Pre v i e w !

Weapons of Lore | 1
Greetings!
quirements. You may choose to remove these special
requirements, but if you do, please note that they do
help balance the weapon’s long-term power so removing
Thank you for looking at the Beta version of Weapons
them might affect your campaign’s difficulty curve.
of Lore! Though we have a good portion of the writing
A GM may find players, or their characters, ask why
complete, and the vast majority of the art commissioned
they must attune to a common magic item. If the GM
and received, we are still working on review, editing, and
wishes to keep the weapon’s true nature secret, they
balance. The following text and sample weapons should
may simply state, “you can tell there’s something special
give you an idea of what the project is about.
about this weapon,” or, “this item feels more powerful
What’s Inside? than a common magic weapon,” or, “you believe the item
contains power yet to be unleashed,” or, “when you at-
This supplement contains several sections: Weapons of
tuned to this weapon, you felt something weave through
Lore, Cursed Weapons, Rechargeable Weapons, and
your body, as if connecting to your very lifeforce.” In
Traditional Weapons.
addition, a successful Intelligence (Arcana) check, the
• Weapons of Lore. Weapons that increase in pow- DC of which is set at the GM’s discretion, might reveal
er as the attuned creature gains experience, com- the weapon is of special power. The use of the identify
pletes tasks, or fulfills quests. Each of these entries spell may also reveal the item is a Weapon of Lore. At
includes the weapon’s Lore, Location, Encounter this time, the GM may wish to divulge all of the weap-
Ideas, Progression Rules, and the Weapon’s Pro- on’s mechanical details to the player, allowing them to
gressing Statistics. see the potential of the weapon’s power and how it will
• Cursed Weapons. Weapons that give and take. change as its rarity increases.
• Rechargeable Weapons. Weapons with limited Attuning at a Higher Level
charges, requiring the successful completion of a Weapons of Lore are meant to be introduced to a char-
ritual or task to replenish the expended charges. acter as a common magic item. This means a high-level
• Traditional Weapons. Weapons that do not in- NPC who wields the weapon can’t simply perish and
crease in power, are free of curses, and recharge leave a low-level character to inherit a high-level weapon.
with a rest. The weapons, when they are attuned to by the character,
form a link, which resets the weapon anew as a common
Weapons of Lore item. However, during attunement, the character can at-
The first half of this supplement contains Weapons tempt a Wisdom saving throw (see Attunement DC in
of Lore. Each of these entries features lore, encounter the Rarity and Level Equivalents Table below). If the
ideas to give GMs inspiration on how to add the weap- character succeeds on the saving throw for their current
ons to their campaign, and fantastic artwork. We also character level, the weapon begins at that corresponding
include progression rules for advancing the weapon’s level of rarity. If a high-level character fails against their
power (which rises in tandem with its rarity). The crite- character level DC, but succeeds versus the lower DCs,
ria for advancement might range from character level, they gain the lower properties. For instance, a 17th-level
character tier, a character’s proficiency bonus, or quests paladin attuning to a Weapon of Lore rolls an 18 on
and tasks that need to be completed. their Wisdom saving throw; this result means the item
begins at rare, instead of common or legendary rarity.
Attunement
Since Weapons of Lore advance as the character ad- Magical Weapons
vances, the character must link themselves to the weap- All Weapons of Lore, even those of common rarity, are
on, forming a bond so they can grow in power together. magical.
This is achieved via attunement. It is important to note
that even the common version of a Weapon of Lore re- Merchants
quires attunement. This is an atypical characteristic for a The untrained eye may have a difficult time recognizing
