PoE Item Skins as Magic Items

[1] Arc of Defiance – Magic Bow+1

Ego- 4

Stats- 1d6+1 Damage OR 1d4 “Death” damage

The Arc of Defiance is a shortbow. It's material is a strange, knobbed wood from a far off land, and it is steeped in the energy of deathly magic and malevolence, but also freedom. On a hit, the bow deals either 1d6+1 normal damage with standard arrows OR deals 1d4 Deathly damage when firing specially prepared bone arrows. The deathly damage drains a single level or HD for every 4 points of damage it deals in combat.

The Arc has a significant ego. Those who wield the bow without enough ego are not taught the secrets of creating the bone arrows (which are shown to the owner in dark dreams), and every season of owning the bow they must save or have a level drained. Those who are drained lose weight, become gaunt and skeletal, and prefer dark places and reject any authority for their own barbarism. The ego effects of this weapon are subtle, meaning the bow has a reputation of slowly draining the life out of lesser warriors who cannot master it.

[2] Blood Guard Axe – Magic Axe +2

Ego- 3

Stats- 1d6+2 Damage

This axe's to-hit and damage bonus only apply with the blade covered in blood. You can cut yourself and deal 1d2 damage to activate it, or you can spill the blood of an enemy on your first successful hit in the combat. Blood only stays fresh long enough for a single combat; consider the maximum limit to be one exploration turn until the blood turns cold.

The Blood Guard Axe has the magical ability to control blood. By giving up your combat round, you can swing and motion with the axe to telekinetically control blood, similar to a magical wand. The blood can flow, mix, shoot out in a geyser, form into a flying orb and explode, boil, enter containers, spill and so on. This only applies to liquid blood that has been spilled from a living being, and only fresh blood works. Blood is not very dangerous on its own unless it is diseased or used in combination with another power; the maximum damage you can deal with this power is 1 if you use it cleverly enough to harm someone with it.

The Blood Guard Axe has a moderate ego. Those without the proper ego score are consumed with bloodlust once blood has been spilled on the blade, they must make a saving throw to avoid attacking the nearest living creature with blood. They will also ignore any creature without blood, include enemies monsters that are attacking them, giving those creatures advantage on attacks against the blood guard axe wielder. The ego score of this weapon can also be satisfied by fully bathing this axe in fresh blood for a whole day, upon which it will allow anyone to use it for a week as its thirst has finally been quenched, even if only temporarily.

[3] Devourer Maul – Magic Two-Handed Mace +2

Ego- 2

Stats- 1d10+2 Damage

This powerful weapon has the face of an insatiable beast. Whenever the maul deals a maximum damage roll against a foe of human size or less, it can “eat” them. The target must make a saving throw, and on a failure is swallowed. The maul has a pocket dimension where what it eats goes, an otherworldly space where the air itself is acidic and quickly digests anything within, dealing 1d6 acid damage per round. Being and objects immune to acid take half damage instead; the otherworldly digestion breaks down material in a much more insidious way.

Once someone is consumed by the maul, the only hope for escape is an outside force. The maul can be made to “burp up” anything within if slapped on the back of the head as though burping a baby, which has a 1 in 3 chance to work, and obviously requires you to get your hands on the maul from whoever is weilding it. The other method is to make the maul “eat” a large amount of foul material, such as making several attack rolls against putrid zombies or sticking the “face” of the maul under sewer water for several rounds. Upon vomitting, everything the maul has eaten that hasn't been totally digested.

Additionally, upon a successful killing blow, the devourer maul can “eat” the slain foe, which quickly consumes the corpse in its pocket dimension over the course of 3 combat rounds, making easy revival impossible.

The Maul has a weak ego, as all it cares about is consuming its prey. Anyone who cannot master the maul leaves themselves open on a failed attack roll from being unable to handle its hefty, unbalanced weight; giving them -2 AC on a miss or losing their initiative.

[4] Ivory Steel – Magic Shfting Weapon +1

Ego- 6

Stats- 1d4+1 to 1d8+1 Damage

Without a true form, this weapon can transform into whatever the wielder wishes. While it usually defaults to the form of a one handed sword when unclaimed, the Fighter who claims this steel can make it fold, bend, twist, and morph into whatever basic weapon they want. It can change fast enough that you can make an attack with it each round, switching forms before you attack to adapt to the situation. The weapon also gains the damage die of whatever size of weapon you change it into, so forming it into a dagger will deal 1d4+1 damage, swords and spears go to 1d6+1 and it can go up to a 1d8+1 damage in the form of a huge battleaxe, sledgehammer, or greatsword.

As with all magic weapons, the Ivory Steel has a resistance to being destroyed by magic. But this particular weapon takes it a step further. When struck with a magical spell to destroy the blade, the caster of the spell must make a saving throw. On a failure, the ivory energy around this metal flies at the magic user, and binds around their hands, making them unable to cast spells for 1d4 combat rounds. During this time, the user of the weapon cannot make it shift into new forms, but can freely call back the ivory energy if they spent their combat round waving the blade to beckon the energy's return.

With a powerful ego, the Ivory Steel prevents lesser warriors from using it. Those who attempt to use it find that their damage is rolled twice and the lowest it taken, the blade shifting into dull or lightweight, hollow heads for clubs and maces right before impact. If an unworthy warrior continues to try and use it, the weapon will shift into ivory chains, as unbreakable as the sword itself, clamping around their hands and binding them. This will continue until a master thief picks the lock, or until a proper warrior takes the chains as a weapon for himself.

