Short Takes

A few short item descriptions today. Each of these has been floating around in the back of my head for a while, but none have come together for a longer write up, so I'll throw them out so you can use them as is or expand them as desired.

The Hacking Sword - A heavy, two-handed weapon, the Hacking Sword has a crude, unfinished look about it. The hilt and pommel are made from dull gray iron that still bears the hammer marks of its forging. The Sword's blade is made from dozens of dagger-like shards of black iron, melded together in a jagged, saw-toothed mass with crude hammer-strokes. When wielded the Hacking Sword emits a faint electric hum. In addition to a Superb damage enhancement, the many dagger-shards that make up the weapon's blade separate into dozens of individual blades held together by magical energies, creating a whip-like blade of force studded with razor-sharp spines. The weapon can strike any target within 15 feet of the wielder.

Stone Grip Gauntlets - This heavy pair of gauntlets is made from dozens of shards of gleaming obsidian, held together with a web of silvery energies. They provide a Good defensive bonus to the wearer and a Legendary strength bonus to hand strength. In addition the wearer is able to dig through solid stone as if it were soft earth, shifting a cubic yard of material per hour of labor.

Scarab Cloak - This long shimmering cloak is made from the living bodies of thousands of scarab beetles, held in place with a skein of black silk threads fastened to a silver collar decorated with a pattern of inscribed insects. In addition to its rather horrific appearance, the Cloak allows the wearer to send forth individual beetles as spies and observers. They can also command the entire mass of scarabs to swarm an individual target, inflicting Average damage each round and effectively blinding the targets. The beetle swarm is only affected by area of effect damage, and destroyed beetles regenerate overnight.