Bardaxe, Amplified +1 (With Story Elements)

Note: this is the GM version.  To avoid spoilers, have players use the earlier version of this item that does not have (With Story Elements) in the name.

As an action, you can use the Bardaxe to cast Amp, expending a level 1 spell slot to energize the spell.  The Amp spell lasts 1 hour and amplifies the sound of the axe so that it can be heard from 100-300 feet away (volume tunable by rotating a small disc on the axe.)  Whenever the Amp spell is active, the axe is playable as an instrument (electric guitar) using lute proficiency.  Using a spell slot of a higher level adds 100 feet of audible range for every spell slot above 1.  (The numbers 11, 12, and so on appear on the disc for each higher level to let you crank the volume.)  Creatures and objects that are sensitive/vulnerable to loud noises are vulnerable to the music of the Bardaxe.  While active in combat, the Amp spell grants advantage to any concentration saving throws for bard spells and increases the range of ranged bard spells up to half of the active audible range.  (150 feet at level 1, 200 feet at level 2, etc.  Non-Bard spells and spells whose initial range is "self" or "touch" are not affected.)

In combat, the Amp spell can be activated as part of an attack action with the axe.  It does not require an additional action.  Additionally, if the bard is playing it, this axe will continue to shred without interruption even while attacking.

The souls of creatures killed by the Bardaxe are captured and sent to serve the devil who created the weapon, (METAL!)  Attempts to knock out or otherwise non-fatally incapacitate an enemy with the Bardaxe have a 90% chance of failing and killing the target instead (Roll a D10 and the target survives only on 0.)  Kills made by the Bardaxe are likely to spread gore around in the most metal way possible.

You have a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

The Bardaxe can be played as an instrument without Amp using lute proficiency, but has a -5 modifier (because the acoustic version is lame, man.)

The Bardaxe is inhabited by the soul of Mickey, a former roadie who worships the gods of heavy metal.  Micky can communicate telepathically with the person attuned to the axe and will frequently cheer/goad the character for more killing and more blood.  Any blood that is splashed on the Bardaxe is immediately absorbed by it (which can lead to interesting results in the context of certain traps.)  Blood also causes Mickey to cheer wildly.  If Mickey is not "fed" by killing at least one creature every two weeks, he becomes increasingly agitated, causing disadvantage on all WIS saving throws and checks.  Kills by spells cast while Amp is active count as feeding Mickey, as do kills by other players of enemies that are under the effect of spells cast under Amp.  The souls of creatures killed this way will not be available for resurrection/raise dead/revivification.  A creature finished off by the Bardaxe while doing death saves will also count as being consumed by it.

This weapon is obtained by making a deal with a powerful devil who presents himself as a traveling merchant.  The devil will be playing the Bardaxe, and the novel sound of its music will draw the attention of a Bard with lute proficiency.  A DC 15 intuition check (with advantage for those with lute proficiency) will reveal to any character listening that the Devil's song can be matched with a DC 17 performance/lute check.

The devil will let any interested bard try the Bardaxe out before offering to sell it to them: the price will be determined by a contest of skill, (as in "The Devil Went Down to Georgia.")  If the bard can out-play the devil, the Bardaxe will be the prize, free and clear.  If the Devil wins, the Bard still gets to use the Bardaxe, but there will be a price in the form of a favor to the Devil, to be named later.  During the contest, the Devil will open up the side of its wagon to reveal a portal to hell, where demons and devils are gathered in an amphitheater to listen to the contest.  The bard will go first with a performance check, and while playing will get a minor cut that draws blood.  The Devil will go second.  This time, the Devil will play a much more difficult song, and it will take a DC 32 performance check from the bard to beat him.  (Possible only with performance expertise, a high roll, and some sort of guidance or other magical assistance.  Megadeth Holy Wars is suggested as a song to help give flavor to the Devil's performance.)

If the Devil wins, he will give the Bardaxe back to the bard as long as the Bard did better than a 13 on the performance check.  The devil says "you are worthy to carry my axe, now to earn the right to carry it you must do me a favor.  You must use the axe to kill the next person who asks you for help."  The bard cannot refuse as the pact has already been sealed in blood and metal.  The Bard is not told that the soul of the person they kill will be sent to serve the Devil, but it's not too hard to figure out that's what happens.  Thus, revivify/raise dead/resurrection spells will not bring back an NPC (or PC) killed under this contract.  The target does not have to be killed immediately, so an ambush, etc. can be plotted out, but there is a time limit once the condition is triggered by a request for help (see below.)  Wish can undo the killing or even the person asking help to trigger the pact, but that just re-sets the target to whoever asks for help next.  Using wish to undo the pact itself sets the party back in time to where they were before they met the devil.  If the Bard fails to kill the target, there will be escalating unease and warnings leading up to two months after the pact is triggered, at which time the Bard's soul is consumed and sent to serve the Devil by inhabiting a different pact instrument.  (A piccolo or whatever is funny/appropriate.)  The same consequence happens if the Bard gets a 7 or less on the performance check for the contest, having slipped and gotten cut fatally.  (8-12 performance in the contest, and the Devil simply vanishes with his cart, taking the Bardaxe with him and saying "you are not worthy.")

During combat with the chosen target of the Devil's pact, Micky lets the attuned character know that they will be granted proficiency with the Bardaxe as a Battleaxe if they "turn it up to 11" (cast Amp with a level 2 spell slot and turn it all the way up.)  This works for one battle only.  After this, normal rules for proficiency with a battleaxe apply to using this as a weapon.

At some funny or otherwise opportune moment, Mickey can casually reveal that he came to inhabit the Bardaxe by failing a similar pact with this Devil.  One of his "gods," the bass player of the band for which Mickey worked, asked for help moving an amplifier.  Mickey tried to kill him by himself with the Bardaxe.  The band then ganged up on poor Mickey and beat him to death with his own shoes. 

At some point, Mickey may also mention that he's highly skilled at sorting multi-colored candies, and he can even grant the player advantage at such a task if asked.

Any time after the initial pact with the Devil is fulfilled, the bard may un-attune the Bardaxe in the normal way without penalty.  Micky will telepathically entreat the bard to come back and play with him again, but with decreasing frequency over the next two weeks.  After two weeks, if it is clear that the bard does not intend to return to using the Bardaxe, it will disappear when no one is looking.  If the player attempts to give the Bardaxe to someone else, (after a warning from Mickey) it will vanish just before being handed over.  If the player attempts to sell it, Mickey will advise them that they must somehow bind the buyer to the same pact the player was in, otherwise they won't be able to hand it over.  The player is allowed to try and negotiate any amount of money or other payment on top of that, however.  Before the pact is fulfilled, the Bardaxe can't be gotten rid of with anything short of a Wish spell (see above.)  It's not technically a curse, since the player made a pact to obtain it.  If it is given away, sold, dropped, or whatever, it simply re-appears in the Bard's belongings at the next long rest or other opportune/fun moment when no one was looking.

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

Notes: Bonus: Magic, Requires (a) tuning by a bard, Damage, Social, Combat, Instrument, Versatile, Topple