From the Armory: Demonbound Weaponry

From the Netbook, Chapter 6: Dungeon Mastering Thorn's Mystara:

Weapons of Magic: Demonbound items

Nightfang (Hunger, Ebon’s Call, BlackRazor, Lifestealer) is said to be one of the first demonbound weapons, the hilt forged from the slag iron skimmed away during the creation of the Well of Souls.

Appearance

Nightfang’s blade is composed of a long, thin sheet of matrixed black dragonstone bound to a hilt of black iron. Its scabbard is made of two of thin adamantium plates tightly wrapped with black leather, adorned with chips of black dragonstone. It is surmised that these chips came from the same stone from which the blade was honed.

Function

Unawakened, Nightfang is a crystalline bastard sword +2. It has an Intelligence of 17, and an ego of 16. The blade itself radiates an aura of cold and unease. Those of lawful alignment actually take 1d4 points of damage if they should touch the blade, and in so doing, awaken it. Grasping it by the hilt will not cause damage, but calls for the lawful would-be wielder to make a Saving Throw vs. Spells. Success indicates that the blade remains “asleep.” Failure awakens the blade (see below).

Unawakened, the blade merely whispers to its wielder. It will detect living creatures within a 60’ radius, conferring that information to its user telepathically. The wielder is immune to charm and fear effects of natural or magical nature.

The blade constantly whispers of hunger, and after being in possession of a user for a sunrise and sunset, the wielder will begin to feel increasingly agitated and hungry.

Awakening

The demonic entity bound to the blade awakens under the following conditions:

• A lawful wielder physically touches the dragonstone blade.
• A lawful wielder fails his or her Saving Throw vs. Magic on picking up the sword by its hilt.
• The wielder, regardless of alignment, makes a killing stroke, reducing an opponent to 0 or fewer hit points, activating the sword’s consume life force ability.

The entity will immediately lash out at its user, calling for a Control check (RC p. 246 or Mentzer Expert rulebook, p. 60.)

If Nightfang ever gains control, it will compel its user to engage the nearest, most powerful opponent within its 60’ radius lifeforce detection in combat, that it may feed. If no opponent is within 60’, Nightfang feeds on its wielder, draining a level of experience unless a Saving Throw vs. Spells is made. Nightfang also does this every three days it does not feed.

Beings slain by the sword (even its wielder, if reduced below first level) have their souls consumed, making it impossible to raise them.

When the sword is awakened, it is able to speak aloud in any language its wielder knows. It can communicate with its wielder telepathically.

Once per day, the awakened Nightfang can bestow a Haste effect on its wielder, lasting 10 rounds. It will only do so if it has fed recently, or if it is promised feeding. Nightfang will revoke this ability if the wielder goes back on his or her word (at which point it will most likely try to feed on its wielder!)

On consuming a soul, the sword  temporarily bestows the HD and full hit points of the victim to its wielder. Any damage the wielder suffers is first deducted from these temporary hit points. This effect lasts for ten minutes per level or Hit Die of the victim, after which the level increase and any remaining extra hit points fade.

Once awakened, Nightfang must feed, requiring at least one soul every three days. If it is not "fed," it will feed on its wielder, as outlined above.

Adventure Hooks

Some legends say that the demon agreed to serve the wielder of the blade in exchange for one thousand and one souls. How close the blade is to this balance, and what happens once it reaches this goal is unknown, and up to the Dungeon Master to determine....

Nightfang is inspired by Lawrence Schick's Blackrazor, from the adventure module S2: White Plume Mountain.