Mantis Blade (Minor Artifact)

Slot none; CL 20th; Weight 2 lbs.; Aura strong evocation

Alignment LE; Ego 16; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Int 10 Wis 12 Cha 14

Communication telepathy; Special Purpose Slay All

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th, concentration +22)

3/day–alter self, darkness, spider climb, true strike
1/day–clairaudience/clairvoyance, deeper darkness, dimension door, greater invisibility

DESCRIPTION

The mantis blade is an intelligent +2 axiomatic sawtooth sabre made of red chitin that forms a curved, serrated blade. It grants its wielder the ability to make a sneak attack that deals 1d6 points of damage. This ability functions as the rogue class feature of the same name, and the extra damage stacks with any sneak attack bonuses the wielder already has. When a creature is wounded with the blade, the wielder can activate the blade’s bane weapon special ability as a swift action (granting the weapon an additional +2 enhancement bonus and causing it to do an extra 2d6 points of damage, but only against the type of creature struck). The bane ability lasts for 10 minutes and is usable once per day.

Sacred to the faith of the mantis god, a mantis blade also grants bonuses to a crimson assassin who wields it. A crimson assassin wielding a mantis blade gains a +2 bonus to the DC of her prayer attack and gains an additional use per day of both her red shroud and fading abilities.

To date, only one mantis blade is known to exist, but ancient texts suggest others remain yet to be recovered.

DESTRUCTION

If a single wielder uses the mantis blade to slay nine rightful ruling monarchs, the weapon can be destroyed by a successful sunder combat maneuver.