Bugspewer
Added 2021-10-29 16:26:38 +0000 UTCBugspewer
Weapon (blowgun), rare (requires attunement)
This blowgun is fashioned from a nest infested with parasitic dart bugs.
The blowgun has 5 charges. When you make an attack with bugspewer you can expend 1 charge to launch one of the dart bugs as special ammunition at the target. On a hit, the bug latches onto the target and begins sucking its blood (creatures without blood or an equivalent fluid are immune to the dart bug’s necrotic damage). At the start of each of the target’s turns it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 necrotic damage for each dart bug that is latched onto it. Each dart bug will remain latched onto their host for 1 minute, or a creature uses its action to detach it. A dart bug occupies the same space as its host and has half-cover while latched onto a target. Once a dart bug is removed, it will flee to the nearest darkness and hide. If you fire a dart bug and miss, it dies. Bugspewer regains 1d4 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. Alternatively, while holding bugspewer you can retrieve a living dart bug with an action to regain 1 expended charge. If you expend the blowgun's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the blowgun crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.
While holding bugspewer and it has 1 or more charges remaining, you can cause the swarm within it to defend the hive against attackers. As a reaction, when a creature moves within 5 feet of you on its turn, you can force it to make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 4d4 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success.
A Humanoid reduced to 0 hit points with a dart bug attached to it dies and rises as a paper zombie (stat block provided by The Dire DM) 1 minute later. The zombie acts immediately after your turn in the initiative count. Paper zombies are hostile to all creatures, except for dart bugs and the wielder of bugspewer.
This item is a collaboration with The Dire DM, who provided the art, lore, and stat block for the accompanying monster The Paper Zombie (attached below).
