20 Magical Swords That Aren't Just Longswords
One of my pet peeves about D&D is that the magical swords are nearly always European longswords. It seems as if Excalibur was the perfect model for ALL magical swords ever to be created. Personally, I like to mix things up. I like to use many different types of swords in my campaign worlds, just as there are many different types of swords among all the cultures of the Earth. Diversity is the spice of life and RPG's should NEVER be bland.
As with all of my lists, I'm not just creating 20 magic swords for you to use in your own campaign world. Rather, I am trying to encourage you to figure out what cultures or races in your own world would be more likely to use flyssas rather than standard long swords and what sort of sword should be in that treasure chest that the PC's just found. Remember, every little detail that you can put into your world makes it deeper and richer in the player's minds. Please note, there are numerous links in this list that point to pictures of swords so that you might know what they look like in case you are not familiar with all of the names. These pictures are NOT meant to be the weapon described in the table and I do NOT own either the images or the swords. Without further ado, here are 20 Magical Swords That Aren't Just Longswords. Happy gaming!
Simple Rapier - Nothing seems overly fancy about this gleaming, silver blade until someone touches it. The sword is +2, weighs only 1 pound, and fills the wielder with confidence.
Pata - Once wielded by a knight of the Elven Silver Circle, this gauntlet blade glows with a pale yellow radiance that will make dim light in a 10' radius. The sword is +1 and also adds 1 to the wielder's AC.
Shark-Toothed Wooden Sword - This sword floats on water (and other liquids) and gives the user advantage on Strength (Athletics) for swimming. It is +2 and weighs only 1 pound.
Kora - Crafted for the worshippers of an Aboleth cult, the indecipherable inscriptions on the blade always seem to be in motion. When attuned, this +1 blade gives the wielder a +2 on all combat initiative rolls, as it quietly whispers warnings to its master about closeby threats.
Flamberge Shamshir - Created by an Efreeti and gifted to a great horse-lord king of ages past, this sword is +2 and gives the user advantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) rolls when riding a mount into battle.
Dha - Forged by the skilled Drow sword-makers in Menzoberranzan of some unknown mineral, this +2 sword is black as night, weighs only 1 pound, and allows the wielder to speak undercommon. It will disintegrate if exposed to direct sunlight.
Saif - Created by Dwarven smiths, the blade of this +2 sword is covered in runes. The sword glows with a faint red light when within 60' of lava or a fire elemental. It also grants the wielder advantage on all saving throws related to fire and heat damage.
Falchion - Crafted by Humans to be a Giant-Slayer, this +2 hand and a half sword weighs only 1 pound and gives the wielder +1 bonus to AC when fighting giant class creatures.
Flyssa - Crafted by the Elves for a ship's captain, this +2 sword gives its wielder advantage on both Wisdom (Perception) and Charisma (Persuasion) rolls.
Cinquedea - Celestial construction shows through in the ever-gleaming, never tarnished look of this +2 sword. It grants its wielder the ability to speak Celestial and advantage on the saves vs. spells from Fey, Fiends, and Undead.
Tulwar Execution Sword - Fiendish in nature, this +2 hand and a half sword is always warm to the touch. It grants its wielder the ability to speak Infernal and advantage on the saves vs. spells from Celestials, Elementals, and Giants.
Cup-Hilted Rapier - Crafted by the Fey long ago, this mithril rapier weighs only 1 pound, is decorated with a fantastic depiction of the Wild Hunt. It is +1 during the day and +3 at night. At night, it also grants its wielder advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) rolls.
Dao - Created for an Elven assassin. This +2 blade grants the wielder advantage on all initiative rolls and the use of the 6th level Warlock ability Misty Escape once per day.
Saber - Crafted by High Orcs, this +2 sword amplifies the wielder's voice so that he or she may be heard clearly over the din of combat. Additionally, on a roll of 19 or 20 this weapon shatters the opponent's weapon.
Shotel - This +2 sword, crafted by a long-forgotten human race, is covered in glyphs and runes of an unknown nature. The sword grants the user advantage on Intelligence (History) and Intelligence (Investigation) rolls, as well as the ability to speak and write Bapesh, a language that has been dead for 3000 years.
Court Sword - Constructed by Gnomish weaponsmiths, this +2 short sword seems more wand than rapier with its bright blue, rune-covered blade. It grants the wielder advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and Wisdom (Insight) rolls.
Katzbalger - Forged by the finest weaponsmiths in the Holy Empire, this +2 sword was meant to be the blade of a champion. Inscribed with holy imagery, the weapon grants its user advantage on the saves vs. spells from Fiends and Undead, as well as sheds a 10' radius of bright light with an additional 10' radius of dim light upon command.
Cutlass - Created by the talented weaponsmiths of the Sea King, this plain looking cutlass has a +2 bonus, grants its wielder the ability to breath underwater, and takes no disadvantage from being wielded underwater.
Basket-Hilted Rapier - This +2 rapier was clearly made by a master craftsman. It provides the wielder a +2 bonus to ALL Charisma-based skills and one additional parry action per round.
Spadroon - This +2 rapier was created long ago for a commander of Elven rangers. It grants its wielder advantage on Wisdom (Perception) and Dexterity (Stealth) rolls, as well as the ability to cast the druid spell Pass Without Trace once per day.
These swords could be anywhere. They might be in the hands of a villain or they might be buried in a lost dungeon. You'll have to decide. You might even be able to locate some of these items in a Pawn Shop. Check out Pawnbrokers, Black Shark Enterprises latest release. It has two 5 star ratings thus far.
