Weapon and Armor Enchantments
Channelling: [Epic] A Channelling weapons allows spells to be cast through it. This gives several benefits. The first is the weapon does not need to be dropped to cast a spell with a sementic component, as the gestures can be made with the weapon. Touch spells can be cast through the weapon, although only ranged spells can be cast through a ranged channeling weapon. (But a reach weapon can allow an extended reach for touch spells.) Spells that require an attack roll gain the weapon's enhancement bonus to the attack roll. Touch spells that deal damage gain the weapon's enhancement bonus to damage, and also use the weapons critical threat range and multiplier. Channelling weapons with an elemental effect (ie flaming) allow the wielder free use of the energy substitution feat during casting to change the energy type of the spell to match that of the weapon. This ability has no effect on epic spells, but can be used as a move-equivalent action at the time of casting. Weapons with an alignment based ability (ie Chaotic) add +1 to the caster level of all spells channeled through it of the same alignment, but a -1 penalty to all spells channelled of the opposed alignment. A channelling weapon can also deliver a spell as part of a normal attack, instead of the touch attack that is normal for most spells. Doing so allows the weapon to deal full damage as well as the spell effect. Any other special abilities the weapon possesses are also transferred to channeled spells, for instance a ghost touch channelling weapons negate the miss chance to hit an etheral target, a distance channelling weapon doubles the range of spells, and an immortal (see below) channelling weapon allows you to cast immortal spells.
Caster Level: 25th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Creator must be able to cast level 10 or epic spells. Market Price: +10
Disintegrating: A disintegrating weapon can cut through nearly anything. It can be used to cut through force effects like a wall of force, as well as ignores the hardness of any object it hits (however damage reduction applies as normal). Any creature reduced to -10 hit points by a disintigrating weapon is reduced to a fine dust just as if it was hit by a disintegrate spell (or for constructs, objects, and undead, reduced to 0 hit points). Any targets that are immune to disintegration are also immune to the effects of a disintegrating weapon. Disintegrating can not be put on projectile firing weapons (i.e. bows, crossbows or slings), nor can it be put on weapons the require the wielder to handle the business end (i.e. nunchaku).
Caster Level: 16th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Disintigrate. Market Price: +5 bonus.
Ease: A weapon, shield or armor with the ease special feature gives the bearer free use of the Weapon, Shield or Armor proficiency to be able to use it effectively. If the wielder of a weapon of ease is already proficient with it, she may use the Weapon Finesse feat when wielding it (provided it is a light weapon or a rapier). If the armor or shield with the ease feature is used by a character already proficient with it, ease reduces the armor check penalty by 1 and arcane spell failure chance by 5% (to a minimum of 0). Armor of ease can be donned in half the listed time in the PHB by a single character, even if the armor normally requires assistance donning.
Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Caster must be proficient in the item being created; Market Price: +1 bonus.
Immortal: An immortal weapon can affect a deity the same way it would affect mortals. The weapon still has to beat the deity's damage reduction and hit the AC in order to cause any damage, however. These weapons are both loved and despised by the deities, while most Gods weild weapons with this enhancement themselves, they are loathe to share the knowledge that these weapons exist, nevermind the methods of creating them. Clerics of Vecna are often quested with finding and destroying these weapons whenever one appears, as well as all trace of the lore of their creation. Immortal items are also immune to the effects of aging, and the magic of them never wears out so they never suffer from curses relating to old magic items (ie intermittent functioning). Immortal weapons can, however, be intentionally created cursed, if the creator so desires.
Caster Level: 20th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Immortal items; Market Price: +5 bonus.
Note: Dieties themselves can create weapons with this enchantment free of cost, and often wield Immortal weapon themselves.
Indestructible: A weapon or suit of armor with the indestructible ability cannot be damaged by normal means. The weapon is considered to have a hardness of 100, is immune to damage from any energy source, and is uneffected by any spell of 9th level or lower. Against any attack by a non-artifact that normally ignores hardness, treat the hardness rating as 1/2 instead (50). Indestructible can be put on any solid weapon or shield, but for any item with seperate moving parts (i.e armor or a flail) this enchantment must be paid for each moving part seperately. When this enchantment is found on armor it is only on the main plates. Any buckles or bindings that need to be adjusted are not effected by this enchantment so indestructible armor can be donned and removed normally. Indestructable armor can also be disabled by destroying these bindings, but would be quite simple to repair.