common magic weapon. a Weapon of Lore. Someone familiar with these weap-
Some of the weapons have special attunement re- ons, like a seasoned merchant or weaponsmith, might
2 | Weapons of Lore
recognize a Weapon of Lore by succeeding on a DC previous properties.
15 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Also, a scholar or As an example, Vuldar’s Steeds begins as a common
historian succeeding on a DC 15 Intelligence (History) weapon with the following property:
check may recall a tale or two about the weapon and • Animal Love. While attuned to this magic weap-
know of its ability to progress in power. on, you gain proficiency with the Animal Han-
Pricing and Selling dling skill. If you already have proficiency, you
Pricing. Weapons of Lore are difficult to price. If the instead gain expertise.
weapon’s extraordinary ability to grow in power is When the weapon progresses, the uncommon version
known, then the merchant’s selling price begins at 1d6 adds this:
+ 14 thousand gp, giving them a price range of 15,000 • Honorable Steed. As an action, while holding this
to 20,000 gp. Though the weapon may not be at its weapon, you can speak the weapon’s command
most powerful now, the merchant knows its true power. word and cast the summon steed spell, with the ex-
15,000 to 20,000 gp is a fair starting price for a weap- ception that the summoned steed is fey and has a
on of such quality and legend. A character successfully duration of 12 hours. When you do, Lula (giant
haggling with the merchant may see the price decrease lizard) appears. Once used, you must finish a long
by up to 20%. rest before using this property again.
If a merchant is unaware of the dormant weapon’s po-
The rare version makes these further changes:
tential, they price the weapon somewhere in the range
of 250 to 1,000 gp and consider the weapon to be of • You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls
common or uncommon rarity. made with this weapon. When you use Honorable
Selling. If the weapon has been successfully identified Steed, you can now summon Lula or Quackers
as a Weapon of Lore, a merchant offers to purchase the (giant duck).
weapon for 1d6 + 4 thousand gp, giving them a range of Progression Requirements
5,000 to 10,000 gp. The merchant knows that they will
Though some of these weapons have more specific re-
be hard pressed to find a suitable buyer for the weapon
quirements before advancing in power, many progress as
and will have to disclose the weapon’s powers and pro-
the character levels up.
gression conditions to the potential buyer.
Let us take a peek at Whispers of Treason’s special pro-
If the weapon has not been correctly identified, a mer-
gression requirements.
chant may offer to purchase the weapon for 20% more
or less gold depending on the weapon’s current rarity. • Whispers of Treason progresses when it consumes
However, a merchant who purchases a Weapon of Lore enough souls, as determined by the GM.
for a large sum of gold, only to witness its power di- If you would rather, instead of using the special pro-
minish when the character ends their attunement would gression rules, you can simply have the weapon prog-
find it difficult to trust the characters in the future and ress as the character gains levels according to the table
may even accuse them of swindling them. below. Keep in mind that the special requirements are
meant to help balance both the character’s and the
Weapon Progression
weapon’s power.
Two things must occur for a weapon to progress in pow-
Rarity and Level Equivalents Table
er. First, the condition for progression must be met. Sec-
Weapon Character Prof. Attune Creature
ondly, the character must subsequently finish a long rest Rarity Level Bonus DC CR
while in possession of the weapon. Common 1st–4th +2 N/A 0–5
Progressions may include an increase in the attack and Uncommon 5th–8th +3 15 6–11
damage modifiers or number of charges, increased save Rare 9th–12th +4 17 12–17
DCs, damage, and ranges of the weapon’s properties, or Very rare 13th–16th +5 19 18–23
the gaining of entirely new properties. In most cases, the Legendary 17th & higher +6 21 24–30