[5] Thundering-Tempest Shield – Magic Shield +2

Ego- 3 / Special

Stats- Add +2 AC when equipped. Shield bash deals 1d6 Shock damage.

This unique shield is made of thaumaturgical workings and technology, and as such it has no drive or ego of its own and can be used by anyone, despite its magical powers. However, those who do not have the Ego of a 3^rd level Fighter will still be harmed by this weapon if they do not possess at least +1 Strength and +1 Intelligence in modifiers or better. This is because the shield is quite heavy and without the smarts to use its powers properly it is just as likely to discharge on the user as a foe.

This shield acts as a normal enhanced shield, granting +2 AC. It can also bash targets and releases an electrical blast on them, dealing 1d6 Shock damage, and can be used as a weapon in this way. However it has another ability- when the holder of the shield is struck by an electric spell or breath attack, the damage is halved and the shield becomes charged up. While charged, the shield can release the damage stored (½ the original source of damage) as a cone blast of lightning in front of the shield user. Targets wearing heavy metal armor do not get a save to avoid this damage, but those without too much conductive material do get a save to avoid it.

[6] Siren's Spear – Magic Spear +1

Ego- 7

Stats- 1d6+1 Damage. Water blast at 1d3.

Empowered with water magic, the rushing of the waves, and the song of a siren this spear has enchanted many both to wield it and to be killed by it. With its impressive Ego, this weapon drives those unworthy who claim it to their doom like the song of a siren. Anyone without the necessary Ego score to wield this weapon will see phantoms of beautiful women, piles of treasure, potions of immortality or anything else they desire just out of reach. If they try to follow this phantom it will lead to their death by luring them over a cliff or a trap, or into the arms of waiting monsters. As such, the spear has a reputation to be cursed by those unworthy to use it.

For those who can use the spear's power however, it is quite a potent magical item. Firstly, the prongs on the end of the weapon can be struck to create wonderful music that entices people to follow it, requiring a saving throw or morale check to resist. This spell is broken if the holder of the spear attacks them, or if they know who the wielder is and refuse to follow. Secondly, the spear can be thrust to create a blast of magical water which deals 1d3 damage on a successful ranged to-hit roll. This power is technically unlimited, but deals no damage against aquatic creatures. Finally, those who wield the spear can once per day mask their appearance in a glamour. The glamour can make them appear as a different person, a different race, armored or unarmored, rich or poor, and so on just from the disguise. Attacking or casting any kind of spell will break the enchantment early, otherwise it lasts up to an hour.

[7] Hell Arrows – Magic Arrows +3

Ego- 5

Stats- Use bow damage +3 Fire Damage.

Flaming Arrows forged in the underworld. Beyond both being enchanted with fire magic, they are also steeped in demonic energies. The bolts hiss and scream when they are released. Since these are arrows, they use the stats of the bow or crossbow an add an additional damage modifier for the attack. While normally used with bows, there are some bolt variants for crossbow legions of hell's armies as well.

Hell Arrows have a moderately strong Ego. When fired by an unworthy warrior, the arrows may hang in the air instead and demand that they commit a minor sin, or promise to commit one in exchange for striking the foe of the archer. Additionally; any Clerics can attempt to Turn Evil on these arrows as they fly, which will deflect them away. Treat the HD of the Arrows as their Ego for this calculation.

[8] Bladed Mind – Magic Helmet/Weapons +2

Ego- 9

Stats- Two Blade Projections at 1d6+2, Defense-Spike Projections at 1d4+2

This incredibly powerful weapon is not a weapon at all; it appears as a strange helmet. This magical item is heavily cursed. By placing it on your head, it deals 1d50 damage to you. If this does not kill you, keep track of the number. The weapon deals that amount again times two if you take the helmet off. This means that characters can easily become trapped inside the helmet, as the damage they would take to remove it would kill them.

The Ego score of this weapon is intense. Anyone without a strong enough ego must make a saving throw to attempt to put the helmet on. If an unwise person places it on their head, they take 1d100 damage upon donning the helmet and will instantly die if they attempt to take it off. They still take double this damage if they manage to grow their ego to accommodate this weapon (ie; they level up with the helmet on), so it is still easily possible to get trapped even if they don't die from donning it. Those who wear the helmet without the proper Ego score must also make a saving throw whenever they attempt to use it, else they take 1d4+2 from the defense spike stabbing themselves. Bladed-Mind wearers without at least 9 Ego don't last long.

The Bladed Mind is quite powerful. It allows the user to project daggers or sword blades from thin air, appearing out of nothing to stab and slash at their foes. It grants two attacks a round as blade projections, and the user can still use whatever weapons they wish in their hands, but the helmet does obscure their vision. Instead, they see through the steel around them. Anyone attempting to grapple the wearer of the helmet must make a saving throw or be rebuked by a Defense-Spike Projection, which erupts from the wearer's body and deals 1 damage to the wearer anyway. This defense spike also works on those that are attempting to use mind effecting magic or telekinetically remove the helmet from its wearer; the spike comes from the nearest solid object and stabs them in the foot or side, dealing its normal 1d4+2 damage.