Caster Level: 18th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Globe of Invulnerability, Protection from Elements, Stoneskin, Limited Wish. Market Price: +5 bonus.
Unrestrictive: [Epic] Armor with the unrestrictive special ability has no maximum dex bonus. It always counts as light armor, regardless of the original armor type, the armor has no effect on a character's speed, the armor check penalty is reduced by 5 (minimum of 0), and the arcane spell failure rate is cut in half.
Caster Level: 21st; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Freedom of Movement. Market Price: +6.
Trickery: A weapon of trickery gives its wielder the sneak attack ability, just like a rogue. When used in normal combat it performs normally, but when used on a flat-footed target, the wielder gets a 'hunch' for where to hit for best effect. There are five types, each with a different sneak attack bonus ranging from +1D6 to +5D6. This bonus stacks with any sneak attack bonus the character may already posess.
Caster Level: 5th (+1D6), 6th (+2D6), 9th (+3D6), 12th (+4D6), 15th (+5D6); Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, True Strike, Caster must have the sneak attack class ability; Market Price: +1 (+1D6), +2 (+2D6), +3 (+3D6), +4 (+4D6), +5 (+5D6).
Weightless: A weightless item has no weight, and thus does not count against the carrying capacity of the bearer. However there are several disadvantages to weightless items. Weightless weapons don't have as much mass behind them, and the die category of their damage is reduced by 1 (i.e. a weightless longsword does 1D6 damage instead of 1D8), Also, a weightless weapon handles differently, and requires the Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Weightless X (where X is the type of weapon) in order to wield properly. A weightless shield has its AC bonus reduced by 1, as it does not have the mass to deflect blows as well as a heavier shield does. Weightless armor has its Armor check penalty increased by -2 as it does not sit as well as normal, and its arcane spell failure chance is increased by +20%. Despite the penalties, weightless armor is in high demand by people who are not strong enough to spend long in full plate.
Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Levitate; Market Price: +1 bonus.
Specific Items
Clothing of Armor this outfit of clothing has been prepaired to take enchantments like armor can. The clothing must be masterly crafted (which incurs a 150gp cost, just as masterwork armor would) but can be as simple or fancy as the creator desires. After the clothing has been prepaired, it can be enchanted with any magical enchantments armor can be bestowed with. These bonuses overlap(do not stack) with any armor bonuses from another source (ie wearing actual armor over the clothing or a mage armor spell).The clothes have no max dex, no armor check penalty, and no spell failure rate. The character wearing the clothes is treated as unarmored for any feats and abilities that are based on the type of armor worn (ie fast movement). Caster Level: 5th Prerequisite: Craft Wonderous Item. Market Price +1000 GP
Devilbane Trio: These three +1 lawful outsider bane greatswords are all intelligent and chaotic evil. Rynsullok(int15,wis15,cha14) has a red pommel, Kruksyll(int15,wis17,cha12) has a blue pommel and Enull'bratese(int16,wis16,cha13) has a black pommel. Whenever weilded, they all bestow the ability to detect lawful evil and uncanny dodge (as a lvl 5 barbarian). Furthermore, they all have the special purpose to slay devils and cast slay living on any devil they hit (Fort DC 17 for Rynsullok, DC 18 for the others). Whenever one of the swords notices a devil nearby, all three blades glow the color of the pommel of the sword that detected the devil, as long as they are on the same plane. If more than one sword detects a devil, the blades glow with a chaotic swirl of colors mixed between the colors of the blades that detect devils. These weapons were created for the Blood war between the Tanar'ri and the Baatezu. While they will let neutral or good characters to weild them in the fight against the Baatezu, they will refuse to attack a Tanar'ri unless the weilder is also a Tanar'ri. Caster Level: 8th, Market Price 83 350 GP each.