weapon retains the properties from its previous version, Using the above table, a character receiving a Weapon of
but sometimes those properties are removed or replaced. Lore at 1st level would see the weapon’s power increase
Unless otherwise noted, assume the weapon retains its when the character reaches 5th level, for example.
3 Weapons of Lore | 3
 NPCs and creatures can also wield Weapons of Lore. Creating Your Own Weapons
Reference the Creature CR column in the above table to
Feel free to use these weapons as inspiration for creating
determine what rarity the creature wields. For instance,
your own Weapons of Lore. You might remove one or
a CR 6 NPC or creature wields the uncommon rarity of
more properties from a listed weapon and replace them
the weapon.
with properties of your own creation, or properties from
Magical Buffs another existing Weapon of Lore.
There are many items that might increase a character’s Rechargeable Weapons
proficiency bonus, ability score modifier, or other statistic
whose increase is listed as a progression requirement for This supplement also includes rechargeable weapons,
a Weapon of Lore. If the item that grants the increase re- which start with a limited number of charges. As the
quires attunement, then the increase satisfies the progres- charges are expended, the attuned creature must com-
sion requirement of the Weapon of Lore for as long as the plete a ritual, task, or something else to replenish the
character is attuned to the modifying item. However, in expended charges. This limits the character’s options and
the case of (most) consumables, the modification is short- may make them think before using a weapon’s proper-
lived and does not satisfy the progression requirement. For ties, much like a wizard must manage their spell slots.
instance, both a belt of giant strength and a potion of giant Cursed Weapons
strength modify a character’s Strength score, but only the
belt requires attunement and so only an increase granted This supplement also includes cursed weapons. Some of
by the belt would satisfy the progression requirement of a these curses may create new adventure opportunities or
Weapon of Lore that progresses when the attuned char- encounters. Some may only be a hindrance to the at-
acter’s Strength score increases. An increase granted by tuned creature. Most of the time, these curses add a little
the potion would not. flavor to the weapon.
If a character ends their attunement to the modifying Remove Curse
item, the Weapon of Lore regresses in rarity if the pro-
Several of the cursed weapons in this supplement are
gression requirement is no longer satisfied.
immune to remove curse, requiring the use of greater
This same rule applies if the character is affected by
restoration instead. This is because these weapons are
a spell or curse that permanently decreases or increases
cursed with dark, negative energy, and require greater
one or more of their abilities.
restoration’s positive energy to release the attuned crea-
Not All Are Created Equal ture from its curse. You are welcome to allow the use of
By design, the various weapons’ traits are not equal in remove curse on these items if you feel that spell better
power. Not all campaigns are high magic, and we wanted fits your game.
to provide a wide range of choices for players and GMs. Traditional Weapons
Encounter Ideas The remainder of this book contains traditional mag-
Each of the Weapons of Lore come with associated en- ic weapons which do not progress in power. You might
counter ideas. We provide these as suggestions for how also consider using properties from these weapons when
to introduce the weapon into your world, though you creating your own Weapons of Lore.
may come up with fitting ways to tie these items to your
campaign specifically. This work includes material taken from the System Refer-
ence Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast
Multiclassing LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/
systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under
When a character multiclasses, the weapon’s progression the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
follows the rules of multiclassing, with the sum of the available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
character’s class levels equaling their character level. For legalcode.
example, a character with three levels of rogue and two All other material ©2025 Jeff Stevens Games. Jeff C. Stevens,
Jeff Stevens Games, Weapons of Lore, Weapons of Myth,
levels of fighter is considered a 5th-level character.
Weapons of Legend, the 5E and their associated logos are
trademarks of Jeff Stevens Games LLC.

