Runic Axe of the Sunderer
Added 2023-06-20 16:12:39 +0000 UTCThis item was made in collaboration with our friend Spectre Creations for their upcoming Kickstarter Caliya’s Chronicle of Runes: A Runic Expansion for D&D 5e, which launches tomorrow! Check it out here!
Runic Axe of the Sunderer
Weapon (greataxe), very rare (requires attunement)
This brutal adamantine greataxe has the rare giant “Sunder” rune engraved into it. An accumulation of brittle shale coats the axe and jagged stone shards float around the exposed axehead. When a creature attunes to the axe, its size changes to suit the attuned creature. In its non-attuned state, the axe is large enough for a Huge giant to wield. You have a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
Shatter Strike. When you hit a target with this axe, you can cause the shale accumulation to shatter explosively (no action required). Each creature within 10 feet of you (excluding yourself) must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. A creature that is wearing armor or a shield that has been sundered by this axe’s Sunder Rune makes this save with disadvantage. Each creature takes 8d4 piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Once this property of the axe has been used, it can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Sunder Rune. You can only activate this rune if you have a Strength score of 17 or higher. When you score a critical hit with this weapon, and the target is wearing armor or wielding a shield, you can activate the rune to sunder the target’s armor or shield (your choice). You can also activate the rune when you hit a suit of armor or shield with this weapon, and the target object isn’t being worn or carried. When you do so, the armor or shield takes a permanent and cumulative −2 penalty to the AC it offers. If the object is magical, it is immune to this effect. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed by this effect. Once activated, this rune can’t be used again until the next dawn.
