Ancient Blade

Appearance:

The typical Ancient Blade is a twenty to thirty inch long Spatha or similar gladius-type sword. It is predominantly a thrusting weapon, but by having a double edge, can be used for cutting and slashing. They have a noticeable stone-lined fuller. This is typically a sedimentary stone like polished limestone or sandstone and is frequently decorated with glyphs, sigils, runes, or other artistic elements.

Functionality:

Lesser Ancient Blades offer a +1 to +3 bonus to their attack rolls as generic magic swords.

Standard Ancient Blades allow the user to add their Wisdom bonus to their attack and damage rolls. Fools and braggarts find Ancient blades difficult to impossible to use effectively, while veterans, clerics, and others who have experience or character builds around the wisdom stat find them impressive and useful weapons.

Greater Ancient Blades offer a combination of both features of the lesser blades, adding a base combat bonus of +3 to +5, as well as using the swordsman to use their wisdom bonus instead of their strength or dexterity bonuses in combat. All of the known Greater Ancient Blades have names and are known in the proper fashion by those names.

Creation

Ancient blades can only be crafted by swordsmiths with high wisdom attributes. The stone tablet inlay must be crafted by a high wisdom stonecutter/mason before being fitted to the sword.

Legendary Ancient Blades

Last Embrace of the Mother - this Ancient Blade is a greater blade with a +4 to attack and allows the bearer to use their wisdom bonus in combat. It has two other abilities, it deals double damage against the undead, and if presented with pommel up, it can function as a holy symbol in the hands of a cleric. The stone inlay is made from a tombstone taken from a lich's mausoleum.

Coming Dawn - this ancient blade is made of bronze and xanthanite. It has a lower rating +3 to combat rolls and allows the bearer to use their wisdom bonus with the weapon. The blade can be used as a spell item to cast Daylight 1/day, Create Light 3/day, and become a glowing weapon (equivalent to a torch) at will.