Aetherbane
Weapon (greatsword), rare (requires attunement)
Type: Greatsword
Damage: 2d6 slashing
Properties: Heavy, Two-Handed
Attack Bonus: +1
Damage Bonus: +1
Weight: 6 lb.
Rarity: Rare
Requires Attunement: Yes
Proficiency: Martial Weapons
Description
This weapon’s metal vibrates faintly with an otherworldly hum, and faint lines of silver-blue light trace its surface when magic is nearby. In the presence of strong spellcasting, the blade’s edge seems to shimmer like heat over desert sand. Forged in the echo of a shattered planar rift, Aetherbane exists to cut through the Weave itself.
Special Abilities
🩸 Magic Weapon
You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.
⚔️ Spellbreaker’s Riposte
When a creature you can see casts a spell that targets only you and is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack with Aetherbane against that creature.
If the attack hits, the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Strength modifier).
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On a failed save: the spell fails and is wasted.
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On a successful save: the spell works as normal, but you still deal weapon damage.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
🌌 Cleave the Arcane
When you hit a creature that is concentrating on a spell, it makes that saving throw with disadvantage.
Additionally, once per long rest, you can use your action to swing Aetherbane through the air and disrupt nearby magic.
This functions as the Dispel Magic spell (DC 15), centered on a point you can see within 10 feet.
Use your Fighter level as your spellcasting level for this effect.
Flavor Text
When Aetherbane strikes a magical effect — such as a glowing barrier, a summoned creature, or a spell being cast — the blade emits a flash of pale blue light and a sharp ringing tone, like metal slicing through glass. Those who’ve faced it claim it leaves behind a faint vacuum, a breath of silence where magic once existed.
Lore
“Steel is the truest counterspell.
Mages weave illusions and power; we cut truth from their lies.”
— High Inquisitor Varran, First Wielder of Aetherbane
✅ Technical Summary (for D&D Beyond input)
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Item Type | Weapon |
| Base Weapon | Greatsword |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Requires Attunement | Yes |
| Modifier | +1 bonus to attack & damage |
| Activation | Reaction (for Riposte), Action (for Cleave the Arcane) |
| Limited Use | Proficiency bonus (Riposte), 1/Long Rest (Cleave) |
| Saving Throw | CON DC = 8 + PB + STR |
| Additional Notes | Dispel Magic DC 15, disadvantage on concentration saves |
“Evolving Legacy Item” (best narrative balance)
Keep Aetherbane rare now, but let it evolve when certain story milestones hit (for example, reforged with new anti-magic ore or after slaying Bastiel).
Here’s how that might look:
| Tier | Level | Rarity | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 3–7 | Rare | +1, Spellbreaker’s Riposte, Cleave the Arcane |
| II | 8–13 | Very Rare | +2, Riposte range 10 ft, Dispel Magic DC 16 |
| III | 14+ | Legendary | +3, Cleave becomes Greater Dispel Magic, Riposte can reflect a spell once per day |
Proficiency with a Greatsword allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
This weapon has the following mastery property. To use this property, you must have a feature that lets you use it.
Graze. If your attack roll with this weapon misses a creature, you can deal damage to that creature equal to the ability modifier you used to make the attack roll. This damage is the same type dealt by the weapon, and the damage can be increased only by increasing the ability modifier.
Notes: Bonus: Melee Attacks, Damage: Slashing, Requires Attunement by a non-spellcaster (fighter, barbarian, rogue, or paladin). To attune, spend a short rest focusing on the hum of the blade until its vibration matches your heartbeat. Aetherbane rejects those who draw power from the Weave itself — if you can cast spells, the blade grows cold and inert in your hands. Once attuned, you feel a faint tremor whenever magic is cast nearby, like a heartbeat in steel., Damage, Combat, Heavy, Two-Handed, Graze
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