Gravelock, the Warden's Bane
Gravelock was carved from the ribwood of a gallows-tree that grew over a mass grave of plague victims, its riser etched with the names of the condemned in a script no living scholar can read. The wardens who once wielded it were tasked with executing the infected before illness could spread — a duty that eventually consumed them as surely as any plague. The bow does not merely kill; it marks, and it remembers.
Mechanics
A corroded ancient longbow that coats its arrows in virulent grave-poison, and punishes creatures that resist its corruption with a festering curse.
Grave-Poison
This weapon has a +1 bonus to attack rolls. When you hit a creature with an arrow fired from this bow, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned until the end of its next turn. On a critical hit, the Poisoned condition lasts for 1 minute instead, and the target must repeat the saving throw at the start of each of its turns, ending the condition on a success.
Necrotic Seep
While a creature is Poisoned by Grave-Poison, any hit it takes from this bow deals an additional 1d6 necrotic damage as the grave-taint spreads through its veins.
Warden's Hex (3 charges)
When you hit a creature with this bow, you may expend 1 charge (no action required) to force the target to make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is Frightened of you until the end of its next turn, its mind flooded with ancient visions of mass graves and forgotten judgment. This effect can be combined with Grave-Poison on the same hit.
Cursed: The Warden's Watch
This bow is cursed. Once you attune to it, you cannot willingly end attunement except by a Remove Curse spell or similar magic. While attuned, you have disadvantage on death saving throws, as the bow's ancient hunger siphons a thread of your vitality. Additionally, whenever you are reduced to 0 hit points, this bow whispers a name — your name — in a dead language audible to all creatures within 30 feet.
3 charges
Recharges at dawn
DM Notes
Balance consideration: The +1 bonus to attack rolls is within rare tier limits but is paired with significant additional effects, so ensure the curse's death-save disadvantage is enforced — without it the bow is likely too strong for level 4–6 characters. The Poisoned condition is widely resisted by constructs, undead, and creatures with poison immunity, which naturally balances Grave-Poison against common dungeon archetypes. The Frightened effect from Warden's Hex is short-duration and limited to 3 charges, making it a tactical burst rather than a permanent debuff. The death-save penalty is a meaningful but not fatal drawback — characters at this tier die infrequently, but when they do, it creates genuine tension. Consider having NPCs react with unease to the bow's whispered names, reinforcing the cursed flavor. Remove Curse should feel like a real relief and a minor story beat if the player pursues it.
Generated with: Level 5 · Fighter · Arcane Archer · Weapon · Cursed ancient theme · Dark / Gritty · Poison · Rare