Baphomet's Scalpel

Baphomet's Scalpel

Forged not by mortal hands but carved from a slab of infernal iron torn from the Abyss itself, Baphomet’s Scalpel is a halberd of grotesque proportions. Its haft is wrapped in cured sinew and scorched leather, warm to the touch, while the blade resembles a massive butcher’s implement—half cleaver, half ritual instrument—etched with channels designed to carry blood rather than shed it.

The weapon radiates a constant sense of pressure, as though the space around it resents its presence. When planted into the ground, it seems to sink slightly, biting into stone and earth alike. Those who wield it feel an overwhelming urge to advance, to close distance, and to never allow the blade to leave their grasp.

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⚔️ Base Weapon Properties

• Damage: 1d10 slashing

• Damage Type: Slashing

• Properties: Heavy, Reach, Two-Handed

• Magic Bonus: +3 to attack and damage rolls

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🪓 Colossal Weapon

Baphomet’s Scalpel is unnaturally large and heavy.

A creature must be Large, or a Medium creature with the Powerful Build trait, to wield this weapon effectively.

A creature that does not meet this requirement has disadvantage on attack rolls made with the weapon, and its speed is reduced by 10 feet while wielding it.

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Legendary Passives;

Corrosive Advance

• If you move at least 10 feet straight toward a creature immediately before hitting it with a melee attack using Baphomet’s Scalpel, the attack deals an extra 1d8 acid damage on a hit.

Searing Momentum

• If you move at least 20 feet straight toward a creature immediately before hitting it with a melee attack using Baphomet’s Scalpel, the attack deals an extra 2d6 fire damage on a hit.

Stacking Clause (Critical)

• If both movement conditions are met, both damage effects apply to the same attack.

Gory Reprieve

When you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points with Baphomet’s Scalpel, you gain 3d10 temporary hit points.

Catastrophic Separation

If Baphomet’s Scalpel is dropped or you are disarmed of it for any reason, you must immediately make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw.

• On a success, you lose all temporary hit points, and your current hit points are reduced by half (rounded down).
• On a failure, you lose all temporary hit points and all remaining hit points, fall unconscious, and begin making death saving throws.

If you moved at least 20 feet during your previous turn, you have advantage on this saving throw.

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Legendary Abilities;

 

Blood Siphon

As an action, you plant Baphomet’s Scalpel vertically into the ground and begin channelling its power. You must maintain concentration on this effect until the start of your next turn.

When the channelling completes, the Scalpel siphons blood from all corpses of Small or larger creatures within 150 feet of you that are within line of sight. This effect does not pass through total cover.

For each corpse affected, you gain 5 temporary hit points, up to a maximum of 50 temporary hit points.

This ability has 4 charges which reset during a Long Rest.

• Menacing Physique (Triggered Effect)

When you gain temporary hit points from Blood Siphon, you also gain the Menacing Physique effect.

Menacing Physique

While you have temporary hit points granted by Blood Siphon, your body becomes encased in a bloody, fibrous mass of hardened flesh and sinew, radiating an aura of violent intimidation.

Each hostile creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of you must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on all melee attack rolls for 1 hour.

On a successful saving throw, a creature is immune to Menacing Physique for 1 hour.

• Effect End Condition

Menacing Physique ends immediately when your current temporary hit points from Blood Siphon are reduced to half or less of the amount initially gained.

When the effect ends:

• The fibrous armor sloughs away
• The intimidation aura dissipates

No further saving throws are required.

• Clotted Aftermath

When Menacing Physique ends, your body is left coated in congealed blood and fibrous residue.

For 1 minute, you suffer the following effects:

• Your speed is reduced by 10 feet
• You have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws
• You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks

You can end this effect early by spending an action to tear the residue free, scraping flesh and armor alike.

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• Living Tribute (Recharge)

When you finish a long rest, Baphomet’s Scalpel regains expended Blood Siphon charges by draining vitality from living creatures.

For each 5 hit points drained from living creatures within 30 feet of the weapon, the Scalpel regains 1 expended Blood Siphon charge.
Hit points may be drained from any number of living creatures, including the wielder, and are deducted from their current hit points.

This hit point loss cannot be reduced or prevented in any way and does not count as damage from an attack or spell.

