Appearance

A whip woven from barbed iron and black leather, studded with cruel, hooked thorns that seem to pulse with faint veins of red. When it strikes flesh, the thorns dig deep, leaving wounds that bleed longer than they should. At rest, it coils like a serpent, its thorns twitching as if alive.

Stages of Power Progression

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Tier I: The Barbed Coil (Unlocked at campaign start)

• Weapon: Whip +1 (finesse, reach).

• Ability – Barbed Strike: On a hit, the target takes an additional 1 bleed damage (1 HP lost at the start of its turn for 3 rounds, unless it spends an action to staunch the wound).

• Ability – Binding Thorns (1/short rest): On a successful hit, the wielder may attempt to restrain the target. The target must succeed on a Strength save (DC 12) or be restrained until the start of the wielder’s next turn.

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Tier II: The Crimson Lash (Unlocked after slaying a beast of the wild or feeding the whip a worthy foe’s blood)

• Weapon: Whip +2.

• Barbed Strike Upgraded: Bleed damage increases to 1d4 per round.

• Ability – Hunter’s Claim: When the wielder damages a creature with this weapon, they gain advantage on their next attack roll against that creature.

• Ability – Crimson Tether (1/long rest): As an action, lash onto a Large or smaller creature within 20 ft. On a failed Strength save (DC 14), the creature is pulled 10 ft. closer to the wielder and takes 1d6 piercing damage.

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Tier III: The Bleeding Serpent (Unlocked after a major hunt — e.g., slaying a corrupted treant, lycanthrope, or monstrous predator)

• Weapon: Whip +3.

• Barbed Strike Upgraded: On a hit, the creature takes an additional 1d6 bleed damage each round for 1 minute, unless it uses an action to staunch the wound.

• Ability – Serpent’s Bite: On a critical hit, the whip coils around the target, restraining it until the end of its next turn.

• Ability – Blood Trail: A creature suffering bleed damage from this weapon cannot hide from the wielder, and its tracks glow faint red in the wielder’s sight.

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Tier IV: Thornlash, the Crimson Coil (Final Form — awakened by bathing in the blood of a powerful foe or through a ritual under the Weeping Moon)

• Weapon: Whip +3, counts as magical.

• Barbed Strike Mastery: On a hit, deal 1d8 bleed damage per round. Multiple lashes stack (max 3).

• Ability – The Crimson Harvest: Whenever a creature dies while suffering bleed damage from this weapon, the wielder gains temporary HP equal to the bleed damage remaining.

• Ability – Writhing Coil (1/long rest): The whip lashes out on its own in a 15 ft. radius. All enemies in range must succeed a Dexterity save (DC 16) or take 3d6 piercing damage and be restrained until the end of their next turn.

• Drawback: The whip hungers for blood — if the wielder does not spill blood with it at least once per day, the thorns dig into their own flesh, dealing 1d6 bleed damage to them instead.

 

Proficiency with a Whip allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.

Notes: Bonus: Magic, Damage, Combat, Finesse, Reach, Slow