Description : Witchblades vary in size, type and metal used in construction widely. Although the most often found type is a bastard- or two-handed sword, forged from blackened steel. (Notes: It's mithrill in my campaign; blackened steel is an iron and silver alloy, which causes the blade to turn black over time due to the silver's chemical reaction with the air's oxygen) As the name might suggest a witchblade is a weapon favoured by many mages, especially the eerie Nethermancers. When assensed from the astral with the help of an appropriate talent or spell the sword will show as a jet-black pattern with several smaller patterns within the item's pattern itself. The populace and warrior(-types) are generally suspicious of those adepts carrying a witchblade since they are closely linked with the used of black, blood and horror magic. Therefore adepts carrying a witchblade are often referred to as a witch (if female) or a warlock by the populace, even though they might not even belong to a spellcasting discipline. The populace in my campaign tends toward giving such individuals a fiery welcome and good-bye.

No. of Threads : 2 (Greater Blades have 3)    Spell Defense : 16 - 20

Basic Statistics : Weight: varies by type    Damage Step: varies by type Minimum Strength: varies by type

Rank I    Cost : 200 Legend Points Key Knowledge : The name of the witchblade. (with the exception of the legendary "unnamed blade") Effect : Spell Matrix, the blade does contain a (normal) spell matrix, which functions at a rank equal to the swords thread rank. this spell matrix has the form of a symbol etched into the blade of the sword or a gemstone also forged in the blade. Rank II    Cost : 300 Legend Points Key Knowledge : None. Deed : If the blade is NOT black in color the character has to darken it to the "right" color for a witchblade, which is black. Blackening a blade is usually done by exposing it to air with a high content in oxygen or (for the smarter players) by immersing the blade in a bath of sea-water with a high content in salt. Painting the sword black to fulfill this deed causes the blade to assault the painter with astral energy as if the painter had just cast a circle 5 raw magic spell. (including horror marks and the like) The deed is worth 500 (air) or 800 (salt water) Legend Points. Effect : Frighten, the character gains the Talent by the same name or a bonus to the talent at a rank/step equal to half the swords thread ank rounded up. Rank III    Cost : 500 Legend Points Key Knowledge : The character must know the origin of the silver which was used in the creation of the blade. Effect : Evil Eye, as per the spirit power of the same name, the effect step is the craters Willforce step plus the current thread rank of the witchblade. Use of this ability in public might result in a bb with the wielder as a very special guest. Rank IV    Cost : 800 Legend Points Key Knowledge : The character must learn how the power of this thread rank is named and why. (Hel is a named horror, it is shrouded in black mist coming from his breath) Deed : The character must locate a piece of blacklight coal and swallow it, burning. This deals two points of permanent damage to the character which may never be healed even if the character is separated from the blade. If the character exhales sharply a thin cloud of black, odorless smoke comes from his mouth. The coal never ceases to burn, even within the characters body. Causing massive pain during a four week time period, after a slow process of "getting used to it" sets in and last for another month. Blacklight coal increases a characters resistance to fire and heat, which results in three additional points of armor against fire attacks, and the ability to operate normally for temperatures of up to 50C degrees. (122F) This deed is worth 1,300 Legend Points. Effect : Hel's breath, for the cost of two points of strain the character may breath out a cloud of black smoke which surrounds him for a number of minutes equal to the blades thread rank (radius 3 to 4 feet). The cloud makes it difficult for opponents to hit the wielder and adds 3 points to the Physical Defense rating and 2 points to the Spell Defense. Each time an opponent attacks he must also make a second attack test, if successful nothing happens if he misses he breathes in some of the smoke which causes his eyes to burn resulting in him being harried. Creatures without lungs and eyes are immune to this effect. While standing in a cloud of Hel, Hel receives a five step bonus to his spellcasting test against the wielder of the weapon. Rank V    Cost : 1,300 Legend Points Key Knowledge : None. Effect : Jagged Edge, the swords edge becomes jagged and incredibly sharp, adding three steps to the base damage step. Leech, use of the leech power costs the character five points of strain and allows him to drain the life force of another being which he or she has injured with the blade, or a spell cast from the blade. The character gains the same number of points as the target has lost in the attack or half that if a spell was used. The power lasts for only one round, if no attack was made during this round or the attack failed, the caster has just lost five points of damage. Use of this power is extremely gruesome to behold as blood (or similar) explodes from the target and flies towards the wielder of the witchblade in a wild arc landing in his face. The blood flows to the wielders eyes and enters them, causing the wielders eyes to become literally blood-shot for six rounds. During this time the wielder gains a two step willforce bonus to any nethermantic spell cast. Horrors gain a four step bonus to their horror mark power during the same period of time.

