Dymondheart

Illus. by W. England

Dymondheart is a longsword shaped from a single piece of darkly oiled and gleaming wood. The grain runs with the length of the blade, and the wood is vibrant, as if still living.

Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 longsword;

Cost 2,315 gp. In the event the blade is damaged, it heals naturally at a rate of 3 hit points per day. Omen: The longsword truly is alive, and it never needs sharpening. HISTORY

Stories exist of items grown rather than forged, including Lyon’s Dagger and the Green Shield, but many of these stories are without basis in fact. Fairly good records support the actual existence of a sword called Dymondheart, however, whose blade is green and growing. Such a weapon’s wielder is heir to the strength of growing things. (DC 15) The storied blade Dymondheart was most recently wielded by an elf hunter named Elowyn. Reveling in its living nature, Elowyn used the magic of the sword against the machinations of a servitor of decay referred to as the Rotting Man. Even without extensive knowledge of the longsword’s true capabilities, Elowyn was able to call on a few powers to aid her when she was nearly bested by a demon from the Abyss. (DC 18; Purifi cation of the Tree)

Dymondheart was a gift given to Elowyn by an elf lord known as the Nentyarch. That title is assumed by the greatest living druid in the great forests to the east, and many elf druids have held it over the centuries. The currently serving Nentyarch wielded the longsword himself when he was younger, having secured it from the tombs of a fallen city called Dun-Tharos, once inhabited by those who traffi cked with demons. Only the vigilance of an unbroken string of Nentyarchs has kept these ruins quiescent under a living boundary of trees. A journey down past the roots of the sentinel trees into the tombs required vast daring, and the Nent yarch’s reward was great—he reclaimed Dymondheart, a sword once wielded by those of his order in the distant past. Reclaiming the weapon was not easy. Guardians with fell power beset the Nentyarch, and he barely escaped with his life. (DC 25; Rite of Passage) Nearly a thousand years ago, the fi rst of the Nentyarchs raised a living fortress of magical trees over the evil ruins of Dun-Tharos. His aim was to keep the secrets of that demon-worshiping city safely under root and trunk. The blade Dymond heart grew fully formed from the living wood of one of those ancient trees, a gift from the green powers to the fi rst of the Nentyarchs, signifying their patronage and power. The blade was handed down from Nentyarch to Nentyarch. Only the fi rst Nentyarch, however, understood all the weapon’s powers and abilities. Using it, he was able to seal away the tombs beneath his living stronghold for almost a thousand years. (DC 31; Prayer of Ancient Lineage) LEGACY RITUALS Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of Dymondheart. Purifi cation of the Tree: You have to plant a tree and arrange for its continual tending. If your original tree ever perishes, you must plant a new one within one month but need not repeat this ritual. If you fail to plant a new tree, you lose access to Dymondheart’s two highest-level abilities until you do so. Cost: 2,140 gp. Feat Granted: Least Legacy (Dymondheart). Rite of Passage: You must prove your mettle alone against a black-hearted treant, one that has given up its charge to support life in favor of the pursuit of rot and death. You must defeat the creature but can use whatever means are at your disposal. Cost: 13,500 gp. Feat Granted: Lesser Legacy (Dymondheart). Prayer of Ancient Lineage: You are required to meditate upon the revealed history of Dymondheart for a period of at least 48 hours, bringing to mind the ancient wonder of the original Nentyarch’s fortress of living trees. Cost: 38,000 gp. Feat Granted: Greater Legacy (Dymondheart). WIELDER REQUIREMENTS Most wielders of Dymondheart are druids specially trained to wield a longsword. Rangers are also drawn to the blade of living wood.

The weapon of druid Dymondheart Wielder champions, Dymondheart defends the forest from servants of decay Requirements Base attack bonus +1 Knowledge (history) 2 ranks Speak Language (Elven)

Table 3–17: Dymondheart

————— Personal Costs ————— Wielder Attack Save Hit Point Level Penalty Penalty Loss Abilities

5th — — — Shed bolts 1/day 6th — — 4 Deflect attack 7th — –1 — +2 longsword 8th — — — — 9th –1 — 2 Daylight 1/day 10th — — — — 11th — — — +3 longsword 12th — — 2 — 13th –2 — — Green flame 14th — — — Shielding beneficence of the green powers 15th — — 2 — 16th — –2 — +4 longsword 17th — — — +5 longsword 18th — –3 2 Healing grace of the green powers 4/day 19th — — 2 Protective embrace of the green powers 20th — — 2 Ban of the green powers 1/day

LEGACY ITEM ABILITIES

All the following are legacy item abilities of Dymondheart.

Shed Bolts (Sp): Starting at 5th level, once per day as an immediate action, you can use protection from arrows as the spell. Caster level 5th.

Deflect Attack (Su): At 6th level and higher, once per day as immediate action, you can use the flat of Dymondheart’s blade to deflect a ranged touch attack, such as a ray, that would otherwise hit you. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Daylight (Sp): Beginning at 9th level, once per day on command, you can cause Dymondheart to shed daylight as the spell. Caster level 5th. Green Flame (Su): At 13th level and higher, on command, you can touch the tip of Dymondheart to an object and cause a green-tinted continual flame to spring forth. If you instead attack a creature after the command word is issued, a successful attack that deals damage causes that creature to be outlined in green faerie fire, as the spell, for 3 minutes. Caster level 10th.

Shielding Beneficence of the Green Powers (Su): At 14th level, you gain a +3 deflection bonus to Armor Class. Healing Grace of the Green Powers (Sp): Beginning at 18th level, four times per day on command, you can use cure critical wounds as the spell by touching the item to a creature to be healed (including yourself) and speaking a command word. Caster level 10th.

Protective Embrace of the Green Powers (Su): At 19th level, you gain a +5 resistance bonus on all saving throws.

Ban of the Green Powers (Sp): Starting at 20th

level, once per day when you issue the command word and gesture with the item, you force extraplanar creatures out of your home plane, as the banishment spell. The save DC is 20, or 17 + your Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. Caster level 15th. ADVENTURE SEED (EL 3)

As the heroes move through a forested setting, they hear bellows of fury, clashes of wood on wood, and other sounds that indicate a fight. Investigation reveals a nightmarish group of thrashing, animate shrubs, each scaled and dark with a terrible rot. The creatures are called twig blights, and they’ve managed to overcome an elf woman who now lies beneath their whipping branches. Adventurers who defeat the monstrosities are free to claim the fallen elf woman’s items for themselves. Among many mundane pieces of equipment is Dymondheart.

Twig Blights (9) CR 1/3

CE Small plant Init +1; Senses low-light vision, Listen +1, Spot +1 Languages Sylvan AC 15, touch 12, flat-footed 14 hp 5 (1 HD); DR 5/bludgeoning or slashing Immune critical hits, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, polymorphing, sleep, and stunning Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +0 Speed 20 ft. (4 squares) Melee 2 claws +0 (1d3–1 plus poison) Base Atk +0; Grp –5 Atk Options poison (DC 11, 1 Str/none)–Abilities Str 8, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 11, Cha 4 Feats Stealthy Skills Hide +8, Listen +1, Move Silently +4, Spot +1