4 | Weapons of Lore
Vuldar’s Steeds
Uncommon. Honorable Steed. As an action, while
holding the weapon, you can speak the weapon’s com-
mand word and cast the summon steed spell, with the
One may not always need a steed, but when they do, this exception that the summoned steed is fey and has a du-
club provides. ration of 12 hours. When you do, Lula (giant lizard) ap-
Lore pears. Once used, you must complete a long rest before
using this property again.
Vuldar the Barbarian’s clan crafted this club for their Rare. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls
champion. Being the protector of the clan, Vuldar often made with this weapon. When you use Honorable Steed,
needed to travel in a hurry. This club, exquisitely worked you can now summon Lula or Quackers (giant duck).
from the tree of a white elm and carved with the like- Very Rare. The bonus to attack and damage rolls in-
nesses of a lizard, duck, scorpion, and shark, provided creases to +2. When you use Honorable Steed, you can
him with steeds for various environments. now summon Lula, Quackers, or Chips (giant scorpion).
Location Summon the Horde. As a bonus action, you can
choose to lose 35 hit points when using Honorable
Vuldar, an 85-year-old human man, still wields the club, Steed. When you do, you summon Lula, Quackers, and
but is in search of someone to purchase it. He’s become Chips. When summoned this way, each fey creature
too old to be a reliable protector, and the clan needs gold has a duration of 1 hour. You can extend the duration
to repair deteriorating property. for each summoned steed by 1 hour for each additional
Encounter Ideas 10 hit points you lose.
Legendary. The bonus to attack and damage rolls in-
• Horde of Steeds. The adventurers witness Vuldar creases to +3. When you use Honorable Steed, you can
(gladiator) battling a group of bandits. Though now summon Lula, Quackers, Chips, or Garg (giant
seemingly outnumbered, Vuldar uses Summon the shark).
Horde to tip the scales in his favor. Dimension Door. As an action, you can choose to lose
• Travel by Duck. While traveling to their next des- 50 hit points to cast the dimension door spell from the club.
tination, the adventurers encounter Vuldar, who at
the time is riding Quackers. Quackers (Giant Duck)
Large Beast, Neutral Good
• Club For Sale. Vuldar travels from village to vil-
Armor Class 13
lage seeking out a buyer for the club. However, his Hit Points 26 (4d10 + 4)
asking price of 6,000 gp is too high for many in- Speed 15 ft., fly 50 ft., swim 30 ft.
terested parties. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
16 (+3) 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 8 (–1) (14 (+2) 10 (+0)
Progression
Skills Perception +4
Vuldar’s Steeds progresses as the creature attuned to it Senses Passive Perception 14
progresses. Whenever the creature’s proficiency bonus Languages Understands Common and Auran but can’t speak
advances, the weapon’s rarity also advances. Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2

