Nightbane is an impossibly light greatsword with a sapphire pommel, platinum hilt, and crystalline blade. The brilliant diamond blade is thin, long, and straight, with cutting edges on both sides. Nightbane’s shape suggests that it is intended to be wielded one handed by a creature of large proportions. It is surprisingly heavy when sheathed. The sword is an object that appears to spells and other magical effects as a celestial creature.

This magic greatsword has the finesse property. If you are proficient with shortswords, longswords or greatsword, you are proficient with Nightbane.

You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon. When you damage a creature with Nightbane, the target takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage or 2d8 radiant damage if the target is undead.

Healing Crystal. The sword has 4 charges and regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn. When you damage a creature with Nightbane, you can expend 1 charge to regain a number of hit points equal to the radiant damage dealt.

Sun blade. When drawn Nightbane chooses if it will:

• Burst. Emit bright sunlight in a 40-foot radius and dim light for an additional 40 feet.
• Gleam. Emit bright sunlight in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
• Veil. Conceal its inner-radiance.

Afterwards you can use a bonus action to change this choice.

Dancing Sword. You can use a bonus action to toss Nightbane into the air and speak the command word. When you do so, the sword begins to hover, flies up to 40 feet, and attacks one creature of your choice within 5 feet of it. The sword uses your attack roll and ability score modifier to damage rolls.

While the sword hovers, you can use a bonus action to cause it to fly up to 40 feet to another spot within 30 feet of you. As part of the same bonus action, you can cause the sword to attack one creature within 5 feet of it. Additionally, whilst Nightbane is hovering you can cast spells or attack as though you were in its space and holding it, but you must use your own senses.

After the hovering sword attacks for the fourth time, it flies up to 40 feet and tries to return to your hand. If you have no hands free, it falls to the ground at your feet. If Nightbane has no unobstructed path to you, it moves as close to you as it can and then falls to the ground. It also ceases to hover if you grasp it or move more than 40 feet away from it.

Nightbane has the following additional properties:

• While attuned to the Artefact, your Strength ability score increases by 2, to a maximum of 24.
• While attuned to the Artefact, your Dexterity ability score increases by 2, to a maximum of 24.
• When you become attuned to the Artefact, your Intelligence is reduced by 2, to a minimum of 3. A greater restoration spell restores this ability.
• The first time you become attuned to the Artefact, it gives you a quest determined by the DM. You can’t use any of the Artefact’s properties until you complete the quest.

Sentience. Nightbane is a sentient chaotic good weapon with an Intelligence of 9, a Wisdom of 17, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and normal vision out to a range of 60 feet. The weapon communicates telepathically to the creature carrying or wielding it, and any other creatures it chooses within 60 feet.

If Nightbane deems the need great enough and you are unconscious or otherwise unable to stop it, it can move and attack by itself up to four times (using your abilities, attack roll and ability score modifier to damage rolls). To prevent the sword drawing itself (see curse) you must pass a DC 18 Strength saving throw.

Personality. Nightbane is usually cheerful, eager to help, and craves approval, but it is very self-centered and it does not like to be ignored. The sword delights in what it views its one purpose to be: To destroy evil. Nightbane is not bloodthirsty, it just wants to be useful… but does need your help to understand what exactly evil is.

Curse. If Nighbane is drawn from its scabbard and then not used to destroy what you view as evil within 1 minute, you (or the creature carrying or wielding it) must make a DC 18 Charisma saving throw. On a successful save, the target takes 3d6 psychic damage. On a failed save, the target is dominated by the sword, as if by the Dominate Monster spell, and the sword demands the target must “DESTROY EVIL.” The spell effect ends when the sword’s demand is met or the creature carrying or wielding it dies.

Destroying the Sword. To destroy Nightbane you must first drain it of light and purpose through impotence in the face of eternal darkness. You must find Strahd von Zarovich’s coffin or Vampyr’s sarcophagus and chain the sword within by the Imprisonment spell, for ten years.

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

Notes: Bonus: Magic, Damage: Radiant, Weapon Property: Finesse, Damage: Radiant, Bonus: Strength Score, Bonus: Dexterity Score, Bonus: Intelligence Score, good or neutral creature, Healing, Damage, Combat, Cursed, Heavy, Two-Handed, Graze