Tuesday Magic Item – Flail of the Gardener

Gollaon and Voddick stepped back as the old knight unwrapped and then unfurled a flail.  It look as though it was made of wood or once wood throughout, the striking length was petrified wood, the chain linking it to the haft, painstakingly carved from a single piece of wood and the half itself was wood.

“Magnificent,” said Voddick.

“It has been around longer than my Order,” said the Knight, “longer than most things that still stand.”

“We will guard your flanks, sir,” said Gollaon.

The ancient knigt nodded.   “It will be a challenge, but together we can do it.”

The Gardener’s Flail

This weapon was made for the Goddess of Gardens and given to her primary warrior who was known only as the Gardener.  It was made to protect the gardens of the world, especially from the forces of rot and decay, by turning them to better ends.  Made by the God of Smiths, it consists of a length of petrified wood, joined by a chain, made of carved wood, to a solid haft.

The Gardener’s Flail is a +2 unliving* bane heavy flail, the bane effect also triggers against otherworldly horrors (demons and other outsiders) that spread rot and decay.

The bearer of the Gardener’s Flail is protected from the unliving and horrors that spread rot and decay, gaining a +2 sacred bonus to their armor class and to saves against the powers of such beings.

When the Gardener’s Flail strikes a blow that reduces one of the unliving to zero hit points, the unliving is transformed into an equal weight of good, fertile soil.  When it reduces a horror of rot and decay to zero hit points, the being is banished from this world for at least a year and a day.

While not being used in war, all non-invasive plants within one furlong (660 feet/ 201 meters) on the gardener’s flail grow one-tenth faster.

As a relic of the Gods, it is nigh-indestructible.

Slot none; CL 17th Weight 10 lb.; Aura strong abjuration and transmutation

For D&D 5E:

Weapon (heavy flail), legendary (requires attunement)

First paragraph as above.

The Gardener’s Flail is a heavy flail that is a magic weapon that gives its wielder a +2 to hit and damage rolls, against the unliving* and otherworldly horrors (demons and other outsiders) that spread rot and decay, the wielder gains an additional +2 to hit and inflicts an additional 2d6 point of bludgeoning damage.

The bearer of the Gardener’s Flail is protected from the unliving and horrors that spread rot and decay, gaining a +2 bonus to their armor class and to saving throws against the powers of such beings.

When the Gardener’s Flail strikes a blow that reduces one of the unliving to zero hit points, the unliving is transformed into an equal weight of good, fertile soil.  When it reduces a horror of rot and decay to zero hit points, the being is banished from this world for at least a year and a day.

While not being used in war, all non-invasive plants within one furlong (660 feet/ 201 meters) on the gardener’s flail grow one-tenth faster.

As a relic of the Gods, it is nigh-indestructible.

Notes: *Unliving are corporeal undead.

Something to round out the spring theme and fertility and gardens seemed to be the opposite of unliving flesh and bones.  A relic of the gods that the Empress would rather was out in the world serving its function than locked away.  She has no love for the unliving or horrors.

Edit: Also, I wanted to do something that was not a sword and had some agricultural echoes.  I am so annoyed at seeing agricultural scythes being depicted as weapons!  They would be totally useless in that role.  How do we know?  Because no one ever used them in combat!  When historically they used scythe blades, they mounted them at the end of shafts, making them into jury-rigged glaves (see the Polish Scythemen for an example).

Image from Mandarin Mansion Antiques and used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.