The Vault: Singing Swordfish

In the enchanted realm of a waterborne archfey, a gifted bard named Lyricus won a talent contest with his mesmerizing melodies. In recognition of his talent, the archfey transformed Lyricus’ chosen weapon into the singing swordfish, a magical item that blended the art of music with the prowess of a blade. However, tragedy struck when Lyricus, grieving the loss of his pet bass, Billy, unknowingly infused his emotions into the sword, forging a profound connection between the bard and the weapon.

The singing swordfish became a symbol of Lyricus’ resilience, a fusion of triumph and loss. Gifted with the ability to enchant through its melodies, the weapon-fish echoed the bard’s experiences and emotions on its aquatic journey. During his adventures, a sea god, touched by the harmonious bond between Lyricus and the singing swordfish, bestowed additional blessings upon the artifact, making it a cherished treasure in the eyes of the ocean deity. Thereafter, the aquatic virtuoso wandered the realms, leaving behind a trail of captivating melodies and enchanting tales.

Design Notes:

This item can add a considerable amount book-keeping to track the various bonuses when using the song feature. Instead of using the table to determine the benefits, the sword could allow the wielder to cast the bless spell as a song and table could be used for flavor.


Singing Swordfish

Weapon (Shortsword), Rare

This shortsword deals bludgeoning damage instead of piercing damage. While holding it, you can breathe underwater and have a swim speed equal to your walking speed.

As a bonus action, you can activate the sword’s song. Up to 5 creatures of your choice within 30 feet of you that can hear the song are affected. Unused benefits dissipate after a minute. Roll on the following table twice to determine the mood and type of the song; if the sword is wet you can reroll one die:

d6MoodType
1Melancholy. +1d4 on next saving throw.Lullaby. Reduce exhaustion by one level.
2Harmonizing. Next Help is a bonus action.Hymn. Reduce next damage taken by 1d12.
3Soothing. Remove charmed or frightened.Anthem. +15 feet on next move.
4Jovial. Gain 1d8 temporary hit points.Rhapsody. +1d6 AC against next attack.
5Thunderous. +1d8 thunder damage on next hit.Serenade. Remove grappled or prone.
6Inspiring. +1d4 on next ability check.Ballad. +1d4 to hit on next attack.

Once this feature has been used, it cannot be used again until the next dawn.


Check out last week’s item: hellguard aegis

2 thoughts on “The Vault: Singing Swordfish

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top