Sacrificial Knife

[Serpentine]

GOFF DO NOT READ (yet)



Requests are okay in here, aren't they? I figured something like this could be a handy addition to the archives anyway...
I would like a magic item, a sacrificial knife. I believe there is a ready-made one somewhere, but if I recall correctly it's not quite the sort of thing I'm looking for. To summarise the situation, a cell of yuan-ti have taken over the temple of a Good god, taking over the worship. They have instated human sacrifice as necessary for human fertility, good crops, etc., but the people think they're worshipping that same god. I was thinking that the knife might allow the wielder who uses it in a coup-de-grace to cast a set number (say, per HD or somesuch?) of certain spells - say, Plant Growth or whatever it's called and others - through it, but I was wondering what other (probably better) ideas people might have.
So... make me a sacrificial knife?

[Azerian Kelimon]

It's not really necessary to stat a sacrificial knife. A Masterwork Exotic dagger would work, or maybe a magical dagg. What you might find more use for this scenario is the rules the BoVD, I think, had for doing sacrifices to a god.

[Mewtarthio]

All he wants is a magic item that casts plant growth (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/plantGrowth.htm) (Enrichment) whenever it kills someone. I'm not sure why you'd need any special extra rules for that, though.

[F.L.]

A Karras stone knife, BOVD, gives +1 to the check required for sacrifice. It's in line with a DC 30 check to cast level 3 spells at a 20th caster level. DC 35 to cast level 3 approx spells 1/HD of the sacrifice.

Though this usually is for fairly evil/combat oriented spells, e.g. 35 to cast divine power on 1 subject/victim HD for 24 hours or such. Or bull's strength, bless, divine favor, etc.

Assuming Approx lv. 10 Yuan-Ti cleric, +14 know(relig)+2 wis, +1 knife, Sacrificial Skill +5, good sacrifice, torture, witnesses, altar +4-5, could very constistently make such checks. Plus miscellaneous other goodies from dark powers.

Whoops, this was homebrew, sorry for the distraction.

[Serpentine]

All he wants is a magic item that casts plant growth (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/plantGrowth.htm) (Enrichment) whenever it kills someone. I'm not sure why you'd need any special extra rules for that, though.
She. And I was thinking more that it'd sort of store spells like that, but that was just one idea, I was hoping someone would have something better. And special extra rules? No... just a magic item :smallconfused:

F.L., I'll have a look.

[Icewalker]

Well, I may end up making a new sacrifices system for a blood-based caster class. It'll probably be pretty soon, so I can come back with that.

[Mr.Moron]

Could you give some stricter guidelines?

-Do you want this to be of a specific of limited value/level?
-Do you want it to follow the existing guidelines for abilties and values (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm) or are you willing to be more subjective with it?
-Do you want the abilties it has to be based off existing effects (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/spells.htm), or do you do want anything that is thematically similar to the spells you mentioned?

Basically, how much are you looking for in the way of pure home brew and how well do you want it to fit with existing templates?

EDIT: No matter what the answers to these questions are, if you could be any more specific about how this dagger is being it would be a big help.

[Serpentine]

Rightio.
I basically want a magic knife, which is in active use, that may well fall into the possession of the ~level 10 party. It wouldn't be the only treasure in itself, but it could be the major reward item. On the other hand, depending on the way it goes, they might not get it at all... anyway, that bit doesn't really matter for this.
The yuan-ti who have been using it took over the temple, claiming that they were more or less reinstating the "true worship" of the good god, and that human sacrifice is necessary for the fertility of man, beast and land, and other good things needed for community survival. It isn't necessary for the knife to be magical, but I thought it might be neat if it allowed the sacrificer to do things they wouldn't normally be able to, especially handy for a snake-person impersonating the cleric of a Good god.
Existing effects would be best, but I wouldn't be adverse to a bit of self-contained homebrew.
Is that okay? Feel free to keep asking.

[Triaxx]

Sacrificial Knife:

The Sacrificial Knife is a weapon of Yuan-ti design, designed to deal lethal damage to a helpless victim. Further magical investigation shows that it also has the ability to store spell power everytime it makes a kill allowing it to unleash a limited number of spells.

Enchantments: Keen, Spell Storing (Spell Points system)

Spells: Plant Growth, Hold Person.

Damage 1d3+3 x4 19-20.

Yes, I know most weapons don't have that large a crit, with that large a range, but A) It's still a dagger, and B) How else do you kill a commoner without stabbing him multiple times.

[Serpentine]

B) How else do you kill a commoner without stabbing him multiple times.Coup de Grace a helpless, held-down victim. But thanks, it's a great start.

[Triaxx]

Stupid ruleset, killing off my good jokes.

[bingo_bob]

Sacrificial Knife
+2 Wounding Dagger

In addition to it's normal properties, whenever this knife is used to Coup de Gras a helpless creature, it gains charges equal to 1/2 the creature's HD (Miniumum 1). Accumulated charges may be used as follows:

Cure Light Wounds: 1 Charge
Plant Growth: 2 Charges
Magic Circle Against Good: 3 Charges

Market Price: ???


How's that?