Looter's Bane: This mithral +5 full plate of ease will magically adjust its size to fit its wearer from small up to gargantuan, and can even open holes for characters with wings, extra arms, extra legs, and/or tails. If the wearer of the armor dies in combat, the armor will fall loose and curse it's previous owner's weakness, asking the killer to take it up. It will tell the victor that it is +5 armor, with as many special abilities it thinks the new owner would like, but would try not to make obvious falsehoods, like claiming to be fortified when the previous owner was obviously killed by a critical hit. (Bluff bonus +16) It will also try to mimic the alignment of the victor (which it detects with its true seeing ability). The armor will also look for traps and warn the wearer of any it detects telepathically (search +12). When the wearer of the armor fights a non-good outsider, its true power becomes apparent. The armor will try to telepathically make a bargain with the outsider to betray it's wearer. If th outsider accepts th deal to leave the armor somewhere it can be found by others every joint in the armor freezes. In order to move at all, the character must make a strength check (DC 20), otherwise the character is considered helpless. Even if the strength check succeeds, the armor check penalty is increased to -15, and applies to all checks that involve movement (including reflex saves), effective dexterity is reduced to 1 (from lack of mobility, this is not an ability drain), and both arcane and divine spells with somatic components have a spell failure rate of 90%. Furthermore the enhancement bonus to AC becomes a penalty, and the armor bonus to AC is reduced to 3. Int 14 Wis 17, Cha 22. Special abilities: Speech, Telepathy, read all languages, read magic, true seeing(at will), search +12, bluff +16, detect traps (at will), heal 1/day.
Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft magic arms and armor, Bestow Curse, Detect Traps, Hold Monster, True Seeing. Cost to Create: TBA.
Goma: This large +5 animated mithral shield of bashing constantly glows with a golden light an is quite obviously magical. It can speak and does so constantly, usually singing. While chaotic, it abhors lying, and will always expose any lies it detects ( sense motive +13), even from it's own wielder. It can also grant true seeing at will to the weilder, and can use the spell itself. It also believes it knows more about defence than it's owner and will spend combat patiently explaining dodging techniques, etc. A wielder who listens to the shield actually gains the benefits of evasion, uncanny dodge (as per a level 5 barbarian), and expertise. The main downside is the constant light and noise from the shield make it nearly impossible to sneak up on an opponent. The upside is that the shield will protect a worthy wielder on it's own, shouting warnings, and even hovering as a sentinal over a sleeping owner. It can cast lightning bolt (8d6, reflex half DC 19) once per day and can make a shield bash attack itself as a +1 weapon. Goma also has the special purpose of protecting the monster race, and can cast slay living (DC 21) with a touch attack when working toward its purpose. Goma speaks common and abyssal, and can read all languages and even read magic. Int 13, Wis 17, Cha 23
Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft magic arms and armor, animate objects, bull's strength; Market Price: 205 020 GP
Slayer's Pride: At first inspection, this weapon seems to be an Unholy +3 Greataxe. Unlike normal unholy weapons, it does not bestow negative levels on a good aligned character who wields it, but it does radiate evil. Not until it is carried onto the battlefield is its true powers known. Slayer's Pride is an inteligent weapon that relishes death, but unlike most warmongering weapons does not need to be a part of it. Whenever a character carrying Slayer's Pride intentionally attacks someone, they always deal normal damage (even if they were using a subdual damage weapon like a sap or unarmed strike). Also, when Slayer's Pride is wielded the user is immune to all fear effects and must make a will save (DC 19) to try to withdraw from combat(whether to flee, surrender, or even accept the surrender of a foe). Also whenever Slayer's Pride is wielded near a helpless foe, the wielder gets a free action to attempt a coup de grace. If successful, the wielder benefits from the effects of the Death Knell spell. Attempting to resist a coup de grace opportunity also requires a will save (DC 19), but the Death Knell effect only works if you willingly kill the helpless defender. After it is used in battle, Slayer's Pride starts talking to its wielder trying to convince her how much more fun she'll have in a life of carnage. Once per week, Slayer's Pride can cast Atonement to offer the wielder a chance to change their alignment to Chaotic Evil. The inteligence inside Slayer's Pride is actually a Vrock Demon, and counts as a friendly outsider to teach a character how to become a blackguard.
Caster Level: 20th; Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Atonement, Death Knell, Haste, Slay Living; Market Price: 105,320 GP
Draconic Skin This suite of +2 Hide Armor is made from the hide of a dragon. Unlike normal hide, this suit will come with matching gauntlets, helm, and boots. The armor gives a resistance 10 to any attack of a type the dragon it is made out of is immune to (ie fire for a red dragon, acid and cold for a silver). The armor also smells like a dragon, not the wearer. (The wearer can still be tracked by a creature with the scent ability, but will be identified as the dragon the armor was made out of, not the wearer.) The boots that come with this armor also leave draconic footprints, which help to fool a tracker into believing the wearer is a dragon. The armor also does not fatigue a wearer for sleeping in it. If worn normally, only these effects are detected, but if the armor is worn for over 24 hours, several other features become apparent.
