User:
JinxedBear
DCI:
Character:
Nathan "Brimstone Wanderer" Dawnrose
Name:
Champion’s Hemorbrand
Rarity:
very_rare
Location:
DDHC-BG:DIA - Path of Devils (Diabolical Deal with Mephistopheles)
Table:
Result:
Included in Count?:
true
Source:
Notes:
Bloodshed Greatsword, Weapon (Greatsword), Very Rare (Requires Attunement)
Look: A razor-straight greatsword of black-iron glass (like frozen obsidian) with faint red “heat lines” inside the metal. The carnelian in the hilt is a sealed infernal lens engraved with Mephistopheles’ blood rune—more contract than gem.
Baseline (Con mod to damage):
Not “you’re sturdy so you hit harder,” but: your vitality is collateral—the sword’s edge is fed by the Champion’s endurance. The blade “recognizes” a resilient body as worthy fuel.
#### Invoking the Rune: The Blood Mantle (your key ask)
When you invoke the rune, it’s not just light—it's a sanctioned infernal phenomenon:
**Invocation narration (universal):**
*"The rune snaps open like a clause being read aloud. Your heartbeat stutters once—then answers. A pressurized burst of blood erupts from pores, scars, and the corners of your eyes, but it doesn’t fall. It whips outward in a tight orbit, dragged into a spiral around the blade like a red comet’s tail. The sword hums, satisfied—precision purchased."*
**Scaling the “amount depends on Hit Dice spent”**
Use these descriptions keyed to how many Hit Dice are rolled/spent.
**For the attack roll boost (spend 1 HD):**
A single arterial ribbon lashes out of your chest/forearms and braids around the edge.
Sound: a wet snap followed by a clean, glassy ring as it “hardens.”
Visual: crimson light “ticks” along the blade like a metronome.
**If the hit lands and you add damage with more HD:**
1 HD
The blood mantle thickens into a second coil. Droplets stop falling and become tiny barbed motes that orbit the edge like red shrapnel held in place by will alone.
2–4 HD
The coils compress into layered plates—a lacquered, ceremonial armor along the fuller and edge. The blade looks wider without changing size, like reality is being persuaded to give it more surface to cut with.
5–7 HD
The plating fractures into a segmented halo of crimson ribs that “click” into alignment with each heartbeat. Each segment briefly shows infernal glyphs—contract-letters that flash and vanish as the sword bites.
8–10 HD
The blood becomes a howling helix, shaping a phantom greatsword silhouette around the real one. Every swing leaves a crimson afterimage that lags half a heartbeat behind, as if the strike is being co-signed by something larger than you.
11–13 HD
The phantom silhouette gains weight and detail: a second edge, jagged and regal, like a crowned executioner’s blade made of living ink. The air around the sword warps with heatless pressure; nearby droplets and dust get dragged into orbit, forming a brief crimson corona.
14–16 HD
The mantle achieves its final clause: the blood erupts into a cathedral of motion—spiraling spines, plates, and helixes that assemble into a towering, translucent infernal greatblade around yours. For an instant, it’s as if Mephistopheles’ own hand is over yours—your strike arrives in two layers: the steel, then the verdict. The afterimage doesn’t fade so much as snap shut, like a contract sealed.
#### Optional Mephistopheles flair (pure narration):
The blood briefly forms infernal script midair—contract-letters that dissolve into sparks.
A faint voice like distant opera: “Worthy.” (or the user hears their own name spoken perfectly)
#### “Champion of Mephistopheles” Thematic Hooks (no mechanical changes)
The Worthiness Test
The sword subtly judges:
If you hesitate, the rune’s glow dims like disappointment.
If you commit, it purrs—like a patron pleased with a decisive champion.