Statistics Actions
Weapon (Club), Rarity Varies (Requires Attunement)
Multiattack. The giant duck makes two beak attacks.
Common. Animal Love. While attuned to this magic Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one
weapon, you gain proficiency with the Animal Handling target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage.
skill. If you already have proficiency, you gain expertise
instead.

5 Weapons of Lore | 5
Whispers of
a range of 120 feet, and can speak, read, and understand
common and infernal.

Treason
The weapon seeks to ingratiate itself with a powerful
person, then convince or trick them into acquiring souls
for it. Its aim is to acquire enough souls to descend to a
Never listen to an imp. more powerful form of devil, freeing itself from its bow
form in the process. Conflict arises if the wielder refuses
Lore to aid Whisper’s schemes.
Imps may be the bottom-feeders of the infernal ranks, Uncommon. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and dam-
but many believe they are every bit as clever as an arch- age rolls made with this weapon.
devil. One intrepid imp got a hold of a djinni and de- Infernal Ammunition. As part of making a ranged
manded “immortality and a position of influence”. The weapon attack with this weapon, you can expend 1
djinn transformed them into this bow and gifted it to a charge to summon an infernal brass arrow that deals an
human prince. Predictably, chaos ensued. additional 2d6 fire damage.
Rare. When using Infernal Ammuni-
Location tion, you can expend 2 charges to sum-
Whispers of Treason is a coveted possession of a local no- mon an infernal iron arrow. A creature
ble, crime boss, or other leadership figure. hit by this arrow must use their reac-
tion, if available, to make an attack
Encounter Ideas with their wielded weapon or most
• Djinn’t See That Coming. The party encounters the damaging cantrip against an al-
same djinni that crafted the bow. They respond to lied creature of their choice they
any wish for power by gifting the bow to the party. can see.
• Crime Pays. A formerly negligible criminal is rap- Very Rare. The bonus to
idly consolidating power as rivals wash up dead. attack and damage rolls
The party is hired to find out how. The criminal increases to +2, and
wields Whispers. the fire damage of
infernal brass arrow
• Soul Proprietor. A devil that the imp inside the increases to 4d6.
bow once served has taken an interest in the imp’s Legendary. The
fate. He gifts the party the bow, “no strings at- bonus to attack
tached.” However, the fiend secretly schemes to and damage rolls
siphon away the souls the imp collects, citing the increases to +3.
imp’s former contract. Infernal Am-
Progression munition. When
using Infernal
Whispers of Treason progresses when it consumes enough Ammunition, you
souls, as determined by the GM. can expend 4 charges
to summon an infernal
Statistics
obsidian arrow. A creature
Weapon (Shortbow), Rarity Varies (Requires Attunement)
hit by this arrow must choose to
This weapon has 6 charges. When an attack from this either take 8d6 psychic damage that
weapon reduces a creature that is not a construct or un- can’t be reduced or to be charmed by
dead to 0 hit points, it regains 1 charge. you for 1 minute and, while charmed, use
Common. This magic weapon can only be destroyed their action on their turn to make an attack
by an effect that would destroy an artifact. with their wielded weapon or most damag-
Sentience. Whispers of Treason is a sentient lawful evil ing cantrip against an allied creature of their
weapon with an Intelligence of 11, a Wisdom of 12, and choice they can see. A creature that is immune
a Charisma of 14. It has hearing and darkvision out to to charm must choose the damage.
6 | Weapons of Lore
Sample Cursed
with this magic weapon. In addition, you may magically
summon the weapon to your hand if it is within 5 feet of