Greater Blades only : Literally great blades, only bastard- and two-handed swords can be greater witchblades. Rank VI    Cost : 2,100 Legend Points Key Knowledge : The character must know that all greater blades have a ally spirit trapped within the blade. Know the name of yours brings you one step closer to the last rank. Deed : Before he can weave this thread to a greater blade, the character should sooth the spirit, buy granting it some of his own Karma. Therefore he has to seek out an alchemist and persuade him to brew a special potion which allows him to dissolve some of his Karma in it, thereafter bathe the sword in the potion. 33% of maximum Karma are sufficient, the more you give the more willingly the spirit cooperates. Not giving any Karma causes the spirit to incorporate some ill-effects when the Leech power is used, the character's eyes stay red, and part of his pattern is exposed to the astral, resulting in a 3 point penalty on the characters spell defense when targeted by any horror power until the spirit is soothed by giving the maximum Karma and 1 point of blood magic, permanently of course. This deed is worth 2,100 Legend Points. Effect : Summon Dark Allies, this power allows the wielder to call dark ally spirits as if he was using half-magic. the step for this power is the characters charisma step plus the swords thread rank plus one point of Karma should he desire to use one. The power costs the character two points of strain per spirit summoned and lasts for one service from the spirits, the target umber is 10 (=SD) +2 per spirit summoned : Dark Ally Spirit: Attributes DEX: 8 STR: 8 TOU: 6 PER: 5 WIL: 7 CHA: 3 Initiative: 8 Physical Defense: 10(13 manifested) # of Attacks: 2 Spell Defense: 10 Attack: 10 Social Defense: 6       Damage: 12 Armor: 8 # of Spells: 1 Mystic Armor: 4 Spellcasting: 8 Knockdown: 8       Effect: varies Recovery Tests: 3 Death Rating: 41 Combat Move: 120 Wound Threshold: 12 Full Move: 240 Unc. Rating: 37 Karma: 5    Karma Step: 3 Powers: Astral Sight-7; Lifesense-7; Spell: Spirit Dart-9 Legend Points: 250 (? estimate) Description: Small (3'), fast, flying, black, malicious, sadistic, red-eyed and smelly smoke clouds. Notes: The character takes all summoning damage as once, this may result in wound for the summoner. The spirits stay for #thread rank minutes after manifesting and attack every living being in vicinity after their task is completed, with the exception of their summoner. Rank VII    Cost : 3,400 Legend Points Key Knowledge : None. Effect : Flesh Eater, upon scoring an wound the blade starts to rip out little pieces of the opponent's flesh, which start flying around in a spectacular fashion for 2 rds, the attack itself increases the damage step to weapon type plus five. After two rounds the small pieces of flesh transform into step 4 Graznik flies, notorious for their disease ridden bite, which start to molest and bite everyone, with the exception of the wielder of a witchblade. Treat them as having an attack step of 12 and a damage step of 12 for purpose of of getting through armor, but in reality they only deal one (disease-ridden) point of damage. The disease is up to the GM. Graznik fly (PD:10; SD:5; DR:5; UR:4, etc.)

The Unnamed Witchblade only : BTW, this is a two-handed sword+3 (forge blade) Rank VIII    Cost : 8,900 Legend Points Key Knowledge : Hel's true name. Effect : Summon Hel, which summons the named Horror Hel, this situation should be roleplayed, not rollplayed. If the character has advanced this high, he can make his deal with the Horror or seek to destroy it, whatever his wishes are. Hel's Stinger, for three points of strain the character may add 8 Steps to his initiative when attacking with the Unnamed Blade or when casting the Spell in its matrix.