• Empty Reservoir (0 Charges Rule)

If Baphomet’s Scalpel has 0 Blood Siphon charges at the start of a long rest, it cannot regain charges normally.

To restore the Scalpel from 0 charges to 1 charge, roll 4d10. You must distribute the total rolled as hit point loss among one or more living creatures within 30 feet of the weapon.
The hit point loss may be divided among creatures in any combination you choose.

This hit point loss cannot be reduced or prevented in any way.

Once the Scalpel has at least 1 Blood Siphon charge, all remaining charges may be regained normally through Living Tribute.

• Rules Clarifications (DM-Safe)

• Only living creatures can be used (no undead, constructs, or objects)
• Temporary hit points cannot be used to pay this cost
• Creatures reduced to 0 hit points by this effect fall unconscious but do not die outright
• This effect does not trigger death saving throws unless a creature is later damaged
• Charges cannot exceed 4

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Unique Power;

Infernal & Abyssal Essence Reaping

When you reduce a demon or devil to 0 hit points with Baphomet’s Scalpel, the weapon absorbs a fragment of the creature’s planar essence as it is destroyed.

The Scalpel can hold only one fragment of planar essence at a time.
If it already contains essence, the existing fragment is consumed and replaced by the new one.

When Baphomet’s Scalpel absorbs planar essence, a single passive effect manifests while the essence remains stored.

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🎲 Determining the Passive Effect (DM-Facing Rule)

When planar essence is absorbed, the DM secretly selects four appropriate passive effects from the Planar Essence Passive List.
Roll a d4 to determine which of the selected effects manifests.

🔥 Planar Essence Passive List (DM Toolbox)

Use this as your master list. Pick four per absorption.

❄️ Elemental Aegis

You gain immunity to one damage type chosen by the DM:

• Cold
• Fire
• Lightning
• Acid

The air around the blade warps, refusing to let certain forces touch you.

🪓 Predator’s Momentum

• Your walking speed increases by 10 feet
• Difficult terrain does not cost extra movement when moving toward hostile creatures

The weapon drags you forward like a chain pulled tight.

🩸 Abyss-Hardened Flesh

You gain resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.

Your skin tightens, scarred by echoes of a thousand battles.

🔥 Infernal Endurance

You have advantage on Constitution saving throws.

Pain dulls. Breath steadies. The weapon does not allow you to fail easily.

👁️ Hellbound Awareness

• You cannot be surprised
• You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks

Whispers crawl ahead of danger, warning you before it arrives.

⚔️ Relentless Execution

• Once on each of your turns, when you hit a creature with Baphomet’s Scalpel, you deal an extra 1d6 damage of a type appropriate to the absorbed essence

Every strike carries the echo of a fiend’s final scream.

🧱 Infernal Bulwark

You have resistance to elemental damage (fire, cold, lightning, acid).

The essence stiffens around you like unseen armor.

🩸 Dominion of Slaughter

• You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks
• You count as one size larger when determining carrying capacity and shove/grapple attempts

The weapon asserts dominance over the battlefield.

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

Notes: Immunity: Lightning, Immunity: Cold, Damage: Fire, Damage: Acid, Bonus: Strength Score, Bonus: Temporary Hit Points, Damage: Necrotic, Blood Siphon - The wielder holds the halberd vertical to the ground and channels for 1 round, siphoning the blood from all corpses in a 150ft radius. This does not penetrate walls and must be within line-of-site of the wielder. For each corpse siphoned, the wielder gains 5 Temporary Hit Points, and gains the static ability 'Menacing Physique'. All enemies within 15ft of the wielder must make a DC17 Wisdom Saving Throw. On failing saving throw, target has disadvantage on all melee attack rolls for 1hour. On successful saving throw, target is immune to 'Menacing Physique' for 1hour. Menacing Physique - The caster creates a fleshy bloody fibrous armour around their body intimidating any enemy within 15ft of the caster and gains temporary hit points (THP). When the caster drops below half of the accumulated THP, 'Menacing Physique' dissipates and the intimidation effect wears off., Only useable by Large Creatures or Creatures with 'Powerful Build' Feature, Heavy, Reach, Two-Handed, Cleave