If worn for a full 24 hours, the wearer notices that the armor becomes much more comfortable. The armour check penalty is reduced to -1, the arcane spell failure is reduced to 10%, and the effective weight when worn is cut in half (12.5 lbs for medium sized armor). The armor's weight does not change, it just does not count against the wearer's carrying capacity as much. The armor can also be donned twice as fast and is comfortable to wear without any clothing underneath it. If ever donned by someone else, these bonuses are lost until someone wears it for over 24 hours again.
After being worn for 48 consecutive hours, the armor becomes almost like a second skin. The maximum dex bonus is doubled to +8, the armor effectively becomes light armor (for abilities that are derrived from type of armor worn, like ranger two weapon fighting, movement rates, etc), the armor check penalty is gone, and arcane spell failure is reduced to 5%. If the armor is donned without anything underneath it, the arcane spell failure chance is reduced to 0%, and if the armor is donned hastily, it will take only 1 round, and the armor will don itself properly over the next 4 rounds as it noticably shifts to cover the wearer. At this point the armor takes 5 times as long to remove, as it fits more snugly and will try to don itself as you remove it.
After being worn for over 72 hours, the armour starts to become a part of the wearer. Anything the wearer was wearing before the armor was donned will be slowly ejected to the surface of the armor, as the scales shift to let the items out. Clothing worn under the armor will appear over the armour, rings will be ejected out to be around the gauntlet's fingers, even an earing will move to be piercing the stylized 'ears' on the helmet. At this point the armour does not impead the wearer at all. There is no maximum dexterity bonus, no spell failure chance, and the armor's weight does not count against the character's carrying capacity at all (basically treat the character's weight as being increased by the weight of the armor). The character is effectively unarmored for any ability that is based on the type of armor worn (Ranger two weapon fighting, monk speed, etc). At this point the armor is so comfortable, the character is loathe to take it off. To try to take the armor off, the character must succeed at a Will save (DC 22). Removing the armor requires help, and takes two people 10 minutes, as the pieces of the armor try to grab onto the wearer, and also causes the wearer 3D6 points of subdual damage. Once removed, the wearer has no magical compulsion to put it back on.
After wearing the armor for a solid week, the armor melds into the wearer. The wearer's sense of touch is not impeaded by the armor at all, nor is the wearer's hearing or vision. The wearer gains use of a bite attack as the armor replaces her mouth with a draconic maw. The helm will convey any facial expressions of the wearer as if it was the wearer's actual head. The armor will grow wings and a tail at this point as well. The wings are not strong enough to lift the wearer into the air, by can provide a +2 circumstance bonus to climb and jump checks if there is enough room for them to flap. The tail adds a +2 circumstance bonus to balance checks and can be use to attack with a damage of 1D4 + 1 1/2 str bonus (or 1D3 + 1 1/2 str bonus for small characters). Tail attacks are considered unarmed attacks, and may provoke attacks of opportunity as normal. The AC bonus conferred by the armor is now considered a natural armor bonus, not an armor bonus. It can only be removed by the use of a remove curse spell with a caster level of 16 or higher, limited wish, or similar magic.
On the eighth day, the wearer polymorphs into a dragon of the same type as the one used to make the armor, as per the polymorph any object spell. The wearer must make a will save. If the save succeeds, she maintains her mental abilities and memories, but has her physical stats changed to those of a dragon of the same size class as her (ie a halfling wearing small Copper Draconic Skin will transform into a Very Young copper dragon, while an ogre wearing large Copper Dragon Skin will transform into a young adult copper dragon). The wearer's type changes to dragon, her favoured class changes to dragon, and she gains all the immunities and physical abilities of her new form. Using a draconic ability the character did not have incur a -4 penalty until she takes a level in the dragon class (i.e. bite attack, flight). The wearer can gain other dragon abilities, but must gain enough levels of the dragon class to be the same HD catergory as a dragon who can use the ability (ie a character turned into a copper dragon by this spell gains sleep, paralysis, and acid immunity immediately, as well as flight and physical attack routines of a dragon of her size, but is not proficient with them until she has taken 1 level of the dragon class. The new copper dragon does not gain a breath weapon or the spider climb ability until level 5, the HD level a real copper dragon gain the abilities.)The natural AC bonus of dragon levels does not come into effect until after level 6, where it replaces the natural armor bonus provided by the Draconic Skin.