Weapons
you, requiring no action.
Curse. This weapon is cursed with the devious magic
of a trickster god. Until the curse is broken with remove
curse or similar magic, you are unwilling to part with
Curse Removal the weapon, and choose to use it over any other weapon
Curses are typically removed via the remove curse spell. or attack. While cursed, each time you attack with this
However, several of the following cursed weapons re- weapon, it nicks you, causing 1 point of slashing damage.
quire the use of the greater restoration spell, requiring Encounter Idea
positive energy to offset the dark, foreign world curse.
• Dagger for Sale. An accomplished thief, her face
Greater restoration is a 5th level spell, which means the
and fingers covered in short, thin scars, has decid-
curse remains in effect longer, since remove curse is a 3rd
ed to retire from adventuring and thievery. She
level spell.
offers to sell the magic weapon to the characters
Axe of Roses for a mere 500 gp, though she doesn’t share infor-
mation about its curse.
Weapon (Greataxe), Rare (Requires Attunement)

The haft of this greataxe is crafted from a red-tinted wood,

Sample
reminiscent of auburn hair. Both the haft and the head are
adorned with beautifully etched roses.

Rechargeable
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made
with this magic weapon. In addition, during combat the

Weapons
weapon spews forth insults and threats at the enemy,
dealing an additional 2d4 psychic damage on a hit.
Curse. This weapon is cursed, and becoming attuned
to it extends the curse to you. Until the curse is broken
with greater restoration or similar magic, you are unwill- Molten Blade
ing to part with the weapon, and choose to use it over Weapon (Any Sword), Rare (Requires Attunement)
any other weapon or attack. This weapon doesn’t know This sword’s blade appears warped and scorched by flame,
when to shut up. While cursed, you have disadvantage with unrelenting soot marks dulling its shine.
on all Charisma checks, as it continues to insult, threat-
This magic weapon has 3 limited charges. You can
en, and belittle anyone you, or your companions, are replenish the charges by performing a 10-minute ritu-
speaking with. al after killing a magmin, magma mephit, red dragon,
Encounter Idea salamander, or similar fiery creature, bathing the blade
• Friendless Barbarian. While the adventurers are in the creature’s remains, but not after it has been dead
enjoying a quiet evening, they are approached by for more than 1 hour.
a half-orc champion who is just trying to strike up Molten Blade. On a hit with this weapon, you can ex-
a conversation. His axe, however, thinks the ad- pend a charge to deal an extra 4d6 fire damage to the
target.
venturers are weak, pathetic wannabes who could
Encounter Idea: The characters encounter Rufus
never best it and its wielder (Ooroc Bonebreaker)
Rolley, a young entertainer who uses the sword during
in combat.
his performances, being chased by a salamander. Should
Butterfly Kisses the characters save him, Rufus explains the need to
Weapon (Dagger), Rare (Requires Attunement) bathe the weapon in the salamander’s remains in order
to recharge it. He’s happy to pay the characters if they
This dagger’s hinged hilt allows it to fold over, concealing the
agree to recharge his weapon, or he may offer to sell it.
blade. The two folded hilt halves resemble a butterfly.
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made
7 Weapons of Lore | 7
Thieves’ Finger • Dwarven Dowry. To be presented as a gift, ce-
Weapon (Dagger), Uncommon (Requires Attunement)
menting the marital union between the Copper-
crush and Granitebrace clans, the shatterstone ham-
This dagger’s blade is fashioned to resemble the cuts, biting, mer has gone mysteriously missing in transit. Lord
shoulder, and wording of a key. Grimfrik Coppercrush is willing to pay good coin
This magic weapon has 3 limited charges. Each time for the return of this precious family heirloom.
you successfully pick a lock without the use of this
weapon, you can replenish an expended charge.
Trollclaw Staff
Weapon (Quarterstaff ), Uncommon
Pick Locks. When attempting to pick a lock, you may
expend any number of charges, granting you a bonus to Formed by the fusion of two severed troll arms, this quar-
your skill check equal to the number of charges expended. terstaff is covered in leathery green flesh. The forearms and
Encounter Idea: The characters find the weapon in fingers on each end continue to flex if the muscles are ma-
the skeletal hand of a deceased adventure, whose bones nipulated.
lay over a trapped treasure chest. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made
with this magic weapon. On a hit, you may attempt to

Sample grapple the targeted creature. You can drag or carry a

creature grappled this way at your normal speed. You

Traditional may also manipulate an object or wield a one-handed

melee weapon by grasping the hand on one end of the

Weapons
quarterstaff and then having the hand on the opposite
end hold the other weapon, thereby extending your
reach by 5 feet.
Once per day, as an action, you may sever one of the
Shatterstone Hammer hands. The hand functions as the mage hand spell except
Weapon (Warhammer), Rare (Requires Attunement) the hand is visible, and you can only move the hand up
This hefty, dwarven-crafted, warhammer vibrates when to 10 feet. If the severed hand is not reattached to the
touched, as if waiting to unleash destruction at a moment’s staff, the staff regrows a hand after 1 day and the severed
notice. hand grows into a troll after 10 days. A troll created this
way is friendly to you for an undetermined amount of
You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made
time. Roll a d6 after each long rest. On a result of 4, 5,
with this magic weapon.
or 6, the troll becomes hostile and its actions are deter-
While attuned to this weapon, you have resistance to
mined by the GM.
thunder damage. Additionally, on a successful hit, you
may use your bonus action to cast shatter (spell save DC Encounter Ideas
14), using only verbal components, centered on the target. • Troll on the Hunt. A creature consisting of two
Once used, you can’t use this property again until you trolls connected at the shoulder attacks a village in
finish a long rest. search of its dismembered arms.
Encounter Ideas • Reckless Experimentation. An alchemist uses the
• Stone Giant’s Talisman. A shatterstone hammer rests weapon to distance herself from the vat of radiant
atop an artistically crafted stone altar. Its polished energy she uses for her research.
metal head is covered in swirls of pigment and paint; • Handful of Jokes. The town prankster uses the
several stone giants sit in a dream state before it. weapon to play tricks on the village. Unfortunately,
the severed hands have gone unrecovered.
• Hidden Crater. Resting amongst debris and rub-
ble in the center of this mountaintop crater sits a
solitary war hammer. Its handle rising up, almost
beckoning for someone to grasp it, the shatterstone
hammer awaits a new master willing to revel in its
destructive might.
8 | Weapons of Lore
Other Creations by Jeff Stevens Games

9 Weapons of Lore | 9