The Vestige of War is an ancient and brutal suit of armor forged from scarlet-stained obsidian metal. Its jagged plates are adorned with spikes, barbs, and jagged edges that drip with phantom blood that vanishes as soon as it touches the ground. The armor hums with the echoes of countless battles, and faint war cries can be heard in moments of silence. Runes of bloodlust and fury are inscribed along the breastplate, pulsating faintly with red light.
Once donned, the armor cannot be removed willingly. It grants immense power but awakens a desperate hunger for bloodshed. The more violence it tastes, the stronger it becomes, and those who dare wear it often lose themselves to the call of battle.
Stats
- Armor Class: 18 (plate)
- Weight: Heavy
- Stealth: The armor imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
- Strength Requirement: The wearer must have a Strength score of 18 or higher to wear this armor without penalty.
Properties
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Bloodlust: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls with melee weapons.
- When the wearer reduces a creature to 0 hit points, they gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt.
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Eren’s Fury: As a bonus action, the wearer can enter a frenzied state once per short or long rest. This frenzy lasts for 1 minute and grants the following effects:
- Advantage on all melee attack rolls.
- +15 feet to movement speed.
- The wearer cannot willingly move away from a creature they can see unless they have dealt damage to it this turn.
- The wearer suffers disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws during this frenzy.
- Aftermath: Once the frenzy ends, the wearer gains 1 level of exhaustion and cannot willingly stop attacking any creature in sight until the end of their next turn.
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Relentless Assault: When the wearer scores a critical hit, they can make one additional melee weapon attack as a reaction. This extra attack cannot trigger another additional attack from this trait.
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Unyielding Presence: The armor emits a menacing 30-foot aura of pure intimidation.
- Any creature hostile to the wearer that starts its turn within the aura must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw.
- On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened for 1 minute.
- The frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
- On a successful save, the creature becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours.
Enhanced Properties (Post-Attunement)
After completing the attunement ritual, the Vestige of War awakens to its true potential.
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Battleborn Supremacy: The wearer’s Strength score increases by 4, up to a maximum of 24.
- The wearer gains proficiency in all melee weapons and can use Strength in place of Dexterity for Initiative rolls.
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Unrelenting Fury: When the wearer enters a frenzied state using Eren's Fury, they can now maintain it for 2 minutes instead of 1. The exhaustion penalty is reduced by 1 level after the frenzy ends.
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Crimson Devourer: The temporary hit points from Bloodlust now also grant the wearer a +2 bonus to AC until the start of their next turn.
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Warrior’s Immortality: If the wearer is reduced to 0 hit points, they can choose to remain at 1 hit point instead. This effect can be used once per long rest.
Special Power - Blood Reckoning
Once per month, the wearer of the Vestige of War can invoke the Blood Reckoning, unleashing the full fury of the armor’s power. For 1 minute, the following effects take place:
- Immunity to psychic damage and charmed and frightened conditions.
- Resistance to all damage except radiant damage.
- Attack rolls against the wearer have disadvantage.
- Whenever the wearer reduces a creature to 0 hit points, they gain temporary hit points equal to the creature’s maximum hit points instead of half the damage dealt.
- The wearer can add 4d10 additional slashing damage to any melee attack they make.
Aftermath: After using Blood Reckoning, the wearer must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are wracked by the armor's hunger, taking 10d10 psychic damage and becoming incapacitated for 1d4 hours as the whispers of war torment their mind.
Curses
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Insatiable Violence: The armor awakens a relentless hunger for bloodshed.
- At the start of each combat, the wearer must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw.
- On a failed save, they must use their action to attack the nearest creature (ally or enemy) until no creatures remain in sight.
- If no creatures are in sight, the wearer takes 1d10 psychic damage per round until they locate a target.
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Crimson Burden: The Vestige of War cannot be removed willingly.
- Attempting to remove it causes intense pain as the armor fuses with the wearer’s flesh.
- The wearer must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw to attempt removal.
- On a failed save, the wearer takes 3d10 psychic damage and becomes cursed.
- While cursed, the wearer is unable to remove any armor they wear until the curse is broken by greater restoration or wish.
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Mark of the Berserker: The armor marks the wearer as a vessel of bloodlust.
- Creatures that detect magic or curses immediately sense the presence of war upon the wearer.
- Paladins, clerics, and celestial beings can recognize the taint of this curse.
- Creatures with insight into this mark gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to detect the wearer’s violent intentions.
Attunement Requirement - The Oath of Blood
To attune to the Vestige of War, the wearer must perform the Oath of Blood.
- Ritual: The ritual must be conducted in a battlefield, blood-soaked arena, or site of war.
- Sacrifice: The wearer must defeat a worthy opponent in single combat and let their blood soak the armor.
- Oath: The wearer must pledge their soul to the spirit of war, promising never to seek peace.
- Trial: The wearer must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 12d10 psychic damage and are cursed with an inability to wear armor until the curse is broken.
Destruction
The Vestige of War can only be destroyed in a moment of absolute peace. This destruction requires a sanctified battle-free zone blessed by a deity of pacifism. The wearer must undergo an act of pure, selfless mercy and surrender their will to nonviolence.
Alternatively, the armor may shatter if the wearer sacrifices themselves in an act of complete, selfless mercy—perhaps by offering their life to save another. Upon this act, the spirit of war within the armor dissipates, and the armor crumbles into ash.
If the ritual is interrupted or performed without sincerity, the Vestige of War grows stronger, binding itself to the wearer permanently and amplifying its curses.
Plate consists of shaped, interlocking metal plates to cover the entire body. A suit of plate includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and thick layers of padding underneath the armor. Buckles and straps distribute the weight over the body.
Notes: The Oath of Blood, Str. 15 Required, Stealth Disadvantage