Battalion’s Echo

Perhaps birthed from the dark metals of the underworld’s nine realms, this fiendish instrument seems to hum tunes of electric war. The strange looking lute, fitted with axe-like protrusions and ebony steel frame, is the perfect tool for slicing through silence and enemies alike. Cracked and jagged, its vibrating, otherworldly body lies scarred as proof of great battles fought.

Dormant. While Battalion's Echo is in a dormant state, you can hold this magic battleaxe and use a bonus action to speak the command word Kashmir, causing the axe to charge with arcs of electricity. This effect lasts until you use a bonus action to speak the command word again, or until you drop or sheathe the axe.

While this battleaxe is charged, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with the weapon, and when you hit with an attack using this weapon, the target takes extra lightning damage equal to your bardic inspiration die. In addition, you gain resistance to lightning damage and can use the axe as a spellcasting focus for your bard spells.

Awakened. When Battalion's Echo reaches an awakened state, you gain the following benefits:

• The weapon’s bonus to attack rolls increases to +2.
• When you hit with an attack using this weapon, you may exhaust one use of your bardic inspiration so that the target takes extra lightning damage equal to your bardic inspiration die.
• You can cast the Ensnaring Strike spell from the axe as a bonus action. This spell counts as a bard spell and deals lightning damage with a save DC of 15. Once a spell has been cast using Battalion's Echo, that spell can’t be cast from the axe until the next dawn.

Exalted. When Battalion's Echo reaches an exalted state, you gain the following benefits:

• The weapon’s bonus to attack rolls increases to +3.
• Once per turn when you hit with an attack using this weapon, you can immediately teleport to an unoccupied space you can see within 15 feet of you as a part of the attack.
• You can cast the Spirit Guardians spell from the axe as an action. This spell counts as a bard spell and deals lightning damage. The save DC for spells cast using the sword increases to 17.

Curse. This battleaxe has a lust for destruction. Becoming attuned to it extends the curse to you. As long as you remain cursed, you are unwilling to part with the axe, keeping it on your person at all times. While attuned to this weapon, you have disadvantage on attack rolls made with weapons other than this one.

In addition, while the axe is on your person, you are unable to magically heal anyone including yourself as the axe's only purpose is to destroy.

You can break the curse in the usual ways. Alternatively, finding the battleaxe's bound case satiates its hunger for chaos. While you have the case on your person alongside the battleaxe, you can once again magically heal yourself and others. However, you take lightning damage equal to your bardic inspiration die whenever you do so.

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, Damage: Lightning, requires attunement by a bard, Teleportation, Damage, Combat, Cursed, Instrument, Bard, Versatile, Topple