I very much enjoyed the themed weapon presentation, and it makes me want to make my own cluster of themed weapons. Also, these are very useful for using in a game where the theme is well supported. Cult of Assassins, snekswerd. Snake handling religious cult? snekswerd. Nightmare evil cultists, hissing snekswerd.
I chose Sidewinder because it started with the same letter. I suppose Claymore of the Cobra could work :)
Striking like a sidewinder would probably work too, though perhaps more people are familiar with a cobra.
Question: is the first sword (the two handed sword)'s blade pincer-shaped? I can't imagine a normal two handed sword's blade (which is more or less just a straight blade that ends in a triangle, no?) being able to grab people as opposed to impale someone?
It can bend dramatically - and perhaps lengthen somewhat - when used to grapple. I would say it follows Anime physics :)
Okay, I'm totally out of touch with anime and cartoons. :)
I'm a sucker for themed weapons and ophidians. Fun read and useful!