Vorpal Sword

Weapon (Glaive, Greatsword, Longsword, or Scimitar), Legendary (Requires Attunement) You gain a +3 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this magic weapon. In addition, the weapon ignores Resistance to Slashing damage. When you use this weapon to attack a creature that has at least one head and roll a 20 on the d20 for the attack roll, you cut off one of the creature's heads. The creature dies if it can't survive without the lost head. A creature is immune to this effect if it has Immunity to Slashing damage, if it doesn't have or need a head, or if the GM decides that the creature is too big for its head to be cut off with this weapon. Such a creature instead takes an extra 30 Slashing damage from the hit. If the creature has Legendary Resistance, it can expend one daily use of that trait to avoid losing its head, taking the extra damage instead.

Tactical Applications

Legendary Decapitation: Functions as +3 slashing weapon with instant-kill potential on natural 20s. Exceptional for legendary characters, ultimate weapon specialists, and campaigns requiring the pinnacle of slashing weapon mastery with reality-altering combat potential.

Class Synergies:

• Fighters: Perfect for legendary weapon masters wanting ultimate slashing capabilities and instant-kill potential
• Paladins: Essential for legendary champions needing divine weapon mastery and ultimate combat power
• Rangers: Excellent for legendary hunters requiring ultimate slashing effectiveness and creature elimination
• Epic Characters: Outstanding for legendary-level characters with world-changing combat responsibilities

Build Considerations: Requires attunement but provides legendary-level weapon enhancement. Most valuable for epic-level characters requiring ultimate combat capabilities and legendary weapon mastery.

Acquisition Methods

Crafting Requirements: Cannot be easily crafted - requires legendary weapon knowledge and cosmic blade essences. Estimated equivalent cost 150,000+ gp.

Common Sources:

• Legendary weapon masters and ultimate blade specialists
• Treasure hoards of cosmic entities and reality-shaping warriors
• Extremely rare rewards for world-saving quests and legendary missions
• Found in the collections of legendary weapon researchers and ultimate swordmasters
• Sometimes discovered through divine intervention or cosmic weapon manifestation

Alternative Acquisition: Extremely rare, typically found only through legendary adventures or cosmic favor.

Value & Trade

Estimated Value: Priceless - beyond normal economic systems, equivalent to 400,000+ gp.

Trade Considerations: Cannot be purchased, only acquired through legendary quests or cosmic intervention.

Character Integration

Roleplay Elements: Suggests involvement in legendary combat, ultimate weapon mastery, or cosmic responsibility requiring world-changing combat power.

Character Concepts:

• Legendary swordmaster with cosmic combat responsibility and ultimate weapon mastery
• Reality warrior using ultimate blade for world-changing objectives and cosmic protection
• Character chosen by cosmic forces for legendary combat missions and universal defense
• Ultimate weapon specialist combining legendary blade mastery with traditional combat techniques

Adventure Hooks

The Cosmic Threat: Epic scenarios requiring ultimate weapon mastery where legendary combat provides the only solution to reality-threatening enemies.

The Legendary Duel: Combat situations where ultimate blade mastery determines cosmic balance and universal fate.

The Weapon Ascension: Legendary quests where ultimate swordmanship advances cosmic objectives and universal protection.

The Blade Master: Epic character development where ultimate weapon mastery represents the pinnacle of combat achievement.

Variants & Customization

Cosmic Vorpal Sword (Cosmic Artifact): Enhanced with universal cutting power and reality-severing capabilities.

Sword of Divine Severance (Cosmic Artifact): Blessed by cosmic entities with enhanced divine-blade fusion and ultimate cutting power.

Reality Cleaver Sword (Cosmic Artifact): Specialized for universal cutting with enhanced reality manipulation and cosmic authority.

Specialized Variants:

• Dragon Slayer Vorpal: Enhanced for draconic combat with improved dragon damage and legendary creature effectiveness
• Undead Bane Vorpal: Optimized for undead destruction with enhanced holy damage and undead elimination
• Fiend Cleaver Vorpal: Specialized for extraplanar combat with enhanced outsider damage and planar authority

Lore & History

Origins: Created by cosmic forces as ultimate weapons for legendary champions facing reality-threatening enemies requiring instant elimination capabilities.

Historical Significance: These blades enabled legendary combat victories and the resolution of cosmic threats throughout universal history.

Cultural Impact: Represent the ultimate expression of weapon mastery and the cosmic gift of legendary combat power.

Magical Craft: Demonstrates cosmic-level understanding of weapon magic and the most complex blade enhancement processes in existence.

Balancing Notes

Introduction Timing: Appropriate for levels 17-20 when legendary weapons become necessary and cosmic threats require ultimate combat solutions.

Campaign Impact: Provides ultimate weapon power balanced by extreme rarity and cosmic responsibility.

Legendary Focus: Only valuable in campaigns featuring world-threatening challenges and legendary-scale combat.

Encounter Design

Recommended Challenges:

• Legendary combat scenarios where ultimate weapon mastery provides solutions to cosmic threats and reality-level enemies
• Epic duels where legendary blade power enables victory against ultimate opponents and cosmic adversaries
• World-saving missions where ultimate combat determines universal survival and cosmic balance
• Legendary challenges where ultimate weapon mastery represents the pinnacle of martial achievement and cosmic authority

Vorpal Adjustments: Campaigns fundamentally change when ultimate weapon capabilities become available for legendary-level threats.

Related Items

Legendary Items: Other artifacts that provide ultimate combat power and legendary weapon capabilities.

Cosmic Equipment:

• Items that enhance ultimate combat and legendary weapon mastery
• Equipment for cosmic combat and universal protection
• Tools for legendary magic and ultimate weapon development

Complementary Equipment: Items that enhance legendary abilities or provide additional cosmic combat benefits.

Roleplay Opportunities

Legendary Mastery: Characters develop connection to ultimate combat forces and legendary weapon responsibility.

Cosmic Leadership: Ultimate weapon capabilities create opportunities for leading legendary missions and cosmic protection operations.

Weapon Excellence: Ultimate blade mastery enables exploration of themes related to legendary responsibility and the proper use of cosmic combat power.

** CREATOR'S NOTE: This item represents the pinnacle of weapon achievement and should only be introduced in epic-level campaigns with experienced players who understand the cosmic-level responsibilities and consequences of wielding ultimate combat power.**