The Scourge of Rkard
One of the three mighty swords crafted by Rajaat the War Bringer thousands of years ago to aid his chosen in the his war to rid Athas of the Preservers and later, the genocidal battles known collectively as the Cleansing Wars. The Scourge was given to Borys of Ebe, whom would later bear the title Butcher of Dwarves, and with it the 13th Champion of Rajaat went about his task with glee.
As with the other weapons personally crafted by Rajaat, the Scourge is a blade of terrible beauty. The huge blade is forged from a strange ivory colored steel, polished to such a high sheen that its surface is as reflective as the finest of mirrors. Overall, the weapon is just over four feet in length and long hilt is wrapped with the hide of a nightmare beast. Balancing the weapon is a pommel in the shape of a strange, unknown creature with twin curling horns. The cross-guard, made from the same strange colored metal as the rest of the weapon, bears the weapons single decoration; a blue glowing rune who’s meaning has been lost during the millennia since it was engraved upon the Scourge.
Borys lost the blade during his battle with the last dwarven king, Rkard, lodging it in the mighty dwarves chest as he himself was dealt a near mortal wound by the dying king. For centuries after that battle, the Scourge was entombed with the body of Rkard, until it was give to Rikus during Tyr’s war with Urik. Rikus bore the blade for a decade, but lost it when fighting for his life against the Dragon of Tyr in Ur Draxa. During the battle, Rikus struck the Dragon in the snout and in the Dragon’s wild attempts to dislodge it, the blade of the Scourge was snapped in two and the Dragon was engulfed in a black ichor that seemed to flow out of the ends of the sundered weapon. The Scourge of Rkard was left behind after the chaotic battle and lies shrouded within powerful wards left behind by Sadira of Tyr to guard the War Bringers prison.
Constant Powers
The Scourge of Rkard is a vorpal ghost touched bane vs. Champions of Rajaat bastard sword+8. Due to the strange metal and masterful forging of the weapon, the Scourge is light enough to be wielded in one hand without the Exotic Weapon Proficiency.
The Scourge confers several other benefits to the wielder that are active as long as the weapon is held
+30 enhancement bonus to all Listen checks. The wielder may also listen to things up to one mile away, as long as he has an unobstructed view of what he is focusing on, any barrier, door, ect. that is in the way modifies the DC as per the PH. Using this ability is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. This benefit is a double-edged sword in that it also makes the wielder more vulnerable to sonic attacks. When subject to a sonic attack, the wielder takes +2 damage per die rolled and is stunned unless that make Fortitude save DC 30.
+3 insight bonus to AC and all saves
Immunity to poison
Due to its supernatural sharpness, the blade ignores the hardness of all wood objects and on any successful sunder attack against items made of obsidian, the Scourge deals double damage.
Improved Combat Reflexes [Epic]- unlimited attacks of opportunity (EHB)
*Improved Great Cleave [Epic]- unlimited cleaving and the can take one 5’ step while he is cleaving, as long as he had not already taken any other move action or taken his 5’ step.
Eyes in the Back of Your Head- opponents do not gain flanking bonus (CoA)
The Scourge can be broken, though it has a unique ability to regrow and repair any portion of the weapon that becomes damaged.
Invoked Powers
Rajaat forged the Scourge during the Green Age, when great masters of the Way flourished, and he had the foresight to imbue this weapon with a potent defense against such attacks. The wielder of this blade may activate the power Empty Mind, which has been augmented to provide a bonus of +11 to the wielder’s Will, save as a free action up to five times per day
Spell-like abilities
Haste (wielder only for up to 20 rounds per day, which do not have to be consecutive)
True Seeing (at will)
Find the Path (at will)
At first glance I can say the sword is not a Huge bastard sword. Its a Medium longsword or bastard sword, apparently. The Silencer is quite big and long, and I can't recall exactly for the Scorcher, bu the Scourge is definitely normal-sized. You should re-read Rikus's initial encounter with the sword, its pretty normal-looking.
I did and the the PP Crimson Legion is pretty vauge on the appearence- and it does state that it is a long sword.
The reason that I made it a huge bastard sword is because of the entry in the Psionic Artifacts of Athas that says, and I quote "The Scourge of Rkard is a two-handed bastard sword, though it can be wielded with one hand is the user has a 20 or greater Strength and stands over six feet in height."
Thanks Pennarin- I am just showing you the support for I used in my conversion. I have always thought that the Scourge was a medium weapon (due to the discription in the PP books). I have been leaning toward having my conversion ignore the paragraph I quoted from the PAoA book. Like I said, this is just a rough draft, not my final version. Thanks again :D
Of course, my own Scorcher conversion was way off from canon (although a fun build to do!).
A good example I can give for some discripencies found in PAoA is Ktandeo's Cane, which has really weird fluff and does not carry through the abilities found in the PP1 and 3. Making a more faithful and precise conversion (hey, I admire Melka for what he did, I'm not dissing him) will be my pleasure ;)
+30 enhancement bonus to all Listen checks
You might want to check distance limitations on the skill Listen, in the PHB.
If there is such a mention, somewhere, then put a special notice that says the wielder can hear as well up to one mile away as if the source of the noise is next to him. IIRC, the PP says its olne mile, although I suggest looking it up.
Thanks guys- i would like to hear more if you have something
