The Sunsword

The Sunsword is a unique blade that once belonged to Strahd's brother, Sergei von Zarovich. In its original form, it had a platinum hilt and guard, and a thin crystal blade as strong as steel. When Sergei died, Strahd employed a powerful lich named Exethanter to destroy the weapon.

However, before Exethanter could destroy the hilt and blade, his apprentice stole the hilt and fled. Her flight was successful in saving the blade from destruction. However, she didn't succeed in fleeing Barovia before some nameless menace in the Mists claimed her.

Exethanter later located his apprentice’s mutilated corpse in the Svalich Woods, but the hilt was nowhere to be found. To avoid the vampire’s wrath, Exethanter told Strahd that the entire weapon had been destroyed. Vladimir Horngaard of Argynvostholt guards it now, knowing that any who might seek it must do so in order to free the Devil from his prison.

The Sunsword is a unique blade that possesses powers accessible through a special bonding ritual. Once the powers are awakened, only the wielded bonded to the blade may call upon its inherent abilities.

Sunsword Properties

Wondrous Item, Legacy

The Sunsword is, at this stage, dormant and unusable. The only indication to those that wield it that there is something special about it is that it has the Guardian property; the Sunsword whispers warnings to its bearer, granting a +2 bonus to initiative if the bearer isn't incapacitated.

Sentience

The Sunsword is a sentient lawful good weapon possessed by the spirit of Sergei, having an Intelligence of 14, a Wisdom of 17, and a Charisma of 16. It has hearing and normal vision out to a range of 60 feet. Sergei communicates by transmitting emotions to the creature carrying or wielding the Sunblade.

Legacies

Three rituals are required to unlock all the abilities of the Sunsword.

Lesser Legacy

Weapon (Longsword) , Legacy (Requires Attunement)

The wielder must return the sundered hilt to the pool at Krezk and complete the Trials of the Sunsword.

• The sword has the Finesse property. Even if the wielder is not proficient with longswords, they are proficient with the Sunsword.
• The wielder gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon, which deals radiant damage instead of slashing damage. When the wielder hits an undead with it, that target takes an extra 1d8 radiant damage.
• The sword's luminous blade emits bright light in a 15-foot radius and dim light for an additional 15 feet. The light is sunlight. While the blade persists, the wielder can use an action to expand or reduce its radius of bright and dim light by 5 feet each, to a maximum of 30 feet each or a minimum of 10 feet each.

Greater Legacy

The wielder must defeat Count Strahd von Zarovich, liberating Barovia and bathing the hilt in sunlight for 1 minute.

• The +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon increases to +2. The extra 1d8 radiant damage dealt against undead increases to 1d10 , and this extra damage is also dealt to fiends and aberrations.
• Piercing Light. Once per long rest, the wielder can use an action to cast the Lightning Bolt spell at fifth level , dealing radiant damage instead of lightning damage.
• Once per long rest when the wielder of the Sunsword is bloodied, they may use a reaction to immediately cast the Death Ward spell on themselves without expending a spell slot.

Epic Legacy

The wielder must defeat an aberration, fiend, or undead whose CR is at least 3 higher than their player level.

• The +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon increases to +3.
• Piercing Light can be used twice per long rest and is cast at seventh level. If an ally of the Sunsword's wielder is within the spell's area, they do not take damage and are instead healed for 4d8 + the wielder's Wisdom modifier.
• Unholy Bane. The Sunsword deals an extra 6d8 radiant damage against an aberration, fiend, or undead on a natural 20 . If this damage reduces such a creature to 50 hit points of below , the wielder can choose to cast the Banishment spell on them.