DCC Treasure - Incaedus, The White Flame

 

So, reading through the 2021 DCC Day 0-Level Adventure, Beneath the Well of Brass, I am looking through the module, and reskinning and tweaking it to work with re-kicking off my in person gaming now that the pandemic lockdowns are coming to an end.

In that adventure, there's a magic sword -- but it doesn't feel like a DCC magic sword.  It doesn't have a name, an INT characteristic, a purpose.  It's not special enough.  It has the potential to be useful all the way through a DCC Campaign up to 10th level, but it needs just a little more 'oomph' and story to make it worthy of a player character's attention.  So here's my version below.

It's worth knowing that my version of the adventure will take them to a frost-rimed cave known as the Lich's Maw, to a cold cavern filled with freezing blue-white flames, and ultimately to a portal to Absalom, the Land That Sleeps, a frozen and crumbling mirror of the real world where the restless dead reside, and hunger for the warmth of the living...


Incaedus, The White Flame

This alabaster longsword with a polished bone pommel is cold to the touch like the marble of a mausoleum, flickers with white flame,  Those who take up the sword must make a Fortitude save equal to DC 15 + the level of the previous wielder -- failure causes the character to be immolated by frigid white flames and suffer 5d6 frost damage per round held, and success grants the wielder the mantle of a Herald of Death (and if they are Chaotic in alignment, +1 Luck) and the ability to wield the sword without harm. Regardless, the wielder can feel the sword constantly tugging at their life force, subtly drawing heat and vitality from them.

This sword is considered a magical weapon, but grants no bonus to damage, but a bonus to hit equal to the wielder's level. The wielder can expend 1 point of Stamina as a free action to wreath the sword in white flames for a single round, granting an increased critical range by 3, and +1d6 frost damage.  Stamina spent this way can be regained at the usual rate of 1 point per day, but never by a cleric.

Heralds of Death receive communication from the sword and it's ultimate masters through dreams and nightmares while they sleep.  The commands further an oblique purpose that serves the purposes of Chaos.  Once dubbed, it is hard to escape the sword's destiny and ultimate purpose.  Incaedus itself has an Int of 5 and has the special purposes to slay lawful clerics and serve the Lord of Absolom, whomever that might be.