If the save fails, the character transforms into the dragon the armor was originally made out of, but with one less Hit Die as if the dragon was resurrected. The dragon will have no knowledge of anything that happened after it died (unless it was already restored by a previous wearer of this armor failing her save, in which case it remembers all its past 'lives'), and is likely to be quite hosile (chances are it died durring combat, after all). Restoring the character will require a limited wish, miracle, or wish (and the dragon will NOT be co-operative with any attempts to 'restore' it to humanoid form).
If the dragon dies, it will revert back to the form of the wearer in armor.
Caster Level: 15th, Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Polymorph Any Object; Market Price: 135 465 GP
Auryn
This thin mithral staff is approximately 3 ft long and has a large pearl being held in the mouth of a serpent as the headpiece. The base is another serpent head with the mouth closed and the shaft is carved to look like two twisting serpents. It has 4 sockets for materia and on close examination its scales are minute carvings of a stylized cat face. The staff never shows any signs of wear, or even tarnishes. Despite its beautiful appearance, it radiates an overwhelming evil aura, as if it was used to commit sins most mortals have never even heard of. It also radiates a chaotic alignment, which fluxuates from dim to overwhelming at random intervals, caused by the interaction between the two spirits of the weapon. The intelligence within the weapon is comprised of a marilith and a succubus that were drained of their life energy to the point of death, hobbled of their magical abilities, and given as playthings to newborn evil godlings. Needless to say, the demons, and therefore the staff are quite mad. All it remembers from its previous lives are a love of combat and a love of tempting mortals. The staff isn't capable of any meaningful communications, but broadcasts a feeling of joy when doing evil or tempting others, and a feeling of distaste when doing anything altruistic.
Auryn is a +26 immortal speed medium sized staff (both ends have the same enchantments) that radiates a constant magic circle against law, it deals 1D4 + 26 damage (crit 20/x2). Auryn grants its weilder the feats ambidexterity, blind fight, greater two weapon fighting, improved initiative, improved two weapon fighting, perfect two weapon fighting, sunder, and two weapon fighting. It grants the special abilities of evasion and uncanny dodge ( as a level 5 barbarian); and the wielder need not sleep or breathe while the staff is held. The wielder can also use the follwing spells at will: detect good, detect law, detect magic, find traps, and true seeing. Can cast haste (extended 40 round duration) 3/day, improved invisibility (40 minute duration) 4/day, teleport without error 4/day, and mass heal at will. When used toward it's special purpose, defending the monster race, it also grants it's wielder a +4 luck bonus to saving throws, +4 deflection bonus to AC and a SR 30. Auryn can also transform into a symbol of the Auryn (two intertwined snakes with each mouth biting the other snake's tail) and worn as an amulet. While in auryn form it loses all its abilities (it does not interfere with the use of another magical amulet either). It can be worn as an amulet, carried in a pocket, etc. The main purpose of this ability is to allow the owner to carry Auryn in places she would otherwise be denied permission to carry a weapon. Furthermore, when wielded by a character capable of casting diving spells, it is also a staff with 50 charges that can cast the following spells (Caster level 21)
- Harm (DC 21, quickened)
- Circle of Doom (DC 20, quickened)
The staff regains lost charges at a rate of one per day, as long as it is used to hurt, humiliate, kill or defile someone that day. Even if fully charged, if the wielder goes a week without hurting, humiliating, killing, or defiling someone the weapon will not grant any special powers, and may even take to attacking the wielder, her associates, etc. (If the staff is unable dissuade the wielder from doing good it will turn into an amulet and sulk). If the staff is drained of charges, it becomes a +26 immortal staff with no further abilities (until it is used to humiliate, hurt, kill, or defile at which point it awakens). Int 17 and 18, Wis 14 and 19, Cha 21 and 16. Ego 85 and 87, a character trying to go against the wishes of the staff must make two will saves, one against each Ego although only going against the special purpose or going over a week without committing an evil act will irk both spirits. Usually the item has an effective ego of 2, the difference between its two spirits, who often oppose each other anyway.
