Vilemaw's Fang
Vilemaw's Fang was shaped from the rib of a long-dead serpent god, interred in a tomb sealed by a civilization that feared what the weapon would do in living hands. Grave-robbers who uncovered it reported hearing whispers in a dead tongue before each fell to sickness in turn. The bow does not merely deliver poison — it is poison, a fragment of divine rot given purpose and an inexhaustible appetite.
Mechanics
A cursed bow carved from blackened bone that delivers festering poison wounds and gradually poisons its own bearer.
Festering Poison
Arrows fired from this bow are coated in a necrotic venom. On a hit, the target takes an additional 1d6 poison damage. If the target fails a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, it is Poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Rotting Wound
Once per turn, when you hit a creature that is already Poisoned with this bow, the wound festers. The target takes an additional 2d6 necrotic damage and cannot regain hit points until the start of your next turn.
Cursed Hunger (Curse)
This bow is cursed. While attuned to it, you cannot voluntarily unattune from it without the aid of a Remove Curse spell or similar magic. Additionally, at the end of each long rest, you must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion as the bow's venom seeps into your bloodstream. On a successful save, you take 1d4 poison damage instead. If you already have the Poisoned condition when you fail this save, you gain two levels of exhaustion instead of one.
Ancient Malice (3 Charges)
As a bonus action, you can expend 1 charge to speak a guttural syllable inscribed along the bow's limb, causing the next arrow you fire before the end of your turn to carry a virulent charge. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be Poisoned for 1 minute. While Poisoned this way, the creature takes 1d8 poison damage at the start of each of its turns. It may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. This effect does not stack with itself.
3 charges
Recharges at dawn
DM Notes
Balance consideration: The Rotting Wound effect denying hit point recovery for one turn is powerful but short-lived; it rewards coordinated play and the Poisoned condition setup, creating meaningful decision tension. At level 5, the curse's exhaustion risk (DC 12 Con save) is a real threat — characters with low Constitution will feel the drain, while high-Con characters gamble with the 1d4 poison damage fallback. The DM should not soften the curse; it is the item's primary cost. If the party has easy access to Remove Curse, the DM may wish to note the bow resists or re-attaches the curse within 24 hours after removal to preserve the tension. The Ancient Malice ability's 1-minute Poison-on-a-failed-save is strong but limited to 3 charges, making it a tactical resource. The bearer's curse creates compelling roleplay hooks — the character is slowly being consumed by the relic they wield.
Generated with: Level 5 · Fighter · Arcane Archer · Weapon · Cursed ancient theme · Dark / Gritty · Poison · Rare