Vrethkaul, the Rotting Draw
Vrethkaul was strung with sinew harvested from a plague-god's hound in an age before most kingdoms drew their first borders. Its wielder, a warrior-hunter called the Pale Emissary, used it to cull entire bloodlines on behalf of a forgotten death-cult, leaving rotting cairns where villages once stood. The bow was buried with its master in a sealed barrow, but the curse that binds them has never truly slept — it merely waits for a hand willing enough to draw the string.
Mechanics
A blighted ancient longbow that infuses arrows with creeping poison and punishes the wielder for each kill with a growing curse.
Venomseep Strike
Arrows fired from this bow deal an additional 1d6 poison damage on a hit. On a critical hit, the target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned until the end of their next turn.
Festering Wound
When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack from this bow, that creature's corpse releases a noxious miasma. Each creature within 5 feet of the corpse must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 poison damage and be Poisoned until the end of their next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage and is not Poisoned.
Ancient Curse — The Rotting Mark
This bow carries an ancient curse that cannot be suppressed. Whenever you attune to this bow, you gain the Rotting Mark. While marked, your hit point maximum is reduced by 3 (this reduction cannot be removed while you are attuned to this bow). Additionally, whenever you roll a 1 on a d20 for an attack roll made with this bow, you take 1d4 necrotic damage that cannot be reduced or prevented in any way, as the bow's hunger briefly turns inward.
Curse — Blighted Bond
Once you attune to Vrethkaul, the bow cannot be removed from your person willingly. You are unwilling to part with it and will not do so voluntarily. The curse can be ended by a Remove Curse spell cast at 5th level or higher, a Greater Restoration spell, or a Wish spell. Until the curse is broken, breaking attunement requires completing a short or long rest while the bow is not within your possession — something the curse compels you to prevent.
3 charges
Recharges at dawn
DM Notes
Balance consideration: The +1d6 poison damage per hit is strong for a rare weapon at level 5, but is offset by meaningful drawbacks — the 3 HP maximum reduction is a notable cost at low levels (roughly 5–8% of a Fighter's maximum HP), and the 1d4 necrotic on a fumble adds consistent risk. The Festering Wound AoE is powerful but situational, requiring enemies to be clustered. The curse mechanics are intentional and should be enforced: the DM should roleplay the Blighted Bond as a compulsion, not a hard rule, giving the player narrative agency while maintaining tension. The charges field on this item is vestigial from the template — this item has no charges mechanic; remove the charges field before use. Consider placing this item in a barrow or ruin with a clear warning, allowing players to make an informed risk-reward decision. The curse severity is appropriate for rare tier when paired with the offensive upside.
Generated with: Level 5 · Fighter · Arcane Archer · Weapon · Cursed ancient theme · Dark / Gritty · Poison · Rare