Hello there creative folk

I'm looking for some help, tips and general inspiration in coming up with tales and legends about weapons of renown.

My current DnD 5e character is playing a pact blade warlock that conjures worth weapons from history. However because of his hexblade patron the stories of those weapons will become corrupt and change both the history and the weapon.

Example:

• Lightbringer (Pure form) This greatsword is always wielded by a champion of light. It appears in many battles to smite evil and is worn during many important speeches and public services. An order of paladins eventually formed around it as it was passed from master to apprentice.

• Light of Greed (Corrupt form) As a powerful greatsword, no matter whom ends up wielding it they surely achieve great renown and glory. It lifts up anyone into the picture perfect hero. It will make the wielder take on an apprentice. Whilst the wielder hogs the glory and the apprentice lives in the shadow the sword lowly poisons the mind until the apprentice kills off the wielder with no one the wiser and becomes the new hero. Because of this untold secret the Light of Greed will always pass to the apprentice at the master's death*

I'd like for some hooks or ideas of strange weapons or good stories. I prefer them to be short enough to fit on a single page with a drawing of the weapon. You don't have to offer pairs but pairs is what I'll be making out of it. Any kind of lore is fine, it doesn't have to be world spanning big it can also be the spear of a lonely Arakocra fisherman that once slew giant sea snake. Just some nice heroics whether big or small. If making a corrupt version it should feel like the unseen dark side, like the truth of the world is that it's filled with darkness.

 EDIT: If you have any confidence in poetry I'd very much like the bits in poetic form

Thanks in advance

Shivo

PS: I have also made a thread on the DnD 5e subreddit under the same title - https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/87m4ba/looking_for_inspiration_for_legends_and_tales/

I think building the weapons story corresponds with how many (B) magical bonus's it has like if for some reason in the world the characters have the abilities of a psycic and when someone holds the weapon in their hand they can see the story of how it got its bonuses like maybe the weapon showed the person who took the weapon on a quest were they slayed a demon so that the person whose name was written on the handle will glow when its +3 strength modifier is looked at and people can see the thing glowing in the light that is unique to that story. and maybe it will glow another color when someone looks at the weapons +3 con modifier from the crafting quest  when they had to help a dwarf fight a goblin and bring him when they went to save another dwarf from a dungeon  and had to bring another dwarf from a grouping outpost on the way and then had save the king to get access to a crafting area. and then the sword got a +3 wisdom bonus from another quest for the housing sphere to unlock housing 

       See the 3 different questing spheres gives the person who holds it a completed path or story that lasts 50 years in order to encourage more questing that when the time of their quest is up they have to make up new quests for that weapon or it would brake or become unmagical. Though each quest doesnt have to be 3 parts making them each +1 each but thats the way it makes sense to me but people can experiment with this if they like. 

Id just like to clearify alittle bit what i said about the ability to see the light of who last held something and they could understand what that means. thats all i was trying to say and i got off track alittle.

So just to be clear, you're just looking for backstory for the weapons, not stat blocks? Writing backstory sounds fun. Developing stat blocks, not as much. 

@Felbarn: Thanks for your unusual input. Not really what I had in mind but I'm in love with the idea. Not sure I can get my DM to run with it but I'll keep it in mind for the future :)

@Orikson: Definitely only story, no mechanics or stats. If you're so inclined I prefer poetry. Thanks for taking the time

Not sure I completely understand the prompt but here's an idea for a weapon.

Reaper's Blade: Scythe of the Angel of Death. The shaft pitch black and seemingly made of shadow. The steel blade curved but also jagged like a monster smiling. Etched into the blunt side of the blade is an inscription. "All that begins must have an end, so from the body soul I rend. The last feeling before this life will fade, is the cold steel of the Reaper’s Blade."

Just thought it would be interesting to wield the weapon of the Grim Reaper and essentially it isn't good or evil. Since, all mortal life is treated equally by death. Philosophical debate to have there. Don't think a scythe is officially in 5e so would be a homebrew weapon with like Reach and Two-handed. Could also be like the dual scythes in Darksiders 2 or the scythes from Bloodborne. Just some ideas.

@Jameskai: The idea/hook is that my character loves tales of weapons so when he conjures a weapon from the tales he makes an active choice to sacrifice something he loves to corruption in exchange for power. I like the Reaper's Blade and love the poetic telling, but I think I'll use as a corrupt version

Ok, so I'm not sure if there are any differences in the Pantheons between 3.5e and 5e. I pulled this deity from "Deities and Demigods" for 3.5 but any deity  of death could fill the slot. 

The Dagger of the False God: This dagger was created by Nerull, The King of All Gloom. A necromancer named Raythorn had grown in his power and with it his arrogance. He wished to gain more power and began to gather to himself a cult to worship Nerull. They grew to number more than 30 and began kidnapping travelers from the nearby road to conduct terrible sacrifices to gain Nerull's favor. When his cult had grown still larger he unfurled his master plan.  