Caster Level: 21th, Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Immortal Items, Quicken Spell, Circle of doom, Harm, Haste, Magic Circle Against Law, Summon monster IX, Miracle; Market Price: 52 092 782 GP; Cost to Create 26 047 466 GP and 530 907 XP
Talisman of the Four Moons
Major Artifact
This item contains four parts that take up seperate item slots. In order to function, the Talisman of the four moons must be worn, and takes up the slots for Amulet, belt, and bracers (both arms). When the talismans are activated, the next spell you cast has all numerical effects doubled. This includes range, area, number of targets, damage, etc, provided the initial number was higher than 1. (i.e. This cannot allow you to disintegrate 2 targets on one casting, but the damage dealt on a sucessful save is doubled, as is the range, saving throw DC, and spell penetration check.) Activating the Talisman of the Four Moons takes 1 full round and involves a verbal and semantic component, and can be disrupted as if the user was casting a lvl 0 spell. (It cannot be counterspelled, however) The Talisman is well known as the property of a lesser demon lord who used it extensively durring a war between the heavens and hells. A knowledge (Planes) check (DC 30) can give rumors of the ability of the talisman, and a Knowledge (Arcana) check (DC 45) or Bardic Knowledge check (DC 30) can result in the knowledge of the activation phrase and gestures.
There are rumors that Iaisiel does not possess the legendary Talisman of the Four Moons, but actually has a weaker copy of it (these stats are for the talisman he carries). Iaisiel does not confirm or deny these charges, but if she can manufacture them she has only made one set. The rumors for the more powerful original is that it maximizes then triples all numeric effects, although most sages believe that the stories of its original power are based on using the talisman on a spell that has already been improved with metamagic. (The talisman's effects DO stack with other metamagic feats like maximize spell).
Iasiel did put a curse on the talismans herself, which makes the wearer's eyes glow. Since her eyes glow anyway, this is not a debilitating effect, but the talismans can only be removed with a remove curse or similar spell. The primary purpose of the curse is to make it incredibly difficult to steal the Talisman.
Gryphon Claws
Minor Artifact
Unlike the controvesy around the Talismans, the history of Iaisiel's claws is well known. Iaisiel spent many years traveling between planes, and met up with the alchemist who created these. He was unfortunately, very secritive about his alchemal formulas, and the secrets of making gryphon claws died with him, although he did make and sell dozens of them.
Gryphon claws always come in pairs, and are gloves made out of the paws of a gryphon with the claws in their retracted position. When worn by someone with the improved unarmed strike feat, gryphon claws give the wielder free use of the Deflect Arrows and Exceptional Deflection feats. However, the soft padding reduces the damage of unarmed attacks made by the wearer by 2. When worn by a character with retractible claws, however, the character will notice that the gloves will grip snugly to her hands and actually join. Removing the gloves requires a remove curse or similar spell. The glove actually replaces the wearer's normal hand, and the wearer's claws are replaced by those of a gryphon (1D4 damage), but with a +5 enhancement bonus. The gloves are virtually indestructible, and can be used to handle just about anything (Although they only cover up to the wrist).
Sword of Heroes
Major Artifact
This bastard sword radiates an overwhelming transmutation enchantment when viewed with detect magic, but has no enhancement bonus (other than masterwork quality) that can be detected by identify, analyze dweomer, or similar spells, but they can detect an etheralness about it, similar to a ghost touch weapon as it exists on the etheral plane as well as the material plane. Furthermore it drains 6 hps ever round it is drawn from its weilder (1 per second). These hit points cannot be restored until the sword is sheathed, dropped, or used (see below), but the sword will never drain a user past 1 hp. Legend Lore, or a Bardic Knowledge check (DC 20) will give a story about how this weapon killed an epic beast (anything from a great wyrm to a hecatoncheires, feel free to make something up as it has been used to slay nearly anything but the Torrasque).
The sword of Heroes shows it's power when used against a powerful foe. The enhancement bonus of the weapon always matches the damage reduction of the target. (So if used against a human it's a normal bastard sword, but when used against a hecatoncheires it is a +15 bastard sword). Furthermore it ignores any resistances and immunities to slashing weapons, critical hits, etc., always dealing full damage. If the target has regeneration with a certain attack type allowing normal damage (ie a troll) the Sword of Heroes deals normal damage. Whenever a successful hit is made, the wielder heals 10 points of damage (although the sword will still drain 6 points a round).