He had discovered a scroll with a ritual to turn the caster into a demi-god, all that was required was a deity to serve under and a large number to sacrifice. He summoned his cult to him and began the ritual. The spell took the souls of his members and at the climax of the ritual he plunged the sacrificial dagger into his own heart to release his now god-like spirit. He saw Nerull appear before him and Raythorn smilled. Nerull asked, "are you a god now?" 

Raythorn said, "yes!"

Nerull asked, "and you swear to serve me?"

Raythorn answered, "yes my lord!"

Nerull laughed, "You are foolish, young necromancer. Such gifts one cannot bestow upon themselves. However, for your sacrifice I will grant you this boon. I will place your soul in your sacrificial dagger and give it to my foremost cleric. Your reward will be to serve me forever, little False God!"

The dagger since that time was passed between clerics of Nerull, until it was lost... 

@Orikson Thanks for your input :). I like the tale and how in makes use of a god with a good twist. I might abbreviate the story or put a bard's twist on it, but I'm going to use it.

@Shivo I'm going to try and come up with a few more when I have the time. Hopefully I can come up with some poetry for the next one. 

Here's the best hook I've got, prepare yourself:

It's just a name. That name is Maximus Eternal. 

@VanZoeren Thank you for your input, though I don't get it...

@Jameskai I did like your idea but I gave it a little tweak and made it into both a Pure and Corrupt version

Final Relief (Pure form): Crescent-moon Glaive of Death’s Mercy. The shaft is soothing silver and seemingly made of smoke. The steel blade is curved but also gentle like a mother’s smile. Etched into the blunt side of the blade is an inscription: “I cut mortal body so you have soul to keep. I guide escape from death to blissful sleep”

Reaper’s Blade (Corrupted form): Crescent-moon Glaive of the Souleater. The shaft is pitch black and seemingly made of shadow. The steel blade is curved but also jagged like a monster smiling. Etched into the blunt side of the blade is an inscription: “All that begins must have an end, so from body soul I rend. The last feeling before this life will fade, is the cold steel of the Reaper’s Blade.”

Glad you found a way to use it. Thought of another one, just a pure form.

Hope’s Call (Flail) When the flail spun it would give off a loud whistle. All who heard the whistle were filled with hope. For they knew the righteous hero had arrived and that they would smite down any evil.

I guess the corrupt form's whistle would bring dread to anyone who heard it. Couldn't think of a good name so I leave it to you. Was trying to think of a weapon that would be called something like 'Giant's Dagger', but it would be a greatsword. Just thought it would be funny, but couldn't think of anything good.

Shivo, your thread starter created an itch I had to scratch. I'd already created an image of the weapon (see below). So, today, I hammered out a bit of backstory--poetically, no less--to go with the weapon. The weapon in its pure form is a slayer/banisher of fiends. It discerns the evil in both demons and devils, and, therefore, grants its wielder great power over those forces. In its corrupted form, it takes the idea of discernment/judgment to a horrible extreme: the wielder judges everything and everyone harshly and unfairly and finds everyone guilty, in some way, of behaving "fiendishly." This, of course, could lead to the wielder (at best) being very bitter, jaded, or isolated or (at worst) becoming a vigilante who kills innocent people but believes he is doing good all the while. 

The Ordazwyr (Hammer of Frost)

In the icy northern summits, King Gareth’s realm did stand,

And far below Mount Korva tunneled his dwarven clan.

Deep within the mountain rock, an azure ore they found

And in its steel were strength and frost and fairest beauty bound.

But the tunnels of this dwarven clan did something else unearth,

Something hideous, something dark, something of a fiendish birth.

A dreadful demon had been loosed and wandered now the dwarven hall,

And there was no place for one to hide from its cruel and hellish call.

Despair and dread, fear and death, seemed all that could remain.

What hero, what blade, what spell could save the dwarven king’s domain?

But within the forges of his realm, the bluish metal had taken form,

And a hammer of war—cold and bright, potent and light—was now newly born.

Brave and fierce, stern and stout, good Merrik grasped the hammer of frost;

He faced the fiend while saying aloud, “The realm of my king shall not be lost!”

The hammer struck once and the demon fell back, stunned by the cold and the pain.

The hammer struck twice and amid a great shriek the demon departed this plane.

And thus began the Ordazwyr, Hammer of Frost, to both demons and devils a bane.  

--------------------------------------------------

 The Ordnigôm (Hammer of Judgment)

So too began the Ordnigôm, Hammer of Judgment, to kindness and mercy a bane.

Its wielder certain of discerning the truth, claims the motives of all are quite plain:

“Selfish and wicked, mean and debased, describes that which all people do.

No one is righteous, not one is good, and with my verdict I must follow through.”

@Jack_Joke: This very good, just the kind of thing I was looking for. Especially like the poem, nicely done. Thanks a lot :D